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Punam Phuyal
Travel insurance is the backup to cover the financial losses and protect from potential risk while traveling from one place to another. The Everest base camp trek is a long journey having various obstacles; therefore, we need travel insurance for the Everest base camp trek.
Trekking to Everest Base Camp has difficulties like high elevation, altitude sickness, low temperature, and cancellation of the Lukla flight. To minimize risk and evacuate from high elevation during difficulties, it is always best to have travel insurance within the EBC trek plan.
We need travel insurance for the Everest base camp trek to cover expenses we require during emergencies. The EBC trek package does not cover helicopter evacuation during your sickness. We can trek to a lower elevation or rest for more days with any of the trekking team if we get sick. The main reasons for the necessity of Everest base camp are:
The Everest base camp elevation is 5364 m, which is one of the highest elevations for mountain trekking. Trekkers become tired and become sick due to low atmospheric pressure and cold temperature. It will be best to evacuate in case of sickness. The cost will be minimized via travel insurance.
Emergency helicopter evacuation will be very costly to return to Lukla or Kathmandu. A helicopter flight does not occur from Everest Base Camp, but we can take a helicopter from Gorekshep. The casualty can claim their travel insurance for evacuation in case of emergencies.
Altitude sickness is the major difficulty of the EBC trek. If trekkers suffer from altitude sickness, then they can evacuate from any place via the best travel insurance with evacuation. The higher elevation of Everest base camp (5364 m), Kalapatther (5644 m), Lobuche (4940 m), and Dingboche (4410 m) has a high risk of altitude sickness.
The weather in Lukla keeps on dramatically changing. Since the airport is small and surrounded by mountains, flights do not take off unless the sky is clear. Therefore, there is high chance of flight delay or cancellation which may hamper your international flight as well. The best travel insurance will compensation for your international flight. Your risk will be covered even if you do not have any buffer days after the Everest base camp trek.
Yes, we can do Everest base camp trek without travel insurance. If you are well prepared, have buffer days, and are financially prepared to evacuate on your own during emergencies, then the best travel insurance is not necessary for trekking to base camp.
The best Everest base camp trek preparation helps you to be fit and reduce the risk of altitude sickness. The buffer days (extra days) after completion of the EBC trek helps to cover the risk of international flight cancellation. Similarly, being financially strong is enough to get emergency helicopter on which we have to give payment immediately.
Travel insurance for Everest Base Camp makes trekking to EBC risk-free. It helps to evacuate immediately after any emergencies. We always suggest that trekkers to take travel insurance to minimize financial loss due to being sick or emergency evacuation.
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