At long last the post about our trek is here.

And, guess what? I’m not the only voice in this post. Because this trek has been a dream of Mark’s we figured maybe he should be the one to write about it. The intro is mine, but all the trek details (and photos) are his.

Emirates Air you have our hearts. To say our flight from Paris to Dubai was nice would be an understatement. The leg room, the food, the entertainment options…..wow. Our flight left at 10pm, so the plan was to sleep, but the kids devoured two movies and their dinner (at midnight?!?). None of us got much sleep so we were pretty tired when we landed. Luckily our Dubai-Kathmandu flight was crap so we all slept the whole way. Grace was asleep before we took off!!

When we landed we were hit with the realization that this was a completely different world than we came from, a developing world. The warm, smokey air greeted us as we walked down the stairs to the tarmac (farmers are burning the waste in their fields at this time of year). From there we all crowded onto buses to take us to the terminal.

Nepal has a Visa-On-Arrival system. In the terminal we had to fill our arrival cards and visa applications. After that you line up to pay ($40USD/person – Grace was free) and then you line up again to clear customs. I can imagine the chaos when more than one plane arrives at a time. The craziness of just the people from our plane was an experience. Mark and I have travelled enough to come to expect some disorder in a developing country, but in past experiences the arrival card/visa process was a little more straightforward. But, we were in no rush and all in all it took less than an hour.

Our last two weeks in Europe Mark had done some research into the trek we wanted to do and I had been in touch with an old friend (Garnet) who had done some trekking in Nepal. Garnet wholeheartedly recommended the guide he used, Krishna Man Shrestha from Nepal-Tibet Trekking Ltd.

Krishna Man and I had been back and forth on Messanger about details for a bit and we were able to work out a timeline that we were comfortable with. October and November are the peak trekking times in Nepal, and flights to Lukla (where the trek starts) are dependent on the weather in Lukla and Kathmandu and the air traffic in Kathmandu, so flights to the Everest region can be tough to get. (I follow a blog of a family who had to fly to a village below Lukla and trek for 3 days before getting to the starting point of the trek. We didn’t want to have to do that, so thank you Krishna Man!!).

Krishna Man owns the trekking company and has some guides that work for him. He is also a guide and has been in the business for 23 years. He started out as a porter and worked his way to where he is now. We were totally expecting him to set us up with one of his guides as this is the busiest time of year for him and he has a business to run. But, when we arrived at the airport he was there personally to greet us and take us to our hotel. The next day he met us and helped us find some gear we needed to buy for the trek (poles, gloves and some warmer layers- more about the shopping in Kathmandu later). He provided us with down jackets and sleeping bags. We couldn’t have asked for better service. Back at the hotel he gave us 2 large duffel bags to pack our stuff in (this is what the porters would carry) and told us he would be there at 6:30am to pick us up.

Day 1

Lukla (2,845 m) to Phakding (2,610m)    8 km

If one Googles the worlds most dangerous airports, the flight into Lukla usually tops all the lists.  It seemed fitting that our crazy mountain adventure would begin with a crazy mountain flight.

To do the EBC trek you must first fly into Lukla. Well that’s not entirely true; you could hike there in 3 days through steaming jungles, but we opted for the flight option instead.

Sir Edmund Hillary Airport is at 2845 meters above sea level and it has what seems to be an impossibly short runway (just over 500 meters actually). The runway is on an incredible 12% gradient to aid in both landing and taking off.  We flew on a twin prop plane out of Katmandu that seated 16 people with the flight attendant handing out earplugs to protect us from the screaming motors. The knowledge of the airports reputation combined with the plane itself, made for some sweaty palms to say the least.

The flight however, turned out to be exciting and thrilling however as opposed to terrifying. It doesn’t take too long flying out of Katmandu to be treated to some rugged mountain scenery, and then you get some great views of the snow-covered Himalayas.

