My Raw, Unfiltered Experience Trekking to Everest Base Camp
November 10, 2019
EBC Trek: Day One
It’s finally here. I cannot even believe that after so much time, I’m finally in Nepal.
This was the route to get here:
Portland, Oregon —> San Francisco, California
San Francisco —> Guangzhou, China
Guangzhou, China —> Kathmandu, Nepal
New countries visited today: China
Foods experienced: dal bhat, pork dumplings, vegetable soup, pad see ew
There are 13 girls total in the group. I am so happy to be here but also extremely dehydrated and jet lagged. We all got dinner together and now are going to sleep early, which I’m quite grateful for. I have my own hotel room as the group experience leader, which is really nice. Currently, I am grateful for a hot shower and excited to feel rested tomorrow so I can be more present.
November 11, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Two
I had my morning coffee at the hotel: Kathmandu Guest House. I slept solid through the night last night, thankfully. Woke up naturally around 6:00 AM. Today we explore the city of Kathmandu with Deepak, our local rep and team executive leader! The girls all seem super great. Age range is early 20’s to mid 60’s. All different skill sets and personality types. Everybody seems extremely sweet, nervous, and extremely supportive. It is going to be a good group I think.
The hotel is beautiful - great coffee. There is a courtyard with lush plants. Decorative lights, beautiful stone work. Everything is much calmer within the hotel than I anticipated. The city and the street are much louder, fast-paced, and busy. Cars and motorcycles and bikes weaving in and out of each other. Wires and jumbled and cross and grouped. No traffic lights or city signs. Instead, everybody seems to really know and be aware of their surroundings.
The city tour consisted of the following:
Swayambhunath Stupa: aka “monkey temple”. Known for its blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The site stands for a hallmark of faith and ceremonies.
Boudhanath Stupa: one of the largest stupas in the world. Tibetan community, sherpas, and tourists visit for buddhist mantras.
Pashupatinath Temple: a sacred, Hindu temple that is a unesco cultural heritage site.
The sites, sounds, and smells of Kathmandu are strong and vibrant. Beauty is everywhere. Walking the streets, I stick out as a westerner. Colorful flags fill the city, blowing in the wind. And the food is just incredible. I wasn’t really sure what to expect but Nepal has truly amazing me. it is one of the most culturally rich and diverse places I have ever been.
November 12, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Three
Today is the day that we fly into Lukla, the most dangerous airport in the world. We were up at 4:00 AM and met in the hotel lobby at 5:00. Girls were frantic trying to meet the bag weight limit (duffel bag = 10 kg or 22 pounds, carry on backpack = 5 kg or 11 pounds. We made it happen though! It is common for flights in and out of Lukla to get cancelled due to weather, but somehow, we got lucky! Our flight left just 30 minutes late, but at least it left. The plane was small, with seven rows. Two seats on one side and only one on the other. It was only a 28-minute plane right and was truly only bumpy near the end. Then, we successfully landed in Lukla, Nepal. We got situated at a nearby teahouse for 10 minutes, filed our water Nalgene/bottles, then immediately started trekking. We trekked for:
2.5 hours
4.75 miles
Dropped elevation from 9,383’ (Lukla) to 8,563’ (Phakding, aka Dreamland)
Elevation lost = -820’
We arrived in Phakding around noon and had an amazing lunch. I drank ginger tea and unlimited dal bhat, aka “dal bhat power, 24 hours!!” It’s supposed to be a great meal for trekking. I took a brief 25 minute nap, Facetimed my partner, and worked for a bit. I’m taking care of all social media while I’m here, as the group experience leader. Then we played cards, ate dal soup for dinner, and was asleep by 8:00 PM.
November 13, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Four
17,857 steps
8.7 miles
6 hours of trekking
About 3,000 feet elevation gain
Current elevation: 12,000 feet
Today was a challenging day. We woke up in Phakding around 6:00 AM, had breakfast, and hit the trail by 8:00 AM. We followed the Dudh Koshi river, aka the milk river (called this due to its coloring) most of the day. The first few hours were “Nepali flat”, which means up and downhill continuously, but not too drastically. We saw a few mountains, including Kongde Ri peak, and crossed many suspension bridges. We stopped for a quick lunch (dal bhat, of course) then continued on our way. The last few hours of the day were all completely uphill, mostly with concrete steps. It was brutal but everybody made it, and in great time. Our guides and porters have been just absolutely incredible and so impressive. I still can’t believe we’re here and doing this!
