everest region trek: my dream solo adventure

i have changed as a trekker after my recent everest region trek, fair enough to exclaim this. transformed, perhaps, is a better word.

if you ask me to sum up this intimidating yet fulfilling trek in three words, my answer would be – learning, growth, and love.

mt. everest from kalapatthar (5545m), the highest elevation of the ebc & gokyo trek. the first glance of everest from namche.

17 days of this solo adventure around the highest of mountains was different, almost totally different from all the treks i had done so far. tearing down the wall this journey pushed me to see more than what i had initially imagined and expected. the way people used to be in total surprise to learn that i was a nepali girl still makes me giggle in silence. through hills and mountains, rivers and glaciers, extremities of temperature and elevation, being alone and building friendships, motivation, and discouragements, confidence and uncertainties - i made it – to one of my dream destinations.

to keep an archive of my very dearly beheld memories, i document my share of memories in the khumbu region on this blog. heartbreak disclaimer: this blog (by the time it is ready to get published) is as much for myself as it is for my readers - for the recent loss of all my everest region files (all pictures, and videos, and some personal notes) due to my mobile phone that went dysfunctional after the trek. it’s okay, by now i have moved on, and memories of everest are more especial and safely treasured in my heart due to the same loss. unlike the regular everest blogs out there, you will not find a day-wise breakdown of distances, difficulty level of trails, and measure of elevations, but my must-document personal experiences here, and in doing so i hope i cover my small community of readers’ possible curiosities about the trek too.

make sure that you place yourself in a space really warm and cozy, and with a time sufficient enough to try to absorb my beloved experiences and memories of enthusiasm, dilemma, pain, joy, and gratefulness – for i am sure this one is not going to be a brief read. 

before the ebc trek

growing up, there is this one thing i have learned to be perpetually grateful for – the liberty i live with, the liberty that my family has bestowed upon me - for i know how difficult it is specifically for a young girl to live her choices in nepal. to many families, a wandering woman is an everest of a problem on her own. and while doing everest too, many in the trails have reminded me of the same - about how great my parents were. its very true, while they did not themselves have such privilege on their youth and have lived a very basic life throughout, they have availed me freedom to choose and be whatever i want to. while i say this, i also do not lessen the importance of your own effort to make sure your life is about liberty. in my case, it’s been the same from both ends.

everest was going to be my third trek solo. guilty to confess, both of my prior treks were done without my family’s knowledge of me doing the treks alone. this time it wasn't about vanishing from home just for a week, nor was it about ascending to an altitude of around 4000 meters anymore. forget about the anxiety my family would live with, 17 days and 5500+ meters elevation was no joke even to me. it was through subtle indirect ways that i began hinting to my family about my plan, on the first week they did not even believe me, and by the end of second week i was to leave for the trek. mummy baba, of course, would not try to convince me otherwise but neither were they ready for my risky long journey. on oct 16, a night before i left home, mom told me something that pierced my heart for good. “छोरी यति आँटिली भएपछि आमा पनि आँटिली हुनैपर्यो नि। ” meaning “for a daughter this courageous, i must be courageous too.” i was left speechless, but i understood what was to be understood. mummy shedding tears but with a smile on her face as i left in the dawn the next morning shrank my heart, she had never done this (for my treks) before.

i remember planning out my itinerary for the trek within the coziness of my warm bed still in disbelief of its execution at some strange shivering cold place a week later. the intensity of nervousness i was experiencing for this particular trek was something and it only kept escalating each passing day as the departure dates approached. i accurately remember when it started getting real, it was the day, infact the moment i got my roundtrip airplane tickets confirmed with sita air. gosh, the feeling is still as fresh in my memory. for this never-experienced-before anxiety, i believe there were two reasons, one - to be honest, it was my first time in the khumbu region and i truly was foreign to the place, to the people, to the sherpas. i have forever had a sense of belonging and attachment to the annapurnas and i presumed khumbu would really be odd navigation and that i would never probably belong there. second, of course, the altitude i was to gain was immensely terrifying for someone whose highest elevation in life was 4380m, acute mountain sickness could marr my everything – coupled with the cho la pass fear. the pictures of the pass had shaken my world beforehand.

