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EBC Wrap-up
Madness guide Mara Larson gives us the final update from Everest Base Camp Trek.
It’s just a week past Thanksgiving now, and finally the gear is washed, the sleeping bags are airing, and the Khumbu cough is in the distant past — for all but me, Knute, and Mike, anyway.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=236d81572b8d593618f8d3f81d6010d5 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=ddde9932499a89fee2f824b62b5e0a5f 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=5bc1c920873d4c1daf37b9f241b87b3e 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=c9689d3efb4344d24077916cbfac0cde 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=232dfad15c619f111e43233f07895ba5 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=c0ad941540cd959a7d22e01a2332124e 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=59d277be7061a753f1c13586b0987705 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2Fhappy_team_acclimatizing_above_Dingboche_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=56cf4046749591d0ab548fe167815e0f 1600w)
Happy team acclimatizing above Dingboche. Justin Bruckel photo
How time flies post-Himalaya. And how easily we manage to forget pungent bathroom smells at 17,000 feet and the early morning deep-freeze. Our descent from Everest and the Khumbu was a celebration on many levels. For Jean, Anna, Mike, John, and Lisa, it was a bucket list success. For Jason, mainly the relief of escaping from his ever-present buff. For Josh, Justin, and Ken, it was likely a descent fueled with new ambitions and directions. Our reunion’s planned for Argentina in a year’s time. For Ricardo, the relief of unfinished business, finally achieved. And for Bernie, a glimmer of what the future holds. As for me, Knute, and Michael, we’re still reminded of it with our dust-filled Khumbu coughs we all welcomed back with us, taking back just a bit more of Nepal than we planned.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=287e1b71d71ee2aa6cacb40ea98077fa 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=f63c6a6a7b7a4533f9e873873647041d 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=d7243206b3c3802bdb8529ad42ee201b 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=13a7ee8f826755ab5e5582d9f752fb7f 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=9fa85603c2a6fb91dc1a8e41940fe5cf 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=54cb8439e3f562b4a82f83494cd3d6a7 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=03ba002d7ab0cd728234408ba872ef02 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FThe_Dudh_Kosi_river_along_our_last_days_walk_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=34e26dffe38e87d217b3252323e3a228 1512w)
The Dudh Kosi river along our last day’s walk. Justin Bruckel photo
We left our last update high above 17,000 feet, climbing Kala Pattar and arriving to our final destination of Everest Base Camp. The descent was no less memorable. A swift exit from Gorak Shep had us swigging coffee and hightailing it down 13 miles to the relative comforts of Pheriche, 3000 feet lower. Hot showers, beer and wine, and a toasty tea house with a fire so warm we had to retreat to cooler corners. Simple pleasures like clean pillows and puffy comforters sealed the evening. In the morning, it was a heli-farewell to John and Lisa. For the rest of us, next was an escape from the beaten Khumbu path with one final adventure into the remote Gokyo Valley. The walk was memorable, but the night spent tucked away with our Sherpa team and no other contact with the outside world will probably be one of my all-time highlights of the trip. Mani and Tenzing finally showed their competitive chops, taking on Justin, Josh, and Ken in rowdy ‘boardgames’. The time together there, and over a relaxed few days down in Namche, meant a good unwind and slow metamorphosis back to the real world.
![](https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=300&s=796177554c455939d1f18d540457f75c 300w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=500&s=7ae89036e069b7399e79a3f5be560581 500w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=700&s=ba2be4da3312c78d29d52a60d19bfe20 700w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=800&s=7e2d4cb66f74edd1916be52d28e4a0ff 800w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1000&s=668aa7cde7da5eb5bfbb8a30d881afe5 1000w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1200&s=8af197e405e18dec7051611f496408df 1200w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1400&s=7dc75f889ebc00f281f03a882f09ab02 1400w, https://mountain-madness-external.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fkraftwerk-mountain-madness.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fblog%2FLandscape_-_Justin_Bruckel_2048.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&q=80&w=1600&s=ed43dc7b1c97949a90ac51805b31ed90 1600w)
Stone shelter along the path. Justin Bruckel photo
Our last Himalayan day, Josh crushed us with the pacing into Lukla. The pack of us playing chase were regularly asked if we were part of the Everest Marathon also racing down towards the Lukla finish line that day. It was fun feeling fresh legs after so many long punishing days up high.
A farewell dinner in Lukla with all the Sherpa and kitchen staff ended with the local team disappearing with a few bottles of rum and the rest of us crashing out, dreaming of clean showers and warm air down in Kathmandu the following day. The rest of the return to civilization was quite a blur to be honest. Waves of exhaustion, euphoria, and maybe even the first twinges of nostalgia for a really wonderful and shockingly strong team sharing this adventure together.
One last Namaste from all of us!
~ Mountain Madness Guide Mara Larson