Day 8: Dingboche to Lobuche (4940m)

Every day is getting increasingly more difficult. The oxygen level in the atmosphere is nearly 50% less. It’s hard to do anything. It wasn’t until now that I realize how much of a difference oxygen levels make. I found myself having such short breaths just getting out of bed and walking downstairs to breakfast. There is one very steep climb up (I am really struggling at this point) and the only thing keeping me going is realizing we only have one more day until we reach our destination! At the top of this hill I sit down and watch the many yaks surrounding us. We’re at a memorial area for all the sherpas and climbers who have died on their attempts up Everest. It’s sombering to realize how many people were so close, only to have their dreams cut short. Everest is dangerous, and all the climbers know that they’re risking their lives trying to make it to the top of the world.

By the way, it’s so cold in Lobuche that the water in the toilets are completely frozen, to the point that we had to break the ice to use them. Awesome.

Day 9: Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5164m), trek to Everest Base Camp! (5364m)

Today’s the day! We start our ascent to Gorak Shep, only 200m above Lobuche. Mostly flat, but I still feel very tired. The combination of low oxygen, lack of sleep, mild altitude sickness, and walking for hours every day was really catching up with me. I had no idea that altitude caused insomnia. Even being physically exhausted, I could never fall asleep immediately. When I finally did, I would wake up multiple times throughout the night. Altitude does weird things to you.

After making it to Gorak Shep, we eat lunch and get ready for base camp. From here, it’s two more hours of walking. We each buy a chocolate to eat in celebration when we reach. For myself, it’s a dark chocolate Toblerone, whereas everyone else gets Snickers (I don’t understand this). Switching from our heavy backpacks to our daypacks is always a marvelous feeling. 

I feel as if we’re on another planet as we make our way to base camp. The terrain has completely changed from beautiful lush green with flowing rivers, to rocky and lunar-like. It’s incredible looking at the glaciers. Sabine, the guide who has now joined us, tells us to be very careful here. Apparently this is the most dangerous part of the trek. People have died in the past due to sudden avalanches or earthquakes.

Finally seeing the Everest Base Camp sign fills me with so much joy. There are hugs, high fives, and cheers all around. My grin is ear to ear. It’s emotional thinking about how hard we have all worked to get to this point. After 9 days of continuous uphill walking, struggle, pain, and freezing cold weather, we made it. It’s been one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my life, both physically and mentally. It’s hard to describe the pride I felt looking up at Everest. Nothing could ever beat that feeling.

Day 10: Hike up Kala Patthar (5643m), descend to Periche (4371m)

I am so ready to head down. But before that, we have one more ascent up Kala Patthar mountain. I really don’t want to do this. This day is so much harder than the day before. People said the last two days were the hardest, and I have to agree. As we’re going up the mountain, I must have told myself a dozen times “I’m not going to do this. I want to quit.” The moment you start going up though, it’s hard to stop until you make it to the top. Sabine is literally pulling me up towards the end, as I’m crawling up this mountain. As always, the view is unbeatable. It’s really glorious to see. The Himalayas are one of the most magnificent sights in the world. We're at 5643m, and we can see the top of Everest towering over everything else, which is still 3200m above us. 

Day 11: Periche to Namche (3340m)

It’s crazy how fast we descend in comparison to how long it took us to go up. All our hard work gone out the door. Going downhill, we’re still walking around 6-8 hours. A group of people on their way up what I remember was a particularly bad stretch, looking miserable, ask me if it gets worse. Hate to break it to you, but yes, it does. But you can do it, and it’s so worth it!

Reaching Namche is so exciting, as it seems like the closet thing to civilization. We have wifi and good apple pie again! There’s a pub! Real toilets! 

Day 12: Namche to Lukla (2850m)

The oxygen in the air is palpable. The feeling of being able to take a deep breath with ease— so satisfying. Walking down with big smiles on our faces, we pass by people who are at the beginning of their journey up. It’s a great feeling to be done, and we can’t help but feel this sense of “I know something you don’t” and “You have no idea what’s ahead of you.” 

Day 13: Leave Lukla! Wait– just kidding.

Our flight back to Kathmandu is scheduled for 7:30am. We arrive 6:30am at this tiny little airport where there are apparently no rules or regulations. We have no idea what is going on or what is going to happen. It’s cloudy outside, which does not bode well for us. 8am comes and goes, then 10am… Several hours pass by and we’re still waiting. The clouds are not clearing up, and in fact, they are just getting worse. We’re starving, having not eaten breakfast thinking we’d grab a huge delicious lunch in Kathmandu instead. We look around for anyone who works at the airport only to find they have all gone home already. By 1pm the airlines announce that all flights have been canceled today. It’s extremely frustrating to have to wait until tomorrow. Weather has to be perfect in Lukla, Kathmandu, and one other airport in order for planes to fly. There are way too many variables that could prevent us from flying. Someone tells us there is forecast for snow for the next week which is horrifying news. Others tell us about people who had to wait for 4 extra days. I’m optimistic that this won’t happen, but it did not matter much to me. I did not have a flight back home to catch the following day. 

Our options for coming home are still waiting and flying in the airplane, taking a private helicopter which would cost $3,000, or walking back to Jiri and then taking a jeep (another 3-5 days of walking). At this point we are seriously contemplating getting a helicopter instead if it comes down to it and are each researching our travel insurance policies to see which will cover it. Someone would need to fake being sick in order to get the helicopter rescue, and we’re told that this is totally normal to do. It’s Asia. 

That night we decide to make the best of it, so we buy yak cheese, wine, apples, and some yak burgers. Surprisingly extremely good cheese, and one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. 

Day 14: Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu

The sky is clear! It’s flying day! We’re back at the airport at a more reasonable hour (lesson learned). Fingers crossed, we wait by the windows hoping to hear the sound of a plane. Every time it comes, we get so excited, only to be disappointed to see a different airline. We’re scheduled for the second flight on Simrik Airlines, but our plane never arrives. Someone informs us that the wheel on our plane is broken. Of course this would happen to us. Again we’re waiting for hours, so nervous that the crystal clear weather will change any second. We could not bear to wait another day. Apparently they fixed the wheel on the plane, because we see it arrive! I remember when we first landed in Lukla how happy the people had been to board our plane. I completely understood why now. There are cheers all around. I can’t wait to finally shower and wear some clean clothes. 

Boarding the plane, I’m genuinely sad to be leaving. It was going to be strange not having the crew with me all the time. We had such a set routine and had spent so much time together working towards a common goal. Looking back at the Himalayas while we're in the air, I'm already planning when I will come back.