Nepal Trekking: Anyone been to EBC in November?

Looking for any anecdotal stories or advice regarding trekking to EBC in November. I've found some information online and have trekked in Nepal before but am really wondering:

- Who will be at EBC in November? I've heard it can be crowded but also that it can be miserable and below 0. Will there be climbing teams in the fall or all trekkers?

- Are there many tea houses at EBC? Do I need a tent in case everything is full? I'll be unguided so no calling ahead for a bed.

- Are there cheap tea houses along the trail? I'm looking at Jiri to Kalapattar and EBC then back. The lodging up to Annapurna base camp was fairly cheap, food gets more expensive as you go but we still did it on a low budget. Slept in porters' quarters for two nights, on a dining room bench for a night, and in a room with a dozen beds one night. All of those were good money saving arrangements that I'd do again if available. Some trip reports mention spending $40+ per day on lodging and food while trekking to EBC and that seems pretty steep.

- What's a reasonable pace/timeframe to get from Jiri to EBC? How many days will Kalapattar add on? I'm reasonably fit and expect to acclimatize well. I will be coming from sea level but have spent a lot of time at 10-14k with no trouble acclimating quickly. Hoping the trek from jiri will ease me in and I won't need any side days to sit around.

Any tips will be appreciated, especially regarding budget and gear selection. I'm trying to go as cheaply as possible. I have a good gear pile here in the US but like to spend money over in NP and will choose to use cheap local gear/clothing whenever possible.

Also if anyone has ever missed the 2nd dose of a hepatitis A vaccine please chime in. I'm 2.5 years past my appointment and can't figure out if it's better to just get the 2nd dose or start over. Heard conflicting thoughts from the CDC and doctors.

Thanks all.

Somewhat suspicious this might be a troll since so many of the questions are answerable via a quick google, but I'll bite.

- EBC will likely be empty (maybe one team or so prepping for a calendar winter ascent).

- no tea houses at EBC. Last tea house is at Gorak Shep. EBC is a short hike from there (easy out-n-back). That tea house might be closed by the time you get there. We tented it at Gorak Shep.

- yes, many cheap tea houses along the trail from Jiri.

- timeframe?... def google itineraries. Add 2-3 days for getting a stomach bug (get that Hep A vaccination handled)

- Kala Patthar is an easy out-n-back from Gorak Shep.

- I had a -20F bag for basecamp and was reasonably comfortable in my tent most nights. A partner had a -40F for his BC bag and was stoked about it. I'll prob go the -40F route next time as well for the BC bag for same time of year.

Erik W wrote:Somewhat suspicious this might be a troll since so many of the questions are answerable via a quick google, but I'll bite. - EBC will likely be empty (maybe one team or so prepping for a calendar winter ascent). - no tea houses at EBC. Last tea house is at Gorak Shep. EBC is a short hike from there (easy out-n-back). That tea house might be closed by the time you get there. We tented it at Gorak Shep. - yes, many cheap tea houses along the trail from Jiri. - timeframe?... def google itineraries. Add 2-3 days for getting a stomach bug (get that Hep A vaccination handled) - Kala Patthar is an easy out-n-back from Gorak Shep. - I had a -20F bag for basecamp and was reasonably comfortable in my tent most nights. A partner had a -40F for his BC bag and was stoked about it. I'll prob go the -40F route next time as well for the BC bag for same time of year.

Thanks for the tips Erik. Not trolling here and I did some google searching, I've just been finding lots of very general and sometimes conflicting information so I wanted to try and find some reliable first hand accounts. Most of the advice I've seen for the fall/winter season has just been "pack a warm sleeping bag, pack a warm jacket" so your specifics of -20/-40 are really helpful. I was originally thinking more along the lines of a 0 degree so I'm glad you chimed in.

This may be too late to help you, but this is what the CDC website says about the Hep A vaccine and delaying the 2nd dose:

"What should be done if the second (last) dose of Hepatitis A vaccine is delayed?

The second dose should be administered as soon as possible. The first dose does not need to be readministered."

Given the long duration of immunity from the vaccine (10+ years, conservatively), I would not be worried about the delay as long as you get the 2nd dose before your trip.

Full disclosure: I am not a doctor. Just a guy who has gotten a lot of vaccinations, including Hep A.