Our trip to The Base Camp of Mount Everest offers many unique opportunities that commercialized treks do not offer.

Firstly, our partner travel organization, First Environmental Trekking Ltd, has organized many hikes to The Base Camp of Mount Everest. This travel company is comprised of local Nepalese who are intimately familiar with Nepal and The Mount Everest Base Camp route. Participating in our hike relieves you of the anxiety of searching for a reliable and established travel organization.

Secondly, this trip gives you the chance to meet other people who feel passionate about helping the global community. The participants of this trip will automatically have a unique bond because everyone involved will be working together to achieve two goals, reach Mount Everest Base Camp and help Nepali children.

Thirdly, you will be able to see who your money will help. Not only will you be able to see one of the most beautiful parts of Nepal as you climb Mount Everest, but you will also have the opportunity to visit programs your funds will benefit in Kathmandu.

Finally, and most importantly, your adventure will provide children of Nepal a chance for a better life. While participating in �the opportunity of a lifetime� you are also offering children �the opportunity for a better life.�

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. This giant sits on the crest of the Himalayan Range between Tibet and Nepal.

Mount Everest has many names. In Tibetan the name �Chomolongma� means �Mother Goddess of the World,� in Nepalese the name �Sagarmatha� means �The Forehead of the Sky.� Its English name, though not nearly as descriptive, connotes similar feelings of awe. At 8850m/29,035ft Mount Everest sits literally at the top of the world, nestled in the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal.

Mount Everest is on the border between Tibet and Nepal. This mountain offers the trekker the prestige of climbing to the base camp of the highest mountain in the world, while not requiring that the trekker have extensive climbing experience. Yet this climb is not to be taken lightly, it is a tough hike to Base Camp and only very physically fit people with a degree of mental preparedness will reach their goal.

Yet those who do succeed will find that standing at the base of the �Mother Goddess of the World� will be a sight not easily forgotten.

You will need to be very physically fit to attempt this hike.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth and even though you will not ascend to the summit, a trek to Base Camp is still a very demanding climb. The Mount Everest Base Camp trek is not going to be an �easy� walk but instead one of the toughest physical and mental challenges you will ever face.

You should be confident in your physical fitness before attempting this trek. You should be able to walk for several hours without too much of a problem. Aerobic activity, such as cycling or running, is a fantastic way to get and stay in shape. Hiking before this hike is the best means of preparing yourself for this adventure. Not only does hiking prepare you for the particular difficulties you�ll faces on this trek but it will also further assist you in your efforts to become physically fit.

The main concern on a trek of this nature is the altitude. The failure of the body to adapt quickly enough to the reduced level of oxygen in the air, as one reaches higher altitude, is the reason a person experiences altitude sickness. Most people who hike at altitude will have some form of altitude sickness. Mild symptoms include headaches, light-headedness, nausea, loss of appetite, tingling in the fingers and toes and mild swelling of the face/ankles/fingers. Altitude sickness seems to affect people indiscriminately, regardless of age or fitness level, yet becoming physically fit before your hike will increase your chances of having an overall enjoyable trip.

We recommend beginning a strict training regime 3 months prior to the trek, achieving max physical fitness 2 weeks before the actual trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

After you have been accepted to our Mount Everest Base Camp Climb Team you will receive a link to our information packet. This packet describes altitude sickness and necessary physical fitness preparations.

On a scale of 1-5 of mountain trekking Mount Everest Base Camp is a 3 trek. A few days are more difficult and would be at a level consistent with a 4 trek.

1. Easy
2. Somewhat challenging
3. Difficult
4. Very difficult
5. Extremely difficult

3. Trek
"Difficult"- For a trek at this level we recommend that you improve your fitness before the trek. Previous hiking experience is a plus but not mandatory. These treks are similar to mountain hiking except they are at much higher altitudes. The average day on a trek at this level is 4-5 hours. You should be able to walk for hours without too much difficulty. Conditioning hikes before the trek are recommended, especially hikes at altitude.

4. Trek
"Very Difficult"- At this level it is important to have total confidence in your physical fitness. Achieving physical preparedness is a must if you are not confident in your strength and stamina. You must have the ability to navigate difficult, glacial paths at altitude. Training at altitude is a must, as is previous hiking experience. Hikes at this level usually involve 6-7 hours of hiking at altitude in difficult conditions.

The political situation in Nepal is slightly unstable, yet it does not pose a significant threat to volunteers.

You may be aware of the Maoist movement. The Maoist movement is a local group of people that wish to take over the Government in order to establish communist rule within Nepal. The movement is strong in the western part of Nepal however you can see Maoist soldiers in many parts of Nepal.

The Global Volunteer Network has placed volunteers in Nepal for several years now. Volunteers of the Global Volunteer Network, who have traveled to these programs during a travel warning, have never had to leave the program early due to any danger. We recommend that you research this further and can get up to date information on nepalnews.com

Once we have received your application and application fee we will send you a fundraising information pack that will help you to fundraise for your adventure in Nepal.

There are many ways of achieving and surpassing your financial goals. Ideas and examples of how to raise money for your adventure include:

Friends, family, your work place, clubs, raffles, quizzes, fun-runs, and parties.

Community Fund

The GVN Community Fund was established to support the work of our partners in supporting communities in need. We choose to work with organizations formed by people from within the local community, who are in the best position to determine their needs. As well as providing them with volunteers, we also aim to supply our partner organizations with resources so that they are able to continue and enhance their work in their local communities.

The Community Fund allows visitors to our site to contribute to the work of the Global Volunteer Network and our partners. Our partner organizations have indicated to us the areas within their programs that would most benefit from donations. You may make an online donation right now to any of our programs. Please go to http://www.volunteer.org.nz/communityfund/.

Feature Fundraisers

We also offer Feature Fundraisers, which allow donors to take a more active role in the fundraising process. We currently have two feature fundraisers, The Mount Kilimanjaro Climb and the Mount Everest Base Camp Climb. Each of these fundraisers have been designed to raise funds for a program�s specific needs.

· Ugandan Education Fund

In October 2006 we climbed to Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise funds for our Ugandan partner. A total of 150 children have benefited from this program so far. Such is the constraint on resources they have been unable to help many others.

To read about the experiences of those who joined our last hike to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro please visit: http://communityfund.volunteer.org.nz/uganda/2005.php.

· Nepali Children�s Fund

In October 2005 we climbed to the Base Camp of Mount Everest in Nepal to raise funds for our Nepali partner. Our partners in Nepal offer programs to poverty stricken and sexually assaulted children. Yet our partners needs additional assistance in order to improve orphanages, build an orphanage and provide a refuge for victims of sexual assault.