Acclimatizing on the Trail to Everest Base Camp

The past three days have been busy and filled with some incredible hiking, camaraderie and mountain vistas. Following our last blog post, we spent two days hiking around and above the village of Namche. Our first day hike took us out on the trail towards Everest Base Camp. Over the 2.5 mile out-and-back stretch we were rewarded with incredible views of Ama Dablam, Everest and Lhotse. It was hard to avoid tripping over our own feet as we couldn’t keep our eyes off the mountains. After a few hours we found a tea house and enjoyed some lemon ginger tea, coconut krispies (crackers) and a stunning panoramic vista of the high Himalaya. 

Our typical trekking day begins with breakfast at 7 AM and moving on the trail half an hour later. Making sure we take ample breaks for photos and snacks, we typically find a little tea house for lunch before we continue on to our final destination. Everyone we have passed on the trail and talked to at the tea houses, has greeted us with large smiles and a welcoming “Namaste.”

Our second hike out of Namche included an ascent that would make any stair climbing machine proud. We climbed up towards the Everest View hotel, switch backing our way up to 12,600 feet and then exploring the town of Khumjung. 

Today we find ourselves at the Rivendell lodge in Deboche. We hiked for 5 hours, dipping in and out of pine forests and Rhododendron trees and crossing the Dudh Koshi river. We participated in our first Puja (a blessing from local lamas in the region) during an hour long stop at the monastery in Tengboche.

Everyone is in good spirits and good health. We are all looking forward to moving up to Dingboche tomorrow where we will spend another three days acclimatizing. 

We hope everyone back home is doing well!

Cheers,

Fischer Hazen

2021 Mount Everest Expedition Guide