Everest Base Camp Trek
- Amy
- Jul 11, 2019
- 13 min read
Updated: Jul 14, 2019
EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK
26th May - 9th June 2019
The most incredible experience of my life... and the hardest!
Hello, and welcome to the blog post about an 81 mile trek through the Himalayas, reaching an altitude of 5,643m, completed successfully by someone who not only doesn't like walking... but has never done it before. Yes, you may be thinking for starters, why would such a person with no walking experience or love for putting one foot in front of the other be interested in a 15 day trekking experience through the biggest mountains in the world. At great altitude no less. Well, here is the answer: they weren't thinking at all. No change there for me ay? But none the less, this person, who happens to be me, reached Everest Base Camp.
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world at a whopping 8,848m (bloody high). Sitting on the border between Nepal and China, this incredible mountain is on average summited by around 500 people a year. With more than 1000 attempting. The year 2019 was a particularly bad year for fatalities as 11 people were killed due to the overcrowding near the summit caused by the unexpected bad weather. But anyway, this isn't about summiting this incredibly large mountain, it's simply about getting to the base camp which is the point just below the death zone. Sounds easy right?
Our journey began on the 26th of May, rather late into the year in terms of the monsoon. On this day we met our group, a total of 15 people altogether. There was a real mixture from American, Australian, Canadian, Irish and of course us, British. The ages ranged from us being the youngest, 19 to about 40. We started off going to the dreaded K-Too restaurant in Kathmandu which is where Luke has already been three times on his other Nepal trips. And it all looks wonderful, great selection of food at a reasonable price. But BAM, you suddenly look at the bottom of the menu and see the extra 10% service fee and 13% government tax. How can they morally do this?
Originally on the trip with G-Adventures (highly recommend even though they have poor restaurant choices), you get a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. On this occasion, however, Kathmandu domestic terminal was closed and we had to drive 6 hours to Khurkot so we could get a flight from Ramechhap to Lukla instead. We spent a night in Khurkot after the journey and experienced our first Dahl Baht as a group. Dahl Baht is a traditional Nepali dish that consists of rice, curry (typically potato, Dahl (a thin lentil soup) and a selection of greens. Such a delicious dish and the best part is, you are always offered and given seconds. This is quite ideal for fellow travellers on a budget, like myself.
The following day was our flight to Lukla. For those who don't know, Lukla airport (Tenzing-Hillary Airport) is classed as one of the most dangerous airports in the world. At an elevation of 2,845m, it has a 527m long runway with a gradient of 11.7% which is about a 60m difference between each end. Basically, it is a very dangerous airport to land and take off. All part of the excitement though isn't it! However, there aren't many flights to Lukla during the monsoon season due to the continuously changing mountain weather. We even met a group who hadn't been able to fly the previous day due to the bad weather conditions. As it was the beginning of the monsoon, the weather was very unpredictable. Thinking how unlucky and frankly annoying these Americans were that couldn't fly (because they were unnecessarily loud and just American in general) we waited in anticipation for our flight. We shortly were told that the whole group of 15 of us, plus the two guides, couldn't fit on one flight. This meant that 5 of us, plus one of the guides had to wait for a second flight while the rest of the group went. And guess what? Yep, you guessed it. We were 4 of the 5 that were left to wait for the second flight as well as a Canadian dude that was unluckily stuck with us.
Anyway, cutting a long story short as I don't want to dwell, but karma got us for laughing at the Americans and the rest of our group got to Lukla safely while the last 5 of us were delayed not one, but two days. The day of our intended flight to Lukla we managed to get a flight but they ended up not being able to land, so we were on a tiny, very bumpy plane for an hour for NO REASON AT ALL!
We spent the following 2 days sat at the airport hoping to get a flight... only not to get one. At this point, we honestly believed that we wouldn't be able to do the trek as there would be no way for us to catch up with the rest of the group. So on our final day, before the trip would have to be canceled, we luckily managed to get a flight early in the morning, THANKFULLY landing safely in Lukla (2 days behind the rest of our group).
Initially, on the trek, you walk from Lukla to Phukding and then the following day trek to Namche Bazar. Afterward, you would have an acclimatisation day in Namche. However, already being 2 days behind, we needed to catch up with the rest of our group and walked all the way from Lukla to Namche Bazar (3,440m), skipping our acclimatisation day in the process so that we could rejoin the group again.
And what a long day! Having started to walk at about 7:30 am, we reached our destination at 5:00 pm (we ended up making excellent timing). All I can say about this day was that it was bloody hard, very uphill and I definitely felt the effects of the altitude which made walking a lot harder, especially on a gradient. On this trip, I decided to take Diamox, a tablet that helps the absorption of oxygen. Consequences of taking Diamox: I literally had to get up pretty much three times every night to go to the toilet... it makes you wee a LOT! Perks of taking Diamox: it reduces symptoms of altitude sickness (nausea, headaches, and loss of appetite). So, that's great!
