Everest Base Camp Trek

October 18 - 29, 2022

Day 1 Lukla to Phakding

We left home on October 14 but October 18 was our first day hiking. It took us two days of travel to get from Canada to Nepal. Our flight to Lukla was supposed to leave from Kathmandu airport but changed to depart from Ramechhap, a five-hour bus ride away. Adding yet another day of travel to our schedule. We didn't do the entire five hours in one day but split the distance between two days so we could make an early morning flight.

We met our group at 4:15 AM this morning and bussed for 90 minutes to Ramechhap where we finally took the 25-minute flight to Lukla. The airport in Ramechhap was quite small. When the bus stopped, we were all confused for a moment as we didn't see an airport. It was really busy with many groups there to catch their Lukla flight. Inside, we were surprised to have to go through security. There were two lines, one for men and one for women. The man in charge of the men’s security line asked if they had anything prohibited in their pockets or packs and then waved them through. The woman in charge of the women's line was much more thorough. She searched our pockets, our bags, opened everything inside our bags, and asked many questions about the items we were carrying. We legit thought she would cause us to miss our flight. The flight was absolutely terrifying but also strikingly beautiful. The day was crystal clear and we could see Everest from the window of the plane. The flight attendant gave us cotton balls to stuff inside our ears to help ease the pressure. Landing in Lukla wasn't as bad as I was expecting but I'm glad I don't have to do it every day. 

The airport in Lukla is one of the most dangerous in the world. The runway is 527 m, with a gradient of 11.7%, and a wall at the end. It sits at an elevation of 2,845 m. Only small airplanes and helicopters piloted by highly trained and experienced pilots can land here. 

In Lukla, we stopped for breakfast. It was still pretty early in the morning, around 8:00 - 8:30 AM. One of the members of our group received a questionable egg. I wouldn't order eggs for the remainder of the trek. We organized our bags and got our packs ready for the day. We then met our porters, a team of five Sherpa who would be gracious enough to carry our duffels for the duration of the trip. We filled up our water bladders and bottles and set off! 

IT FELT SO GOOD TO FINALLY BE ON THE TRAIL.

We were each allowed 10 kgs in our duffle. With 13 people in our group, that equated to 130 kgs of weight between our 5 Sherpa. Amazing strength.

The trail was mostly cobblestone, a bit annoying for sure. The views more than made up for it though. This place is absolutely stunning. It was a little cool when we started out although we quickly shed layers. T-shirts were enough on this day. The sun was so hot! We had to ensure we were wearing sunscreen and reapplying often or we'd burn to a crisp. Our guide encouraged us to go slow. He wanted to ensure we enjoyed the experience, was able to enjoy all the views, and not rush through any portion of the trip. Three hours into the trek we stopped for a tea break. Hydration and food are super important to help ward off altitude sickness. It's also a nice treat to stop along the way, support a local family, and soak up some views. The ginger lemon honey tea quickly became a favourite. We crossed the first of nine suspension bridges today. I was absolutely terrified. They sway and bounce and are narrow. Not at all fun. 

When we arrive in Phakding it was warm enough to dine on the outside deck. It cooled down quickly when the sun set. There was a shared toilet on the floor for all rooms along with a cold shower. We opted to use shower replacement wipes instead. It was the warmer option. I did make the mistake of cleaning both my top half and bottom half at the same time. That wouldn't be a mistake I'd make again; it was terribly cold. 

The jet lag is brutal. By 3:30 PM my husband and I were ready for bed. We completely flipped our days and nights, landing 12 hours ahead of our home time zone.  We were in bed by 6:00 PM. Overall it was a great day. I'm so excited to be here on the EBC trail and trying to soak in every last detail. 

