Introduction: The Dream to Reach Everest

Hello there, welcome back to another blog about my travelling and running journey so far. I've felt like running has taken a lot of my recent content and I haven’t really shared any of my travels, especially one of my favourite and most memorable adventures. Trekking to Everest base camp. So, over a five-part blog series, I’m going to share with you my trek from Kathmandu all the way to Everest. Expect to meet some incredible people who I met along my journey, see breath taking views that have stayed with me and how I planned and what I learned about the trip and myself. It really is a once in lifetime adventure which I encourage you to do.

In this first part of my Everest Base Camp trek series, I’ll share the reasons behind my decision to embark on this incredible journey. It wasn’t just about reaching the destination; it was about pushing myself to new limits and experiencing the raw beauty of the Himalayas. I’ll describe the preparation, the excitement, and what I hoped to gain from this adventure.

Why I chose to trek to Everest Base Camp

During my studying MSc studies I decided that I needed another solo adventure. The last time I did one was in the spring on 2019 where I sailed from Split to Dubrovnik in Croatia, it gave me an itch that I needed to do more trips like this. But I wanted it to be big, bolder, something that not a lot of people get the chance to do and where they come back from the trip it changes them. I searched the internet to look for some inspiration for my next trip and came across an adventure website called Skyhook Adventure. They were offering a trip that I hadn’t seen on any of the other websites it was ‘Everest Base Camp Hike (16 days) - Follow in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, to Everest Base Camp’. I didn’t need a second invitation, I discussed it with my parents over dinner that evening, and they were onboard with it. I decided to book the trip in September 2020 which would give me enough time to save up some money. But of course, Covid-19 and Lockdown had other plans. Fast-forward to 2021 when the restrictions were finally lifted and I was preparing for the trip of a lifetime, oh and this time I was going to have some company. I managed to convince (with truly little persuasion) my best friend Max to come with me, like me we shared the love for the mountains and the outdoors, and it was something on his bucket list for a while. We had no idea what we were in for.

Preparing physically and mentally

Now it’s pretty hard to have a training structure that requires you to trek for long periods of time at an altitude ranging from 2000m-5000m in the UK. Richmond Park doesn’t quite cut it. So, I did the best I could do and without tooting my own horn, I was in relatively pretty decent shape. When I moved to London, I joined an incredibly competitive rowing club which had me training 6 days a week and consisted of 9-10 sessions of on the water rowing training, rowing machines and weights. It was fair to say it was one of the fittest I’ve felt for a long time, but it was hard to keep up with it all. I also managed to get in some running as well, before my long-distance obsession happened but from previously playing rugby, I had developed a fair amount of strength as well and was desperately doing my best to hang on to it. So, I wasn’t really too concerned about the physical or mental side of the trek, the only thing I had a concern on was the altitude which I had no control over. Either way, it made me more galvanised for the trip.

The gear I used for the trek

The tour we went with advised of a kit list that we should pack for Everest. Some of the items I already had but others I had to buy specially for this trip, if I was going to do this trip again, I would have definitely packed a little differently than I did (the beauty of hindsight). Below is the list of essential key items I would take but also optional extras that wouldn't do any harm in bringing:

Documents
- Passport
- Travel insurance
- Boarding passes
- Visa
- 2 passport photos, IDs, USD Cash, Credit//debit cards

Sleeping
- Sleeping bag (-15 comfort rating)

Footwear
- Trekking boots (3 or 4 season, lightweight)
- Sliders
- Trainers.

