Kathmandu – Everest Tour – 6 Days

Our journey to the Himalayas had its beginnings as soon as we touched the ground in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal where everything is so very energetic. Getting out of Tribhuvan International Airport and after our guide was there to meet us, we were driven to our hotel in the city centre.

Kathmandu is a city that just took us away with its real hustle and bustle and we found ourselves immediately in a charming crowd of people, motorcycles, and rickshaws. The combination of ancient buildings, lively markets, and spiritual places is what really inspired us to believe we were in a live and bustling history book.

Once settled into the guesthouse, the free time was ours to take and get the best of it. A few members of the group decided to go to some cultural spots nearby like the Swayambhunath Stupa (Monkey Temple) or the famous Boudhanath Stupa, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Others aimlessly strolled through Thamel, Kathmandu's busy tourist district, and enjoyed the sights, sounds, and smells of the city.

In the evening, we came together to have dinner at a local restaurant, where we were welcomed. We tasted Nepalese traditional food including dal bhat (lentil soup with rice), momo (dumplings), and fresh yogurt known as dahi. The day was filled with a lot of joy and ended with the excitement of going towards Everest the next day.

The real adventure commenced early today with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. Lukla is often referred to as one of the most thrilling and exciting airports in the world. We were thrilled with the idea of boarding the small aircraft and the unknown destinations that it could take us. The flight was memorable as it lasted only 30 minutes but gave us great views of the Himalayas and Mount Everest in the distance. It was a bit shaky at times, but the views are certainly unforgettable.

Landing in Lukla, we decided to breathe for a moment and took the chance to enjoy the mountain air and the view of the peaks located in our vicinity. The starting point of our trek into the Everest region is Lukla that is 2,860 meters above sea level.

The next step was to embark on a journey to Phakding, a distance of approximately 3-4 hours from Lukla. The road was not very difficult to walk on, and it passed through a beautiful valley, green with pine and rhododendron trees. We went over many suspension bridges; some were very high above the rivers. Each time we were met with compassion from the friendly locals and we even saw glimpses of everyday work.

When we were getting close to Phakding, the serenity of the surrounding mountains was already apparent. The village is at an altitude of 2,610 meters a.s.l and the peace here provided a very refreshing and different experience from the Kathmandu bustle. Once we were warmly greeted at the guesthouse, we unwound and enjoyed the calmness of the river and the peaks’ view.

That night, we met for a delightful meal of dal bhat and momo-- Nepalese food specialities--and talked about our expectations for the upcoming days while having dinner.

We spent the last night in Phakding, and the next day we commenced on the hike to Namche Bazaar, the major Sherpa settlement in the Khumbu region. The trek of the day was more demanding but the beautiful panorama and the expectation of a lively and teeming town on our way kept our spirits high.

The trek started with a mild upwards climb within the pine forest, and the sound of the Dudh Koshi River rushing by far below was a constant on our right side. After a while, we went through the most remarkable suspension bridges that gave us even greater views of the valley and the neighboring mountains.

As we were ascending to a higher altitude, the scenery completely transformed with Thamserku and a few other towering peaks becoming visible. The climb to Namche was not an easy one as the last few kilometers were a steep uphill but the view on top definitely compensated. We stopped at Namche Bazaar which is c. 3440m high in the afternoon. Namche Bazaar is a place of boom activity, right on the top of the list for both local and international travelers. It is surrounded by rugged mountains and is in an amphitheater-like shape, as a result, the scenery is absolutely fabulous. Visiting this place gave us an impression of a fully successful Sherpa hospitality circuit, full of vibrant guesthouses, and in the morning we were awash with market colors and the smell of roasted coffee being brewed in the local 'cafes'—what a feeling.

Once we had checked into our guesthouse, we started exploring the town. We walked to the market area and we reached a place where local vendors, almost all of them Sherpas, were gathered and selling not only farming equipment but also clothes, and fashionable accessories. It was a bustling place, full of hikers gearing up for treks to the Everest Base Camp from all parts of the world.

We had a dal bhat meal and had a conversation about the day’s walk whereas having that meal we got very warm. We also started to feel the thinness of the air at this height, and our guide said to take things slow for acclimatization.

Today's acclimatization was of utmost importance which was a way of our bodies getting used to the extreme altitude before advancing into the Everest region. We got up in the morning and found the sky so clear and the air so fresh that it was like a walk in the park for the mountains surrounding Namche Bazaar while the first sun rays were touching them. We were not given a full rest today, but it was suggested that we go on a short hike to help our acclimatization along and simultaneously not lower our energy. When the morning meal was over, we started on an easy trip to reach the Everest View Hotel, at 3,880 meters.

