Everest Base Camp Dispatch: First Views of Everest!

We do not have rest days on the Ever­est Base Camp Trek; we have acclima­ti­za­tion days. This means we still hike…uphill. For­tu­nate­ly, we get stun­ning views from the half-day ven­tures. Leav­ing Nam­che Bazaar, the trail ris­es steeply – over 1000ft in 1 – 2 hours – and then lev­els off as we reach the Ever­est View Hotel. Apt­ly named, we have our first sweep­ing views of the val­ley we are ascend­ing. Our climb­ing guide, Pem­ba Gyal­je Sher­pa shows us Ever­est and more…

(Pem­ba shows us the moun­tains here.)

Leav­ing Nam­che, we con­tour around the side of the moun­tain and are con­front­ed with spec­tac­u­lar views once again. We spot wild Himalayan moun­tain goats in the gold­en brush and even a rare dan­phe – the nation­al bird of Nepal – with iri­des­cent plumage rem­i­nis­cent of a pea­cock but in cop­per tones.

On the way to Teng­boche, look­ing toward Ama Dablam.
Deana Zabal­do photo

Leav­ing Nam­che, we con­tour around the side of the moun­tain and are con­front­ed with spec­tac­u­lar views once again. We spot wild Himalayan moun­tain goats in the gold­en brush and even a rare dan­phe – the nation­al bird of Nepal – with iri­des­cent plumage rem­i­nis­cent of a pea­cock but in cop­per tones.

Rhodo­den­drons in bloom above Phunky Ten­ga.
Deana Zabal­do photo

Drop­ping down to the riv­er and across the new bridge at Phunky Ten­ga, we have a pic­nic lunch and then climb in the heat of after­noon to Teng­boche, site of the area’s largest monastery. Just in time for after­noon prayers: the deep tones of monks chant­i­ng in Tibetan before an altar of but­ter lamps and a giant stat­ue of the Buddha.

(See a video of the Teng­boche Prayers here, post­ed with per­mis­sion of Teng­boche Monastery.) 

~ MM Guide Deana Zabaldo