Clothing (not cotton if possible)

- Base layer t-shirts x 3-4
- Fleece
- Windproof/Waterproof jacket
- Down jacket
- Travel clothes and city wear
- Underwear
- Base layer trousers
- Trekking trousers x 2Trekking shorts
- Thick mountaineering socks x 3
- Light and breathable trekking socks x 3
- Gloves
- Cap
- Wool hat
- Buff/Snood x 2

Other

- Daysack (35 litres)
- Duffel or rucksack with straps for porters (8kg max)
- Dry bag
- 2L water bottle
- Sun glasses (polarised)
- Suncream
- Medication
- Toiletries
- Towel (lightweight and quick dry towel)
- Lipsil (uv rated)
- Book
- Headphones
- Head Torch
- Ear plugs
- Travel wash
- Hand sanitiser/wet wipes
- Electrolytes and water purifying tablets
- Trekking snacks like flapjacks, protein bars etc.
- Phone plug and portable battery

My excitement and expectations before the journey

Our flight wasn’t until late in the afternoon so there was time to do some final errands beforehand. I decided to go for a 10-mile run in the morning to get one last stretch as the flight to Kathmandu was going to be around 12 hours including a stopover in Dubai. I knew my bag was packed with everything I needed but I think the nerves got to me and I was double checking if I missed anything, I’m not sure why I was a little nervous but perhaps it was maybe that I was unsure about what was going to happen. But that was the reason I committed to it right? To see where my curiosity and fear of the unknown would take me. A few hours later and we were boarding our flight to Dubai, the adventure really was now beginning.

Day 1-2: Arrival at Kathmandu

After travelling for nearly 24 hours, I peered through the plane window to see we were finally about to land in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. As the plane was slowing and decreasing altitude, we burst through the clouds and caught a glimpse of our first impression of Kathmandu. The city was tucked away in between a gargantuan valley, the city was surrounded by soft green shrubby and a dense forest jungle. Amongst the forest there were small vibrant homes which looked like they were constructed out of materials from their surroundings and the use of modern-day construction scaffolding.

As the plane finally came into land, Max and I were greeted by a pleasant warm heat. We could feel the 30c degree sun testing out our pasty white English skin, but the heat was met by a cool wind which was a god send as I tend to be a very sweaty human being! After clearing security and passing through visa control, we were greeted by our Sherpa outside the taxi rank. He had a big chirpy smile and was very welcoming. His name was Nurbu. He helped us with our bags into the taxi and we sat in the back of the car and travelled to our destination for the night, Hotel Holy Himalaya. Now I’ve only ever experienced one other Asian country’s traffic experience in Thailand which was hilarious but chaotic, it was like the laws of the road were decided by the drivers. Similarly, Nepal was the same. There was no order or control for the rules of the road, or it didn’t feel like there was. It felt like to assert your right of way it was a game of who could beep the loudest or longest as many times over in order to pass through. Even more, cars would drive on the other side of the road just to overtake the car in front without even looking at the oncoming traffic. Just organised chaos.

We started venturing down back routes, or what seemed like it as they had no street names and no road signs. Just shops selling bright tourist clothing, exotic fruits, live butchery, and farmers herding their livestock. Yet somehow, we managed to squeeze through all of this when the car was going about 30mph (or at least if felt like it). If you can drive in Nepal, you can drive anywhere. After the taxi adventure through the lively streets of Kathmandu we finally arrived at Hotel Holy Himalaya. We were greeted by Nurbu’s boss, Krishna who was the head tour guide. Like Nurbu, he greeted us with a big smile and firm handshake. “Welcome, so good to see you and I hope you enjoyed your journey. Please let me take your bags, you’ve travelled far and must be tired.” He seemed happy for us to arrive, he was also vey down to earth and cracked a lot of jokes. We were given our keys to our hotel room and was looking for somewhere to grab dinner, he recommended a restaurant across the road from the hotel which served authentic Nepalese food (what I forgot to mention was that we were going to have to go vegetarian on this trip as the meat served in the mountains was not to be trusted as people have fallen ill to food poison). He said it would be a good start to ‘acclimatise’ to the vegetarian lifestyle. So, we both ordered some veggie Momo’s and the Nepal favourite dish of Dahl Baht, which we would soon find out would become our main meal of the trip, and of course we had to tuck into some of local beers! We weren't in the mountains yet, but you could already feel the adventure was just beginning.