Sleeping at 2,610 meters and 74% oxygen

Day 2 Phakding to Namche Bazaar

This part of the trek is notorious for being the hardest. In 8 hours, we gain 1,100 meters in elevation. Much of the trail feels as if it's straight up. There are so many stairs. Too many stairs. I kept thinking of my son and knowing he would hate this portion of the trail. We crossed four more suspension bridges today including the Hillary suspension bridge; it is 410 feet high and 459 feet long. Thankfully, the sun was shining on my sunglasses causing a glare so bad I couldn't see a thing. Another lady in the group was as scared as I was, everyone was kind enough to let us go first. Going first allowed us to go fast and not fear being stuck in the middle of the bridge. 

We witnessed a major mule and yaow traffic jam. Yaow's are cow-yak hybrids. Yaks cannot descend below 3,000 meters however yaow's can. This allows the local people to easily transport goods and supplies from community to community. The mules get nervous when they encounter the yaow's. In this one place today, there were large herds of both animals. They all became nervous and confused. We were all scrambling to get up the hillside away from them. It took a few minutes for their owners to sort them out and have them all going on their merry way once more. 

WE GOT OUR FIRST VIEW OF EVEREST TODAY. WE HAD TO SQUAT DOWN LOW AND LOOK THROUGH THE BUSHES, BUT IT WAS THERE! 

The washroom situation is becoming difficult. We're drinking around 3 litres of water a day and there's nowhere to stop to pee. It's a little uncomfortable at times. 

After a tremendous climb, we arrive in Namche exhausted. We are told not to nap before dinner as we'd all wake up with headaches. It's difficult not to fall asleep. Our rooms here have private bathrooms which is pretty exciting. There are warm showers to purchase. We again opt for our shower replacement wipes. Cleaning one half at a time now so we don't get as cold. 

We've quickly fallen into a routine. Arrive at the teahouse, have tea and get our room key. Go back to our room, clean up, change into our camp clothes, and then go to the dining room to warm up and hang out until dinner. This allows us to stay awake and not nap before dinner and also gives us a chance to clean up and then get warm before we eat. We’re still feeling pretty good. Have clean clothes and high spirits.

Sleeping at 3,440 meters and 67% oxygen

Day 3 Namche Bazaar

Today was an acclimatization day. We stayed in Namche for a second day and night. We were able to sleep in a little later, having breakfast closer to 8:00 AM before hiking up into the hills above Namche. This keeps with the spirit of hiking high and sleeping low to help prevent high altitude sickness. 

When we woke up, mostly everyone in the group was experiencing a low-grade headache. As the day progressed, the headaches subsided and everyone was feeling fine. The hike was terrific. We saw the school children lining up in the courtyard getting ready to start their school day. We hiked to a park to see a statue of Tenzing Norgay, the first Sherpa to summit Mount Everest. There was also a pretty spectacular view of Mount Everest! And no crouching to look through bushes this time. We also saw Ama Dablam and Lhotse. We would have these views for majority of the hike, the skies were so clear. 

The pace of this hike was slow and gradual. We got to learn a lot about the village, local culture, and the surrounding mountains. We completed the hike around noon. After lunch, we got to explore the village on our own. We picked up a few supplies that we needed and made a note of which souvenirs to buy on the way back down. 

Any running water is cold with the exception of a scattered hot water shower that costs extra. It’s warm enough by day to do some laundry in the sink and fingers crossed our socks are dry for the next day.

Sleeping at 3,440 meters and 67% oxygen

Day 4 Namche Bazaar to Thyangboche

We are excited for today. The hike from Namche to Thyangboche is supposed to be one of the most beautiful sections. And it was! The first part of the trail was amazing. The mountain views are stunning and the valley views are jaw dropping. Nepali flat our guide called it. Nothing is really flat, a lot of uphill and downhill but no major elevation gain. We did have to drop into the valley to cross the river. It was a technical trail and quite steep. The rocks are sandstone which get quite loose and slippery. 

We had lunch at the bottom of the valley, near the river. Once we crossed the river, we then had to climb our way out of the valley again. Le sigh. It was about 400 meters in elevation gain. The pace was super slow and relaxing. We are loving the hiking, enjoying the views, and having fun. 

