Living My Greatest Life: Part 1
One word to describe my Everest Base Camp (EBC) Trip would be: majestic.
True beauty can be found everywhere from the smiling faces of the locals, to the amazingness of momos (Nepalese dumplings) and to the obvious... the views. This opportunity changed my perspective of the world for the better. My experience with Travel Her Way was everything I imagined it would be; the bonds that were made, the life experience that was shared, and the encouragement that kept on giving. This group of women inspired me throughout the whole trek. We came from all parts of the US, not knowing each other, but ended up becoming family! We encouraged, showed support, and loved on each other through one of the hardest life accomplishments.
EBC is the hardest adventure I ever set my eyes on. No one can truly train for an experience like this. I mean, come on, the highest mountain I climbed training for Everest was nowhere near anything close. I trained with my pack, threw some rocks in it, filled it to the max with water, and fast-walked any hill I could find. I learned from my Ironman training, that you do nothing new on race day. You don’t want to have any new surprises, so you find out what works during all the training sessions. Until you step into the unknown, you don’t know what you are made of.
Finally, the day hasd come. It was time to leave for Nepal. My friend Katie and I have talked about this great adventure for about 2 years and now the day was here. Katie and I jumped on a plane and raced for Nepal. After 20 hours of travel, we arrived in Kathmandu battling a mix of emotions of excitement and pure exhaustion.
After a night of much-needed rest in one of Kathmandu's finest hotels, the Kathmandu Guest House, we were ready to start exploring. On our first day in Nepal, we decided to do an excursion to really help immerse ourselves in this culture. Our Nepal leader, Deepak, was very accommodating. He asked us what we would like to do with our free day prior to meeting up with the rest of the group. We said yoga and within 10 minutes we were meeting up with a guide to take us to a monastery to practice yoga in its birthplace, Nepal. For us, another once in a lifetime experience, one that included a beautiful hike through Shivapuri National Park, climbing to the monastery, Nagi Gompa, followed by a 2 hour yoga session under prayer flags with Anil, our yoga guru. Katie and I had the greatest time, an experience I will never forget.
On our second day in Nepal, we met up with the THW group and toured Kathmandu.
We learned more about the Nepalese lifestyle, the Hindu culture, and the authentically delicious Nepalese food. On this day we were introduced to the staple food of Nepal, Dal Baht, or as we would call it “24-hour power.” It consists of as much as one could eat of rice (bhat), lentil soup (dal), and some type of curry dish. I came to live on this throughout the trek. As someone who traveled to many places, I love trying new food and I am beyond grateful that I tried this. We finished our second day going to local shops to buy last-minute items where the Nepalese people welcomed us with open arms and were eager to help us. Afterward, we returned to our hotel where the nerves yet excitement were starting to become more real. We knew what lies ahead and we were ready.
On the third day, we experienced one of the more intense things about this trek....the flight into Luka, which has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
The steep mountainous terrain, the shortened runway as well as the runway being sloped, increased the excitement for this adrenaline junkie. We were on a small plane; I remember getting a window seat and sat down and immediately started to pray. Pray for our pilots, our team, our travel, and my stomach. As we flew in the air, I remember seeing the Himalayas for the first time and was in complete awe. This mountain range is nothing like I’ve ever seen.
Soon, we were flying with the mountains on both sides. I remember the pilot turned slightly and I caught my first-ever glimpse of the runway. At that time, I started to pray again. What truly could you do other than that? I remember at one point when we were working our way to the runway, the plane began to “ice skate” in the sky, back and forth as if we were on a small halfpipe. But being me, my heart jumped due to the excitement because we were about to land. We closed in on the runway, I might have held my breath until I felt that we hit the pavement. I felt the plane slowing and a burst of cheers came from us. Cheers to the pilots and for making it safely into Lukla.
This was it, the time has come, we were ready to start this great adventure.
Our guides and porters led us to our first teahouse in Lukla where we can gather our needed items for that day’s hike. Now, let me start off saying Nirmal, Sandip, AJ, and Roshan were the best guides. They were all from Nepal and have done EBC numerous times. I know I can say for the majority of the women in this group, these guys were lifesavers. Towards the middle of the hike, some of the ladies started to feel sick. These men helped to carry their packs on that day's walk, they slowed down to our pace when we couldn’t keep up with the group and continued to give us encouragement and helped us push through. Some of the girls taught them how to play the card game, BS, and man…after dinner, it was game on. Their laughs were so contagious. The joy they brought to our team made this experience much more memorable.
Now our porters…the guys who carried our overnight bags day in and day out throughout the trip from Lukla to EBC and back.
All of them were from the mountains of Nepal and choose this lifestyle to provide for their families. These men are the true unsung heroes. One man would carry 2 of our overnight bags (44lb at least), plus their belongings, on their back with a strap across their forehead. Many of these men climbed up to basecamp and back in sandals! Can you even believe this statement? Even as I sit here writing, I still am in awe of them. They would carry our bags to the next teahouse, arriving as early as 4 hours before us. I remember seeing porters from other teams on the trail and it seemed like they were almost running as they made their way up the mountains. We learned that each man would probably make this trek about 3-4 times in the hiking season. I never once saw one of our porters without a smile on his face. On our hike back down, Katie and I each attempted to see what it was like to carry the packs. Even with all my might, I was unable to stand up by myself from the sitting position. And I could barely take more the 10 steps before I had to sit down.
Our porters are all inspiring-they brought so much joy to our group! I’m beyond grateful for these men.
The first day on the trail flew by. Before I knew it, we were in Phakding. The 3 hours of hiking were primarily downhill. I felt great walking. No complaints, other than just feeling really hungry on arrival. I learned on my travels to have no expectations so that you are never disappointed. What I read about teahouses was correct. The living quarters are very basic. All the teahouses we stayed in had wifi, some were better than others. The main dining/living rooms were the only parts that were heated. We had all our meals, meetings, and after dinner fun there. Neither the bathrooms nor the rooms were heated, but that’s okay, because the sleeping bags, the liner, and my wool clothes helped keep me toasty all night long. One thing at the teahouses that I’d look forward to each day was “cookie time.” Our guides would provide us with an afternoon snack…cookies and hot tea. It was a perfect way to congratulate ourselves on an accomplished day of hiking.