Nepal, Mount Everest 2018
In 2018 I decided to take a World Expeditions trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp. This was also one of my husbands long time dreams!
The guided tour was a total of 17 days with 13 days on the base camp trail in tents and tea houses. Two days in Kathmandu for sightseeing this capital city of 3 million people. Nepal total population is 25 million with 80% Hindu and 12% Buddhists.
I visited the Boudhanath Stupa and shopped in the bazaar that encircles the shrine. A stupa is a dome-shaped structure erected as a Buddhist shrine. It can also be as simple as a pile of stacked stones.
This stupa is the second largest stupa in the world and decorated everyday. It takes one week to complete the “white wash” paint which is in continual process.
While visiting the nearby Shiva Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath , which is a World Heritage Site located on the banks of the Bagmati River I was able to pose with a Temple Sadhu.
The temple and surrounding monuments date from the 15th Century (rebuilt), but historical documents point to 400 BC. Altogether, there are 518 individual monuments are located on the site.
Nepal, Kathmandu, and Everest were hit with an 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015. Over 600,00 homes and buildings destroyed and 9,000 residents and trekkers killed. Everest Base Camp had climbers 22 killed as an avalanche came from Pumori, not Everest with winds of 200mph!
Temporary supports in the old city, fully 3 years after the earthquake.
Luka is the start of the Everest Base Camp Trail. This small village is the major staging area for all trekkers headed to Sagarmatha National Park and the Everest Region. Beyond the gateway there are no roads.
The trail winds it way thru Sagarmatha National Park and several small villages where we stopped each evening. Among them, Ghat, Monjo, Namche Bazaar, Khumjung Village, Debouche, and upward until we reached Tengbouche Monastery.
The view of Everest from Tengbouche Monastery
Further up the valley we came to Debouche and Dingbouche and with each step we were gaining altitude well above 12000 feet.
High above the last true villages is Thukla Pass, a steep vertical climb to the base of the Khumbu Glacier. At the crest of the pass are memorial stupas for those climbers, guides, and adventurers lost to Mt. Everest’s fierce atmosphere. Among those are Scott Fischer – 1996 tragedy and Rob Hull – 1996 tragedy. This tragedy lost 12 climbers in one day and these two famous mountaineers.
The last obstacle to Everest Base Camp is the Khumbu Glacier which appears to be “sandy walk in the park”. It’s not and trekking along at 1KM/hour while a few avalanches in the distance remind us of the harsh landscape. We slowly move up to the final saddle of Kala Patthar to EBC at 5374M or 17,701ft above sea level.
One year of planning, 10 months of hard physical training and we are speechless! Truly an overwhelming moment and cold at 5 to 10 degrees!
Why do this?
For Elzi, prayers and dedications for peace for our respective countries, families, and friends
For both of us, the passion to experience an extraordinary adventure while meeting and learning about a new culture, religion, and country’s rich history
Meeting and making new friends!