Our guide has not hiked with these many females in his group before, 10 of the 13 people. We had to put a system in place to pee outside due to the amount of water we're drinking and because toilets are so far apart. 

Thyangboche is home to the highest monk monastery, Dawa Choling Gompa. Originally built in 1916. We were able to visit it to watch part of their ceremony. There was a dozen or more monks, the most our guide has ever seen there. They were also wearing both red and yellow hats; our guide had only ever seen the red being worn. This leads us to believe that we witnessed a truly special ceremony. The artwork in the monastery is so pretty. Every inch of the walls and ceiling are painted in the most vibrant colours. Photography and video are not allowed in the monastery so we have no media to show of this building. 

It is quite cold now, our room in the tea house is freezing. We use our shower replacement wipes and then head to the dining room to warm up. The stove in the dining room is the only source of heat available. We do not have private toilets in this tea house. We don't stay here long enough to care to much about that. 

Fun fact: The temperature on the summit of Mount Everest today was -63°C. No one could actually summit in temps this cold. 

Sleeping at 3,860 meters and 64% oxygen

Day 5 Thyangboche to Dingboche

We awoke this morning to frost on the ground and frozen puddles. It was really cold when we started out, we were wearing a couple of layers and we even busted out our down jackets. It’s our first really cold day. It warmed up in the afternoon as the sun got higher and the sun is relentless. Once we were in constant sunlight, it began to heat up. The temperature was a constant contradiction between the heat of the sun and the cool wind. Our lawyers were constantly changing. If you reapplied sunscreen every 30 seconds, you wouldn’t be burnt as badly. Locals actually use the reflection of the sun’s rays to boil water.

There was about 600 meters of elevation gain today. The trail was really great with no major climbs making it a wonderful hiking day. We had views of Everest for most of the morning but lost it in the afternoon. We won't see Everest again until we reach base camp. 

MY HUSBAND IS HAVING SUCH A GREAT TIME HIKING HE EVEN MENTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPLETING THE PCT ONE DAY!

We are hiking our way up through the Khumbu Valley. There were times when the trail was quite narrow with quite a steep drop into the valley below. In these places I would look only at my feet to ensure my footing was solid, I was a little nervous for sure. We hike above the tree line today. The land is becoming more barren and the trail is dustier. We also pass the last of the suspension bridges. There were 9 in total, I wasn’t expecting so many. 

There are also a lot of mules and yaow's on the trail. When we hear their bells, we stop and give them space. We always stay on the inside of the trail and keep the animals on the outer edge. We didn't want them pushing us over the side. Horns always have the right of way.

Our group is really great. There are 6 people from the UK, 4 from Germany, and 1 from Denmark, plus us Canadians. Everyone is getting along quite well and helping each other out whenever we can. Great camaraderie. A few people are beginning to have consistent headaches but overall, everyone is feeling pretty good. 

It is absolutely freezing in our rooms now. The tea house in Dingboche is quite nice but the walls are really thin. We quickly cleaned with shower replacement wipes and went to the dining room. It was so cozy and hot in the dining room. We stayed awake as long as we could before heading back to the cold room for the night. 

Sleeping at 4,410 meters and 59% oxygen

Day 6 Dingboche

We woke up with our window frosted over and we could see our breath in the room. Today was our second and last acclimatization day so we could spend a few extra minutes preparing to get out of our sleeping bags. To keep items warm for the morning, I've been sleeping with them in my sleeping bag. This includes my clothes for the next day, water bottle, and phone. It's like a treasure hunt each morning when I wake up.

Not so fun fact: Our water would freeze in the bottles if we didn't keep them in our sleeping bags. 

We hike 400 meters above Dingboche for our acclimatization hike. There is stunning 360° views of the tallest mountains. In just one place where we were standing, we could see 3 mountains over 8,000 feet high. These were Lhotse, Cho Oyu, and Makalu. I am still in disbelief that I am actually here and completing this incredible hike.

