Finally made it to the Everest Base Camp!!

I am literally having an emotional outburst right now. My head is full of emotions, ideas and wonderful experiences I made during my trip to Nepal. All I was supposed to do during past couple of weeks were eat, sleep, walk and repeat. Walking through the himalayas, enjoying nature and relaxing and falling asleep amidst the highest mountains in the planet.. What more could I have asked for? If only I had known that things wouldn’t remain the same forever…

Unfortunately, I got food poisoning on our third day at Everest Base Camp. Having spent rest of the day in bed, I felt miserable. The next few days were difficult for me as I was not in my full form. I was drained to the core and had no energy to walk. Every single step felt like a new journey to me and was demoralizing my self confidence. I was just a ghost instead of the normal me, who flies across the hiking trails full of energy and life.

By the end of three weeks, I have had enough. Upon arrival at the next teahouse, I had already taken 3 courses of antibiotics and I was utterly exhausted. I broke down the moment I sat down on the bed. I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I was tired and sick of dragging myself from one place to another when my body had given up weeks ago. Earlier that week I had dragged myself across the unrelenting Cho La Pass, with the help of our guides. They took my hand and helped me climb from one rock to the next, as I couldn’t do it by myself.

I collapsed just one day before reaching my final destination :- The Everest Base Camp. Before starting the trek, we had an agreement. If one of us cannot make it, then the other would turn around too. One team,two people. Martijn easily said “if we won’t make it, we will have a great adventure anyway.” No matter how much I wanted to agree with him, I couldn’t. It was just a step away from living my dream and I didn’t want to let it go just like that. I was not ready to give up..not at all.

27th November – the big day!!

We left Nobuche as soon as the sun rose above the Himalayas lighting up the world again. First it’s a three hour trek to Gorak Shepa at 5.164 meters and from there it would be another 2.5 hours to Everest Base Camp. We trekked through a wide valley between the yaks and carefully crossed a glacier. Gorak Sherp was a little disappointing.

Just 1.5 hours later, we eventually reached our destination , the Everest Base Camp. I could see the tibetan prayer flags hanging and I finally made it.. I wanted to shout out loud and tell the world that I made it. It was something I can never forget. We spent about 45 minutes around the spot that is called Everest Base Camp. We drank hot tea and ate chocolate we brought all the way from Holland and carried along the track. We took pictures and congratulated each other with making it all the way to this amazing place. Though the base camp spot has been destroyed by the earthquake in Nepal, I was amazed by the landscape. I couldn’t take my eyes off the mountains. I felt liberated and powerful. I had reached the end of the world 🙂

Upon reaching the base camp, I was so satisfied and relieved. I didn’t have any urge to go beyond the point I had reached. Hiking on this altitude taught me that my body is not made to hike at high altitudes. At 5.000 meters my body was exhausted with every single step I took. Reaching Everest Base Camp was a dream come true but that’s where I draw the line.

We needed only 3 days to walk down while it took us 12 days to climb up. I got a chance to interact with everyone during the span of 15 days. I have tons of stories to share with the world. It was indeed a pretty exhausting and challenging trip for me. I can’t memorize my trip across Cho La Pass and it was probably not the smartest idea to continue walking at all after I got sick. While I’m telling my stories to those who asked about my trip, the disappointment in myself slowly transforms into pride. I end my stories by saying “it was a very special happening and I wouldn’t want to have missed it.”

I am so impressed by Nepal. Nepal and its people totally stole my heart away. The roof of the world has left a strong impression on me. The breathtaking altitudes I reached , the mountains that stood tall ahead of me, the pink squatted toilet I befriended will always be there in my mind. Nepalese people are really brave and optimistic. Despite of what they have been through, they are still smiling and coping up with everything bravely. They truly inspired me.

Source : https://www.we12travel.com/nepal-a-head-filled-with-emotions/