i was flying not from kathmandu but ramechhap, all flights to lukla this trekking season functioned this way – at least this was what i was informed. to catch my 10 am flight next morning (oct 18), i left for ramechhap on 17th and reached after some 6 hours of comfortable drive. thanks to ashesh (one of my work-related volunteers) who made my kathmandu-manthali travel and manthali’s accommodation arrangements unasked. just one of those instances i realise my blessings. on top of that, he denied my vehicle fare too. the twinge of guilt just resurfaced as i wrote this.

manthali bazaar, my first time here. manthali airport, definitely the first time as well, hehe.

the trek

phew, the difficult part is here - how, what, and how much i put up here, i am clueless.

flight, luck, and emotions!

the first thing i remember is my good fortune with the manthali - lukla flight. apparently, a number of the earlier day’s flights were canceled due to lukla’s unsupportive weather (which is very common), this meant all those passengers pending to fly were the priority for the day and i was getting a chance only if everything favored well. one of the passengers to the soon to land airplane had canceled his flight last minute, for i was alone, the airlines quickly inquired if i would be willing to fill the vacancy, i did happily agree.

the intensity of my nervousness was at its peak upon seeing my aircraft on the runway. my first time in the twin otter, happily, did not turn out to be as scary as i had heard it to be. but the turbulence was bumpier during my departure, plus the ear rupturing pain during the flight almost felt like i had my ears internally bleeding. almost a similar incident happened during my departure - i had my ticket booked for nov 3, but a kind sita air staff helped me fly on nov 2 upon my instant request at the airport. i had arrived at lukla on the evening of nov 1. it was not an easy thing to get done, as per what i later learned from the shook guide dais' who i shared this mini-story with. luckily, i faced no flight cancellations as well, people get stranded even for days.

sita air boarding pass - manthali airport. (arrival) sita air boarding pass - lukla airport. (departure)

a funny memory: upon my landing at the world's most dangerous airport, i found myself in two contradicting emotions of both excitement and trouble. excitement because, well, it's the tenzing hillary airport, girll - where mountain fanatics from all over the world can be seen hustling. trouble because, now, the trek lay ahead, everything seemed so unfamiliar, and i was nervously contemplating the 16 days looming ahead at thousands of meters in altitude amid unfamiliar terrains. i could not even go back anymore now that i was already in lukla, nor was i feeling confident enough to begin.

the first twin otter tiny enough to see your skilled pilots from your seat. good part is, every seat is a window seat. tenzing hillary/lukla airport.

the itinerary

reiterating that this blog will not be a day-wise breakdown but a collection of my vivid memories. here, i am putting up my itinerary of the trek which looked like (or, as the journey unfolded, happened to look like) this:

• day 1: drive from kathmandu to ramechhap

• day 2: flight from ramechhap to lukla (2,860m), then trek to phakding (2,610m)

• day 3: phakding to namche bazar (3,440m)

• day 4: acclimatisation day in namche bazar

• day 5: namche bazar to tengboche (3,860m)

• day 6: tengboche to dingboche (4,410m)

• day 7: acclimatisation day in dingboche

• day 8: dingboche to lobuche (4,940m)

• day 9: lobuche to gorakshep (5,164m) and hike to kalapatthar (5,545m)

• day 10: gorakshep to dzongla (4,830m)

• day 11: dzongla to thangnak via chola pass (5,420m)

• day 12: thangnak to gokyo (4,371m)

• day 13: rest day in gokyo, hike to gokyo ri (5,357m)

• day 14: gokyo to dole (4,038m)

• day 15: dole to namche bazar (3,440m)

• day 16: namche bazar to lukla (2,860m)

