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Trekking through the Himalayas is a fantastic experience - beyond the mountain scenery, the cultural aspect of seeing Sherpas live, work, and play creates a lasting and memorable impression. Below I've summarized my experience, however, for a detailed guide on a hike to Everest Base Camp click on the How To: link below:
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If you only have one month in Nepal you are faced with a difficult decision: Everest Base Camp or the Annapurna Circuit. Supposedly the Annapurna Circuit is the more picturesque of the two but I figured if I enjoyed the Everest Base Camp trek I could always come back and do Annapurna on my own. For sure I would use guides and porters for the Everest Base Camp trek.
I don't want to undersell the Himalayan views but I enjoyed the lower half of the trek, when we were passing through villages and observing local life, more than the upper half when we reached an altitude that would make it difficult for anyone, even Sherpas, to live. As for the view, I thought Patagonia's Torres del Paine range, while much, much smaller, was the better, however, the Sherpas raised the total experience.
The feeling of solitude is immense. I may have been in a group of twenty but all I needed to do was hold back for about five minutes and I'd feel alone with just the mountains. I wish that solitude brought a wave of creativity and new thoughts, however, I more often just found myself lost in the moment, looking up and taking in the scenery. At night I was so exhausted, even if the hiking wasn't too far or much of an incline, that once I sat down my brain shut off. For the hike up all I could think about has making sure I was drinking enough water and what would be on the menu at the next guesthouse.
The hike back down was equally pleasant. Even though I was on the same route, walking in a different direction provided a new perspective. I tended to linger just a little bit longer knowing this may be the last time I saw this view. By the time I arrived back in Kathmandu I was already planning a return trip.
I don't want to undersell the Himalayan views but I enjoyed the lower half of the trek, when we were passing through villages and observing local life, more than the upper half when we reached an altitude that would make it difficult for anyone, even Sherpas, to live. As for the view, I thought Patagonia's Torres del Paine range, while much, much smaller, was the better, however, the Sherpas raised the total experience.
The feeling of solitude is immense. I may have been in a group of twenty but all I needed to do was hold back for about five minutes and I'd feel alone with just the mountains. I wish that solitude brought a wave of creativity and new thoughts, however, I more often just found myself lost in the moment, looking up and taking in the scenery. At night I was so exhausted, even if the hiking wasn't too far or much of an incline, that once I sat down my brain shut off. For the hike up all I could think about has making sure I was drinking enough water and what would be on the menu at the next guesthouse.
The hike back down was equally pleasant. Even though I was on the same route, walking in a different direction provided a new perspective. I tended to linger just a little bit longer knowing this may be the last time I saw this view. By the time I arrived back in Kathmandu I was already planning a return trip.
PHOTOS
For additional Everest Base Camp photos see FLIKR ALBUM.