The walk was a bit difficult, but it was the first uppermost level we had reached and thus we had an amazing view of Mount Everest itself and Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and some other snowy peaks. The scene was truly breathtaking, and we all took a moment to keep the beauty in our mind—and on our cameras, of course. During our stay at the hotel, we could drink something hot, sit for a while, and have our eyes on the incredible scenery. The guide briefed us on the history of the Sherpa community, life in the high mountains, and the history of mountaineering in the region.

On the way back to Namche, we had a few hours free, and we used it to have a break and to go around the town. Some people went to the Sherpa Museum to get some knowledge about the cultural heritage of the region, while others meandered through a busy market or simply soaked up the views at a local café.
Adapting is how we succeed in any challenge, and it was an inevitable day of rest, drinking enough water and getting ready for what was next was the key to achieving our goal. The air at 3,440 meters was definitely thinner, but we all felt great and couldn't wait for the next few days.

During the evening we all met for dinner and we also talked about how happy we were the days to go, realizing that the journey to Tengboche and further was already so close.

Today was another thrilling day in our ascent of Everest as we left Namche Bazaar and headed out in the direction of Tengboche, which is positioned at 3,860 meters above sea level. The walk was more extended but the gorgeous range of the mountain and a thrilling quiet made us feel altogether exuberant.

The morning started with a rich breakfast, followed by a gentle descent to Dudh Koshi River. While walking, we could feel the air getting thinner, but the lush forests, small Sherpa settlements, and the landmarks of the high peaks of Ama Dablam and Thamserku kept us feeling strong and animated. The crossing of the river was followed by our making a gradual ascent to Tengboche. The trail went through thick forests of pine and as we climbed, the beauty of the surrounding area became increasingly more dramatic. We passed across many suspension bridges and were met by the stunning views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse in the distance.
The last bit of the trek was a little bit harder, but we encountered great beauty when we reached Tengboche. The Tengboche Monastery, an elegant Tibetan Buddhist monastery, greeted the Himalayas as the backdrop - the scene was stunning. The monastery is not only a place of great spiritual significance, but it also has the most beautiful views of the Everest massif.

Some time was spent by us in explorations of the monastery, the discovery of a part of the profound tranquility, and the prayer sound of the Buddhist monks all together seemed as if they were the incessant heartbeats of the Himalayas.
All of a sudden, we found our rest house and settled in for the night. Since the temperature significantly decreased and the clear evening as well as the dark mountains looked so fantastic, we had dinner from which the warmth was spreading. We also took time to share the trail that one by one we pass, as well as the beauty and obstacles of the journey.

Later we checked into our guesthouse for the night. The temperature had clearly decreased, and the evening skies over the mountains had become more than merely ordinary. We ate a hot meal and talked about the trek till now, talking about both the beauty and difficulties of the trip.
While we were sleeping, we also realized that the next day would bring us to the foot of Everest even more, a thought that could give us energy for the next day’s adventure.

Today we made a trip from the Khumbu region back to Kathmandu, which was the end of the incredible experience. We awoke very early in the morning, filled from the fresh cool air of Tengboche still fresh in our lungs and started descending to Lukla. The day was quiet and we had an easier time as we repeated our exact steps through the thick forests and over the suspension bridges.

We came down to the scenes we had seen earlier, passed the Sherpa villages and had the last of the views of the snow-capped peaks, just so splendid that we couldn't get enough of them. As we were getting close to Lukla, we were thinking of the journey we had made - how we had completely transformed from the busy streets of Kathmandu, which was already very far away.

Arriving in Lukla, we hopped on the plane that took us back to the city of Kathmandu. The whole journey was comfortable and the big treat was another outstanding view from the plane. It was almost like a dream to land at Lukla Airport right after one of the best eco-treks of our lives, marking off not only the Everest Base Camp trek but also the trekking of the Himalayas' most famous trekking circuit.

As we got back to Kathmandu, the town was still lively and it was quite the déjà vu of the chaos we had seen before. But there were feelings of fulfillment and pride that were deeper and stronger than the noise surrounding us. After we settled into our hotel, we got some time to ourselves, had an opportunity to freshen up and downplay the severity of our trek.

In the evening, we all gathered to celebrate the journey with a farewell dinner. We congratulated each other on our achievements and chewed over the difficulties we met and, of course, the successes. We took great pleasure in the beauty and spirituality of the Everest region and even felt that it both made us very tired and gave us a spiritual boost. We did not forget to share this wonderful experience with the felicitous strangers and the natives who soon became our friends.

We were still looking forward to our next trip to the Himalayas while we were saying goodbye. We knew that the moments of the new adventure would last with us for a lifetime, the memories of this one would still be vivid, hence will remain with us forever.