• day 17: flight from lukla to ramechhap, then drive to kathmandu

if anybody is wondering, 17 days is sufficiently enough for ebc and gokyo trek if you do not get stuck anywhere due to altitude sickness. the trek cost me around 80 thousand nepali rupees. everest is expensive, i suggest you get yourself sponsorship or a trekking guide license, take your clients, and go up there - for you will travel for free this way with a pretty decent earning. also, assistant guide is another scope for you to not go as broke as me, haha. i have paid npr 1600 only to get my powerbank charged for two times in dingboche. also, for someone like me with a duty to update family about my safety status each dawn and dusk, internet connection was paramount. one fascinating thing about everest region is, that you get to purchase internet packages almost at all stops throughout. upon the information i had received, i had gotten myself an ‘everest link’ internet card (30 gb) for 3,000 npr, but sadly contrary to what they had told me, i couldn't find everest link wifi in almost all stops after tengboche. instead, airlink was mostly available, one had to pay npr 700 for a 24 hour worth unlimited airlink wifi connection card. i spent a good sum of money on internet only. during an acclimatization day in dingboche, i had decided not to buy the card because i was sick of paying for it and i did not have much to inform back home as it was not a hiking day. it scared the shit out of me to learn the next day about how troubled, helpless and terrified my family back home had gone because of not hearing from me for a day. that was one crazy crazyy instant guilt.

my everest link wifi card.

one thing (of quite some) i disliked about this region is the unavailability of a package system for food and accommodation for trekkers in the teahouses. the annapurna region has a praiseworthy practice in terms of this, and to promote domestic tourism in this region, the prices for nepalese must be considered.

i met kind and helpful people, just like always

it was right before dashain and a peak trekking season, naturally, i was afraid if i had to sleep in the dining, share room, or worse, not find any teahouses to stay in at all because i had made no advance bookings anywhere. at phakding itself, krishna dai (the first trek guide i interacted with) did almost all teahouse bookings for me, again totally unasked. throughout the trek, i conversed with many guide dais who, without me requesting anything, showed kindness. some offered food/drinks (everest is notoriously expensive, and getting even water for free during season, honestly, is a matter of a great deal), and some helped me with a discounted price for rooms, some offered support in case of bad health conditions (fortunately, something i did not need to utilize). the greatest of what everyone, nepalese and foreigners, had to offer was encouragement. everyone who spoke to me had only positivity to pass for my solo trek. this was something i had never experienced on my previous treks solo. everest was different, i did not have to encounter anyone unkind and questioning my choice of carrying out the journey alone. i remember a very thoughtful guide uncle joyfully expressing how proud he was to see a city resident young nepali girl trekking in the khumbu region alone. one could finely extract his wish of seeing nepali women explore the country out of what he was speaking of me. the armies at the checkpoints would wish me luck for the journey, the very first moment i had felt a little proud of myself was when an army officer congratulated me at the final checkpoint in lukla upon my checkout after 16 days. the entire not-so-easy journey played like a movie fast-forward inside my head within seconds and that ‘congratulations’ felt well deserved despite how unappreciative of myself i have been all my life. how small things could mean the world to someone, this is just one dear example.

it was the chola pass crossing day, must be the 4th or 5th day of my complete appetite loss and the day i was most nervous about. after about 3 hour hike, i reached the intimidating glacier at 5420 m – the hour long hike whose pictures had scared me before starting the trek itself. because of hiking with an empty stomach early morning and an inability to eat anything, i was unsure if i could make it to rest of the 6 hour difficult hike. a guide dai who was waiting for his clients to arrive, upon learning that i was a nepali, offered me some makai-bhatmas. for some reason, it felt as if i could eat those. he handed me over his makai-bhatmas filled plastic bag, and to my disbelief, i incessantly ate those for 5-7 minutes. dai seemed happy with the sight of me eating well, as though he was my mother watching me properly eat something after days of falling sick. upon handing over his makai-bhatmas back, he made me put some handful of those into my pocket. this makai-bhatmas energy solely made my chola pass crossing day possible. you will find no teahouse for 9 hours unless you reach thangnak (where i stayed in) this day, each makai i would draw from my pocket during the day reminded me of the generous dai who had no idea what a rescue he had made out of an appetite lost girl with a faint hope that day. another guide dai i met there made sure i was safe in the glaciers that tough day and instructed me to hike alongside his two clients through the glaciers, steep hills, and rough boulders throughout. eventually, like something meant to be, i got so close with his clients that we stayed in the same teahouses the remaining days, from thangnak to gokyo to lukla during the descent.