For anyone planning on doing this trek, I warn you, it is cold! Coming from 38 degrees weather to 5 degrees I was rather cold (more so than everyone else apparently). Most nights I would sleep in full thermals, merino wool socks, a fleece, hat, snood, sleeping bag and on a few occasions two duvets. Some (Luke) may say this was an extreme reaction to the actually not that bad temperature. However, having spent the last 5 months in intense heat and humidity, this was a struggle.
On the 31st of May, our second official day of walking, we trekked from Namche Bazar (the Sherpa capital) to Tengboche (3,860m). This was our first glimpse of the snowy peaked mountains that I was so excited to see.
However, the monsoon weather meant that we spent the majority of the day in the rain (thank goodness for my waterproofs). Each day we had a tea and lunch break to regenerate from the hard trekking at altitude. At sea level I would say that this trek would be very doable for everyone, however, the altitude makes it 10x harder. This is where the guides were so great as we went at such a slow pace, especially up the hills, which made the whole thing much more manageable and much less daunting than it seems.
The day finished on a very difficult 2 1/2 hour steep ascent into Tengboche but well worth it when we got there. Not long after we arrived the clouds parted and we were able to see some of the most beautiful and incredible scenes I had ever witnessed. It was the first time on the trip that my jaw actually detached from my body and dropped to the floor.
Tengboche was also the destination where we caught our first glimpse of Everest (which actually doesn't seem that big amongst all the other incredibly tall mountains).
The 1st of June was an early start. At 5 am, Luke and I set alarms so we could watch the beautiful sunrise over the mountains (actually ended up not being able to really see it because the mountains were too tall haha). However, the sky was clear, revealing all the incredible mountains that had been hidden behind the clouds the previous day. We also got an amazing view of mine and Luke's favourite mountain of all time, Ama Dablam.
During the entirety of the trip, Luke and I shared a room that was in basic teahouses. The accommodation, although very simple, was always clean, usually with basic western toilets and lovely communal rooms which had fires in the evenings. Note to anyone planning on embarking on this adventure: bring enough toilet roll to last you the entire time as none is ever provided and well... that would be rather inconvenient if you didn't have any. You're welcome!
Starting June off well, we began the day by going into the monastery in the village which was fascinating. Not only were we able to enter and see the immensely colourful rooms but we were also able to witness the monks beginning their daily prayers which consisted of lots of chanting in different tones. Incredible to be able to experience.
Afterward, we trekked to Dingboche (4,350m) which I soon discovered was Luke's favourite place in the world. And I can see why. The entirety of the small basic village was surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
During this day we experienced the four seasons: heat and sunshine, cloud, rain, hail, AND snow. Now that is pretty cool if you ask me!
I had been feeling the effects of the altitude in terms of getting very out of breath, however, today I really began to struggle and had to really pace myself in order to get up the many inclines. And yes, there were many inclines indeed. It was always worth it though when we got to the top and got a flat bit to walk on. It was the best feeling in the world!
Finally, an acclimatisation day! Having skipped the one in Namche due to the delayed start, the four of us (Megan, James, Luke and myself) were very keen to not being walking too much on this day (02/06). This was the first day that Luke and I really didn't want to get up out of bed into the cold, but we knew we had to - always have to have a positive mindset on this trip! Although this was an acclimatisation day, it didn't mean that we didn't have to walk at all (sadly for me haha). We climbed a small hill just off from Dingboche and got some amazing views.
Everyone else in the group stayed at the height the guides took us to, however, Luke and I decided to go slightly further up to 4,750m where I had a wee and was rather pleased with myself having gone to the toilet behind a boulder so high up! Of course, we also had some stunning photo opportunities that we took full advantage of. One of the things I particularly loved about this trip in the Khumbu region was all of the prayer flags between the rocks pretty much everywhere you looked. It made the scenery even more beautiful because of all of the colour.
After our short 3 1/2 hour hike up the hill, we went back down into the village and spent the afternoon in a cafe watching the Everest movie that was playing - very fitting indeed. I also had a cheeky hot chocolate ad piece of apple cake that was much needed.
Again I was very cold, I wrapped myself up in all sorts of layers (another exaggeration as Luke stated). Each evening we would play cards, particularly this game that our guides taught us, which we call the Nepalese game. Needless to say, it got very very competitive each night, especially between the guides!
Continuing our trek up to Everest Base Camp, we left Dingboche at 8:30 am after Luke and I had been out most of the morning taking photos due to the beautiful blue skies. We had to take every opportunity as it would usually cloud over in the afternoons! We walked through a valley between the mountains which were probably the most beautiful and impressive views of the entire trip.
This was the most beautiful day but was also pretty much completely on an incline which was a bit of a struggle.
We trekked all the way to Lobuche (4,910m), just below the 5,000m mark which was rather exciting. And guess what? It was so bloody cold! This was the place that I actually slept with my down jacket and two duvets, haha! On the way we passed the memorial ground for mountaineers that didn't make the return from summiting Everest. One memorial in particular that we found was Rob Hall's who led the 1996 expedition that the movie Everest is based on. It was crazy for us to have watched the movie that was made after him the day before and then to see his memorial in person.
