Two curious and excited trekkers from Gothenburg are going to trek to the Everest Base Camp from Sweden. For many years, they have dreamt about trekking in the Himalaya. Back in Gothenburg Evelin works in an Upper Secondary School as a Career Guidance and Odd works for Xdin AB as an engineer. Apart from their great interest in trekking, they also like to travel scuba dive and renovate and restore at home.

Nawang Sherpa is guiding them to make their trips more interesting and beautiful. He is a experience guide of Peak Promotion. He has worked as guide with Michael Palin, the author and the presenter of BBC Television and News.

Let’s follow their day to day updates of Everest Base Cap Trek.

06-07 April Arrived in Kathmandu, Preparation and Briefing

Reported by Evein & Odd

At the Kathmandu airport we got picked up by two very friendly guys from Peak Promotion, Wongchu Sherpa and . They drove us to the Tibet Guesthouse where we stayed the night. Early the next morning also from Peak Promotion came to pick us up. We spent the day preparing and to complement the packing for the expected trekking tour. We also met our guide Nawang Sherpa and we briefed our trekking plan. He seems to be very nice and calm which feels great, everyone is very helpful and friendly. There is no doubt; we are ready to hit the Everest!

08 April fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding

Early 05:15 Nawang came to pick us up at Tibet Guesthouse. After a breathtaking flight to Lukla we landed safely. After some nice lemon tea we're ready to hit the track. We walked through small villages and soaked the fresh, but a bit light, air. After 3, 5 hours we reached Phakding, hungry! We got a nice little room made from pine tree and the owner made food for us. Dal Bhat is our favorite food from now on. It consist rice, lentil soup and some curry vegetables. Mmmm!

09 April trek from Phakding to Namche

After a nice breakfast we started our 5,5 hour trek to Namche. It was a quite hard trek, though the track went up and up and up. But it was also a really nice trek and the weather was beautiful, 20 degrees Celsius. So now we have a nice red tan in face and hands. At the time writing we have reached Namche and after a hot shower and a well deserved pizza we are two happy and tired trekkers.

After breakfast, at 7:15 we started our trek. Before reaching Khumjung we stopped at Syangboche, 3900 meter. This place is the worlds highest airport, only for helicopters and small one-engine planes. The landing strip is made of green grass. On our way to Khumjung we met a lots of yaks carrying rice and water, though the village doesn't have water supplies. When we reached Khumjung, a really pretty village, we drank a nice coup of lemon tea and visited the local school. Built up thanks to donations from Sir Edmund Hillary, first man to reach the top of Mount Everest. This was a nice experience, especially for Evelin that works in a school in Sweden. This was a really nice and peaceful day and back in Namche it was nice to have a hot shower and a meal.

-In Gokyo the weather was fine and we got to see Everest and the sorroundings.

-The Cho La pass went fine although it was quite tuff.

-EBC was very caotic though it was half snowstorm. The weather has not been like this since 1996. But after one day waiting we finally made it.

-We climed the Kala Pathar the day after EBC and the weather has calmed down. The sun was shining and we have to admit this was the most beutiful
day so far!

See you soon!

Evelin, Odd, Nawang

22 April Tengboche-Monjo

The way down from Tengboche to Monjo was amazing! First the track was a bit icy but since the weather got warmer the track changed to slippery mud. But the sun gave us energy and the thin air seemed to vanish so we ended up walking quite fast. We compared the surroundings to a typical Swedish spring!

We also got some bad news, 3 Sherpas had been killed on their way up the Kumbu Icefall. And, of course, it made us very sad!

We stopped at Namche Bazaar for some lunch and we also spend some time at the Saturday Market. Everything on earth was on sale and for us it was a great experience!

A few ours later we reached Monjo where we stayed the night.

23 April Monjo-Lukla

Our first stop was in Phakding, where we slept our first night on our way up. We had a nice Dal Bhat with some really nice (and as the cook told us, uncommon) vegetables. And when Evelin went to wash her hands she met a Nepali man with a hat saying “Djurgardens IF” (a Swedish football team).

After lunch we walked on and it got warmer and warmer. An hour before Lukla we stopped and had a well deserved Coke in the sun. Not to mention the Everest Beer we had when we reached Lukla! After a few beers Odd decided to have a shave at the one and only hairdresser in the village. That was an experience and so thought the children in the village too.

24 April Lukla-Kathmandu

We went up early this morning though we got told the flight would be after 06.30. At 09.30 we took off! Again we experienced that things in Nepal is not built for tall people! Odd tried to squeeze in the seats but without result, his legs remained in the aisle.

During the trek we knew a little about the political situation in Kathmandu. This day the curfew was on between 11am to 6pm.

26 april Day tour in Kathmandu

Today we got a guided tour in Kathmandu. Our guide, Krishana Dhakal, came and picked us up at the hotel at 9am. Krishana is a 68 years, retired tourist professor. We started at the monkey temple. This is a very big temple for Buddhists, with a lot of monkeys hanging around. We learned so much about Buddha and the religion. We also visited a Tibetan monastery.

In the middle of the day we got to the Watabaran center. This is a school for kids, who have been in the street. The school gets donation from several companies. One of those companies is Xdin AB in Sweden, where Odd works.

It was very nice to see the kids in this environment. They where so well cared of by the staff.

The last place we went to where the Pashupati Nath. There we saw the funeral rituals and we also met the Sadhus, see picture.

This was a nice day, and we learned so much…