Everest Trek Taught Her to Believe in the Impossible

This post is an excerpt from the original blog post by Shegufta Mahzabeen. Click here to read the original article.

“Believe in the impossible,

Then work and try and do

For only those who dare to dream

Can make a dream come true” 

-Anonymous Poet

These are the 4 inspirational lines that led Shegufta into the world of Himalayas in Nepal. Shegufta also had a dream of exploring the Everest Region and her dream finally came true this April, 2016. It was her first solo trek in the Himalayas and that doubled the adventure and its specialness.

Shegufta’s epic Everest Journey started on April 1st 2016 in Kathmandu. Her flight to Lukla was scheduled the following day at 6:15 am in the morning. However, the flight got cancelled due to bad weather and she had to reschedule it to 3rd April.

At 7:45 am on 3rd April, she embarked on her journey to the mighty Everest. She landed in Lukla Airport at 8:15 am and was thrilled and anxious about the journey ahead. Shegufta hired a porter named Fudourjey Sherpa, who also looked after arrangements for the permits for Sagaramatha national Park. After settling down her luggages and resting for a while, she headed towards Phakding. The trek to Phakding took her 3 and a half hours. Shegufta writes: “was a beautiful trek with cherry blossoms every now and then, Rhododendrons, prayer flags and the Dudh Khoshi River beside the trail. “

She started her journey towards the famous Namche Bazaar the next day. Shegufta writes:”On the way, I came across Sagarmatha National Park, a World Heritage Site in Jorsalle and the suspension bridge that was shown in the movie Everest (2015). It took me six and a half hours to reach there. The view of the village was breathtakingly beautiful. It is situated at a low point and is surrounded by hills and greenery. I spent two nights in Namche Bazaar, visited Everest view point from where trekkers get the first view of the Mt. Everest along with Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Kongde Ri, Thamserku, Kusum Kangalu etc. and hiked up to Khumjung (3800m above the sea level) for acclimatisation. “

She personally found the trek to Tengboche the hardest of all. It seemed like a never ending ascent to her. The Australian film makers she encountered on the way motivated her to complete the trail when she was nearly on the verge of giving up. Thanks to them, she made it to her destination and the slanted uphill trail was undeniably worth the effort. She writes:”The spectacular panoramic view of the highest peaks: Nuptse, Lhotse, Kantega, Ama Dablam and Mt. Everest refreshed me immediately. The Tengboche Monastery is the largest Gompa in the Khumbu region and Tenzing Norgey, who first summited the Mt. Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, attended this Gompa to be a monk. “

She found the trail from Dingboche to Lobuche and then to Gorak Shep adventurous. The major attractions were Island Peak,Imja Khola River, Mt.Ama Dablam, etc. After intense 5 hours of passing through rugged mountains, icy river, the Sherpa memorial at the Thukla Pass, she finally made it to Lobuche. On April 11, 2016, she reached Gorak Sherp at 11:15am. Then,she headed towards her final destination Kala Patthar. Reminiscing that day, she writes::”It was a challenging hike due to the steep climb and strong wind but the view was rewarding. The white and coal Mt. Everest was towering ahead with its majestic impression and other giant snowcapped mountains Lhotse, Nuptse, Cholatse, Pumori and many more were standing high with their magnificent beauty. The Khumbu glaciers and the amazing view left me spellbound and I could not but thank the almighty for this gratifying opportunity. “

Shegufta recalls the entire journey with pride and a sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Reaching the height of 5500m+ was challenging but it taught me not to lose hope, to explore my own strength and abilities and to appreciate life even more. 

Courtesy:dailystar.net