Everest Base Camp Trek: The Most Wild & Spectacular Feat of My Life

Here is my story about the 12 days I spent trekking and living in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. This was hands down the most physically demanding and mentally challenging adventure of my life and I’m so happy I did it. A lifetime of unique memories, lessons learned from the mountains, and stunning views are my ultimate reward. This is what the Everest Base Camp trek is like…

My Journey to Trek Everest Base Camp

The Extraordinary Country of Nepal

My first time visiting Nepal was in 2019 for a short 15 days. I immediately fell in love with the spiritual energy of the country as soon as I stepped off the plane. Perhaps it’s because my Mars line (representing passion and energy regarding achievement) in astrocartography falls in this lovely country, but I knew I would someday return with a greater purpose.

Fast forward to February 2024. I found myself backpacking Asia again and close to Nepal so I planned another trip but this time with the intention of taking on EBC. Luckily, I made a few friends on my first trip and remained in touch with them.

I made a quick rambling post about how I was thinking about trekking to EBC just to put the thought out there into the universe. So imagine my excitement when one of those friends messaged me saying he was a guide and it would be his pleasure to take me trekking. That’s it – it was meant to be!

My Guide & Our Original Plan

My friend and certified guide was named Rajan. At the time, I had no idea how happy I would be to have a local friend to trek with. I originally was thrilled at the idea because I thought this would be a cheaper way to do EBC than booking with a tour company. Spoiler alert: There is no “cheap” way to do EBC haha unless you go for it alone.

Our original plan was to do the EBC circuit trek which was 15 days. This not only included Everest Base Camp but also Cho La Pass and Gokyo Lake. A lesson that life has reminded me of time and time again, yet I was not privy to in this situation, is that nothing ever goes according to plan. It’s this spontaneity and surprise that brings adventure but also chaos into our lives.

Now I feel like I should mention here that I do not consider myself an avid hiker. I only got into hiking because it’s generally a prerequisite to arrive at a climbing crag. It’s been a slow process of enjoying hiking for me but as always, I’ll do any sort of activity for a killer mountain view. And of course, the Himalayas did not disappoint.

Last Minute Preparations in Kathmandu

Due to my spontaneous decision to trek to Everest Base Camp after having spent the past four months backpacking, I found myself severely underprepared! I’m talking ripped jeans and leather Blundstone boots as the only semi-passable warm clothing in my possession.

Luckily, Kathmandu is the destination to get any sort of trekking clothes/equipment. So with the help of Rajan, we set off to buy everything I needed. I scored some great deals at this wholesale store and was able to rent a warm-down jacket and sleeping bag.

After just four days in Kathmandu, it was time to start trekking! Remember I mentioned how little hiking experience I had? Well, this meant I also lacked the proper knowledge to pack lightly and efficiently. As a certified over-packer time and time again, my pack came out weighing about 15 kg (33 lbs).

…Yes, I know now that that was indeed way too heavy. A goal of under 10 kg (22 lbs) is standard for long backpacking treks like this one. The first of many lessons I learned from the mountains.

Flying into the World’s Most Dangerous Airport: Lukla

I only got 2 hours of sleep, be it from the excitement or the nerves, before it was time to head to Kathmandu airport at 5 am to start the journey.

Known as the Gateway to Everest, Lukla is a small village nestled in the Himalayas at an altitude of 9,383 ft (2,860 m). This is where the trek begins and as it happens, Lukla Airport is one of the sketchiest ones in the world.

There are many reasons for this – the high altitude, extreme mountain/weather conditions, and a short landing strip. For reference, the average landing strip is 8,000 to 13,000 ft long – Lukla’s is 1,729 ft. OH YEAH and did I mention there’s a wall and more mountains at the end of the runway so there is really no room for error?!

Flying into Lukla boasted some incredible mountain views but was also nerve-racking and fearful especially as we were on this small passenger plane that felt like it was out of control most of the flight.

Talk about a wild start to the trek! While the flight can be terrifying and dangerous, it’s mostly safe because they take all the proper precautions and cancel flights often at any sign of inclement weather. So even though it sounds bad, it’s really mostly okay haha.

Life in the Himalayan Mountains

Mountain people, known as Sherpas in Nepal, are undoubtedly among the strongest individuals alive. Living in the mountains is by no means an easy way of life. I would even go as far as to say it’s more surviving than living.

They not only live in extremely cold conditions but everything must be carried up the mountain to their villages, either by horse/yak or by porters. Porters are people who carry goods on their backs up and down the mountains.

