My Journey to Everest Base Camp Trek

Dec 12, 2019

My Journey to Everest Base Camp Trek

The Everest Base Camp Trek in the Himalayas is visited by thousands of trekkers each year. Everybody wants a glimpse of the world’s highest mountain and that’s the reason why the Everest Base Camp Trek is so popular. My journey started with a short beautiful flight to Lukla (2,850m) from Kathmandu. This 25 minutes of flight was a thrilling and adventurous experience. After landing my trek begin to the village of Phadking (2,620m). On the way I passed through incredible boulders, carved with Buddhist prayers.

Lukla Airport

The next day, after breakfast I geared up for the trek to Namche Bazaar (3440m), the biggest Sherpa village in Nepal. En route to Namche, several smaller villages are crossed, like Jorsale (2804m) and Monjo (2835m). Monjo that lies in the north of Phakding is the entry point of the Sagarmatha National Park. The path along the riverbank is flanked by two crossings, one of which is the Hillary Suspension Bridge. It’s a tough climb up the hill to the resting place, but when I got in the land of Namche Bazaar I was rewarded with the very first glimpse of Everest in its majesty. From the hectic hustle and bustle of Kathmandu, the acclimatization at Namche was the perfect day to spend. Exploring the Sherpa museum and Namche Bazaar was all I did. Every Saturday there used to be the Haat Bazaar where many local traders sell their product in the same market area at a very reasonable price. It is a part of Sherpa Village, a shopping hub filled with all manner of trekking and mountaineering clothing and equipment.

What a pleasant morning it was, the morning at the gateway of the Himalayas with a cup of tea enjoying the panoramic view of beautiful Sherpa village. Following the trail I moved ahead to the Tengboche (3860m), the journey from Namche to Tengboche is filled with the amazing natural scenery of rivers, hills, and Himalayan peaks. What amazed me is that the village is surrounded by tall hills that are covered in rhododendron trees. This village is also famous for Tengboche Monastery the largest monastery of the Khumbu region. The monastery is a hamlet from where the sight of Mount Ama Dablam (6812m), Mount Everest (8848m) and numerous other peaks can be observed.

My next destination was Dingboche (4410m). The trail crosses the Imja River via a suspension bridge and ascends towards the village of Dingboche. Dingboche is called the “Summer Valley” of the Khumbu as the name reflects, receives more sun and it contains a kilometer long wall built to protect the village’s crops from the cold winds that follow down the Imja Valley. Stunning views of Lhotse, the Ama Dablam, and the Island Peak from Dingboche are quite amazing. Dingboche is also a great village for acclimatizing. Extraordinary panorama of Lobuche East (6119m), Lobuche West (6145m), Kangtega (6685m), Taboche Peak (6367m), Thamserku (6608m), and the Ama Dablam (6856m) can be seen. I came back to Dingboche, had a rejuvenating sunbath and relaxed at a village.

Making my way to Lobuche (4910m) from Dingboche, I came across the Trekkers Aid Post which is run by the Western Volunteer Doctors and assisted by The Himalayan Rescue Association. The path descends further to the Khumbu Glacier moraine from there. The views of mountain peaks like Khumbutse (6636m), the Mahalangur Himal, and the Pumori (7161m) from the moraine are amazing. Finally, the wait is over; altitude sickness started to hit me up, so I had to walk slowly. About 2-3 hours of the walk I reached to Gorakshep(5181m), a tranquil location dotted with some lodges. The path moves all the way to the top of the edge, and here I come to the Everest Base Camp.  Hiking on the legendary foothills just below the mighty Everest with breathtaking views of the master peaks; I felt like heaven.  Here, the sight of the Khumbu Icefall and the view of the Khumbutse and Lingtren mountains are quite heavenly. I came to know that the Kalapathar (5643m) is the viewpoint of Mount Everest, Nuptse (7861m), Chagatse, Lhotse (8516m) and the Pumori among many other peaks.

I left early in the morning; a short hike to Kalapathar (5643m) was worth it.  The rising sun-exposed to Mount Everest and how the color of the mountain changed from silver to gold; it was absolutely stunning. Back to the Gorakshep, it was a tiring day so I fell asleep.

I was in a rush getting ready for the next destination, Pangboche (3985m), because I woke up late in the morning, missed my breakfast too. The Pangboche village is mainly inhabited by Sherpa, there is a school named Pangboche which was built by Sir Edmund Hillary's Himalayan Trust in 1963.

How fast my journey came to an end. After reaching the Namche bazaar my next destination was Lukla and then Kathmandu.

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