My Experience to Everest Trekking an Incredible Moment
One of Our Guests-Dieter Müller’s Experience in Nepal: The Everest Trekking ( A.K.A Everest Base Camp Trekking) is an absolute eye-opener for those that yearn adventure and romance.
Whenever I go through my collage of memories, the one thing that always stands out is my journey to Nepal. I’ve been to various countries across the globe but none of them have made an impact like Nepal. I took part in the famous Everest trekking and my peers have been constantly bugging me to tell about it. Well, here, I shall explain my journey in the Himalayas and why you should take it too.
I can still hear the howling winds at Kalapatthar where we observed the sunrise at 6 in the morning. Although it has been a while the memory is still fresh in my brain. The sunrise slowly unveils the immaculate picture of Mount Everest, Ama Dablam, and Nuptse. Sometimes, I find myself drifting back to that spot and witnessing the view all over again. That’s the power and charm of Everest!
Oh sorry! I got caught in emotions. Before taking the Everest trekking, I had done countless research to find the perfect trekking company. Fortunately, my hours of research did not go in vain! We set up a date and I began crossing the calendar to start the trek.
1. Arrival in Kathmandu
As they say, ‘Morning shows the day’, I had high hopes that my flight will take off on time. Unfortunately, this did not happen. I was quite bummed out by it but then, there’s no use stressing about it. I spent some time playing video games and after an hour, the plane took flight. Upon arriving in Kathmandu, I was amazed at the sight of the snowy mountains. However, I was unable to name any.
At the airport, things were a bit chaotic. It was a ruckus to be precise. There was a line in the luggage area and another line in the Visa section. Thank God I applied for an electronic visa. At the departure section, the company representative picked me and led me to the hotel. The lad was humorous and spoke good English. (For the love of God, I can’t remember his name.)
There was heavy traffic too but as it’s the capital, I wasn’t surprised. At the hotel, I met the company representatives and they told me about the company and Everest trekking. I was taken aback by their hospitality and their respect towards guests. Kudos on that! In the meantime, I met the guides and porters who would accompany me on the trek.
At night, I tasted the Nepali cuisine which comprises of Dal, rice, and vegetables. I’m not sure whether it is delicious or not. I’ll let you figure that out when you visit Nepal. The next day, I went for a quick sightseeing trip through the narrow gulley of Kathmandu. I visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Swoyambhunath, and fed the monkeys. The walk from the base to the summit of the stupa was too taxing.
On the contrary, exploring Kathmandu Durbar Square was relatively easy. It was a shame that I didn’t get to witness it in its glory as some parts were damaged by the 2015 earthquake. Nevertheless, it was a great experience.
2. Leaving Kathmandu and beginning the journey of Everest trekking
On the third day, we headed to the airport at around 6 am. Fulfilling the mandatory protocols, we boarded the plane at 7 am. The airplane was small but I’m not the one to complain about. The flight took approximately 50 minutes and it was an exhilarating experience. The flight gave way to delightful pictures of the various mountains found in the Everest region. I had a feeling that this Everest trekking is everything but ordinary.
We finally reached Lukla and due to the difference in altitude, my ears were ringing. At the same time, there was a certain silence in the Himalayas that were calling out to me. We had a group of 7 people excluding the guide and porters. They led the way while we followed them in a straight line. The first leg was easy as we descended through the dirt trail to Phakding.
The influence of Buddhism was visible in these parts as the roads had prayer flags on them. Some rocks had prayers written in them too. There was also a stark contrast between the bustling city life in Kathmandu and the quiet hills in Everest. Admiring nature’s allure, we reached Phakding and this was my first day of sleeping in a teahouse in Everest trekking.
3. Heading deep into the Everest region
The mornings are very cold here and I find myself sipping tea several times. Fortunately, the Sun was there to keep us warm. Our guide told us that the trails are going to get harder and we need to exercise. I’m not the type to indulge in exercises but prevention is better than cure. After completing the exercises, we began the trek.
While trekking, I understood that the beauty of Nepal that we see in pictures does not do justice to the actual scenery. I found myself taking pictures of the Dudh Koshi river, the marvelous terrain, the gorgeous mountains, and much more. As we climbed uphill, we reached Namche Bazar. We stayed in a lodge and took some much-needed rest. Our guide told us that we shall acclimatize for a day here and I felt relieved in a strange way.
