I landed in Nepal on the 14th March 2012 quite early in the morning got my visa at the airport and had a taxi waiting outside for me which took me to the guest house. I immediately felt relaxed which was lovely as India is amazing but so intense all the time. Nepal has similarities but also many differences to India. The hotel is not bad is in central thermal, (the tourist hub of Kathmandu), I was talking to some Swedish people who had just been trekking and they said I should do it and met with the trekking company and in a few minutes later I was signed up to do a 12day trek to Everest base camp and back. I had to buy a couple of things for the trek but not much!
Day 1 Kathmandu – Lukla (2840) – Phakding (2610)
My guide picked me up at 6.30am and drove us to the airport. The company placed me with a Japanese boy named Masato who is 28 and a doctor. We reached the airport I thought I had forgotten my plane ticket and my TIMS card. They were just at the bottom of my bag. Not the best start to the trip and not sure what they thought of me. But panic over and off we went. I’m not scared of flying but this puts a few butterflies in your tummy. You are only on a small plane and you can see inside the pilots cabin, where you can see there GPS, and all you see is two large red patches either side and a black line in the middle where you fly through. Basically there is just a lot of turbulence but the views you see are amazing, unforchantly I was at on the right side of the plane and the Himalayas are on the left. We landed on the shortest runway I have ever seen which goes uphill. Then we collected our luggage and off we went towards Phakding. We stopped at Chheplug (2660) for breakfast and then carried on our way. We reached Phakding around 12 and had lunch then went and had a nap then came down stairs in the teahouse had dinner and warmed up by the fire. It was quite a hard day but it was good a few ups and downs. It made me a little nervous for the days ahead as they said that was easy. It was cold here and a massive breeze coming in the room. But once in the sleeping bag it was fine but you didn’t want to get out of your sleeping bag.
Day 2 Phakding – Namche (3440)
We set of around 8am. It was cold, but once you start walking it is fine and you soon get really hot! The day started off fine and not to bad then we reached the bridge and off we went up a massive steep hill! It was horrible and could feel the effects of the altitude. It’s really strange as it is a massive hill and you would get out of breath walking up it if it was at sea level. But it happens almost instantly. Then you just have to walk really slowly. My guide Tapa took my bag half way up thank god! I seem to have the biggest bag compared to everyone else. Big mistake! I was so relieved when we got to Namche. There is a market here that happens on a Friday. So I brought some chocolate and sweets! Then just relaxed and spoke to loads of different people who were doing the treks. We all seem to go to bed really early 9 o’clock being the latest but it usually around 8pm.
Day 3 Namche – acclimatisation day
We spent the day in Namche today acclimatising to the altitude. We went for a walk up the massive hill Syangboche Panorama (3720) but without our bags and went to a Japanese hotel which the lazy people get helicoptered to! It was hard work, but it was okay especially without our bags. Then just walked around Namche, Masato was complaining of headache all day, as he drank a bottle of whisky the night before! Stupid boy!
Day 4 Namche – Tengboche (3860)
Masato snores a lot so wake up to that a lot in the night, otherwise I sleep okay. Masato still had his headache but we carried on up to Tengboche. The first bit of the trek almost killed me just really steep and not much oxygen going around. But then it became quite a flat pathway and then down a massive hill to Phungi Thanga and had lunch. They make you eat lunch really early it was only 11am. And we knew there was a massive hill to climb afterwards! And it was massive and felt like it went on for ages. Masto was really struggling even on the downhill. It is hard as you have to watch your footing all the time as it is not an even path anywhere. But he is slow and likes to stop a lot, whereas I am slow but don’t like stopping I like to keep going. Today the altitude hit my hands and they swelled up. It’s a really weird feeling the altitude as you don’t feel until you realise you are panting and out of breath and it is only while you are walking as soon as you reach the destination your back to normal and just get cold. There is a monastery in Tangboche which opens at 3 and you can watch the monks chant.
Day 5 Tangboche – Dingboche (4410)
Woke up and off we go again for another walk. First it was all done hill lovely then it was a little bit up and down and Masoto was struggling and really slow and still had he headache. This made a slow day for us. Then we stopped for lunch again around 11. Then left and we went up more hills. But I think I was getting used to the altitude as I went slowly and kept my breathing normal. I was literally walking like a 90year old, taking tiny steps in front of one another. When we reached Dingboche Masato went straight to bed again and had lost his appetite as well. This is not a good sign. But he had garlic soup for dinner. Garlic and black tea are apparently good for altitude sickness it’s the Nepalese trick.
