Post written December 20: Last night was a crazy cold night. During my correspondence with Chattra at Nepal Eco Adentures, he mentioned that you may be hiking in 15 degree Celsius weather, but sleeping in -20 degrees. And sure enough, even with my baselayer, cross country ski pants, wool socks, baselayer top, fleece top, downjacket, sleeping bag fleece liner, and warm sleeping bag, I was cold. Damned cold.
Post written December 19: Today is the day. The day we left the big and noisy city of Kathmandu to the mountain town of Lukla. After a night of running around getting supplies and packing our bags for the trek, we had little sleep before awaking for our 5:30 am departure time. Usually I would say “gah” to waking up so early. Maybe it was inherent excitement. Maybe my system was becoming foiled by the different foods, which is why I really needed to use the bathroom. Either way, at 4:30 am, I was wide awake and ready to go.
Post written December 18: Now that was the longest day ever. I don’t even know what happened on that last flight from Guangzhou to Kathmandu. I think I passed out and missed dinner. Then I passed out again. Then suddenly I was at the Tribhuvan International Airport at 11 pm waiting to pay my $40 Visa entrance fee. I met my driver and we were off through the sparse night streets of the city. And then I grinned a large ecstatic grin. It had been many months in the making, and I was finally in Kathmandu, about to begin a trip that I’ve been dreaming about for a long time.
The trip is here! I’m currently at a Priority Pass lounge in the Vancouver airport awaiting my long flight to Guangzhou, China. From there, it’s off to Nepal! Admittedly, I’m a bit concerned. There’s a 40 minute delay, which puts me at 1 hour and 10 minutes to navigate the large Guangzhou airport and catch my connection. But that’s future Rick’s problem.
I think it’s fair to say that my mind is slowly checking out. That’s what happens when a trip I’ve been thinking about for years is right around the corner!
It’s the last minute dash to make sure I have everything I need. My vaccinations are up-to-date, and I’ve even added the fancy and expensive rabies vaccine to my list. I’m still deciding on what luggage to bring, how much fleece will be needed for those frigidly cold Himalayan nights, and what comfort snacks I’ll throw in my day pack. I’m sure the dal bhat (lentil soup with rice) will be tasty throughout the trek, but after many days and the inevitable bouts of altitude sickness and diarrhea, a protein bar or Real Fruit gummies will taste like a king’s dinner.
Continue reading “Kathmandu to Everest Base Camp: The Itinerary”
HIKES & HAMSTRINGS 