Trek to Everest Base Camp

After finally having about a month to recover from our 8 day Lukla to Everest Base Camp trek, we can finally organize some thoughts on our experience.

Even the most fit, most trained, most prepared, most expert of people can fall victim to the perils of a high altitude mountain trek. It's almost as if the mountain decides if it's your time to be allowed passage. Your humility will be checked, tested, challenged, re-checked, and then put in its place every single day.

Days 1-3 were "easy" and the overnight stays were in wonderful little hotels. Day 4 was sunny for half the day until it decided to rain/hail the remainder of the day. We showed up to our tea house wet and cold to the bone. Day 5 we hiked in the snow (almost used ice cleats) and it was overcast all day; again, showed up to our tea house cold to the bone. Day 6 was freezing, the tea house did not have any central heating, and the electric blankets only worked for 4 hours (from 6pm-10pm). On this night, the cold weather caught up to Hailey. The next morning she got Kumbu cough in addition to a cold/flu. Day 7 was our most challenging day yet, while not due to the steepness, but because of the altitude showing stronger presence. Think sleep deprived and delirium. We had serious conversations about Hailey taking diamox pills but decided to hold off. We went to "sleep" this night, not really knowing how the next day was going to pan out. Day 8 was our final day, a very altitude challenging day. Somebody was helicoptered out - we sat next to him at dinner the night before. Max finished the hike like a champion, and Hailey was pretty much involuntarily speechless (unless you count crying speech) until the end.

You can truly, never predict the weather, so keep that in mind while you're packing. Layers are obviously your friend, and you want the kind of layers that are synthetic fabrics. Getting wet and hiking sweaty is one of the last things you want to do for 8 hours a day in the whipping cold. This might have been Hailey's downfall.

The mountains force you to slow down, yes because of acclimatization and altitude, but also for life in general. The power of the mountains is grand, the mountains know best: The final boss.

Day 1 - KTM to Lukla (via heli) to Phakding (via foot) We woke up early at the Dwarika hotel, around 4:45am to prepare to catch our helicopter ride from Kathmandu to Lukla. We’ve been to the KTM airport before, so all the morning airport chaos felt familiar. After our 100L bags were weighed, we were also then put on the scale. Along with our guide, Maddy, and our perpetually late photo/videographer, Kiran. The landing at Lukla felt like clockwork, these pilots in Nepal are pros, and the weather was also gracious.

We met our porters, young energetic faces from mountain villages nearby, and then stopped off for a bite to eat in Lukla, have our first of 8 million lemon-ginger-honey-teas, then we set off for Phakding. A normal hike, mostly downhill - we reached our first accommodation of the trek and were blown away at how nice it was, as well as how delicious and thoughtfully the food was prepared. 10/10!

Day 2 - Phakding to Namche Bazaar (via foot) With bladders full, we took off towards Namche Bazaar. Surprisingly, there were not as many people as we were expecting on the trail. The sun was on our side, and we passed by a small village with little villager kids (about the age of 6) sitting outside on the front steps playing a guitar the size of a ukulele, and singing songs. We passed more stupas, more donkeys, more fruit trees blossoming, a few feral kids who “attacked” our legs, when we finally made it to Sagamartha National Park - the official entrance. After passing through the main park gates, we stopped for tea and a snack. While inside, the weather turned; first drizzle, then rain, then small hail. Ponchos, bag covers, gloves, and waterproof pants were on. It continued to precipitate the rest of the afternoon and the final hours of the hike until we got to the next Mountain Lodges of Nepal hotel.

Day 3 - Acclimization day in Namche Bazaar This felt like a vacation day, hiking to the Tenzing Norgay museum and then off to the Everest View Hotel. The path and the views were spectacular along this acclimatization hike - and it was such a treat to have a rest at the hotel patio area overlooking Everest. Everest wasn’t hiding behind the clouds, so we got a clear view!

Day 4 - Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (via foot) Perhaps one of my favorite hiking days - for landscape, scenery, weather, views of Everest and Ama Dablam, and the auspicious arrival and resting place of the Tengboche monastery at the end of the hike. We arrived by 9:30am with perfect, blue skies weather, and by 11am it was snowing. You couldn't see 20 feet in front of you. The yaks moving through the light snowstorm were ethereal.

We sat through the monk ceremony while it continued to snow outside. 3-4 hikers came through that were planning to summit Everest - so they made their offering and received their blessing during the ceremony.

That evening we sat by the fire in the lobby, drank our hot tea, ate our hot soups, and gathered our nerves for the next day of hiking.

Day 5 - Tengboche to Dingboche (via foot) With snow on the ground, we hesitantly set out at 5:30am for this days hike. The snow made everything white, including the path, the trees, the sky, and the warm air we breathed out. We made it to Dingboche, which is when we started to notice more people on the trail. It’s also where we started noticing people who weren’t feeling great. Our room had no insulation and no heating, but it did have heated blankets that only turned on from 6-10pm. It was this night that Hailey caught the Kumbu cough. Thank goodness the next day was an acclimatization day.

Day 6 - Acclimization day in Dingboche Another beautiful day with great weather and spectacular views of Ama Dablam. We checked our blood oxygen level this evening and Hailey’s was higher than the guide, Maddy! 91%!

Day 7 - Dingboche to Lobuche (via foot) The weather was great, not a cloud in the sky - but Max still had his quick pace and Hailey took her time. Towards the end of this hike is a memorial to all the hikers who have lost their lives in the mountains. The rest of the hike was fairly easy, a gradual incline and we made it to Lobuche by noon. Hailey situation was not getting better, and we considered her taking Diamoxx to help. This night’s sleep, the sleeping blankets worked from 6pm-11pm and we were advised to sleep with the door open, as to let the fresh air in (it would be better for our acclimatization). Sleep this evening was definitely the worst, maybe accumulating 2-3 hours over the whole night in 15 minute increments. Bathroom breaks had to be down the hall and were communal.

Day 8 - Lobuche to Gorkashep to EBC (via horse for Hailey) to Gorkashep (again, via horse for Hailey) to Kathmandu (via heli)

The final day, all the previous days work of commiting to breathing deep, sleeping well, hydrating efficiently, eating sufficiently - this was the day when it was all going to pay off. We decided to head out early in the morning as to not get caught in foot traffic at or near EBC. Right out of the gates, Max took off at his quick pace and started passing people on the path. Hailey took her time, which helped (slightly) because the sunshine came out over the mountains and warmed up the path a bit.

After about 3 hours of hiking, Hailey arrived at Gorkashep, the last stop before EBC. A regrouping tea-house spot where there’s an exciting buzz in the room. Here you will find the serious hikers (the ones planning to summit), ones that have summited previously (speaking with a certain level of confidence), sharing gossip of others’ latest attempts (some girl had just recently attempted but had to retreat at only 400m from the top), stories of who else is on the trail, etc. Since Max had arrived to Gorkashep an hour or so earlier, he was ready to go and make his final steps to EBC. Hailey, not as whole hearted as Max’s full spirit of energy, caved and decided to take the horse ride the final mile (okay, she had decided hours earlier that she was going to do it).