I was informed that some porters carry up to 110 kg (240 lbs) at a time, which seems completely absurd! However, this realization truly puts things into perspective and humbles me. It shows the immense effort they put in to obtain basic commodities for everyday life, which are often overlooked and underappreciated in the Western world.

Nightly Accommodations: Quaint Teahouses

All of the small villages had teahouses available for trekkers to use as basic accommodations for the night. Because we were trekking during the off-season, this meant we got the rooms to ourselves. There are two beds per room so had it been the busy season, I would have had to share with someone else.

The teahouses are where we would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most meals consisted of pasta, rice, potatoes, or soup. The higher up we trekked, the more expensive the food got because as mentioned, someone is carrying all of that food up. And not just the food but the gas, water, and other cooking supplies.

This also meant it was best to stay away from any dairy or meat in the higher villages as it was not usually fresh by the time it arrived. Another advantage of being a vegetarian was that I didn’t have to worry about this particular issue.

Beginning the Trek to Everest Base Camp

Because the weather is best in the early morning, most flights in and out of Lukla are around 6 am. We arrived around 7 am on day one and immediately started the day trekking.

The climate in the upcoming days would prove to be the coldest I’ve ever experienced. But for now, it was quite warm with the sun shining on us and my heavy heavy pack to keep me warm.

We trekked about 9 mi (14.4 km) on the first day and stayed the night in the little village of Manjo. Exhausted from a night of little sleep, I found myself fast asleep by 8 pm. This would become my new sleep schedule for the next two weeks.

Early mornings and hearty breakfasts before trekking for 6 to 9 hours a day. The views more than made up for any slight discomfort I may have felt. The trek took us right through the Khumbu Valley, over suspension bridges, with incredible views of this gorgeous blue glacier river.

The Khumbu glacier, which we saw up close on the last leg of the trek, feeds into this river right from the base camp of Everest.

Namche Bazaar: The Largest Village Along the Trek

I heard stories about Namche from a fellow trekker who had returned to the region for his fourth time. He told me tales about this Irish Pub with great wifi and eating at the world’s highest bakery. He described Namche as if it were a bustling metropolis hidden away in the mountains.

I was eager to see it for myself and unsure of what to expect. The hike up to Namche is considered one of the most challenging sections of the trek. Because from Lukla, you hike down into the valley only to hike back up the next day.

The view arriving into Namche is quite impressive. It’s a rather large village with a ton of teahouses and other restaurants/cafes. As I entered the village, I noticed prayer wheels continuously being spun by the water’s current.

However, my experience was far from the norm of Namche. Because it was the off-season, there was less commotion and fewer visitors. Plus, the electricity was completely down for what would be a few weeks.

The main powerhouse, which supplied electricity, had frozen, and they lacked the necessary tools to fix the issue. It became somewhat of a running joke because, without fail, every single day, they would declare, “The power will be fixed today,” chuckling as they said it.

It never did end up getting fixed during the two weeks I was there, haha, but I was okay with that. I was not expecting much service or wifi on the trek and that’s just what happened.

Namche’s elevation is about 11,286 ft (3,440 m) which coincidentally is just under 200 m of La Paz’s altitude in Bolivia. Let me just say, that if you’re going to get altitude sickness, this is the village you want to be in when you get it!

Soroche: Altitude Sickness

Soroche is the South American term for altitude sickness that we use in Bolivia, my home country. Although born in America, I have visited La Paz, the world’s highest capital city, over a dozen times in my life.

I had always taken pride, perhaps to my detriment, in never experiencing altitude sickness during my years of visiting my family at 11,975 ft (3,650 m). Well, the universe has funny ways of humbling us when we least expect it, and oh man, my time had come.

When I woke up in Namche on day three, I was in disbelief and perhaps in a bit of denial, that the soroche had gotten me. I attributed my nausea to the dinner I had from the night before, thinking it must have been something I ate.

It was indeed a classic case of altitude sickness, which typically affects 75% of trekkers upon arrival in Namche, and I was no exception. No matter how certain I was that my past experiences would have better prepared me for this moment, I was wrong. And even worse, I was so sick.

The second lesson learned from the trek: respect and never underestimate the power of the mountains.

We had originally planned one active acclimatization day in Namche but ended up spending 2 non-active and 1 active rest day here. I had all the symptoms – terrible headache, loss of appetite, exhaustion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and yep, even diarrhea.

It’s like the universe took all those years of traveling to La Paz happy and sick-free, and revengefully dumped the opposite on me all in a matter of 12 hours. There was nothing to do except to be force-fed white rice and potatoes while I rested and waited to feel better.

My 17-Year-Old Porter (Jam Jam!)

