To Everest Base Camp AND Back!

It's been about 3 months since we trekked through the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp (EBC), but the trip is still fresh in my mind. It was AMAZING!

We took risks and were rewarded. We rose, and we fell. We were flexible, but unbreakable. We feared, yet we conquered. We set goals, and we achieved them.  We embraced an adventure, and we returned enamored by the experience, by the scenery, by the wildlife, by the people, and by the majesty of the world that we now know.

In truth, this was the most challenging activity we've ever accomplished, and we're thrilled to have done it. We flew into (by helicopter) and out of (by turbo prop plane) the world's most dangerous airport in Lukla, Nepal. We battled the rain, mud, and slippery terrain. We traversed steep inclines and declines, valleys, peaks, below and above the tree-line. We encountered dogs, insects, mountain goats, a variety of birds, donkeys and yaks. We braved the skin-burning winds and freezing temperatures. We struggled to breathe normally, and fought the symptoms of altitude sickness. But in the end, we can honestly say that it was all worth it.

Fast Fun Facts:
Time: 13 days
Max Altitude: 17,602ft above sea-level (after 9 days)
O2: 50% less than sea-level
Distance: 80 miles round-trip

Monday, April 29, 2013 - Everest Base Camp - 17,602ft above sea-level

Re-Pack Your Backpack: Things You DON'T Need

After all that packing, none of us carried anything more than water, a jacket, an extra t-shirt, gloves, a hat, and maybe some snacks in our own packs. 

Our guide and porters highly encouraged us to empty our packs into their North Face duffle bag for the porters to carry. It was for the ease, safety, comfort, and enjoyment of our trek to Everest Base Camp. Plus, we had enough trouble with breathing, so 30 lbs on our backs would have made it worse. 

Since hindsight is 20/20, looking back at what I packed into my backpack made me realize how much of it was unnecessary. Here are my notes: 

- 3 pairs of underwear (94% nylon / 6% lyrca)

- 3 pairs of merino wool socks

- cleaning /baby wipes

- hand sanitizer

- deodorant

I am putting these things all together because you need to clean your private areas and feet often and change your underwear more often than not. You don't want to get caught in the wild with jock itch or smell too foul for your companions. 

- 4 dry-fit / moisture wicking short-sleeved shirts

- 4 dry-fit / moisture wicking long-sleeved shirts

Since it's important to layer up, having both short and long sleeved shirts is helpful. If I could do it over again, I'd change every 3-4 days. Luckily for those on the trip with me, I only changed my shirts ONCE! Hahaha. So from my perspective, I was doubly overpacked. 

- 1 fleece 

- 1 North Face outer shell jacket

- 1 winter hat

- 2 pairs of North Face convertible (to shorts via zip-off legs) pants

- 1 pair of leggings/tights

Without a doubt this is all necessary because it gets really cold above the tree-line. 

- 1 REI Travel Sack (sleeping bag) rated to 55 degrees; 

- sleeping bag liner that adds 15 degrees of warmth

- 1 pair of fleece pants & 1 (or more) pair(s) of athletic socks

Great for sleeping in since it's nice and warm. 

- 1 light pair of sneakers - excellent for walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night and/or for just hanging in the common room after a long day's trek. 

- 1 pair of basketball shorts - never warm enough to wear shorts, except in Kathmandu

- 1 running/baseball cap (with visor)

- 1 pair of sunglasses (in hard case)

- 1 small towel

- 1 pack rain cover -  extremely helpful as the weather is really unpredictable. It rained the first 2 days of our trek, so we were glad to keep our things dry

- 1 extra pair of boot laces - seems like our original boot laces were very durable, though if you bring extra you can always find a use for it in emergency situations

- contact lenses (daily disposables)

- chapstick - with the wind blowing and your heavy breathing, keeping your lips moisturized and protected from the sun is important. 

- anti-chafe stick

- toothbrush

- travel toothpaste

- laundry soap -  never did laundry

- extra ziplock bags and small plastic bags (for random use) - very handy for separating dirty clothes, random items, or even for use as a cover for your camera in the rain

- Potable Aqua - chlorine dioxide tablets - if I had known about the chlorine solution that you can purchase in any Nepalese pharmacy for 20Rs, I would never have bought all of these. 3 small drops and 30 minutes of curing time will make 1 liter of water potable. 

- 1 first aid kit with various OTC medications, bandages, mylar blankets, and moleskin (important for blisters) - with the variety of ailments and discomforts some of us experienced along the way, this kit become increasingly important

- 1 compass/thermometer - not really necessary, but nice to know the temperature as you climb higher

- matches & fire starter kit - absolutely no use

- 1 headlamp / flashlight - useful on the mountain and in Kathmandu at night, where there are no street lights

- 1 Swiss Army knife - wish I never brought it since TSA confiscated it even though it was packed in my check-in

- electric / current converter

- 1 padlock - the teahouse locks seemed to be ample, and it's not like anyone wants to steal any of your stuff anyway...you all have the same things. 

