Experiencing the Extreme Highs of Trekking the Everest Region

Several family members, including my parents, and friends had returned from trekking in Nepal with wonderful stories of adventure and extraordinary experiences of the land and people of the Himalayas.   So my husband, Scott and I began planning our trip to Nepal this time last year.  We decided to go in the fall when the weather is generally sunny and clear.  However, the spring is also a great time to trek as well.  We booked our travel arriving into Kathmandu on October 18th and leaving on November 9th.  Next we determined the specific area we wanted to trek.  Scott has a long fascination with Everest, so while we knew it would be a very popular trek especially during the fall, we decided to do the Everest/Khumba Valley region, taking us up to the base of Everest.

Active hikers, cyclists and skiers, we chose to carry our own packs, but decided we wanted a guide in order to get the most out of our trip.  After extensive research, we selected the “home grown” guide service of International Sherpa Guides, run by AC Sherpa.  AC was raised in Nepal, but moved to Mercer Island for high school.  Staying with a host family on the Island, AC took up American sports, playing football for MIHS before graduating in 1990.  He married a dentist, started a family and settled into the Seattle area.  But he kept his strong association to his family and native land by guiding people from all over the world up the trails and mountains of Nepal.  Today, ISG leads adventure expeditions all over the world, and AC Sherpa holds the world record by climbing Seven Summits within 42 climbing days. 

The minute we met AC, we knew he would help create an unforgettable trekking experience for us.  And he did.  AC happened to be in Kathmandu the day we arrived and greeted us at the airport.  He helped organize our hotel in Kathmandu and a few days later, drove us to the airport again to make sure we were safely on our flight up to Lukla and the beginning of our trek.   But the biggest gift was the guide that AC had selected for us through ISG for our 17-day trek to Everest.   Jyamchung Bhote met us at the little airport in Lukla and immediately we knew we were in great hands. Only 31, Jyamchung (JB) has summited Everest seven times and climbed over 100 peaks.  He knows every inch of the Khumba region and everyone knows him.  This meant that we somehow always got the best room in every guest house, and that we heard amazing tails of climbing expeditions as he pointed out the various peaks that towered all around us.  The guesthouses are generally owned and run by Sherpa families, so JB had climbed with many of the owners and seemed to know every guide as well.

We generally would trek for a few hours after breakfast, then stop at a guesthouse for a hot lunch, then trek for a few more hours to our resting spot for the day.  The trekking was challenging, especially with backpacks, at altitude.  We practiced good acclimatization and took Diamox so experienced no altitude sickness.  Children play on the pathways or are walking to and from school, dodging yaks and mule trains, porters laden with supplies and trekkers.  Everyone has a smile and a greeting of “Namaste!”  The trails are lined with mane walls—flat stones inscribed with Buddhist prayers and stupa temples.  JB took us to be blessed by the main Lama for the Khumba region mid-way through a trek, an experience we won’t forget. 

During the course of our trek, we ended up hiking the length of the two valleys that make up the Everest region: the Everest valley and the Gokyo valley.   The Chola pass that connects these valleys at the top was initially closed with snow, so we ended up walking the length of each twice but from different sides.  We ended up experiencing more villages, and had the benefit of going up and down in altitude a few times.  In the end, we feel like we fully experienced the region. 

No matter how many hours over how many days I walked beneath these glorious peaks, they continued to take my breath away with their beauty.  For those of us who are blessed to live surrounded by mountains, imagine the mountains now double or triple the size.  A week into our trek, we realized that we were now sleeping at an altitude that was the equivalent of the top of Mt. Rainier!    

Everest is all that you expect and more.   We spied it in snatches at various points along the trail over the course of our trek.  When we finally climbed up on Kalapattar to view it head on we realized why it continues to lull climbers and spark writers’ imaginations. 

Nepal is the stuff of dreams, beautiful, warm people living on the raw edge of the world’s largest and most magnificent mountain range.  Go see it up close.  Scott and I are happy to share our insights and recommendations.  In the meantime, check out ISG’s website at www.internationalsherpaguides.com.