Nepal: A Journey to Everest Base Camp

With a early morning start we have breakfast. We didn’t know it till later but its a good thing we ate. As we got higher up our appetites lessened.

With our bellies full we set out around 8AM towards Namche Bazaar. This was one tough hike as it took almost 10 hours to get there! Onwards we hiked, reaching the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park in Jorsalle. It’s here where we received our permit to allow us to continue the trek to EBC. Looking downwards on the trail we get a glimpse of the valley that we would be trekking through. In the distance you can make out the trail hugging the side of the mountain.

We have lunch, another awesome plate of Dal Bhat at Jorsalle Guest House

It was about 2PM when we left Jorsalle until we reached a army checkpoint. There are a couple along the trail. The officers mainly want to see your trekking permit – no hassles really. They are mostly concerned about what the locals are bringing in and out.

With the all clear we continue. We reach the point where picture of the following is synonymous with Nepal and the EBC trek especially. The crazy suspension bridge gleans on us. Its one thing to see it from afar but up close and on it, you better not be scared of heights! With the rapids below flowing furiously there are strong wings up here. It was AMAZING!

 

What came after the bridge was one steep climb. And I mean steep. This put us to the test as everything up to this point was easy. It took forever to get to Namche! We stopped every 5 minutes to catch our breath, huffing and puffing along the way. Jeevan our porter however was a life saver. Because he was always ahead of us by at least a couple hours, he actually came back for us. He took both our day packs and hiked along side with us to Namche. It really is amazing how these guys are able to carry what we think as light loads all the way up the mountain. And these were only our day packs!! We both were truly grateful for him helping us. At about 5PM we finally reached the top to Namche. We were drained, tired, sleepy and hungry!

We were here for two nights and stayed at the International Foot Rest Lodge. Having arrived to our rooms, I immediately just laid on the bed and was so relieved, it was bliss. I cant even remember if we ate dinner but we passed out pretty quick. Waking up to a crisp morning with the smell of burning Yak dung I had a simple breakfast of eggs, potatoes, toast and tea.

Short after breakfast and some more rest, we set off to Syanboche to acclimatize. Blue skies all around except for the peaks the weather was perfect. The short hike lasted about 1.5 hours until we reached the top where we rested for about an hour. It is here where we received our first view of Mt Everest! The moment I have been waiting for years to see Mt Everest with my own eyes was absolutely breathtaking. The clouds cleared just enough to capture the moment! Unfortunately, no proper picture came out as the peaks were cloud ridden.

This image pretty much sums up AMS or Acute Mountain Sickness and key tips!

With our lungs full of fresh mountain air we head back down slowly to Namche to spend the rest of the day shopping and wandering. Right below the lodge was an old shop with antiques and nik naks. I was immedialty drawn to the bells that Yaks wear and eventually purchased one for $50 after debating for the whole day. No regrets.

With breakfast behind us we leave Namche to continue our trek to Tengboche.