Sir Edmund Hillary, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Mount Everest … on the late morning of 29 May 1953, these 3 names became forever entwined and enshrined in history.

Whilst I was first aware of this feat various from books and historical accounts during my tender years, I must say it is certainly a whole different experience to actually walk a segment of their path, albeit the easiest bits (for the climbers).

It is hard for the printed text to accurately depict the land which we transverse to the EBC… the green and lush surroundings when we started off at Lukla, the never-ending climb to Namche, the tranquil and dreamy Tengboche, the martian-esque landscape we crossed towards Dingoche and Loubche and the blasted rocky wastelands turning to ice as we moved from Gorak Shep towards the Everest Base Camp. All these while, we’re under the watchful gaze of the Himalayan peaks, Kongde Ri, Thamserku, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse and on occasion Everest herself.

“Step … Step … Step … pant … Step … Step … gasp … pant … Step … Step ….. gasp … curse … swear ... gasp”

This kindda sums up a typical day for me on the trek. Oxygen is gets thinner with each upward step and with it the frequency of the gasping (and the corresponding hokkien exclamations of exhaustion muttered under gasping breathes). Personally, it is not an easy trek but on the whole, not particularly difficult either.

However, that being said, people have died trekking upwards to the EBC (and we had actually crossed-paths with someone who passed on whilst our way up) or have to stop and turn back (we say quite a few helicopters flying around), so caution and care is definitely a must.

The Himalayas is a place where nature is always the incumbent and men (and women) the perennial challengers. There were already several failed expeditions prior to the successful summit of Everest, dating back to the 1920s and with many more coming after the Sir Edmund and Sherpa Tenzing. Even with the benefit of modern technology and upgrades, accidents and deaths still occur, on the mountains (re the Everest movie and “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer depicting the 1996 Everest disaster), from natural disasters and even from just trekking upwards to the gaze upon the starting line.

Be that as it may, the mountains do have their undeniable allure and it is not that impossible to see why so many men had attempted to scale their heights. Along the way, it is hard not to hear the faint seductive calls echoing from the various peaks, akin to the sirens of legend, and wonder what it feels like to clamber on top of those heights. If today, someone comes up to me with an invitation to climb Everest (or any other Himalayan peak) tomorrow, I’m enough of a realist to say fark off… but, if someone says, we train for the next 2-3 years and 3 years later, we go try our luck… hmm…

Anyway, for those who’re interested, this was our route.

Kathmandu

Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and trek to Jorsale

trek to Namche bazaar

Acclimation and day trip around Namche to Khumjung, Everest View hotel etc

Trek to Tengboche monastery and a short acclimation hike up a nearby hill (which is at over 4000m)

Trek to Dingboche (I’m sadly, very well acquainted with the toilet facilities here)

Acclimation hike up Nagartsang peak (but not the top la)

Trek to Lobuche

Trek to Gorak Shep, to Everest Base Camp, back up Kalar Pattar (1/2 way only la)

Return journey, to Pheriche

Trek to Tengboche

Trek to Jorsale

Trek to Lukla

Fly from Lukla to Kathmandu