After our hike, we had lunch back at the teahouse and then we got to explore Dingboche a little on our own. There are a few stores but it's quite a bit smaller than Namche. There wasn't a lot of exploring we could do. The sun had warmed up our room quite a lot during the day. It was comfortable in there without a jacket on. I took advantage of the extra time and the warm room and purchased a hot shower to freshen up and to wash my hair. I hadn't washed it since I left Kathmandu a week ago and it was due. This would be the only time I washed my hair on the trek. (My hair is super thick and takes forever to dry. I am always cold when my hair is wet, even at home and didn't want to risk being colder than was necessary on the trail.) The heat in the dining room helped dry my hair quickly. There is no room in our packs for a lot of clothes or luxury items such as hair dryers. The electrical infrastructure wouldn’t support it anyway. If we wash clothes in the sink now, it’s likely they won’t dry.

The stove in the dining room was fuelled with yak patties. It keeps the room toasty warm and there is absolutely no smell. We sit our metal water bottles on the stove to heat our water. The warm bottles in our sleeping bags help keep us warm at night and we get warm water to drink when we wake up in the freezing cold. 

These next few days will be the most amazing of the trip and also the most challenging.

Sleeping at 4,410 meters and 59% oxygen

Day 7 Dingboche to Lobuche

We have been hearing rumours on the trail that Lobuche is the worst place. It will be cold there, we know that, but would that make it the worst? We can't focus on that right now because this section of the trail is stunning. STUNNING! We are finally hiking among the mountains that were peeking out through the clouds when we were at the lower villages. We continue up through the valley with the giants of the world surrounding us. There is a stunning view in every direction. Our guide jokes about finding a place to sit with a beautiful view or having a snack with a beautiful view. Finding a place without a beautiful view would be the real challenge. 

The trail became a little technical in places. We cross a rickety bridge over a landslide that happened a few years back and stop for lunch in Thulka. We’re just 9 kms from Base Camp but it’ll take another 12-13 hours to get there. The oxygen is now so low, the recommended hiking pace is 1km/hr. It was also a little cold. I wasn't wearing base layers or my fleece. It would have been more comfortable if I had either of those but opening and closing my jacket throughout the day worked just fine. 

After lunch we passed the Memorial for those who died on Everest. There weren't a lot of names we recognized. Although we did see a monument for Canadian Dr. Sean Egan who died in 2005. The group stayed here for a few moments paying respects and reflecting on the journey of those who walked here before us. A common theme among the memorials: never give up, keep chasing the adventure. A powerful message from those who travelled here before is, when the trail is about to become the hardest.

Lobuche is terribly cold. It was around -15°C when we arrived and there was no heat in the dining room. We asked the owners of the tea house to light the stove, which they did. They did not continue to add fuel as they were low on fuel and could not continue to warm the room for us. As soon as we got the keys to our room and thus our bags, we began layering up. I put on my base layers and fleece. We ate dinner in the cold, slept in the cold, ate breakfast in the cold, and got ready for the next day in the cold. We slept in all our layers including our down jackets. It was too cold here to use our shower replacement wipes, there was no way we could undress in the rooms and expect to warm up again. There is also no running water here. Hand sanitizer is our only form of hygiene. My husband and I zipped our sleeping bags together for a little extra warmth. Tomorrow is base camp day so this will all be worth it. It'll all be worth it..... It'll all be worth it!

Sleeping at 4,910 meters and 56% oxygen

Day 8 Lobuche to Base Camp to Gorakshep

It's base camp day! This is a famously long day. Base camp is 5.3 miles away but it’ll take us most of the day to get there. Breakfast was scheduled for 5:00 AM so we woke up around 4:00 AM. At 6:00 AM we set out. We’ve all been waiting for this moment. 

We continue hiking up through the valley, willing the sun to rise faster and warm us up.  It has been close to 12 hours of zero heat in -15° temperatures. At this altitude we cannot move at a speed quick enough to generate our own heat. 

