Makalu Base Camp Trek Difficulty:
Makalu Base Camp Trek is an adventure trekking with a lot of steep up and down through the rugged trail in high elevation and someday need to walk more than 7 to 8 hours to get today destination. So this Moderate to Strenuous level trek is recommended only for experienced trekkers who have some high elevation trekking history and good physical fitness. The accommodation also determines the trek difficulties level, as this is a recently opened tea house trek, the accommodation is more basic than some popular treks. However, you don’t need to carry a tent and other camping gear. If you have a plan to trek beyond the Makalu Base Camp onwards to Everest and Lukla via Sherpani coal, you require mountaineering skill also to cross the adventures passes, so it is categorized as very strenuous.
Makalu Base Camp Trek Permits and Paper Work:
Makalu Base Camp Trek is a less frequented tea house trek in Nepal. For this trek, you need 2 different permits.
[I] Makalu Barun national Park Permit,
[II] TIMS Card (Trekkers Information Management System)
To organizing these permits, we need each of your passport copies and three copies of PP Size pictures by email then, we will make ready all permits before your arrival.
Makalu Base Camp Trek Best Time:
Among the four seasons in Nepal, spring (March, April, May) and fall/autumn (September, October, November) are the best times for the Makalu Base Camp Trek, as the weather, pleasant temperature and clear sky makes your journey joyful. Spring is full of the colorful jungle in the high area, especially Rhododendron (Nepalese National Flower) blooming and it is the best time for peak climbing and expeditions. Likewise, the colorful festival Holi, Shivaratri, Buddha Jayanti, Nepali New year, Indra Jatra, and Ghodejatra falls this season. Similarly, during the autumn many festivals like Bijaya Dashami, Dipawali/Tihar, and Chhatha are celebrated in Nepal. Autumn is best of the best times for the Nepal Trek, including Makalu Base Camp Trek, during this time the monsoon is just over and paint hills with lush greenery and pleasant weather, where wonderful snow-capped mountains view can be seen on the trek. Monsoon is not preferable for the Trek due to heavy rain, foggy weather, and a high risk of landslides and floods. And winter is too cold in the high elevation and the trail could be closed by heavy snowfall.
Transport for Makalu Base Camp Trek:
Tumlingtar is the main entrance for the Makalu Base Camp trek, it is a 30 to 45 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar Airport, approximately 500 kilometers north-east of the capital. Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines operate daily flights. Now, there is road access to the Num Village, it is a four-hour drive from Tumlingtar. If you prefer road drive, you may drive Kathmandu to Tumlingtar via Dharan Dhankuta, Hile almost full one day through various landscapes.
Packing Lists for Makalu Base Camp Trek: Trekking Equipment:
Gear is the most important role in making your trip successful. Makalu Base Camp Trek is an adventure in the Himalayan, any time, the weather could be change, so you need to well prepare with sufficient gear to adjust to changing weather. It is best to recheck Nepal Trekking packing List before departure home, and not miss anything at home. As this is tea house Trek you do not need to carry camping gear, however good Trekking Boots, fleece inner cloths, worm shocks, day bag, sleeping bag, down jackets are recommended. Likewise, the sandal, globs, Worm Hat, the sun-protected Hat, waterproof jacket, trousers, Sunglass, suns Lotion, water bottle (minimum 2 liters per head), some medicine, for cold cough, sprain, fever, food position, Dimax, bandage, Microspikes/Crampons- for high passes, Gaiters –waterproof, waterproof jackets, etc.
Accommodation on Makalu Base Camp Tea House Trek:
Makalu Base Camp Trek is a less-frequented trekking route in the Himalayan. If you have already visited other famous trekking routes in Nepal, then this newly developed tea house Trek is suitable for you. There are very basic accommodation facilities available in the tea house and lodge in Makalu compared to other popular tea house treks in Nepal. Most of the lodges are on a community basis, where accommodation will be provided turn by turn and share benefits in the community. In the tea house, there is a room with a good enough mattress, bed sheets, a pillow, and a blanket. The bathroom and toilet are sharing basic, and some tea houses have a house hot shower with a solar system or gas geyser, if there is not then provides buckets of hot water. In most of the places you can get a private room, however, sometimes you need to share a room with others during trekking peak season.
Insurance for the Makalu Base Camp Trek:
Insurance is not mandatory for the Makalu Base Camp Trek to obtain permits, however, it would be best to have travel insurance for your safety, which must cover in case anything happens; such as missed flight, lost lockage, if needed helicopter evacuation hospitalizes and medication. The insurance must cover up to 5,000 meters of elevation. There are several insurance companies that provide services worldwide; you may choose the most reliable and reasonable cost by your own selection or recommend it by your friends and review. The insurance you can buy online using credit cards easily. There are some insurance companies also in Nepal, who provide services worldwide but as your journey begin from your home batter to buy before departure home.
Food and Drink Water on the Makalu Base Camp Trek:
If you are wondering what kind of food you can get on the Makalu Base Camp Trek? Well, during the Makalu Trek, you will get various food depending on different places, but the Nepalese dish (rice lentils soup + vegetable curry + pickles+ ) is most popular due to the various ingredients in a dish and you can add more than one time until the not full stomach. If you sign in Full Package program with us at Nepal Mother House Treks, then you can meals from menu cards (breakfast, lunch, and Dinner) with a cup of normal tea and each meal. When you ordered one team meal and not sufficient for you, then, you can order other items as well. For the small item such as MOMO (dumpling) provides a bowl of soup. It means each time you will get sufficient food according to our services.
Likewise, for the drinking water at most of the tea houses, you can buy a bottle of mineral water (NPR 50 to 400 for a bottle of water depending on various places) and boiling water. But for the environmental concern of using a plastic bottle and minimize trek cost, it would be better to drink self-treated purified water use iodine/ Chlorine filter machine /Steripen).