We were seated right behind the pilots and when Krishna Man opened the cockpit curtain, yes the curtain, we could get a great view of our approach to the runway. The landing was smooth and we were at the gate within a minute.  I don’t think they even they shut the motors off. The door was opened and we climbed down onto the tarmac where a group of trekkers were waiting to fly out. The plane would return to Katmandu in as fast a turnaround as possible, as planes fly only so long as the Himalayan weather allows.

We all felt elated to be on the ground. Half I’m sure because our flight didn’t plummet into the side of a mountain and half because of where we were standing: surrounded by mountains and in the same place all trekkers and climbers must start before they head to the top of the world.

We were quickly ushered off the runway despite everyone’s efforts to take pictures of the surrounding mountains.  The security guard looked annoyed. I imagined him thinking, “Just wait people; these scenes are nothing compared to what the Himalayas have in store for you in the coming days.”

After grabbing our bags and heading to a tea house right beside the runway, we met our porters, Hari and Sudan . These two-fresh faced teenaged looking Nepali youths were actually in their mid 20’s and would prove themselves to be far more rugged and tough than they looked. They would carry our down jackets, down sleeping bags and the rest of our personal stuff in hockey type duffel bags each weighing about 20 kg each. Erin and I carried daypacks with water, extra clothing, camera and snacks. We wanted the kids to be pack free to make the trek easier for them. It would become very ironic that we were concerned about the trek being hard for them.

After taking our pre-trek photos, we headed for the trail. The first 30 minutes was more downhill then anything and we didn’t seem to notice the thin air.  I did notice however, how hard the people were breathing as they climbed towards Lukla.  I also noticed how tired many of them looked.

With the downhill section completed, we stopped to peel off layers and made the gradual climb towards Phakding.

The trail is the only way to get up the highest points in the Himalaya’s. There are no roads, so obviously, there are no cars, no exhaust fumes and no honking. All the goods that are needed at the various towns and villages higher up, must be carried up on backs of either porters or animals.  We soon met with mule trains coming down, caught up and passed cows with loads, and got passed by trains of either mules or cows. You would always know if a cow or donkey was coming from the tell-tale sound of the bells that all of them have around their necks. These beasts of burden don’t bother with you much provided you give them the right of way.  At times if the path was narrow, we would either rush ahead to a safe spot, or even backtrack a bit to be sure to be out of the way. Krishna Man warned us to always stay to the inside of the trail; getting bumped into a ravine by a donkey puts a real damper on your trek.

Speaking of ravines, the trail follows the beautiful valley and there are times when the river must be crossed.  Cable bridges cross the ravines and some are quite high.  My strategy was to pick a point to look at on the far side and walk quickly. I only made the mistake of looking down once.

We arrived at our teahouse, the Buddha Lodge and Restaurant, changed out of our damp clothes and had lunch.  After lunch rather than just sitting around, Krishna Man took us for a small acclimatization hike to a tiny village off the main trail and to its Buddhist monastery above it. It took about 45 minutes to climb the 200 vertical meters up a at times steep trail to our first monastery visit. While climbing, you were very aware of the thin air and a slow steady pace is required so you don’t get out of breath. Along the way we chatted with a young boy from the village and enjoyed the views. Krishna told us that tomorrow, the real views will start.

Back at our teahouse, we had our first meal of Dal Baht, an energy packed meal of dal soup, curried veggies and rice that is a Nepalese standard.  Molly and I would eat it twice a day for the next 8 days!  Krishna recommend that all of us stay away from meat and milk in the mountains to give our stomachs the best chance to avoid any un-pleasantries.

Our next day was going to be a big one so we headed to bed at about 8, Molly and I in one room and Erin and Grace in a room beside us. Once one leaves the common dining room with the pot-bellied stove, it becomes apparent how cold it is at night. Even though we were further south than Cocoa Beach Florida, the night time temperature was freezing. Down filled mummy bags, toques, long-johns and socks were required to fight off the cold in the tea houses that typically had no insulation or central heating. After a chilly night, Krisha Man ensured us that higher up we would have extra blankets in our rooms.