The next morning, after some much-needed sleep and been eaten by mosquitoes we headed downstairs to our first Nepalese breakfast. We made sure to stick to vegetarian foods in preparation for our trip but the main highlight from breakfast was the coffee. It was perhaps one of the best cups of coffee I ever had. After breakfast Max and I went for a little exploration around the local area but it was to mainly to find a cash point, you see Nepal wasn’t fully adapted to card payments yet and so we needed to take out cash for the entire trip (I don’t think my Amex would be accepted in a bar in the Himalayan mountains). We headed back to the hotel for our team meeting where we would meet our other team members.

In our team there were two other members. They were from the US; California Ventura and it was a mum and son trip. Their names were Kirsten and Carter. Kirsten worked as medical physician assistant and had done a lot of travelling and hiking beforehand so was well equipped for the trip. Carter was 17 years old, just finishing his final college year and was the middle child out of two other brothers. They had the classic American ‘can-do’ attitude, something the British could take note on, but I knew they were going to be good company. After the team briefing, we had a guided tour around Kathmandu planned. The first stop was at the famous Monkey Temple, unplanned and unaware at the time but it was ancient Hindu festival at the time, so it was heaving. It’s important to note that whilst this is considered a Buddhist country, the country’s religion is actually made up of roughly 80% Hindu and 20% Buddhism with some Muslim religious groups dotted around. As we reached the top of the Monkey Temple the smell of lavender and patchouli filled the air, a huge temple loomed over the hill. It was bright and white and famous Nepali flags were draped from the top of the temple and blowing gently in the air. The eyes of Buddha, which were painted gold, covered the entire temple. People were also walking in a clockwise direction around the temple, they were spinning these ancient brass bell wheels. Our guide said the people do this for a blessing but also to forgive the sins of their past so they could move on and live in peace.

Our second visit was to stop and see Kamri. She is a part of an ancient Hindu tradition and lived in a temple with servants. According to our guide, she is chosen by the gods (the elders) as a prophet or a symbol for their culture. She has no visitors, not even from her family and will live and stay in that temple until her first period where then the elders select another child to take her place. She was only thirteen. No photos were allowed to be taken of her… and no Tik Tok. After the temple we ventured through the streets of Kathmandu’s centre. You could still see the remnants for the 2015 Earthquake and yet the streets were vibrant with distinct colour strands, Everest trekking gear, merchants selling brass-wear. It was like my experience in Bangkok, but it had more diversity and a friendliness to it. I will say though, as it is a third world country there were places that looked dirty and where the rubbish smell was rife which was then followed up by quite a lot of beggars around.

Around lunchtime, we were taken to the biggest Buddhist temple in Kathmandu. It was like the one at Monkey temple but in comparison it would absolutely dwarf it, it was enormous. Our guide recommended a rooftop restaurant to get a better view. I decided to order the vegetarian burger (still sticking to some western culture roots) which was basically just and a big onion bhaji in a burger bun. Can’t say I was going to find this vegetarian diet fun. Max ordered the Veggie dumplings which looked great, and I wished I ordered them. Our final stop on the guided tour was the famous crematorium temple.

Our guide said it was an important part of their life and religion. You see in Nepal; they don’t see life or religion as two separate entities. They see it as one, a way of life instead of a part of life. The Hindu Religion has over one billion gods but only three gods that that represent life (birth, life, death). They saw the crematorium as a celebration of someone’s life, hence these cremations were open to the public for everyone to view. The bodies were burned on a plinth in front of the ancient Baghmati River. The whole family would pay tribute to their loved one and everyone else would watch. It felt kind of awkward watching it as an outsider, the smell of ash/smoke stained our clothes. I really didn’t know what to think of it, it was sacred and beautiful but at the same time intrusive and uncomfortable.

