We reached the goal and finally trekked to the Everest Base Camp. Months of planning, days of endless traveling, and hours of Trekking has come to this. It was such a surreal feeling, a proud moment for myself and the team. Reaching the base camp felt as If I could achieve anything and everything. It was truly one for the books.

As I started the day and readied myself in the morning, In my head I thought: Just a few more hours of walking, a few more motivating words and friendly pushes and we will finally be able to reach the base camp.

The Trek Began from Lobuche going toward Gorak Shep. It was a gorgeous but demanding trek. A very difficult and long day. We started the trek bright and early at around 5AM. The way to Gorak Shep was not particularly difficult to begin with, It started as a gradual ascent, making our way through a breath taking valley and beautiful sights.

Towards the end of the way to Gorak Shep, the trek began to get a bit more challenging as we hiked through rock falls. We trekked through very rocky paths with loads of ups and downs. At one point it felt like it went on for ages.

The last leg of the journey was definitely the most challenging. Our trek took longer than usual, often times we had to stop and take a breather, the most challenging part of it might have to be the altitude. We took our lunch at Gorak Shep and headed out towards EBC soon after. The terrain was rocky and slippery at the same time. It took around 2 hours to reach Everest Base Camp from Gorek Shep, and around 12 grueling hours in total from the starting point at Lobuche. All worth it in the end, as we were greeted by the famous Khumbu glaciers, beautiful Sherpa prayer flags and the very famous Everest Base Camp Rock.

When I look back at the entire experience, I can’t help but feel a sense of achievement, I feel an overwhelming sense happiness and gratitude, amazed at the fact that I was able to finish and overcome something to grand, something that not everyone gets to experience. It was a truly beautiful experience, one that I learned a lot from and that I will remember even as the days go by.

On the 8th day of the journey, we left our hotel at Tashi Delek, Dingboche and started our trek to Lobuche, the second highest on the entire trail. It was a very beautiful day as we were greeted by the sun. Everywhere you looked was a picturesque sight.

The trek started of relatively flat and then gradually ascended through a valley. We had another close encounter with Yaks! Seeing a train of them was an experience I will never forget. We are all so used to seeing cars, sky scrapers and people and not everyday can you say that you came across not one- but a lot of Yaks, while also taking in the views behind them.

We stopped by for lunch at Dhugla and close by, ascending towards the next part of the trek, was the Sherpa monuments. These monuments are made of small stone and cement structures covered in beautiful and Vibrant prayer flags, written on each of them were prayers dedicated for the sherpas and climbers who lost their lives in the Himalayan peaks. This was a very powerful and moving part of the journey not only for me but for everyone as it really opened our eyes and made us realize that we were actually there, and that while we were, we should not take anything lightly – even if we were only trekking to the Base Camp, we were reminded that it was a challenging and serious trek.

The trek to Lobuche took around 7 hours and 6 miles to complete. The elevation was at 16,140 feet. Upon arrival, we settled down and took our well needed rest, for some of us this time was dedicated to repairs and pants stitching!

I woke up well rested the morning of the Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche. Before we began our day outdoors, we did our early morning preparations and of course – the first order of business: Breakfast. I tried to eat as much as I can to feel energized and ready for the day’s trek. We shared very good stories and even greater laughs during the meal.

We then readied our bags and prepared for the hike. It was a gloomy day when we started, but later on, finally the blue skies came out and It gave everyone a boost of energy to continue on with the trek. We walked to higher altitudes and through a valley, glacier rivers flowing down below us, and views of snow capped peaks appearing in the distance. It was one of the best sights I’ve seen.

We passed by many beautiful sceneries. Fields, bridges, rivers and all. Just when we thought the view couldn’t get any better, it always did and It always left us speechless and amazed none-the-less.

We took our time taking it all in and made it to Dingboche, a small town with an elevation of 14,300 feet. The Trek to Dingboche took as around 8 hours to complete, rest and stops included. We reached our hotel and finally got the chance to cool off, take a rest, and settled down. We had dinner, played some poker cards and slept in the comfort of warm beds.