these two people, my cherries of the everest trek

my heart senses an spill of love everytime i think of these two. :’) these wonderful humans made a couple – sofia, a nicaraguan kind, softspoken, and unbelievably beautiful girl, and prashant, an indian wise, calculative, and mostly-cheerful man. after a few days of our mini conversations, they shared that they had found love in one another in the united states where they currently work and live. while it was prashant’s second time on the everest, the entire journey was a horror (yet an achievement) for sofia who had a huge fear of heights, glaciers, rivers, and bridges. witnessing how prashant would lovingly motivate her to take each step in every terrain uphill, and patiently calm her down sometimes every five minutes, it was very obvious that nobody could have done it any better. the memories of us having breakfast together to start off each long day, sofia and mine shared story of appetite loss and gaining it back at gokyo almost together, memories of sofia exclaiming to prashant that nepalis were made for the mountains upon her amusement of seeing her guide’s and mine hiking pace, memories of me waiting for them over some cold giant rock every 30 minutes, climbing hills, crossing cho la and ngozumpa glaciers together, playing those silly games with stones in the trails, the renzo la pass jokes directed at sofia (they initially had the 3 passes trek plan and within a few days sofia gave up opting only for cho la to reach gokyo) that we would crack in between exhaustion, us shouting at prashant to not take risky shortcuts which later made an entirely funny satire directed to him, prashant paying for my lunch in phakding despite my denial, and them throwing a party on our final night in lukla where we danced our tiredness and achievement out in punjabi, english and nepali songs - all these precious moments are permanently etched into my memory. everytime i think of sofia, i cannot help but involuntarily ooze out respect for her kind heart – she was a woman with fewer words most of the time, but she would plead and even shout when she saw yaks and donkeys overburdened with weights to carry, she would keep checking on me if i was doing fine each uphill, she would neutralize conversations with her humble tone if prashant seemed to lose track of any, she seemed to practice emotional intelligence so well and that is exactly why i contain so much respect for her. she would call each dog she met on the way her ‘baby’. :’) while we were nailing the difficult days almost together, little did we realise we were unknowingly forming bonds so genuine. it was only during the final night and the following morning (the morning of our departure) in lukla that everything happening around felt like moments of separation and each memory of the previous days started feeling so warm and priceless. sofia and i hugged, cried a little, exchanged handwritten notes, took selfies, followed each other on instagram, and displayed gestures of deep affection as though of kinship during the final moments in lukla. at the airport, she saw my water bottle almost falling off my backpack that i had already handed over as luggage, she ran towards it and rearranged the bottle’s placement in my bag, prashant told me this later as i was boarding and i ended up aching over the separation even more. my airplane arrived earlier than theirs and this way we exchanged final goodbye with heavy yet grateful hearts. this separation felt heavier than the 10kg backpack my petite body was carrying along each day.

sofia would explain to me how cards are played after they finished playing during the dinnertime with other trekkers. i would nod my head in agreement of understanding it, but i have never told her that i was neither interested in playing nor understanding, and was scarcely giving attention to her explanation of the game. i might tell her this if we meet again someday.

our hearts have such an immense capacity for affection we never knew existed. and the language of love is universal, irrespective of territory, race, or color. i learned this the most beautiful way.

i am not crying. :’)

group pictures while in exhaustion we'd not otherwise click if not for prashant. upon crossing ngozumpa glacier and reaching namche bazar back, picture 1 and picture 2.

while waiting for our airplanes at lukla airport (nov 2 morning). final group picture. <3 prashant wanted to click us. right before i flew.

this note from them made me sob at the airport.

returning to lukla. and namche.

i remember landing in lukla feeling like a clueless stranger stranded in a foreign place. i lacked the confidence to start the journey but somehow i did. upon returning lukla, the same places felt spaces full of love, the same spots i had felt being stranded in felt like a home i was desperately willing to be back to. the alleys felt familiar, the children playing around felt like cousins, the sherpas felt like an extended family. i could not help but recall the fear i had experienced 16 days ago, and draw parallels. i walked to the tenzing hillary airport and laughed at myself for how scared i had been. lukla is a beautiful village with cafes, pubs, trek gear stores, hotels, and whatnot. the first thing i did after taking a hot shower was strolling through the alleys to find chatpate. that chatpate after walking quite a distance in the almost-dark evening after having experienced a dreadfully lost appetite at the higher altitude was the best chatpate of my entire life. strolling around till late at night in the cold air, i also watched the stars over the beautiful sky of lukla with a dear friend of mine who i met on the trails for it was the trek's final night. some local khumbu beer brought magic to the day's end too. arrival back to lukla from namche (17kms) had taken 9 hours of hike and the tiresome day could not end any way better. my lukla memories are my treasure for a lifetime.