This section of the trail is quite technical. The terrain is rocky, we're climbing over and around boulders, and edging along crevices, watching where every footstep lands. The trail is also super busy. The busiest section we've seen by far. It's a narrow trail and the people/yak traffic caused a few jams. In the hills around us we could see and hear small rock tumbles, always reminding us that we weren't the ones in charge here. It was a gruelling grind. 

It took us 8 hours to reach base camp, this included a stop at Gorakshep for lunch.

WE MADE IT!

It was quite surreal to reach Everest Base Camp. It was amazing to see the EBC rock, the Khumbu Icefield, and the summit route to top of the world! We had watched so many movies and documentaries of Everest and the EBC trek throughout the last year, it was kind of weird standing here ourselves looking around. This was a place we only saw on tv, not a place we were supposed to be ourselves.

It feels like I’m dreaming.

Everyone had a chance to take photos with the painted EBC rock and we got some additional time to look around and explore a bit. And the sky was so clear!

The summit of Everest is now 3,465 m above us. Still a long way but we’re now so high, it feels so much closer. Can I stay here forever?

My husband would have liked to seen it when the climbing expeditions were there as well, to see all the tents and people. October is not a popular month for summiting, this usually occurs in the Spring season.

I was exhausted. And we still have 3 hours left of trekking to get back to Gorakshep. Our goal is getting back before the sun sets at 5:00 PM so we've brought our headlamps and extra snacks just in case it took us longer. Thankfully, everything went well and we were back at the teahouse before dark. I skipped dinner and went straight to bed. I practically fall into bed upon arrival. There was no way I could sit at a table and eat a meal. Throughout the night my lips began to swell up. Swelling is another symptom of high altitude and low air pressure. Others in our group had puffy faces and puffy eyes as well. It was wonderful being at base camp but it's also seriously tough being at this altitude. 

Sleeping at 5,164 meters and 53% oxygen

Day 9 Gorakshep to Pheriche

When you reach the base camp, you’re only halfway. 

Today is the first day of our descent. Everything we’ve trekked in the last 8 days to get here; we will now descend in just 3 days. We're heading to Pheriche, a little village close to Dingboche. As this is my most favourite part of the hike, I am not at all upset to be walking through the valley for a second time. It's just as beautiful hiking down as it was hiking up. I was feeling mixed emotions on this day. I was feeling pretty crappy, likely from the altitude, and was eager to get down to feel better. But I also didn't want to leave. These mountains are phenomenal and I would be quite happy to hike through them all day every day. 

The morning had us travelling back over the most technical of the terrain. After lunch, we had moved out of the technical bits and dropped into the valley. We enjoyed a beautiful, easy hike to Pheriche. Pheriche was still quite cold but we finally had a nice, warm dining room again. We did manage to get in a freezing cold, shower replacement wipes clean. After wearing the same clothes since Lobuche it felt really refreshing to clean up. We had toilets in our room and running water in a common area just outside the rooms. Luxury. 

My tummy was acting up today. There were a few times I needed to find a large rock. Again, another symptom of high altitude. Ah, so glamorous. 

We have to cover a lot of ground in these next 3 days to make up for the bus ride back to Kathmandu. We'll be hiking just over 20 kms each day. We cover a lot of ground, see a lot of things, and get our memories all mixed up. I'm happy to have kept a journal on this trip and kind of wish I took more vlogs as well. It's been a wonderful reference to remember the finer details of each day. 

Sleeping at 4,371 meters and 60% oxygen

Day 10 Pheriche to Namche Bazaar

Today's hike is about 22kms. The group isn't put off though. We want to hike a little faster to do some shopping in Namche before the stores close. We obviously need souvenirs to bring home and I've been eyeing a beautiful yak wool scarf that I won't be able to walk away from. We are also quite eager to drop to lower elevations to rid ourselves of these high-altitude symptoms, to feel some heat, and to get a proper wash. 

Although we are hiking quickly, I am still taking my time as much as possible, enjoying the scenery, and snapping lots of pictures. I don't want to forget a thing. It was really neat seeing places for a second time and even seeing some additional things that I missed the first time around. We stopped for lunch in Thyangboche where we stayed on Day 4 and ate the most delicious brownie I've ever had in my life. No idea how that was missed on the ascent. 

