First Everest Base Camp Trek Takes Off

Moun­tain Mad­ness is back on the trail to Ever­est Base Camp for spring 2012!

After receiv­ing a bless­ing from a Bud­dhist lama in Kath­man­du and doing some sight­see­ing, we took one of the world’s most thrilling flights – to Luk­la airstrip, gate­way to the Ever­est region.

Every­one at break­fast, fuel­ing up for a beau­ti­ful day in the Himalayas. Deana Zabal­do photo

Dur­ing our first two days, the hik­ing was beau­ti­ful in the lush low­er val­ley on the way to Nam­che Bazaar. Small chil­dren offered us flow­ers as mag­no­lias, rhodo­den­drons, prim­u­la, and cher­ry trees bloomed along the trail.

A young Nepali girl offers us flow­ers along the trail. Deana Zabal­do photo

In Jor­sale, near the entry to the nation­al park, we saw a small for­est fire burn­ing. Unfor­tu­nate­ly it grew the next day, and we could see the plumes of smoke down the val­ley from Nam­che Bazaar. The army mobi­lized a crew with snow shov­els and ice axes, and we hope they got it under control.

The for­est fire between Luk­la and Nam­che. Deana Zabal­do photo

We’ve con­tin­ued up the Khum­bu Val­ley with a lit­tle snow and a lit­tle sun, the com­bi­na­tion mak­ing the land­scape stun­ning­ly pow­er­ful. Stay­ing in Ding­boche for 2 days, our sher­pas set­tled into tents, we warmed up by the stove in the lodge, and our yaks got a rest. (Actu­al­ly, they’re a yak-cow crossbreed.)

Yaks, sher­pa tents, and guest lodges in Ding­boche. Deana Zabal­do photo

From our acclima­ti­za­tion hike, we have incred­i­ble views of Ama Dablam dis­ap­pear­ing in and out of the clouds, and of the vil­lage of Ding­boche below. Tomor­row after anoth­er deli­cious break­fast from the Moun­tain Mad­ness kitchen, we’re head­ing up to Lobuche! 

The back side of Ama Dablam swirls in clouds
above the vil­lage of Ding­boche, and we hike to
15,680 feet for acclima­ti­za­tion. Deana Zabal­do photo

~ MM Guide Deana Zabaldo