4. Acclimatization
It is necessary to adapt the body to the increasing elevation. Without acclimatizing, you may face various hardships while doing the trek. In the worst-case scenario, ‘Death’. However, it does not mean that you can’t enjoy it! In this acclimatization session on the Everest trekking, I visited the Hotel Everest view and the nearby monastery. I can’t find myself stressing that rural Nepal is completely different than urban Nepal.
5. The hard trials begin of Everest trekking
After recharging our batteries, we head out to Deboche. The roads are steep with numerous curves. There aren’t any settlements in these parts too. I felt myself going out of breath so I stopped for about 10 minutes. While resting, I took some great pictures of mountains like Everest, Ama Dablam, and Nuptse. A short visit to the Tengboche monastery reminded me of the prevailing Buddhist culture in these parts.
It is important to realize that the Everest trekking experience is more than just mountains. There are beautiful valleys and pristine rivers too. The paths dwindle through the hills and with each step, the elevation kept increasing. At one point, I was wondering, ‘What have I got myself into?’ Nevertheless, I continued the journey.
In Pheriche, one of the team members began to show symptoms of altitude sickness. It may not sound that dangerous but in the high Himalayas where there are no hospitals, it is a killer. With that in mind, our guide took a momentarily halt in Pheriche. While resting, I got to learn about the symptoms and treatment of AMS and learn about Sherpa culture.
6. The road to 4000 meters plus
We were pretty high in the Himalayas. To make matters worse, I got the traveler’s diarrhea. Thankfully, I had medications to prevent the worse from happening. The walk from Pheriche to Lobuche gave us a first-hand experience of the true cold of the Himalayas. In the back of my mind, I was thinking that I have quality material for my Everest trekking blog.
We took a quick breather at the Thukla pass and made a visit to the memorial site. It was built for the people who lost their lives in the mountains. It shows that human life is quite unpredictable so live your life to the fullest. You never know what will happen next. All the trekking was taking its toll on me and I was quite happy to reach Gorakshep. I slept for at least 11 hours.
7. The Everest Base Camp
I woke up all excited because we would visit the Everest base camp today. Also, it was a major highlight in this Everest trekking experience too. We began the journey very early and the mountains seemed much bigger than before. We got to see the profound image of the Khumbu glacier and other colossal mountains.
At the base camp, there were prayer flags and rocks with carvings. We were the first ones to arrive so we got the entire view for ourselves. I was so happy that I even did a small happy dance! We spent an hour at the base camp and there, I had some chocolates.
8. The descend begins
After witnessing the grandeur of the base camp, we had one thing left to do. And that is to head back home. I was quite sad knowing that this marvelous journey is ending but you know, nothing lasts forever. The descend in the snowy mountains is tougher than it looks. You have to be careful not to slip. Cautious walking took us back to Pheriche and I felt the elevation bugging me. So, I took some medicines and went to sleep.
On the tenth day of this Everest trekking, we arrived at Namche Bazar. This place has a certain appeal to it which I like very much. We had a good pace while descending and our guide told us that we should walk in the same way. At Namche, I checked my notifications and uploaded photos and videos on my social platforms. We celebrated with a glass of beer too!
The next day, we left Namche for Lukla. As we reached the exit point of the Sagarmatha National Park, I felt sad that I was leaving this magical place. My heart ached to know that I now have to leave this utopia and face reality. But that is life and I have to accept it. As we walked on the Dudh Koshi river banks, we reached Phakding and we had our lunch there. As soon as we finished eating, we left for Lukla.
After spending a night in Lukla, we got on a plane and headed out for Kathmandu. The icy Himalayas are a great contrast to the bustling city. Slightly disappointed, we head to the hotel. My team members went to explore the city but I slept the entire day. In the evening, I took part in a farewell dinner. This was my last night in Nepal and I was enjoying it. My Everest trekking experience has come to an end.
Finally, I said goodbye to Nepal and left the country at 9 am. This whole journey has left such an impact on me which I’ll cherish forever. Thank you for reading this blog till the end and I’ll see you on my next adventure.