How to let family track you live on Everest Base Camp

How can my family track me live on the Everest Base Camp trek?

Carry a satellite tracker, link it to AdventureLive and share one link. A Garmin inReach or SPOT works where mobile signal fades. Your family see your dot on a 3D map, when you were last seen and the weather where you are. It is free, thanks to ProLend. The same set-up works for Aconcagua, covered below. For other trips, see the live tracking hub.

How high is Everest Base Camp, and how long does the trek take?

Base Camp on the Nepal side is at about 5,364 m, according to one tour operator. Trek packages vary in length; one operator sells a 16-day package. Most itineraries fly to Lukla, walk up the Khumbu through Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorakshep, then return the same way. Your operator will give you the exact days.

Altitude is why you walk slowly and add rest days. It is also why the later stages are where signal is worst and where your family are most anxious. The days above Dingboche are the ones to plan the tracker around.

What phone signal is there on the trek?

It fades as you climb. One tour operator describes it this way, and we have not checked it against the networks themselves:

Lodge wifi is usually paid. The same operator lists about NPR 500 to 800 per use, and Airlink packages at about NPR 1,200 to 1,500 for 24 to 48 hours. A March 2022 news report said Ncell expected to bring dedicated 4G to the Everest area by the end of 2022; the tour operator says Base Camp itself has no internet connection. We could not confirm the current position, so do not count on any signal at Base Camp. Prices and coverage change; check with your operator.

The point is the same either way. Wifi tells your family you are alive when you are standing at a lodge. It does not tell them where you are on the trail. A tracker does.

Why carry a tracker when there is wifi?

Because the places with no wifi are the places where you are walking. A tracker sends your position on the trail, between lodges, with nothing to open. It also gives you an SOS button to a staffed rescue centre: Garmin Response for inReach, GEOS for SPOT.

It also helps the people at home understand quiet days. "Seen 40 min ago, via inReach" on a day with a gale warning tells them you are sheltering, not missing.

How do I set it up?

1. Plan the trip. In the web app, sign in with Google or an email link and create a trip with a name and a start date. Add a leg for the trek. A GPX is optional, so you can leave the route off. See plan a trip.
2. Link your tracker. In My trackers, paste your inReach MapShare address and password if one is set, then press Link and test it. For SPOT, use its shared page. See link a tracker.
3. Choose who can see you. Findable, Link only, or People I approve.
4. Name your home contacts. Up to five. If your tracker sends a HELP message, each gets an email with the time, the place on a map and the trip page. See home contacts.
5. Share the link and test it. Switch on the tracker at home, check the dot, and send the link to family. They can also use your livedot.me link.

AdventureLive reads an inReach no more than every 4 minutes and a SPOT no more than every 2.5 minutes. Going live needs nothing: from an hour before a leg starts, the tracker's first position puts the trip live. See going live.

What will my family see?

The 3D map, the line you have walked, the dot and "Seen 22 min ago, via inReach". They see check-ins you sent from the device, the weather where you are now and for 48 hours, and safety alerts for strong wind, severe cold, heavy rain and thunderstorms. The page refreshes by itself every minute. No app or account is needed unless you chose People I approve. Use fly the route to fly your own trek on the map before you go.

The weather is a guide. Check local forecasts and warnings with your operator.

What about Aconcagua?

Aconcagua stands at 6,961 m. One operator runs the normal route as a 14-day itinerary starting at Penitentes, near Mendoza, via Plaza de Mulas base camp at about 4,370 m, then higher camps. Longer itineraries add acclimatisation days. A climbing permit is required and is issued in Mendoza or Penitentes. The park's 2024-25 season opened on 1 November and ran to 30 April; check the current dates and permit fees with the Mendoza park authority.

The case for a tracker is stronger here. The higher camps are far from towns, and you spend days to weeks in the mountains. Add one leg for the approach and one for the summit push if you want the page to show progress by stage, or use one leg for the whole expedition. Check the park and operator rules on carrying satellite devices before you go.

What should I tell my family?

• A gap in the dot is common. Trackers miss positions in valleys and under cover.
• Share your planned days and acclimatisation days.
• AdventureLive does not run rescues. Garmin Response or GEOS does. The home-contact email is a fast heads-up.

For a similar climb with the same set-up, read the Kilimanjaro guide. Ready? Plan your trip.