Trekking

Trekking
to Everest Base Camp remains one of the most awesome
and memorable things I’ve ever done. It’s something I’d do again in
a heartbeat, a proper adventure.

There are loads of ways to begin your journey: fly to the small
Nepalese town of Lukla, ride a helicopter from Namche Bazaar, catch
a jeep in Salleri. Being a wannabe young adventurer, I decided to
get a bus to Jiri. It’s the closest town to Mount Everest serviced
by public buses. It also happens to be the route that Sir Edmund
Hillary took when he became the first recorded man to summit the
mountain in 1953, making Jiri something of a pilgrimage for
die-hard mountaineers – not that I count myself among them.

Rather than follow a linear up-and-down trail, I traced the
circular Three High Passes route, a round-trip to and from Kathmandu that took me 27 days.
I know what you’re thinking: “27 days?!”

I was young and jobless, with no commitments and even less
better to do. This is an adventure for people with time on their
hands and one that can be done on a shoestring, as I did. I bought
a map, compass, a months’ supply of chocolate bars (which didn’t
last the month) and set off.

Those with bigger budgets can hire guides or porters, and
there’s plenty of food en route. Himalayan families rely on
passersby – both locals and tourists – to stop in and recharge.

I don’t need to tell you about the awe-inspiring views; I’ll
leave that to the pictures in this album. If you have an appetite
for adventure, trekking to Everest Base Camp will be one of the
most physically and mentally challenging things you’ll ever do –
and one of the best too.

@mdleaver | mdleaver.com