First Impressions of the EBC Trek | Lukla to Namche Bazaar

#everestbasecamptrek #nepal #himalayas

The first days of the Everest Base Camp trek were pretty eye opening. The 'small' peaks that tower over you on the way from Lukla to Namche Bazaar were of little interest to my guide. Yet for me they represented the tallest mountains I'd ever seen.

After landing at the infamous Tenzing-Hillary airport at Lukla at around 2800m elevation, most people make their way down to Phakding at 2,610m. However, we arrived at Phakding around 2 hours into the day so decided to push on past Monjo and then to Jorshalle (2800m).

Some people make the trek all the way to Namche Bazaar on the first day, though not only is this a long 8-9 hour day but also doesn't allow much time for acclimatisation. So Jorshalle it was. A small village next to the Dhudh Kosi river that runs down the valley.

The next day we made our way up the relatively short and steep climb up to Namche Bazaar, the last major town along the EBC trek at 3,440m where we would spend two or three nights acclimatising.

These are the 'boring' days as you make your way higher up in the Everest region. They were not boring.

Sure, the trail is dusty, semi paved with rocky paths and you're constantly manoeuvring around trains of donkeys. However, you're framed on both sides by the valley which are subsequently framed by the likes of Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku and other peaks/mountains. It's an incredible introduction to the Himalayas and makes you wonder what is to come.

Of course, you get to cross the iconic bridges that span the valley, the last of which is the 'Hillary Bridge' which is not only the highest but also gives you a final view of the valley before heading higher.

I don't know what I was expecting, but these first couple of days exceeded it.

0:00 - Start of EBC Trek (Lukla to Phakding)
5:03 - Tibetan Mantras
5:57 - Arriving at Phakding
7:22 - Himilayan Peaks vs Mountains
10:19 - Entrance to Sagarmatha National Park
11:41 - Jorshalle (2,810m) and first tea house
12:56 - Jorshalle to Namche Bazaar
14:21 - Hilllary Suspension Bridge
14:54 - How much do Himalayan Porters get paid?
15:50 - National Bird of Nepal
17:25 - Arriving in Namche Bazaar