strolling around with my chatpate in lukla alleys, the fond memory of a chilling evening.

one evening ago, returning to namche bazar from dole had felt the same. while approaching namche, i also could finally see danphe, my country's national bird. you have no idea of the consistency with which i would inquire the locals, the military, and the guides about danphe. one common and sad answer was 'danphe ta lop bhaisakyo aba' i.e.'danphe are going extinct now.' i shouted like a child upon having a glance of them, sofia and prashant might have taken tens of pictures of them only because of my spilling excitement. a little clubbing at the irish pub that evening washed all the exhaustion away. at namche, upon return, i have created memories for life, memories of affection, memories that have made my everest trek extra special.

i am sure he is not reading this blog, but by scant chance, if he is, i want to say sorry to the owner dai of the hungry yak (apparently the world’s highest live music bar) for i could not keep my word of revisiting it. if namche or everest is happening in my life again, i promise to be there at any cost. i have not forgotten.

the unbelievable namche bazar!

i was not honestly prepared for the elegance of namche bazar. i had watched no vlogs beforehand. i prefer trekking without watching vlogs unless it’s absolutely necessary.

3 nights in namche were magical, 2 nights during ascend and 1 during descend. the first night was spent in elation in total disbelief of the beauty, the second (aclimatization) passed by in a blink incompletely exploring namche. so much so that i did not get time to visit the infamous hotel everest view and the khumjung village, haha. no regrets though, i had the most wonderful time exploring namche my way.

namche was fancier than anything fancy i had seen in my life, given the altitude it places itself at. picturesque stone houses all over, vibrant markets, banks, atms, cafes, bakeries, pubs, bars, shopping stores, the range of hotels to choose from, the clean alleys, everything too phenomenal. for me, one of the most striking things of namche’s beauty was the absence of overhead wires throughout the town. namche took away my heart!

namche had taken away my breath too, quite literally. during my arrival in namche, i could sense difficulty in breathing. i realized well why namche acclimatization was actually important, with no high altitude symptoms anymore i was ready for the further trek two nights later.

at namche, i won’t lie, during ascent i missed my friends too – for the town would emanate vibe exactly like thamel’s or pokhara’s where i would prefer having friends around. but by descent, i had made a friend who made me feel home in the himalayas and i could not have asked for anything better.

glimpses of the breathtaking namche bazar

the first times

within this high-altitude trek for my first time, there were many noteworthy first times, some beautiful and some torturous. the first first time i like to recall is my first glance of everest and ama dablam from namche. needless to say, i cried. the first time crossing high-altitude passes and glaciers, making my own trail during the final climb of ngozumpa glacier while witnessing falling stones from the same hilltop. the satisfaction of seeing danphe for the first time, and the anxiety of almost falling into the need for rescue at cho la pass. the first glance of namche bazar was no less than the breathtaking first view of gokyo lake through my naked eyes. the joy and nervousness of using crampons for the first time and the pain of completely losing appetite while i knew i needed energy the most, the sight of hillary bridge & running through the bridge amidst the clod breeze for the first time, and the plight of not having dalbhat for days for the first time. the first trek where i had to take high-altitude medicines, the first time mountains scared and discomforted me, the first time i missed my homecooked foods during a trek, the first time i made human connections while trekking so precious which i wish to make last for a lifetime - each first time is completely mine and i hold them too dear to me at least now. how can i ever forget the first time i got the glimpse of ama dablam from the bridge over dudh koshi that i had forever fantasised about.

the royal mount ama dablam straight from my fantasy.

random memories from the trek.

the tough times

in terms of difficulty level of trails, ebc is relatively easier than most of the treks i have done, but the altitude makes it really uneasy.