Day Two 

Phakding (2,610 m) to Namche Bazaar  (3,441m)   10.4 km

A 6 am wake up would not normally sit well with me, but it came with Krishna Man delivering “wake up coffee” that could be enjoyed in bed prior to getting up, so that helped for sure. Breakfast was served downstairs in the dining room and we were walking by 7:30. This was going to be a big day for sure. We had read that after lunch, the climb up to the town of Namche Bazaar was a killer.

The air up in the mountains, especially in the morning, was absolutely crystal clear. Views of the forest covered mountains either side of the Dudh Kosi River were beautiful.

By lunchtime we made it to Monjo. Here we would fuel up on Dal Baht and I think I had an extra coffee to help with the climb ahead.  About 500 meters of elevation would need to be gained to make it to Namche.  The path up was mostly very steep stone stairs that would take a toll on you anywhere, but in the thin air they were extremely tough. At one spot where we sat to rest, a Japanese man told me to go at the pace of a tortoise. That seemed about right.

We arrived to Namche and had an enormous sense of accomplishment. It was a tough physical day for sure and we were elated to arrive. Both of us were also so incredibly proud of the way the girls handled the tough climb.

We checked into the Snowland, a super cozy teahouse which would be our home for two nights. Tea in the common area, some relaxing before dinner and then an excellent meal with seconds was just what we all need after our long day. If you order the Dal Baht, the staff always come around to offer you more rice, curry or lentils. Literally all you can eat! To top it off, Krisha Man cut up some fresh apples from the Mustang area of Nepal, and we enjoyed those as dessert.

Before bed we would purify our drinking water for the next day. You can buy bottled water everywhere, but we preferred to use a SteriPen to reduce our garbage. It was a great gadget that uses ultraviolet rays to kill any nasties in the water.

Day Three 

Acclimatization hike to Everest View Hotel (3962 m) from Namche (3,441m) 5 km

The plan for the day was to hike up to the Everest View Hotel, a walk up of about 500 vertical meters over about 5 km, have tea, and then come down. Gaining altitude during the day and then sleeping at a lower level helps the acclimatization process that would be necessary if we were going to make it to Base Camp.

A wrench was thrown into our plans when after trying to eat breakfast, Grace announced she felt sick.  She went to lay down to see if she would feel any better, and when she didn’t, Erin decided to hang back with her. Molly and I and Krishna Man would do the day hike.

So the three of us headed out past prayer wheels of the local monastery. The switch backs were steep and you were acutely aware of the thin air, but with a slow and steady pace, we made the accent to an abandoned airstrip on a plateau type area, in about 2 hours.  The airstrip used to be used for planes, but now only helicopters land with goods that either get packed down to Namche or carried on to higher places up the mountains. Here the trail continued  and was relatively wide and only gradually climbed as it followed the edge of the valley and to the hotel.

At one point the trail crossed a sunny natural bowl that offered protection from the wind and here we got to see our first yaks! There was a small herd grazing on the slopes and we were able to get fairly close to take some pictures.

The hotel bills itself as the world’s highest resort and as named, one can view Everest from its terraces. Everest was being coy with us however; cloud cover enabled to only see its base.

While of course you want to see the highest peak on the planet, the whole time while trekking up, especially now, you are treated to 360 degree views of absolutely stunning views of the other gleaming white giants so while we were at little disappointed to not see Everest, the other peaks from the terrace were great, and the hot tea at close to 4000 m warmed us up nicely.

Day 4

Namche Bazaar  (3,441m) to Khumjung (3790m) 5 km

Grace was feeling great so we had an early breakfast, and headed out.  Before our trek for that day, we walked up to the Everest Visitors Centre. Our early start enabled us to beat the crowds who at some point in there typical two days at Namche visit the centre. The air was crystal clear and we were rewarded with our first views of Everest.

The tallest peak in the world is behind the giant Lhotse, so one gets the impression that it is in fact smaller than the ice giant in the foreground. Lhotse is the world’s 4th tallest and is an absolute wall of gleaming white mountain face.

We visited an excellent Sherpa museum and interpretation centre, and headed out.

