The north base camp in Tibet sits at about 5,150 metres, and getting there from Lhasa means a drive of roughly 600 km across some of the highest terrain in the world. I did it over six days, which is the pace I would recommend, and I still think about the morning the mountain appeared.

This is not a trek. You do not climb anything. But it is not a casual drive either, and the altitude is the thing that decides how the trip goes.

The permit situation, plainly

Foreign visitors cannot travel in Tibet independently. You need a Tibet Travel Permit, arranged through a licensed agency, and for the Everest region you also need an Alien's Travel Permit and often a further border area permit. The agency handles all of this, but it takes time and you need your documents in order well in advance.

You will travel with a guide and a driver for the whole route. This is not optional and there is no workaround. In practice it makes the trip easier, because someone else deals with checkpoints, road conditions and where to eat. There are several police checkpoints on the road to Everest and you will stop at most of them.

Plan at least a month for the paperwork. Do not book flights and assume the permit will follow.

The route

Days one to two: Lhasa to Shigatse

You start in Lhasa, and you should spend a couple of days there first to acclimatise before heading higher. This is not a suggestion. Lhasa is already at 3,650 metres and people who skip the rest days usually pay for it later.

The drive to Shigatse follows the Friendship Highway and takes most of a day. The landscape opens out almost immediately: wide river valleys, bare brown mountains, small towns. Shigatse itself is the second largest city in Tibet and has the Tashilhunpo Monastery, which is worth an afternoon.

Day three: Shigatse toward Sakya and Lhatse

This is where the terrain gets serious. You climb over passes above 5,000 metres, and the road surface changes from decent tarmac to something much more variable. The driving is slow. A stretch that looks short on a map can take two hours.

The Sakya Monastery, with its grey walls and huge library, is a worthwhile stop. It is quieter than the big Lhasa sites and the scale of the walled complex is impressive without being crowded.

Day four: the approach to Everest

You turn off the main highway and head south toward the mountain. This is the part with the most dramatic driving, climbing to the Gawu La pass at over 5,100 metres, where you get your first proper view of the Himalayas spread across the horizon.

Then Everest appears. On my trip it was hidden by cloud for two hours and then the cloud simply lifted, and there it was, the distinctive black pyramid with the snow plume streaming off the summit. I have seen a lot of mountains. This one stops conversation.

From the pass you descend to the base camp area and the tented accommodation at around 5,150 metres. It is basic: shared tents, simple beds, a stove in the middle, and a communal dining tent with noodles and tea. Nobody sleeps much at that altitude. Expect to lie awake, and expect the headache.

Days five to six: the return

You drive back the way you came, usually with a night in Shigatse or Lhatse. Descending is a relief and the altitude symptoms fade within a day.

What nobody tells you

• Altitude affects everyone differently and fitness is not protection. I have seen very fit people struggle badly at 4,500 metres.
• The weather at base camp can turn in minutes. It was sunny and still, then windy and near freezing, then sunny again.
• Facilities on the road are minimal. Bring your own toilet paper, hand sanitiser and snacks.
• Phone signal comes and goes. There are long stretches with nothing.
• You cannot see the summit from base camp itself, only the surrounding peaks below it. The classic Everest view is from the pass on the approach.

Preparation that actually matters

Spend the money on proper acclimatisation days in Lhasa. Carry Diamox if your doctor approves it, and talk to a travel clinic before you go. Drink more water than feels necessary. Avoid alcohol for the first few days.

Pack layers rather than one heavy coat. The temperature swing between sun and shade, or between 2pm and 8pm, is large. A good hat and gloves matter more than you would think.

The trip is physically undemanding and logistically complicated. That is the trade. If you accept that the road is slow, the permits take time, and the altitude will knock you flat for a day, then what you get in return is one of the great drives on the planet.

Originally published on 71Asia Tours blog.