Sherpa climbers who were in a race to scale Mount Everest the most times. Pasang Dawa Sherpa and Kami Rita Sherpa were tied with 27 summits each, Kami Rita has just summited (23 May 2023) for the 28th time, retaining his world record.

While we might believe that someday that could be us, let’s be realistic here. Between the fitness level, cost and time involved, very few non-professional climbers have enough serious intent to make it up Everest. So, what of the rest of us?

Trekking in Nepal is a wonderful experience and not one to be downplayed. Yet there is a newer and less stressful way to see Mount Everest. We are talking about doing an Everest Base Camp Helicopter Tour.

For those young of heart this tour can be combined with a trek also. Either do the whole 12 to 14 days trek to Everest Base Camp by the classic route, or take up the offer of five, six, seven, eight, or nine days trek which combines a ride back to Kathmandu by helicopter.

For those not wishing to do any trekking, this relatively new and extremely exciting way to go – by helicopter – should be high on the bucket list. The tour includes landing at various sites along the way.

We discovered a company called Magical Nepal who will do all the organizing for you. Based in Kathmandu this young and enthusiastic team have the connections and expertise to make your visit to Nepal, and Mount Everest as smooth as you hope that helicopter ride will be.

Costing only $1,175 per person, this helicopter tour is certainly the least expensive way to visit the highest mountain in the world. Something like $60,000 less than climbing the mountain, and a few hundred dollars less than doing the whole trek. Keeping in mind the tour is only four or five hours long, it can be combined with other adventures that Nepal has to offer.

Starting and ending at Kathmandu, the tour doesn’t include accommodation in the capital, but that can also be arrange for you.

“We were met at the helipad by a friendly big group of 7 supporting staff, including our pilot, who looked like a Tom Cruise clone in Top Gun. The helicopter ride was a fascinating experience, with the pilot explaining and guiding us through the wonders of Everest and the Himalayas.” Nam Duy Nguyen, USA, 1 April 2023 who gave the trip a five star rating.

Another satisfied customer is Chan Lee, from Singapore who in December 2022 said “the helicopter ride was smooth, and the pilots were skilled and knowledgeable, providing us with a safe and enjoyable journey. I highly recommend the Everest helicopter tour with Magical Nepal to anyone looking for a unique and memorable experience in the beautiful Nepal region. The views from the Everest View Hotel are truly unforgettable, and the tour itself is well worth the cost. So, it was a fantastic tour for me. Five stars.”

On the subject of safety, the helicopters used on this trip are piloted by extremely experienced people, who are skilled at high altitude landings and flying in the sometimes extreme Himalayan conditions.

The landings themselves consist of once in Lukla, near the Hillary Tenzing Airport, which has a bit of notoriety for being a hard-core landing strip. This is a refueling stop only. The other two landings are more interesting.

Flying over first the pine forests, raging rivers, pastures, and farmlands of the lower slopes of the mountains, the landscape turns more rugged the higher up you get. By the time you are flying over the famous market town of Namche Bazaar its clear that the trails below are becoming more and more rugged and tricky. Settlements below include Tengboche with its monastery which was built in 1916 and is revered in area among the Sherpa community.

Coming up on Everest Base Camp the land below has turned to glaciers, glacier lakes and ice falls, the most famous of which is the treacherous Khumbu Ice Falls. Which every climber and support staff has to cross in order to reach Camp I and subsequently summit Everest. Hopefully.

While it is not possible to land the helicopter at base camp for logistical reasons – the ground is moving ice – it does land at a spot with even more spectacular views of the mountains. Kalapattar, or black rock, is also the highlight of the trek to base camp as it is ideally located for the best views of Everest.

The third landing takes place at a hotel, aptly named Everest View Hotel. Built in the 1970s with Japanese/ Sherpa cooperation, it lives up to its name. And then some. Breakfast is taken sitting on the open terrace gazing at the mountains before climbing on board again and heading back out of the mountains and into the Kathmandu Valley.