- sunblock - extremely important as you are basically walking towards the sun everyday; sunburn happens almost twice as fast in altitude than at sea-level

- insect repellent - I'm pretty sure there were no mosquitoes on the mountain, but maybe in Kathmandu

In terms of food, I feel like we were suitably fed along the way at each of the teahouses. I'd cut back on the snacks and bring the protein and electrolyte supplements. We ended up giving some of the snacks away to the guides and porters. 

- 9 small packs of freeze dried fruit

- 7 snack sized Welchs fruit snacks

- 14 CLIF bars

- 10 sticks of beef jerky

- 5 snack sized almonds/peanuts/cashews

- powdered Gatorade

Tribhuvan International Airport & Elbrus Home

Towards the end of the 1.5 hour flight, as we approached Kathmandu from Delhi, and we watched the airplane's progress on the maps screen on the personal tv while in-flight, it seemed like we were flying directly into a mountain range.  At times I wondered how close we would get to the mountains and it even crossed my mind that we might land in the mountains. But after peering out of the window, we saw that the airport actually lays in a relatively flat, dry, barren area.

Upon landing (on the 2nd attempt - first try was aborted just a few hundred feet above the runway), the jet taxied towards what I thought to be the terminal gate, but I quickly realized that there was no such thing as a jetway and we were about to deplane via staircase onto the tarmac. As we disembarked the aircraft, I couldn't help but feel like we landed in something well short of a first-world country. We watched as our bags were being removed from the belly of the plane and loaded onto a cart that was a trailer to the bus we were ushered towards which would drop us off at the international arrivals gate.

Arriving in Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM) immediately gives you the impression that you've landed in an old-world, third-world country. It is the only international airport in Nepal and only has 1 domestic and 1 international terminal, which connects the country to Asia, the Middle East, and some of Europe. And it's solitude in the country shows within the arrival terminal, baggage claim, and customs.

Just prior to reaching customs, there is an area where the window sills are lined with forms which you must complete and present to your immigration agent. It is here where people rush to fill out all the necessary information and attach their extra passport photos just to fall into 1 of 3 lines for processing. One line is for Nepalese nationals...empty. The other 2 lines are for foreigners.

As we approach the desk, I notice that there are 3 men sitting at 1 desk. The first man receives you, asks for how long you are staying (15, 30, or 90 days - Tourist Visa) and takes your payment for your Visa ($25 for 15 days, $40 for 30 days, or $100 for 90 days). Our trip was a total of 16 days, but the officer allowed us to pay for 15 days. The next officer receives your passport and scans to confirm that it is real and that there are no alerts on your identity. The last officer reviews the first two officers work, eyes your passport against your face, confirms your identity, returns your stamped passport with Visa and wishes you a pleasant day.

As we proceeded to retrieve our luggage from 1 of 3 old-looking carousels and exit the building, we stopped briefly by the foreign currency exchange counter to buy some Nepalese Rupees (NPR). With an exchange rate of $1 to 86Rs, you're getting a pretty good rate. Next to the forex counter was what ended up being a hassle. Two agents were feverishly trying to gain our attention and offered up lodging, trekking guides, tours, etc. Reluctantly, we stopped by to understand what they had to say.

We had in mind the name of a hostel where our friends had chosen to stay the night before. I inquired about this place, but it seemed that it wasn't on the agents' list of places to promote. I even asked about the Kathmandu Guest House whose owner is the brother of a doctor whom my mom works with at the hospital (3 degrees of separation). The agents kept saying that if we booked with them there would be a 10% discount. Unfortunately, we did not choose any of the options they kept trying to sell.

Instead, we joined our friends at the Elbrus Home, which turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. Although only a hostel, not a hotel, Elbrus Home was welcoming, warm, friendly, accommodating, inexpensive, and in a great location (walking distance to the shops in Thamel and even the Royal Palace; only a 40 minute walk to the Monkey Temple). Khem, one of the managers, and his brother were extremely helpful to us. They provided everything we needed, were so kind, and always encouraged us to take advantage of all the comforts that Elbrus had to offer.

For a reasonable $30 a night for a triple room with en-suite, you cannot go wrong. The rooms were basic but comfortable. A simple breakfast of fried eggs, toast with butter or jam, orange juice, coffee or tea, and bananas was included every morning, which you could take in the common room or more comfortably in the garden under some umbrellas. Rooftop seating that overlooked the Thamel district of Kathmandu was also available which we made use of to share cocktails. And a friendly conversation full of insight to the city and guide-like suggestions from the staff was more than enough to make the stay worth the few dollars we shelled out.

Unfortunately, after our return from the trek, we were unable to be accommodated at Elbrus Home due to capacity (see, they're popular), but they still picked us up from the airport and easily made arrangements for us to stay at their sister hotel, Avalon House, which is a 3 minute walk away from Elbrus Home on a side street away set back from the hustle and bustle of the main road.

Khem made it convenient for us (and financially beneficial to him and his colleagues, I'm sure) by connecting us with his friend Prem of Heian Treks & Expedition, where we eventually organized and purchased our Himalayan trek to Everest Base Camp.

This is IT!

Today we depart for our 18-day vacation! First stop, New Delhi for 1 night. Looking forward to having  good Indian food. Then it's off to NEPAL and our trek to Everest Base Camp!!!

I'll try to update along the way!

Want an idea of what we're doing? Check out this video...