Although I cannot be certain, I attribute the sickness to carrying an overly heavy pack. I believe I over-exerted myself getting to Namche. Even though I thought I was accustomed to high altitudes, I always took it easy while in La Paz. The last thing I ever did was hike for 7 hours with 15 kg on my back.

Well, this was not part of the plan and one of the last things I expected to happen to me. I felt that I had two choices on how to proceed. Either cut my losses (time, money, and energy) and head back down, or hire a porter and continue.

I didn’t want to risk getting sick again higher up and I felt I had already come too far to just quit, so reluctantly, I hired a porter to carry my pack up for me. Initially, I didn’t feel great about this decision because I felt it was kind of like cheating and also I felt bad for the kid.

My porter was this 17-year-old kid with a heart of gold and an even richer smile. He only used a shearling-lined denim jacket and sneakers as his everyday trekking attire. Meanwhile, I had on three to four layers of clothing every day plus Blundstone boots (albeit not hiking boots but still at least boots!)

I’m telling you, these mountain people are built differently and prove to be real legends. He hardly spoke any English so the two common phrases I would say to him were Jam-Jam (let’s go) and Dherai Dherai Dhanyabaad (thank you so much).

Suspension Bridges to Tengboche

One of my favorite parts was constantly crossing suspension bridges on this trek to Everest Base Camp. The tallest one is the Hillary suspension bridge, named after the man who first summited Everest. This one is about 440 ft (135 m) tall, crossing it just before we arrived at Namche.

Nonetheless, all the other bridges are just as impressive and fun. Sacred Tibetan prayer flags adorn them for safety, while simultaneously coloring the bridges with vibrant hues. We crossed several on the way to Tengboche – the village with the largest monastery in the Khumbu region.

I am an off-season travel girly through and through. I aim to travel on a budget, and I particularly enjoy the atmosphere of a place when it’s not overrun with tourists. There are of course upsides and downsides to traveling during these seasons.

The upside while on the Everest Base Camp trek was that there were plenty of extra blankets to go around as well as enjoying my private room. I also heard nightmare stories about having to queue in line for over 20 minutes to cross these bridges during the busy season. Yaks always get the right of way so this can take some time!

On the other hand, the downside is that there are fewer people on the trails to meet and share this experience with. Luckily the first few days I was not alone in the teahouses but towards the top, I was starting to be the only one there most nights. That is until…

Nicole: My New Swiss Friend

I met this lovely woman, Nicole, from Switzerland when we stopped for lunch one day along the trek. We instantly hit it off as she was also a solo female trekker and the only other person around haha.

Our guides coordinated with each other, allowing us to continue the trek together, which meant a lot to both of us. As we trekked higher, it became more remote and colder, so having someone to share the experience with was comforting.

Especially because it had been Nicole’s dream to trek to Everest Base Camp ever since she was 5 years old. It felt so special to be a part of her journey while she checked off this huge milestone in her life. I have this one memory of us that I will often think back to.

We arrived at base camp and returned to the village of Gorak Shep around 3 pm. Since the nightly furnace wouldn’t be started until 5 pm, we sat outside against the building, soaking up every bit of sun we could. We groaned and shivered whenever a cloud blocked the rays but also smiled and giggled when the sun peeked out again.

The best part about traveling has got to be the incredible people you meet along the way. You get to share such beautiful and once-in-a-lifetime moments with them. In my experience, this forms a stronger bond than most other moments in life.

The wonderful people and the lasting impressions they leave on me will always be something I cherish about my travels. To Nicole, thank you for making the frigid nights a little more bearable.

Snow on the Way to Dingboche

On day 8, as we continued trekking, it began to snow for the last hour. It wasn’t coming down too hard but just enough to cover the trail with a gorgeous, soft white layer.

All in all, I believe we got quite lucky with the weather considering it was February and it could’ve been much worse. One snowy day was the perfect amount to truly feel all of the changes in the climate.

Let me also just remind you that my badass porter was doing all of this in just his sneakers. The weather did not seem to phase this kid. It was impressive and I was eternally grateful for his help, as I couldn’t have completed the trek to Everest Base Camp without him.

Stunning Mountain Views to Lobuche (My Favorite Trek Day)

The trek from Dingboche to Lobuche was my favorite day by far! The views were absolutely stunning as we trekked right alongside this gorgeous mountain range. At one point, mountains practically surrounded us.

Those are the moments where I feel most alive – when the mountains make me feel so small and insignificant (in the best way possible!) I kept stopping and taking off my goggles so I could fully appreciate the landscape without any obstruction. I could’ve died right then and there.

The view from my room in the teahouse in Lobuche was even more stunning. It was the perfect view of Mt. Nuptse. I was in awe these last few days and felt so much gratitude that I get to exist in the same world as mountains. What a mighty thing to be grateful for.