A couple of hours of downtime passed and we were taken out for a traditional Nepalese dinner. The main dish in Nepal is a Dahl Baht. It was a vegetable-based curry with basmati rice, lime pickle, curried lentils, and a poppadum. Our Sherpa Nurba said that this would be the main dish we could be eating throughout the trip and said the famous saying that went with it “Dahl Baht power for 24 hours!” and oh boy was it filling. They also brought out some rice wine for us to try, I ended up having four shots and a beer or two and felt a little tipsy! We then headed to bed soon after as we were going to be up early to catch our long-awaited flight to Lukla, the start of our big trek.

Final Thoughts

Kathmandu is a city of contrasts. One minute, you’re amidst the noise and chaos of the streets, dodging cars and people, the next you’re standing in a sacred temple surrounded by centuries-old temples with a deep connection to spirituality. From the energetic hustle of the Monkey Temple to the serene reflection at the crematorium, the city offers a perfect mix of adventure and introspection. My experience in Kathmandu was a blend of cultural immersion and personal growth. It helped me understand the Nepalese culture before we headed into the mountains. The people are a key part of the city’s charm. The warmth and hospitality of the Sherpas, Krishna an Nurbu and the locals we met along the way made you feel more comfortbale, even in such an unfamiliar environment.

Tips for Future Travelers to Kathmandu:

Be Prepared for the Chaos: Kathmandu's streets are full of life but also a bit overwhelming. The traffic can seem like a free-for-all, so always stay alert when walking.
Embrace the Vegetarian Diet: If you’re trekking in the mountains, you’ll be going vegetarian for precautionary reasons. Start getting accustomed to local vegetarian dishes like momos, dal baht, and other vegetable curries. These meals are filling, nutritious, and delicious. Dahl Baht Power!
Respect Local Customs: Nepal is deeply spiritual, and it's important to be respectful of the local traditions. Whether you're visiting temples or meeting the people, be mindful of your surroundings. At sacred sites like the Monkey Temple, always walk clockwise and avoid taking photos in sacred places. Respecting these customs goes a long way in building your relationship with the sherpas and locals.
Cash is King: While some area in Kathmandu may accept debit/credit cards, many smaller places won’t. Make sure to carry enough cash. There are ATMs around the city, but sometimes they may be out of order so plan accordingly.
Mosquito Protection: Kathmandu's warm climate means you’ll be a target for mosquitoes. Make sure to carry mosquito repellent!
Stay Hydrated: With the altitude and heat, it’s easy to get fatigued. Take your time, drink plenty of water, and rest when needed. This will help your body adjust better to the environment, especially before heading into the mountains. It’s also important to have water purifying tablets as the water is not exactly safe to drink.
Embrace the Local Culture: Take time to chat with locals, whether they’re shopkeepers, guides, or fellow travelers. You’ll learn so much about the culture, the traditions, and the local way of life. People are generally welcoming and proud of their heritage so don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Weekly Podcast Episode Rec:

Off Menu Podcast with Ed Gamble and James Acaster - Michelle Keegan

This one is a bit of fun and for some reason I found myself laughing at this for a long time. If you’re a big foodie then you’ll love this podcast, it talks about your dram menu at you dream restaurant. the guest is actress Michelle Keegan and its possibly one of the funniest conversations I’ve heard on the podcast. It helps on long haul flights and long runs.

Life/Travel/Running Hack

Always take your own food when traveling. We all know airport food is extortionate in price and all you get is a bang average sandwich. It’s not illegal to do this so I would advise to take your own food or snacks as you’ll stop wasting money on pointless and shit and can use that money to contribute to better things when you’ve reached the destination that your going too.

Something I’m pondering ‘Food for Thought’

“You’re never ready for what you have to do. You just do it. This is what makes you ready".” - Unknown.

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It’s better to miss home than it is too miss out on the world.

Walking the Roof of the World - My Everest Base Camp Trek