Sagarmatha National Park, the highest national park in the word, covers an area of 1148 square kilometers in the Khumbu region of Nepal.Sagarmatha National Park is located to the north-east of Kathmandu in the Kumbu region of Nepal. The park not only includes the highest peak in the world, Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest), but also several other well-known peaks such as Lhotse, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kwangde, Kangtaiga and Gyachung Kang. The park was added to the list of UNISCO World Heritage Sites in 1979.

Unlike other National parks of Nepal in the plain areas, this park is divided into four climate zones because of the rising altitude. The climatic zones include a forested lower zone, a zone of alpine scrub, the upper alpine zone which includes upper limit of vegetation growth, and the Arctic zone where no plants can grow. The types of plants and animals that are found in the park depend on the altitude.

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Some of the endangered animals that are found in this National park are musk deer, wild yak, red panda, snow leopard and Himalayan black bear. Besides, many other animals such as Himalayan thars, deer, langur monkeys, hares, mountain foxes, martens, and Himalayan wolves are found in the park. Unfortunately, their numbers are not very large and many visitors may not be able to see them.

The Mount Everest National Park provides a habit for at least 118 species of birds. The most common birds to be seen are the Impeyen pheasant (the national bird of Nepal), blood pheasant, cheer pheasant, jungle crow, red billed and yellow billed coughs and snow pigeon. Fairly common birds are the Himalayan griffon, lammergier, snow partridge, skylark and many others.
The mountains of Sagarmatha National Park are geologically young and broken up by deep gorges and glacial valleys. Vegetation includes pine and hemlock forests at lower altitudes, fir, juniper, birch and rhododendron woods, scrub and alpine plant communities, and bare rock and snow. The famed bloom of rhododendrons occurs during spring (April and May) although other flora is most colorful during the monsoon season (June to August).

Wild animals most likely to seen in the park are the Himalayan tahr, goral, serow and musk deer. The snow leopard and Himalayan black bear are present but rarely sighted. Other mammals rarely seen are the weasel, maren, Himalayan mouse hare (pika), jackal and langur monkey.

The park is populated by approximately 3,000 of the famed Sherpa people whose lives are interwoven with the teachings of Buddhism. The main settlements are Namche Bazar, Khumjung, Khunde, Thame, Thyangboche, Pangboche and Phortse. The economy of the Khumbu Sherpa community has traditionally been heavily based on trade and livestock herding. But with the arrival of international mountaineering expeditions since 1950 and the influx of foreign trekkers, today the Sherpa economy is becoming increasingly dependent of tourism.

For the National Park visitors the summer season’s climate is cool and wet and winter is cold and dry. Almost all of the annual precipitation, averaging less than 1000 mm, falls during the summer monsoon, from end of May to September. Climatically, the best time to visit the Sagarmatha National park or Everest National Park is between October and May, except for December to February when, daytime temperatures often drop below 0 C and there is heavy snowfall.

Suggestion for the Visitors:

• There are trekker lodges with food available in places like Namche Bazaar, Thyangboche, Pheriche and Lobuche and along most of the main trekking routes the small villages have basic accomodation.
• There is the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) at Pheriche which has medical facilities and also accepts credit card as payment.
• The National Park ranges from 3000 m to 8000 m and above in altitude. Visitors need to be careful and aware of High Altitude sickness (HAS). Do not climb to fast or too high in one day, no more than 400 m in a day. Signs of HAS include: headache, difficulty in sleeping, breathlessness, loss of appetite, nauseousness and general tiredness.

Entry Fees into Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park:

At Monjo there is the Sagarmatha National Park enterance station where you will have to show your passport and pay a National Park fee.

• National Park fee per person per entry:
• For Nepali Nationals Free
• For SAARC Nationals Rs 100
• For Foreign Nationals Rs1000
• Children under 10 years Free

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