Mt. Everest gets most of the attention because, of course, it’s the highest peak in the world. However, you barely get but just a few glimpses of the peak on this trek. Instead, you get blessed with many other mountains and peaks.

It gave me an overall deeper appreciation for the Himalayas because there are many more impressive sights than just Mt. Everest.

The Last Leg to Everest Base Camp

Gorak Shep is the last village before you reach Everest Base Camp along this trek. However, it’s most common to trek from Lobuche, second to the last village, to EBC all in one day. Only stopping in Gorak Shep for lunch, to drop off your bags, and back to spend the night there.

This came as quite a surprise to Nicole and me the night before. Thinking we had one more day before reaching EBC, we were overwhelmed with happiness to find ourselves so close.

EBC is about a 2 to 3-hour hike from the town of Gorak Shep, offering nothing less than spectacular views of the mountains and Khumbu glacier along the way. We even got to witness a small avalanche across the way.

The base camp itself is rather underwhelming, to be honest. However, I was anticipating this because I had been warned multiple times by other trekkers. You can’t actually see Mt. Everest from the base camp but you can see Mt. Lhotse and Mt. Nuptse – it’s all still jaw-dropping, don’t worry.

At EBC itself, there’s red graffiti on a rock proclaiming it as “Everest Base Camp – 5364 m”. A little bit of a letdown as one would think they could spring for a more official sign considering how many visitors the camp sees yearly.

Nonetheless, an incredible feat and an experience that will be cherished for a lifetime.

The Last High Altitude Night in Gorak Shep

We were so happy that this was our last night sleeping in this high of altitude. The cold is no joke and creeps up on you. That being said, I love and prefer colder temperatures, but even for me, it was a bit overwhelming at times.

My one nightly saving grace was filling my water bottle with hot water and slipping it into my sleeping bag for warmth. I swear this was the only way I was able to fall asleep.

On the other hand, Nicole chose an electric blanket the last night in Gorak Shep to ensure she stayed warm. The promise of sleeping under 4,000 m (13,123 ft) the following night filled us with warmth and excitement.

The “Quick & Easy” Way Back Down

The way back down was much faster and dare I say, easier, than the way up. However, the days were longer. While it takes an average of 8 days to reach Base Camp, it only takes an average of 3 days to return to Lukla.

Of course, the elevation is on your side on the way back down. However, there are still plenty of points along the trek that are uphill. I believe knowing that it was warming up with every mile we walked, made the long days more doable.

By the end of the first day, it was already significantly warmer and easier to sleep than the rest of the trek had been.

The Daunting Flight Back to Kathmandu

The unsafe weather conditions constantly cause flight cancellations at Lukla Airport, so I believe we got extremely lucky. We were able to get a flight out on our first attempt.

After speaking to other trekkers at the airport, apparently, no flights had come in or gone out for the past two days. We chose a good day to return to Kathmandu because the thought of staying one more night in Lukla was unappealing.

At this point, I was exhausted, covered in dirt and grimey clothes, going on 13 days without a proper shower, and craving the comfort of Netflix and pizza in bed. The only thing standing in between me and a cozy rest day was the daunting flight back to Kathmandu.

It took me what little mental energy I had left to calm myself before the flight. While yes, it’s technically a safe flight, it still felt rather uneasy while I was on it.

45 minutes later we were landing in Kathmandu and with it came warmer weather. Having completed my trek, I felt accomplished and immensely happy for the entire experience. I was now eagerly looking forward to a warm shower, a nap, and a Coke.

Final Thoughts

While I do think the Everest Base Camp trek is doable by most semi-active/fit people, it’s the altitude that will get you. It’s important to respect Mother Nature, the mountains, and listen to your body.

We had heard reports of two people dying along the trek at the same time we were there. This was due to altitude sickness and people pushing themselves past their limit. While oxygen is available and helicopter rescue remains an option, one should not rely on it as an easy nor guaranteed way out.

I am also grateful for the unbearably cold nights as it has built up my mental and physical resistance to what I deem as cold now. I will always have the memory of the coldest I’ve ever been to warm me up on those occasions when I start to shiver.

Nothing could be as cold as trekking to Everest Base Camp but equally, there’s not much that could be that rewarding either.

Those 12 days spent in the mountains are ones that I will cherish for all of my days to come along with the lessons I learned from it. I am capable of anything I set my mind to.

I kept repeating a positive affirmation that a Reiki master I visited in Kathmandu had given to me. It’s what kept me going on those days when I felt I wasn’t strong enough to continue…

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better. “

– Émile Coué