We went back up over the route we had went the day before but this time continued on past the airport towards Khumjung.

It was cool to see the occasional helicopter flying up and down the valley. Sometimes we would be looking down on it, or right beside it depending on where we were on the trail. Most of the choppers, according to Krishna Man were doing rescue missions, flying climbers and trekkers who had succumbed to the altitude. Gulp.

Khumjung is a much smaller town than others on the route as it is not on the most popular route up so it has less of a tourist vibe and more of a Himalayan village feel; exactly what we wanted. We stayed in a beautiful teahouse, the Valley View Lodge, run by Paaymar and his wife.  Paaymar just happens to have been to the summit of Everest three times!  He used to guide expeditions up Everest, Lhotse and other peaks of the area but now operates his beautiful teahouse, with fantastic food and a sunny terrace complete with punch you in the face beautiful views of the surrounding peaks.

It was here we met Micheal.  Micheal was a super friendly, well traveled german man from Frankfort who was friends with Paaymar.  He had been to the region many times and offered us helpful tips. We chatted over dinner and again over breakfast the next morning before saying goodbye.

We were also fortunate to get to visit the villages monastery.  While a visit to any Buddhist monastery in the Himalayas in of itself is an amazing experience, this one was home to an incredible relic; a 300 year old skull of a yeti! Yes that is correct. The skull of the an elusive abominable snowman, had been held in a local home as the villages good luck charm for years and when Hillary was in the area he heard about it and had it inspected.  It is now under lock and key in a glass display case and you can get up close and inspect it yourself as we did.

Day 5

Khumjung (3790m) to Phortse (3901m) 7km

One of the benefits of taking the route we were on up to Dingbouche, where the two main routes converge, was the quiet trails.  We often felt like we were alone on the mountain trails, except for the occasional yak train either coming down or heading up. We had read prior to our trek that while October and November are the optimal times to trek, the down side to this is how busy it is on the trails.  Literally thousands of trekkers take advantage of the clear weather and its accompanying clear views to head to EBC and thus we were prepared to be amongst crowds of hikers, but this was certainly not our experience thus far.

Another benefit of this route, known as the high route, is that like its name implies, takes you to a higher elevation along the side of the mountain. Climb high, sleep low and go slow is the recipe for success at high altitude. This high route however comes with a downside. The higher elevation on the mountain, is really high up above the valley floor and the trail at times is narrow. A 500 meter stretch in particular had us pretty freaked out. The trail shrunk to less than half a meter in width, and a slip off the edge would see you plummet down at least 300 meters.  Of course walking a half meter wide trail is really no problem, it’s the height that freaks you out. Well that and the knowledge that if you stumble, you would likely plunge to a horrible death.

Once again Krishna Man was amazing during this stretch.  In spots where the trail was particularly hairy, he would stand on the edge with his back to the valley, and act as a kind of guard rail keeping us safe to the inside. There were a few spots that I walked while actually leaning against the slope of the mountain, scraping my side and left arm in the process.  Again, not necessary, but it made me feel safe.  A little disclosure here; I don’t do well with heights.

Once this portion passed and we were on a descent of switch backs in a shady pine forest, I asked Krishna Man jokingly if he had ever lost a client over the edge.  He thought for a bit and said that he hadn’t, but he had heard of yaks slipping and going over the edge.  I’m so glad I didn’t ask him that before ledge portion as I’m sure that would have prompted a real pants soiling.

By mid afternoon we came into the town and found our new home.

To illustrate my point about this way being the path less traveled, we had a quaint tea house all to ourselves.  After an excellent meal, warmed by a dung fuelled stove, we headed to bed with our new trick; boiled water in our Nalgene bottles.  Not only would we not have to purify water to drink in the morning, but we essentially all had a hot water bottle to sleep with.

Day 6

Phortse (3901m) to Dingbouche (4410m) 11 km

This was a tough day no question. Beautiful, but tough. The first half of the day was walking on a trail that was cut into the very steep mountain side. There was quite a bit of climbing up and then stairs down.  This is known as Nepali flat.  Overall there is little net gain of elevation, but you are often climbing up some steep stairs, and then descending only to reascend.

