We
left Kathmandu on October 4th, exhilarated, yet feeling slightly unprepared
and anxious with the unknown ahead. We didn’t know what to expect on the verge
of our first real trekking adventure. Chris and I were joined in the capital by two friends we
had met in Phuket: Edgar from Spain and Eric from the United States. We squeezed
into an old taxi car and drove to the airport into the dusty traffic. Simrik airlines weighed our bags which needed to be under or near 10kg, and weighed
each passenger too, given the size and capacity of our miniature airplane.
After an hour delay, we got transferred to the tiny aircraft which held 14 passengers,
1 stewardess, 1 pilot and 1 co-pilot. We received cotton wool to protect our
ears and up we went, in direction of Lukla. 45 minutes later, we landed in Tenzing-Hillary airport, at 2840m altitude.
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| Smallest plane ever! |
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| Tenzing-Hillary airport |
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| Our first view of the Himalayas |
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| Going up, up, up! |
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| Scary suspended bridges are common on the EBC Trek |
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| Seeing the porters gave me motivation when my bag felt heavy |
After a hearty lunch of yak meat
stew and meeting a solo trekker, Richard from Holland, we started the trek as a
group of 6! Armed with a Nepal Lonely planet book, Trekking in the Himalayas Lonely planet
guide book and a detailed map of the Everest Base Camp trekking route, our walk
began along the Dudh Kosi Valley.
The
trail was easy to follow, with plenty of ups and downs, suspended bridges and
river views. It took us three and a half hours, much longer than expected, to
reach our first pit stop, Phakding, sitting lower in altitude at 2610m. We probably
stopped for too many pictures and jaw-dropping sightings. We crossed herds of
cows, horses and goats which had priority on the narrow paths. Locals go about their
daily lives, washing their laundry in the streams, carrying supplies uphill and
tending to their fields. It was exciting to officially enter the Sagarmatha National Park and cross the signed barrier, entering the Unesco World Heritage Site made it feel like the journey was truly beginning.
When we got to Green Village Guest House in Phakding, they
immediately offered us free accommodation, provided we eat our dinner and
breakfast there. Free board? We’re in! Being a group of six people makes it appealing
to the lodges. As night fell, the cold crept in as a brutal reminder of what
was to come as we climbed in altitude. A cold shower seemed out of the
question, so the classic Himalayan ‘baby wipe shower’ was in order. Luckily, my
down sleeping bag kept me very warm at night despite less than 15 degrees Celsius
in the room. I woke up with a sore throat and a slight fear of getting sick as
the temperature plunges in altitude.
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