We herd today that someone had died from altitude sickness! Bit more shocking makes you realise its not just walking up hills, it’s a bit more dangerous that. Then the next day we herd that a Japanese and Chinese where airlifted out of Gork Shep as well.
Day 6 Dingboche – acclimatisation day
Masato woke up not feeling any better and I think getting worse. So I went for breakfast and Tapa went and saw him. They decided that he should go back down to Namche. So off he went. So today was another acclimatisation day so gone for a small walk without our bags up another big hill? All finished by 12 and just relaxed and chilled out. Then lots of other people started to arrive. There are so many different people around its really nice. They look at me a bit strange as I am on my own and think I’m a bit crazy. I met a Swedish man who is 67 and doing it. I hope I can do it when I’m that age.
Day 7 Dingboche – Lobuche
So here we go again more walking! Quite a nice morning walk a little up but most of it was flat, until we got to the massive hill. This one was really rocky and there are no more trees around really. Whereas at the start it was like walking in a forest more. But it is so dry and dusty everywhere. This hill was a killer and you had to take massive steps. So was harder work and I could feel the fatigue in my legs from 7 days of walking. But got to the top then trekked on. We went into what felt like a massive valley and walked what seemed like forever. Reached Lobuche and chilled out. The Belgium couple where staying at the same place so it was really nice to see them again and they are really lovely. So had a lovely evening and the best chocolate pancake hands down!
Day 8 Lobuche – Gork Shep (5140) – Everest base camp (5364) – Gork Shep
So today we set of like normal and there was a big uphill then it was quite flat and a bit up and down to Gork Shep. We reached there at 11 and had lunch. After lunch we set off to EBC this was quite hard but lucky we loads of yaks in front of us and we couldn’t pass them so it was nice and slow! We reached base camp and it is a really strange place and you can’t even see Mount Everest. It’s really baron but totally beautiful.
Day 9 Gork Shep – Kallar Patter (5545) – Gork Shep – Pangboche (3930)
Woke up really early to walk up Kallar Patter around 5am to watch the sunrise. This was a really hard climb really steep and all up hill and not much oxygen. I had a little bit of a headache last night but it comes and goes. Kalla Pattar is the most amazing place so beautiful and completely worth the walk in the freezing cold. Then we walked back down which was really hard as it were so steep and seemed to go on forever. Had breakfast and set off to Pangboche. Quite a nice walk it’s a two and a half day walk up in to one day going down. There were only a few ups but mostly down and flat so was not too bad just a long day walking really.
Day 10 Pangboche – Namche
About a day and half walk up into one down. Bit there two massive ups in this walk today. I knew I didn’t like the downs when we were walking towards EBC. The guides wanted to stop for lunch at 11 before the second massive up, but I said no I’m going to eat when I get to the top, so we did and I was really happy about this. Hate walking especially going up after you have just eaten. And basically all the food is fried as well which doesn’t help. When we got the top the weather was starting to change and we were walking in the clouds which was quite fun. We reached Namche and I was exhausted.
Day 11 Namche – Lukla
And two day walk up into a one day walk back. There must have been massive storms while we were further up as so many trees had fallen down. And the price of a mars bar had gone up by Rs 5 not to happy about that! We went down so this was quite nice but in ways the down are as hard as the ups. We reached Phakding for lunch then another two and half hours walk to lukla which was hard and seemed to go on forever. I think knowing that you are at the end doesn’t help as you just want to be there and get it over and done with. But I reached it and every part of me now hurts! I just hoped that we could fly the next day as the weather had changed as soon as we hit Namche and people were not able to fly due to the weather.
Day 12 Lukla to Kathmandu
Woke up at 5.30 to catch our flight. It was still cloudy but I just hoped we could fly. I didn’t fancy staying in Lukla. And I just want a shower and chill out for a bit! Luckily we did fly and took off fine! Apparently it’s the third most dangerous airport! Landed safely in Kathmandu and taken back to the hotel! Went to the shop and bought chocolate and Fanta. Had to be done and chilled out for the rest of the day! Had the longest shower ever it was the best but worst shower ever!