After lunch in Pangboche the trail really did flatten out, but it was slow going with the thin air.

What was awesome this day, were the views. Ama Dablam, sometimes called the Matterhorn of the Himalayas, felt so close and ahead were beautiful Lhotse with Everest peaking out from behind.

We also got lucky and spotted some Himalayan Thar. Well we didn’t spot them; Krishna Man did of course.

We were so happy to arrive at the Good Luck Hotel that would be our home for two nights. A cozy dinning room with hot tea was just what we all needed although for the first time on our trek, some doubt about whether or not we would be able to make was entering our minds.

Erin has not felt good during the day: headaches and slight nausea and I was unable to sleep the night before.  These are all early signs of altitude sickness. Grace had also complained of a slight headache during the day.  We would rest up and see how we felt in the morning.

Day 7

Acclimatization hike

Dingbouche (4410m) to Nangkartshang Peak (5100m) 4 km

The four of us started the day, but when Erin was not feeling well enough to continue, the girls and I, along with Krishna Man and the porters, headed up to summit the peak overlooking the valley.   Now the air was cruelly thin and our pace was almost laughably slow. Any attempt to go faster left you gasping for air and you would have to stop walking completely to regain your regular breathing. It took us about 2 and a half hours of slogging to reach the summit. Krishna Man took my day pack as we approached the top as I was starting to struggle. At one point, I seemed to not be able to catch my breath, I told Krishna Man to go ahead with Grace and I would wait for them to come down. Some encouragement that the summit was close helped me push through and was I glad I did. Where was Molly you ask? Way up ahead racing the porters. She arrived on the summit with them a good 20 minutes before us.

At 5100 m the views were stunning. We sat and ate our snacks on the cluster of rocks at the summit and felt elated by our accomplishment and the amazing 360 degree vistas.

The trek down took us about 2 hours. Well an average of two hours.  Molly was down in 80 minutes visiting with Erin, I took about 2, and Grace and Krishna Man took a bit longer.  At times the trail was very steep and wee Grace, tough as nails as she is, takes a bit longer to be safe.

On the way down, as I was resting I heard some thunder.  The sky was cloud free so I thought this to be odd. Looking up the slope I saw the thunder makers; a heard of yaks were running down the side of the mountain at what seemed like a crazy speed. At one point I was nervous for Grace and Krishna as they seemed to be heading right for them. Just another day in the Nepali Himalaya for our trusted guide; shouts and aggressive waves made the yaks veer away.

We met up with Erin in the room and while she felt better than when she had been climbing, she was still not good.  She was suffering symptoms of altitude sickness and it was obvious that she could not continue going up.  Erin was adamant that she would be good to stay at the teahouse and that we should push on up to base camp.  What to do?

It was this afternoon that we decided to not continue gaining altitude and start heading down the mountain the next day.  It was a very tough call to make.  Lots of things go through your mind: we’ve come so far, were only two sleeps away, when will be ever back here together?

These thoughts are met with others: what about me not sleeping for 2 nights?  Was that the beginning symptom of more serious altitude issues?  Grace had had a mild headache for the past two days that was more intense at the top of our acclimatization hike. What of that?  All the people who were being flown out to lower altitudes in those helicopters at one time had a mild symptom of altitude sickness and they ignored it. I did not want to be one of them.

Krishna Man was supportive as always and offered to take the girls on up to base camp if we wanted.  There was no doubt that Molly would be able to make it and tough Grace would have been likely to grind it out. In the end we leaned towards being safe, which of course was the right thing to do.  Leaving Erin behind for three days didn’t sit well with us either. We were a team after all.

Day 8

Dinbouche (4410m) to Tengboche (3867m) 11 km

Early, after a great breakfast, we headed out on a brilliantly clear day.  There was ice on the trail as it had dipped well below freezing the night before but it didn’t take long walking in the sunshine to warm up. Behind us were amazing views of Lhotse with Everest peeking out behind. We were able to move much quicker now as with each step we were losing elevation and gaining oxygen.