to inform you about some difficult parts of the trek, the final 2 hours ascent to namche was laborious, but you will in an instant realise the worthiness of your labor. the final 3 hour climb to tengboche is tougher than the earlier one that i mentioned. while approaching dingboche, though the trail was straight across, i was too exhausted to even carry the faith that i could reach my hotel. steadily i did, but it had been very exhausting. in between dingboche and thukla pass, when there was nobody around, all of sudden i had felt an inability to walk – it felt as though i was about to puke, as though my body was not functioning in my favour. at that juncture, i had no option but to keep moving, i neither could climb down as dingboche was left far behind and returning was impossible for the energyless state i was in. i took my first medicine to prevent vomiting, ate a chocolate bar and slowly moved. about an hour later, i could see the thukla pass, crossing which is my most disliked memory of the everest trek. the ‘energy-less moving body’ state i was in was a terror. at thukla, i sat down for dalbhat, paid npr 1000 only to realise i could no longer eat anything due to appetite loss inflicted by the altitude. but crossing thukla pass was painful emotionally too, for it has the memoirs of trekkers and mountaineers who lost their lives in everest. the cold breezes hitting you after pangboche will cause you an instant terrible headache, make sure that you carry warm cap and neck clothing with you. while approaching dingboche the strong cold breeze almost wiped me away, thank you to my 10kg backpack that helped me remain in the land. the kalapatthar summit was the toughest of all where i was unsure if my lungs were functioning well or i needed to get back to gorakshep. i applaud the patience of everyone who has done kalapatthar, the 3 hour summit to reach 5545m that feels never-ending. (kalapatthar is the highest elevation of the ebc/gokyo trek. fun fact: you do not see mount everest from the base camp but from kalapatthar very upclose). people might tell you that the gokyo ri summit and the kalapatthar summit feel the same in regards of difficulty, but trust me gokyo ri feels easier once you accomplish kalapatthar. and cho la pass from gokyo can feel at least twice as difficult as that from ebc.

at one moment during the chola pass crossing, i almost lost hope. some 20-30 minutes upon climbing down the steep rocky trail supported by a rope, my vision started getting blurry and dizziness struck. i had laid myself in a boulder to pause. i had seen tens of rescue operations for trekkers each day and the fear of facing the same had started building its home inside me as soon as the plight occurred. sofia and prashant's guide dai was nearby and he helped me take my water bottle out and also stayed beside me until i recovered. after 4-5 minutes i gradually started feeling better and in no time it felt as though nothing had even happened. i took two medicines and quickly moved down. i am still so grateful for this miraculous instant recovery where anything could go wrong.

a section of cho la pass.

the everest has called me again

keeping it real - i could not go to the base camp. the fact had initially broken my heart, but after i perceived it the way i have entitled this section, i instead feel better. you hike to kalapatthar and the base camp from gorakshep (the final teahouse area). kalapatthar is the tougher hike (the highest elevation of the entire trek) and the base camp is relatively easier. after you reach gorakshep from lobuche, you have two options in hand - hike either to ebc or kalapatthar the same day and go to the remaining one the next morning. kalapatthar is also the most rewarding one given the insane view of everest from its elevation, mount everest is not visible from the base camp. i had chosen kalapatthar to watch sunset over the everest in the evening, and had thought of hiking to the base camp next morning.

the kalapatthar or everest base camp to choose from. kalapatthar and mount pumori in the background.

i could never have imagined that a reason as such could make me even consider my plan to reach the everest base camp but it was all why that happened. you must be wondering why, i withdrew my dream of reaching the base camp because of the suffering appetite loss had made me go through. i could only eat scarce enough to not let me collapse during hiking for almost a week. spending about 18 hours in gorakshep at an altitude of above 5000+ meters and with no appetite to have dinner the previous night made me wake up with complete starvation for energy. i ordered my breakfast wondering if i could eat only to throw it entirely away yet again. while all of this was going on, i still was sure about going to the base camp and then descending to dzongla for gokyo. while i was making up my mind to move for base camp, it hit me that i had become physically too weak to gain more altitude (everest base camp lies at an altitude of 5364m, and gorakshep at 5164m). while i had almost decided to push myself whatsoever, the pictures of people around me seeking rescues from gorakshep itself revolved around and i ended up listening to my body instead. i know i took the right decision. to console myself perhaps, i thought about how many people had told me that going to the base camp was not even paramount mentioning taht it had nothing but a rock to click pictures with. this consolation did not last enough and i felt sad throughout the day. it does not matter much today, for i know everest wanted to tell me that i am supposed to be there at least for a second time, perhaps for the three-passes trek next time. i am manifesting ever since.

