We arrived in Kathmandu with every intention of doing the trek alone. We picked up our Sagamatha National Park permits and paid our entrance fees. We booked our flights up to Lukla and had rented the equipment we needed. We knew the way and had planned where we would stay each night. However at the last minute we cracked! Our very lovely hostel manager talked us into taking a guide with us who would negotiate our stays and sort out our meals each day. We had budgeted about £50 a day so when the manager said it would be around the same price to take the guide we thought we might as well!
15 day tour booked online (don’t include meals): £1200+ Per Person
Our cost as a couple with all meals, tearoom stays and guide: !!!£800!!!
Day 1: Lukla (2840m) to Phakding (2610m)
Early 4am start to catch our flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Actually this was the 5th time of trying as bad weather had delayed us previously so we arrived at the airport not actually expecting to go anywhere. We couldn’t believe it when we went straight through to the terminal and were told we would be flying! So we arrived in Lukla, met our guide Jivvy and had some breakfast at his friend’s hostel. The day was a lovely 3 hour trek down hill following the Dudhi Kosi River all the way to Phakding. I remember thinking ‘wow this is o.k. I can do this’! We arrived at our first tearoom and were blown away again by how friendly warm and welcoming our hosts were, how beautiful our little timber room was and how delicious the food was.
Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazar (3440m)
So this is when it suddenly got real! We were warned that the 7 hour, 830m uphill trek would be tough and admittedly on the last uphill climb (where I had a breakdown) I hadn’t realised we were literally 10 minutes away from the tearoom so I probably could’ve held it together better! (I also had realised that eating fried food everyday was really not the way to go and struggling with horrendous abdomen pains). Continuing along the river through thick pine forest passing waterfalls and catching the first glimpses of the Himalayas made the beginning of the days walk breathtaking. However it soon became very mentally challenging as the day is then filled with crossing ridiculously high and long suspension bridges! By the end of the trek I did manage to cross them but only by keeping my arms outstretched on to the sides and I never did manage to look down or stop and take pictures halfway!
Day 3: Namche Bazaar
We got an extra day in Namche Bazaar to rest, acclimatise and look around the pretty Himalayan town, the last place to shop and take hot showers! We walked up to the National Park Headquarters to better acclimatise as the insomnia had kicked in and had a lovely time eating cakes and drinking coffee and munching laxatives!
Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Tyengboche (3840m)
The days hike was only a 400m climb and we arrived at our destination just after lunchtime, but it was the first of many wet and windy days. All was forgiven though when we reached the monastery at Tyengboche. Wow what a deeply spiritual place it is! A real Buddhist monastery 3840m in the sky surrounded by forest and thick fog with really fluffy free dogs patrolling it and beautiful horses. We were actually allowed inside the very ornate and holy monastery to watch 3pm prayers and I were blown away by the whole ceremony. We sat feet face down on cushions to the side of where about 100 monks were all chanting and playing instruments for 2 hours. I have been to many Buddhist temples since and none effected me like that place did. It just had this ora about it that you knew it was very holy and special. Really incredible experience and they didn’t have an entrance fee attached like everywhere else we have visited since and there was a strict no photography inside policy. We had a fantastic night at the tearoom too. As it was getting especially cold everyone huddled around the log burner in the main lounge and had a great night laughing and joking and getting to know each other. I think the sleep deprivation was probably getting to us all!
Day 5: Tyengboche to Dingboche (4410m)
The pouring rain and thick fog made todays 570m climb a nightmare to be honest! G wasn’t bothered in the slightest but I was so glad we had Jivvy as I’m sure we would’ve just walked straight off the edge of the cliff into the river below we couldn’t see our hands infront of our faces it was crazy. Luckily we arrived at our tearoom unscathed and it was another fabulous place with huge raging fire in the centre and great food.
Day 6: Dingboche
We spent an extra night in Dingboche again to acclimatise, rest and try again with the laxatives! Apart from the insomnia and mild headache I was still feeling O.K. about the trek. We went out to explore Dingboche and the surrounding mountains but I was so tired I let G and Jivvy carry on up without me as I waited at the buddhist prayer flags below. We had a lovely day catching up with some friends we had made along the way and discovered that some of our friends were suffering badly. We decided not to chance it and after lunch in our tearoom we stayed around the fire and chatted till it was time for bed.
Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche (4900m)
Day 7 was tough! 7km and 500m climb exhausted and by now really struggling with altitude sickness, still intermittant strong rains, still foggy and very cold. I was so grateful for the free dogs that were following us as they distracted me a little from the insanity I was putting myself through! We arrived at the tearoom again not being able to see it for the thick fog, had food and collapsed in bed with my water bottle filled with. hot water trying to get warm with a puppy wrapped around my head too! By now I had taken laxatives several times to no avail so this was the day I had another meltdown whilst sat on the toilet with G holding my head to stop my headache from pounding as I tried to go! Team work prevailed and I was eventually released from the pain and discomfort but what a way to cement a relationship!
Day 8: Lobuche to Gorek Shep (5140m)
Nearly there! The hike today should have been easier than previous days but exhaustion, altitude sickness and the cold proved to be hard for me. It was certainly made a whole lot easier when momentarily the fog lifted and out poked the sun to light up the Himalayan mountain range including the very tip of Everest! I was actually surprised to reach the tearoom when we did as we got there before lunch. Again the hosts were very welcoming serving great food, keeping the fire stoked and were very caring towards my altitude sickness. Me and my puppy friend went to bed early again to try and sleep off the pounding migraine I now had ready for the final trek tomorrow to Everest Base Camp!
Day 9: Kala Patther (5344m) and Everest Base Camp (5364m)
We were staying another night in Gorek Shep so today was all about day trekking. The first early morning hike was up to summit Kalapatther. I couldn’t get out of bed so missed out leaving G and Jivvy to go it alone. Apparently the weather came in before they reached the top so sadly they never had the views they were hoping for but G said his sickness was much better for descending back down to Gorek Shep. I however was still suffering but there was no way I wasn’t going to make it to Base camp. So after lunch off we headed.
This part of the trek is like being on another planet. Its incredibly eerie… Everything is a weird colour and kind of run into each other surrounded by the fog. All you can hear is crackling and avalanches in the distance. The air is so thin that as well as struggling to breath, sounds seem to carry in a distorted way too. The whole experience was like something out of this world! Then there it was! Everest Base Camp!
I only managed to get to the old site as the new site was down a steep descent I was sure if I made it down I wouldn’t get back up again. G went down along with the other guys we had kept bumping into along the way and had a great time celebrating all together. Meanwhile I stayed with the porters and sherpas listening to the avalanches and glacier cracking and moving absolutely horrified when rather than putting my mind at ease they proclaimed how incredibly dangerous and unstable the whole area is and they are always terrified to reach it!
Day 10: Gorek Shep back to Loubouche
So we were meant to take another 4 days back via the Chola Pass and Gokyo mountain and glacier but unfortunately for poor G who was still full of life there was no way I would’ve made it so our guide started to lead us all the way back down, all be it a slightly different route. The sun actually came out too so it meant that we could see Loubouche properly for the first time and explore the area.
Day 11: Loubouche to Panboche (3985m)
We bypassed the monestry and walked instead along the valley basin through fields full of yaks and flowers and streams and tiny settlements. The sun was out again so as my sickness started to leave me from the descent the trek once again became a happy one for me!
Day 12: Panboche to Namche Bazaar
We walked back to Namche Bazaar feeling a lot better and full of life compared to the last arrival we had there!
Day 13: Namche Bazaar to Phakding
We could have walked all the way back to Lukla but we had heard that the airport wouldn’t be open for a few days due to bad weather so we decided to stay again at the beautiful timber tearoom in Phakding and fill up on their delicious homemade food! As we were back down at the lowest altitude of the whole trek we even celebrated with out first alcoholic drink infront of the football on tv!
Day 14: Phakding to Lukla
We made it back to Lukla with 4 days to spare which was just as well as our flight back to Kathmandu was delayed for that long! We didn’t mind though as Jivvy had booked us into a pretty garden bungalow and treated us to sizzling yak steaks for dinner!
By Day 17 we had said goodbye to our wonderful guide Jivvy who gave us buddhist prayer cloths as parting gifts to keep us safe on our onward travels, and we were back in the chaos that is Kathmandu still not believing that we had actually been to Everest Base Camp. I still don’t think it has fully sunk in for me as it has never been something I ever imagined myself to do. As much as I had low points, overall I loved the time we had up in the Himalayas. Its so peaceful, pretty and very welcoming.
We are actually looking into going back to Nepal and exploring the National Park at Pokhara so would be very interested to hear if you have been or are planning a trip up there too?
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