Day 9

Tengboche (3867m) to Namche Bazaar  (3,441m) 6 km

We decided to start early today after just coffee and tea in our room. We were on the trail by 7 and descended through a beautiful pine forest to where we would have our breakfast.  Sitting out on a terrace, soaking up the sunshine beside a mountain fed river was really great.  Erin was feeling good now and we were just enjoying every minute of being surrounded by beauty. After we headed out to walk high beside the valley.  While the trail here was vertigo inducing, it was quite wide so it was no problem. More clear weather, more beautiful views.

We arrived in Namche and checked into the Footrest Lodge, a smaller but really cute guest house right in the heart of Namche.  After we late lunch, I had a delicious pizza, we headed across the street to the Namche Bakery Cafe for some fantastic coffee and even more fantastic cinnamon buns.

One of the coolest parts of  the trek is the great people you meet along the way, people who we will remember for the rest of our lives.  At the Foot Rest there were two groups of guys we got  chatting with; two English brothers who had relocated to Australia, who were on their way down from base camp, and 3 Belgian’s who were on their way up. We shared stories and laughs and enjoyed their company.  We are so grateful that the girls got to meet cool people from all over the world and see how much fun there is to be had.

Day 10

Namche Bazaar  (3,441m) to  Lukla (2,845 m) 18.4 km

Coming up the trail this distance for sure is a two-day venture, but going down we decided it best to tackle the 18km of it all in one day. Many trekkers consider the downhill portion of the trek from Namche to Packding to be the most difficult of the whole trek. The 500-meter descent down steep stone steps is an absolute knee killer.  We saw many people buying knee wraps to help, but we felt that with our trusty trekking poles we would be fine. The trick is to extend your poles to their longest length, and use them to ease yourself down minimizing the impact on your knees.  Or, if you’re a Nepalese porter with a load on your back, you can just basically run down. The endurance and strength of these people was amazing and every hour of the trek, we saw a feat that made us shake our heads in wonder and admiration.

The descent was slow going for me at least, with Erin and Grace sticking together, and Molly, once again, away out ahead.

We had started out at about 8 and by lunchtime we were in Packding.  After fuelling up and we made the final push towards Lukla.

This portion of out trek was the only time we felt that the trails were crowded. Often during the day, we would pass strings of trekkers heading up, sometimes in groups of 50 at a time.  Over the day we felt like we passed well over 500

We arrived at our teahouse beside the airport and literally flopped on our beds.  18 km is a long walk anywhere, but with thin air and the ol’ Nepali flat of climbing up and then down, we were done.

We thought we may have had to stay in Lukla for an additional two nights as we had arrived there prior to our expected date, but Krishna Man pulled some strings and got us out on a flight for the next day!!

We absolutely had an amazing time in the Himalayas.  For me personally it was the best travel experience of my life. It has always been a dream of mine to be in the Himalayas and they, and the whole trek experience, exceeded my expectations. It was  real adventure; we felt challenged, daily walking in crystal clean air with incredible scenery all around us, satisfying hot meals at every stop, a sense of the unknown, a sense of some risk.  I don’t want to sound too dramatic but you really do feel alive.  If you crave a sense of adventure, and I believe we all do somewhere down inside of us, a trek in the Himalayas will truly satisfy.

I also must say that our our guide and owner of Nepal-Tibet Trekking, Krishna Man Shrestha, was fantastic. From our pick up at the airport, to our farewell dinner he made our experience great. Having Nepal-Tiber Trekking arrange things, means that you can relax your mind and focus on the enjoying the trek. No worries about teahouses or meals. No worries about routes or rest stopes. No worries about missing cultural highlights. While he was fun to be around, we had the utmost confidence in his knowledge and experience of being in the worlds highest mountains range and thus we always felt safe. You could tell that he is also well respected by the other guides and teahouse proprietors. Oh ya, and the girls thought he was great too.

We count Krishna Man as a family friend and we will for sure go back to the Himalayas with him in the future.