We Spent the seventh day still in Dingboche, It was a rest and acclimatization day which again gave us the time to take a look around and explore the area. our “rest” day started with a 3 hour round trip hike to get our body acclimatized at higher elevations. We went up about 1,000 feet. This as they say is called “climb high, sleep low”. At this point of the Trek, the cell service started to get more difficult to reach and the high elevations started to take a toll on some of us, a few of us experienced the occasional headache and lack of appetite. This is the reason acclimatization days are important- it gives us the time to adjust before we go even higher.

The short hike was great, we had spectacular views and the sun was out to play with us. After finishing, we headed back to the hotel. We readied ourselves for lunch. Everyone lined up for a hot steaming shower (a luxury at this point) that cost around 600 Nepali rupees. this is essential because for the next 2 days no baths or showers are accessible. The rest of the day we spent relaxing and readied our minds and bodies for the next leg of the trip.

The fifth day was the day we headed to Tengboche. It This was not an easy trek and was so far one of the most tiring. The trek started on a mostly downhill route – up until we reached the last bit, which was a big uphill walk, We were only going higher and higher – a major workout for the legs. During the trek, the weather was mostly dry for the first few hours, light rains started midday and then we were expecting more rains in the afternoon.

There were beautiful flowers with vibrant colors, magnificent mountain ranges as far as the eyes could see and one of a kind animals like a mix between a yak and a buffalo- I almost got attacked by one of them, but luckily had the perfect timing and dodged it – I only got a tiny scratch. The elevation was 12,700 ft, we covered about 7 miles in 8 hours including our stop for lunch.

When we reached the destination, we were pleasantly surprised by our hotel and how It was right across from a 400 year old monastery- not to mention the hotel also had a million dollar view; from our hotel room we could see Mt. Everest in all its glory.

Upon arrival we were able to settle down, rest a bit, and even got a chance to light lamps at the monastery. The decorations and artifacts were one of a kind – we were amazed by the artistry and colors that they put into it.

This is how the third day of my trip went: I woke up refreshed and energized – ready for another day of trekking. The weather wasn’t as great as it was the previous days. It was gloomy and had been raining here and there. Nonetheless, it was still a great Trek day overall.

The itinerary for the third day was to Trek from the village of Phakding to Namche Bazaar which is the main hub of Sagarmatha National Park. It took us about 5 to 6 hours, and 12 Kilometers to reach our destination. Upon researching, It was mentioned that this trek is one of the toughest in terms of elevation gain. During our trek, we gained nearly 4000 feet ( around 1,200 meters.) We got to see beautiful sights, yaks, and prayer flags and went through a number of suspension bridges, all varying in size and length.

To me, this was all worth it because at the end of the day we arrived at Namche Bazaar- a proper town in the middle of the mountains- although it is secluded and far away, I really couldn’t help but notice how alive and busy it was.

We spent the night as well as the following day in this area since Namche Bazaar is considered to be the first acclimatization stop on most people’s base camp route. Staying the night as well as the next day here will ensure that our body adjusts naturally to the lower oxygen levels, as we make our way to the next leg of our journey.

The fourth day was dedicated to rest and Acclimatization at Namche Bazaar. We were very tired from the trek and so during this day, we mostly spent it gaining all the energy we needed back and preparing ourselves for another Trek the following day. We made sure to get ample rest and refuel through eating. The food we eat always tastes great and gives us that extra boost we need – a big bonus for this trip.

The tip that was given to us was that during the rest day, we should hike high and sleep low to better acclimatize. Since we were already in the area, we also decided to take a look around and explore the town and have a short fun hike. We learned a lot about the culture and we even got our tour guide to sing us beautiful Nepalese songs. The one he shared with us was about the love between two silk worms.

The highlight of the day was meeting an amazing little girl from Australia! can you believe it: at 10 years old, she is trekking all the way to the base camp with us? Her drive and grit is truly out of this world.