Everest Adventure - the Journey Begins

I woke up this morning excited and nervous about leaving on my first trip to Asia and the magical land of Nepal. Back in October had I booked "An Everest Adventure" with an adventure travel company to spend several weeks hiking up to the Everest Base Camp. Now the day had come.

But by 8:00 a.m. the focus of my day completely changed when my 15-year-old cat Dunquin suddenly got very ill. I took him to the vet, where I was told he had another serious health problem on top of his other issues. The compassionate and very difficult thing to do was to say goodbye to him.

So rather than a day centered on organization and planning and saying a temporary goodbye to friends and family, it became a day with one final goodbye and the beginning of a transition. I should have plenty of time to reflect on all of this in the next few days. I have a long flight, or rather, flights – about 24 hours in all – to get to Katmandu. I hope to arrive with a clearer head and enough energy to visit some of the major Buddhist stupas (temples) near Katmandu, many of them around 500 years old, while I'm there.

         

Some Trip Details

The trek actually begins on April 4 when we’ll board a small plane and fly to Lukla where Sir Edmund Hillary built an airport in the 1960s. This small airport, the starting point for most Everest treks, is famed for its short runway with a 12% gradient. Some say that taking off and landing at Lukla is the most exciting part of the whole trip.

This map shows the route for hikes to the basecamp, although few people actually get to the basecamp. Most opt for the climb up Kala Patthar (18,000 ft) to see the famous view of the tallest mountain on earth and only the strongest among us have the strength to complete that climb and then head to the basecamp. (FYI . . . that wouldn’t be me.)

Namche Bazaar (photo) is the largest town along the way and the last place to get supplies. It sits at 11,280 and we spend two days there acclimating. I should arrive there on April 5. 

On this journey, I simply plan to do my best during the hike, while remembering to enjoy the experience, the scenery and the people I meet along the way. I have no idea how far I’ll get. Maybe I’ll see the famous view of Mt. Everest from Kala Patthar. Maybe I’ll even get to the basecamp. I don’t know.

One thing I will do is hang a prayer flag in the Himalayas in remembrance of Dunquin. Not too many DC cats can say that!