To conclude the day, I was asleep by 8:15 pm (a new record for me) in my 100 layers and -20 degrees sleeping bag! Well done Amy you wetty!
4th June 2019 was the day I finally reached Everest Base Camp, along with my fellow trekkers Luke, Megan and James (and the rest of the group). We set off at 6:30 am, blooming excited for the day ahead, and trekked 3 hours to Gorakshep (5,180m) where we would be spending the night. Our highest accommodation!
We only stopped there for lunch before we continued another 3 1/2 hours to Everest Base Camp itself, WOOOO!
It was amazing to have reached the place in which people had based themselves to summit Everest and also that we had reached the main destination of our trip. However, apart from that, the scenery wasn't hugely spectacular compared to the rest of our trip. Not that it wasn't great (just to clarify) as base camp is nestled in a circle of mountains next to the Khumbu Icefall where mountaineers begin their summit. Of course, we got some brilliant posy photos next to the sign and by the prayer flags. What an incredible journey we have had to get to this point. I took a Mars bar all the way from Kathmandu that was melted horribly and then solidified in the cold, then crushed in my bag and god knows what else. But I took it all the way to 5,364m and ate it on Everest Base Camp. Yep... get me! Reaching base camp which a pretty amazing and incredible moment in my life. For me to have pushed myself so hard and so far. For a normal person like me, with absolutely no trekking experience, to have been able to trek to the base camp of the highest mountain in the world at 19 years old. It was a pretty special moment.
After reaching our main goal, we then had to walk back to Gorakshep but it was 10x quicker going back which was ideal. We had a super early night - I was asleep by 8 pm (broke my record by 15 minutes) so we could be ready for our early start tomorrow.
Now I'm sure you thought to get to Base Camp was the hardest part over. Nope. The following day began at 3:30 am where we ascended to Kala Patthar, a hill just off from Gorakshep that has a height of 5,643m. I'm going to be honest and say that the climb was a killer. We started in the dark which was a minor issue for me as I didn't have a torch, but I decided that maybe I was better off not seeing where we were going haha. Although the climb was really hard, especially due to the altitude, and also that I felt like my feet were frozen and about to fall off, it was 1000x worth it. We reached the top for sunrise and we were so lucky as the sky was completely clear. So we were able to see the most stunning view of the mountains, along with the tip of Everest. I can safely say, hands down, that Kala Patthar is my favourite place in the world. The most breathtaking views and the most peaceful feeling.
Although I did manage (of course) to drop my glasses down a crack in one of the rocks. I honestly thought they were gone for ever and these were my proper glasses, not sunglasses. Luckily Luke being the hero he is managed to crawl through and get them. Imagine the journey back down without my glasses on haha. A bit of drama is good though isn't it! Funny thing is, I wasn't even that worried. That's what travelling does to you, you start to not care about your personal possessions because you know you can live without them. That point, when we got to the top of Kala Patthar, was probably my favourite of my entire 6-month trip. It was truly something special.
I always listened to Luke talking about his love and passion for the mountains thinking, "Yeah, mountains are cool and beautiful... but why are you so obsessed with them?" It wasn't until I actually saw them myself, the snowy tips, the sheer scale, and the towering presence, that I truly knew what he was talking about. "The mountains are calling and I must go" - John Muir, and boy do I understand what he is talking about.
The descent:
From Kala Patthar, we descended over 1000m past Gorakshep to Pheriche (4,200m).
Then the following day back down to Namche Bazar (3,440m) which was 22km, our longest day of walking. Considering how long it was, it really didn't feel as such which was definitely a perk.
I can't say the same for the next day where we descended back down to Lukla (2,840m) as it was DEFINITELY a struggle. Probably the hardest day as I was mentally and physically ready to finish. Also, due to all the descending, I managed to bugger up my knee and it was incredibly painful to bend... therefore, as you can imagine it was a pretty slow grind back to Lukla but I kept on pushing until we reached our final destination. This was the first proper day I actually decided to use poles... that are supposed to help... and instead ruined my knee! Boy was I beside myself with joy when we finally entered Lukla after a long few days of descending from base camp.
One thing I actually didn't mention was that we didn't actually shower for pretty much all of the trip. This was because you had to pay and most of the showers were cold. Me with long hair especially, in the freezing cold, was not too keen to spend the remainder of the trip with icicles in my hair... in Namche however, we did brave it and have cold showers so other than that, wet wipe were our best friend. You're welcome for that mental image. Needless to say, my hair needed a definite wash... why do you think I had my hair in plaits the whole time!
To conclude this amazingly wonderful experience: everyone must do it! It is such a doable trek that is paced incredibly to allow every average Joe like myself to successfully do it. Yes, it was difficult, yes it did push me to my limits, but yes, I would do it all over again. It was the most enriching and rewarding thing I have done in my entire life where I was able to see some of the most amazing scenery in the world. The Himalayas are the most incredible mountains in the world and everyone should experience them.
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