As we approached Namche it was neat to see that fall had arrived. We've moved back into the tree-line and the shrubs and bushes were showing off their red and orange leaves. It's amazing what can happen in a week. Seeing Snow Land, our teahouse, was like seeing home. It was warm, comfortable, and well known to us as we've already stayed here for two nights. We quickly cleaned up and went out to do some shopping before dinner. Sleep should come easy tonight. 

Sleeping at 3,440 meters and 67% oxygen

Day 11 Namche Bazaar to Lukla

Our final day of trekking and another long one. Although we are descending there is still a lot of going up. The Nepali flat. Given our fatigue, this is not an easy day. The forest looks so lush and green, almost tropical. Or maybe it's just the stark contract from the barren landscape we just came from that has me thinking this. We're hiking through the valley again now. It really is beautiful, although I still prefer the mountains. I'm quite tired but still trying to soak up every bit of this beauty and experience. The entire group is looking forward to finishing the hike. Showers, warmth, and different food are the top three priorities of anyone you ask. 

It was cloudy today which I was quite grateful for. The sun is relentless and would have made the hike much more difficult. There are so many pretty villages along this part of the trail. It's eye-opening to see how people live in this altitude without the infrastructure we've become dependent on in the larger cities. Everyone we meet is super friendly, they keep our spirits high. One little boy asked me for a chocolate bar. I wish I had one to give him. Note: always keep an extra chocolate bar for any children you pass. They would enjoy it so much. 

Going down also means crossing all those bleeping suspension bridges again. They are just as scary as the first time. I was trying to get past them as quickly as possible and have them behind me so I never have to think of them again. 

Walking into Lukla felt just as exciting this last time as it did the first time. I mean we nearly fell in due to the fatigue but we were sure excited to have completed it. We finished off the trek with a word of thanks for our guide, assistant guides, and Sherpas. There was a group dinner where were discussed the highs and lows of our trek, reminiscing on the past two weeks and all that we've accomplished. A few others even had the energy for drinks and dancing after the feast. I was happy to be resting. 

Sleeping at 2,860 meters and 73% oxygen

Postscript

Overall, this was an amazing experience and I will be forever grateful I was able to complete this trek. Yes, it was cold, the high altitude wasn't always fun, we didn't have amenities that we are used to, but honestly these things give the trek its character. Besides, these are the most beautiful mountains in the world. The actual highest peaks. A warm shower pales in comparison. 

I'm thankful I had my husband by my side. He keeps me motivated, feeling strong, and offers support when I need it. It was fun to see and experience everything with him. Each night we would chat about the day while we were laying in our sleeping bags awaiting sleep and wondering what exciting thing would happen tomorrow. When it got tough, he was the ray of sunshine showing me the bright side of every situation. I couldn't imagine doing this trek with anyone but him.

The CEO, Ashok, of our G Adventures group and his team of Assistant Guides and Sherpas were remarkable. They made the trek fun, safe, and enjoyable. We really could not have done it without them and I'm sure our experience wouldn't have been as great. We were briefed each night for expectations of the next day. We were told how long we'd be hiking prior to each break, what weather was forecasted, what we should wear, and notable things we could expect to see. Of course, they kept a few surprises, allowing us to see and experience many things on our own. I highly recommend hiring them if you plan to go on this trek yourself. 

I packed the wrong clothes. The winters in Alberta are colder than the temperatures we experienced at base camp so I assumed the clothing I wear outside here in the winter would keep me warm there. What I didn't account for was the lack of any heat source for many hours at a time and the slow pace that resulted in zero heat generation. Active winter wear was not enough. What was needed were thick, warm layers that would keep me warm during times of little to no movement. If I were to do this trek again, I would bring a warm weather outfit, a cold weather outfit, and layers for everything in between. 

Total Distance: 130 kms

Elevation Gain: 7,300 m

Total Elevation: 5, 364 m