November 14, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Five
Acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar, meaning a short hike
4 hours trekked up, then back down
Went 11,286’ to 12,200’ —> stayed for 30 minutes then descended
*Today I came down with strep throat*
Noteworthy/unique things about this trip:
All tap water is undrinkable. We have to treat our bottles with pills and wait 30 minutes to drink the water.
I was able to buy a HOT shower in Namche
The stairs of the trail are steeper than I expected them to be
The trail is MUCH more crowded than expected
I could eat dal bhat 3x per day and love it
My lungs are doing surprisingly GREAT!
Oxygen levels have been staying between high 80’s and low 90’s
The weather changes from 75 degrees F during the day then drops down to 20-30 degrees F at night
Our guides are being extremely patient
Sleep really is what makes the world go round
November 15, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Six
Namche Bazaar —> Tengboche
7 hours trekked
Started at 11,286’ and finished at 12,664’
Elevation gained: 1,377’
Today was rough. I could tell I was getting sick so I went to bed early, thinking that would kick whatever bug I got. I woke up this morning barely able to walk. I was pale white and had a fever, so I started taking antibiotics. After talking with a few of the nurses, we’re pretty sure it’s strep throat. We walked from 8:00 AM until noon and even though it was downhill, I was struggling. Our main guide, Nirmal, had to carry my pack even. I showed up to the lunch spot 30 minutes later than everybody else. I immediately found a bench and fell asleep. Took some ibuprofen to cut the fever and choked down some dal bhat. The afternoon was still rough but it was way better than the morning. We got to Tengboche and immediately took a nap. Got up at 6:00 PM for dinner and then went back to bed. Hoping tomorrow is better.
November 16, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Seven
Tengboche —> Dingboche
7 hours trekked
1,805’ elevation gained
Tengboche = 12,664’ —> Dingboche = 14,469’
Maybe I’ll start every entry until EBC with this but: today was challenging. Altitude hasn’t been the problem at all, although a few ladies in the group have minor symptoms. The issue is that there is a cold going around. Almost 6 girls, including myself, all have snot literally running down their faces! My eyes are wattery and swollen. So most of the group is more tired than usual. They are sitting and laying whenever possible. But our four guides have been so extremely kind, patience, respectful, and warm. They have taken such good care of all of us. I am so impressed with them. We really got to the most beautiful landscapes today, with so many mountains. Also, this is officially the highest elevation I’ve ever been at. Celebration time!
November 17, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Eight
Acclimatization day in Dingboche
Short hike: 4 hours
Current elevation: 14,469’
I don’t have much to reflect on today. My cold is getting worse and I probably slept 15 hours last night. I went down to breakfast at 7:00 AM as planned and a few of the other girls with colds said they were going to stay at the teahouse all day to rest and try to get better. I decided that was best for me as well. I slept from breakfast to lunch (4 hours) and then from lunch to dinner (4 hours) and was still fast asleep by 8:00 PM. Aside from the cold, elevation really has been just fine! Some of the girls are definitely feeling it. I just felt slightly nauseous and my appetite is decreasing a little but that’s it. Aside from that, I feel pretty okay!
November 18, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Nine
Dingboche —> Lobuche
14,469’ to 16,207’
Elevation gain: 1,738’
5 hours trekked
Current elevation: 16,207’
Today was a long, uphill kind of day. We continued to climb in elevation, but most of the trail was also uphill. I’m just trying to sleep as much as possible in my off-time. Each day, I have to remind myself why I am here and why I chose to do this. The mental aspect of the trek is really quite intense, but I’m happy to have the challenge. Tomorrow is the big EBC day - wish us luck! We’re all so nervous but SO excited!
November 19, 2019
EBC Trek: Day Ten
Lobuche —> EBC —> Gorakshep
16,207’ to 17,600’
Elevation gained = 1,393’
9 hours trekked
Current elevation 17,600’
Today, we finally made it to Base Camp. There was so much anticipation leading up to that moment. Many of us struggled with speed on the last leg of the trek. Something that made the entrance to EBC so special was that my mom, sister and I got to walk in together, holding hands. It was one of the best moments of my life. We all, as a group, cracked a beer and took some photos, then had time to just walk around and explore. While I’m so grateful that I made it, there were times that I honestly didn’t believe I would make it. What was truly so spectacular about the entire experience was the actual trek leading up to Base Camp. It has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my entire life.