one colossal lesson i learned during this trek was to listen to your body too. and that high altitude-induced loss of appetite was a thing so frightening. i had never faced something like this.

the most beautiful sight of my 2023 - gokyo lakes!

i cannot talk enough about gokyo. all the hustle to reach up there was so worth it, crossing ngozumpa glacier amid the falling stones, crossing chola pass and almost collapsing was all worth it. gokyo, your beauty is something that the world still needs to know better. while in gokyo, i was in heaven. the two nights in gokyo was the most special times of my 17 days journey. i not only gained my appetite back but also gained some meaningful human connections in the region so ethereal. if beauty had some face, it would be gokyo for me. if bliss had some feeling, it would be sitting by the blue lake losing all the memory of everything i was. the hike to gokyo ri, and the insanely insane 360 degree view of world's highest mountains, largest glacier in the everest region, three gokyo lakes, the gokyo village, and the fond memories of singing with new friends up there compare to no experience of my entire life. running down from my hotel's dining to the tt board by the next hotel as soon as i saw some local dais playing is one joyful memory. i love every ounce of gokyo. oh how comforting were you!

the most beautiful ever, the heaven - gokyo.

the issue of porters in the everest region

the most disturbing lesson of the trek has been the sufferings of the porters of everest. i have broken down into tears while in gokyo as i convered about the issue with a newly made friend up there. the pain is as fresh in my heart and i shall write a dedicated blogpost for this crucial issue that the whole world needs to know.

after the trek

i remember rushing into the micro bus to get back to kathmandu right after my lukla-ramechhap flight and sobbing as soon as the micro bus moved past the airport. i sobbed for so long during the drive hiding my tears beneath my favorite red dolpo cap. 80 percent of the seats in the micro bus were filled by everest trekkers, i did not know any one of them, yet they felt like members of a same cluster. it was too hard to accept that with each meter nearing kathmandu, i was going distant from my experiences at everest, that i was parting ways with the most royal mountains, that i was truly only carrying my people from the everest trek into my memories, that the yaks i was sick of clearing the paths for would no longer be a part of my days, and no thamserku mountain would chase me anymore. i felt empty from the inside. nobody talks about the post-travel melancholy, but with my experience each post-trek phase, i can say this is something i should figure out ways to deal with. for weeks i felt as though i had nothing to look forward to in life anymore, i had motivation to do nothing.

on the other side, while returning home from ramechhap, every food in the highway felt so cheap and this joy of finding foods cheap continued for weeks in kathmandu as well. once i was with my closest friends bibhuti and srijana in a cafe and i laughed over the menu upon seeing black tea priced 35 rupees - for i had paid 350 rupees for the same during the trek. i was loudly grateful for the accommodation and food (with no appetite loss) i was getting at home, hahaha.

my parents back home made me feel so dearly missed upon my return. they would keep expressing me how the dashain had gone pale with my absence at home and how the 17 days felt like forever to them. my mom made a request to not trek anymore because it apparently was too difficult to live in fear of my safety. i replied, 'huncha yeti lamo trek chai gardina' (sure, i won't do trek as lengthy as this one) to which mom rolled her eyes. i was in disbelief and it touched my soul when my family welcomed me home with a red khada - they mentioned that they understood it was a great achievement because no one in the history of our families had undertaken such adventure. i was happy about the fact that my family understood the essence of what i was into.

welcomed at home this way.

two cents for girls/women reading the blog

unlike what i had to say for abc, i don't directly encourage you to venture out for this journey alone, but if you are wondering whether solo trek to ebc is possible, it is. that said, please weigh the pros and cons carefully, listen to your body, and then make your decision. there was no gender based safety concern for me but the concern was rather staying safe from the fatal altitude. i need to mention a thing, i met the most creepy trekking guides (male) in everest, creepy both in intensity and number, but also not all of them were the same. if there is anything that is pulling you back, let that not be your gender. i lived my dream trek, you too can do.

leaving with my everest region art. :) this trek, forever in my heart.

thank you for accepting and welcoming my pieces of art for you, everest. <3