EBC Days 10-12 & Kathmandu
The weather was a major wildcard these last few days. Some folks opt to take a helicopter from base camp to return to Kathmandu (shaving a few days from their trek), but because of the rain and snow most people were forced to wait longer and some ended up just having to hike down. I’m happy we finished it the way that we started, the trek wouldn’t have been the same if we just heli’d back (it’s all about the journey y’know?). It took 3 days to get back to Lukla (we spent the nights in Pheriche and Namche in between) and while we wer descending from the mountain, almost 7-8 hrs each day on trail, we had a lot of time to just get lost in our thoughts.
It’s another reason why I love hiking, I enjoy periods of undistracted time to focus and introspect. I recently watched this video about the PCT that had me reflecting on why we do certain things (especially when it comes to these crazy or seemingly impractical outdoor pursuits). And with the last twelve days culminating in us finishing this trek and returning back to the city (and eventually back to our homes and present realities) I’m realizing how true the quote in the video is where she says “we do these things not for the sake of finding ourselves, but it’s about creating ourselves”. It was only two weeks but it felt like lifetimes passed in between, and as the video mentioned the most meaningful experiences from these journeys always comes from the people. That’s why I’ve found myself reflecting the most in these blog posts on the conversations I’ve had with others.
We had a last minute change in our lodge on Day 11, rather than staying at the same place in Namche from Days 2 & 3, they booked our rooms for the Zamling Guest House. A minor inconvenience that ended up being for the best because the owner of it welcomed us with open arms, shared his family history in the mountaineering industry, and showed us the antiques and memorabilia in his makeshift “museum”. He also runs a hostel for 75 orphan children and explained how Namche Bazaar has developed over the years, the school that Alpine Ascents funded and built some years ago, and the struggles they face in this region (particularly because of the government). It’s very humbling to hear about the lives of the locals, and as I’ve mentioned in other posts how important it is for us to think critically about what role we play in either perpetuating the injustices brought about by this industry or investing time and effort in doing our part to alleviate present-day problems. He gifted each of us a khata (scarf) and I grabbed a carry-me-out bag from SagarmathaNext as we were leaving Namche and we headed back down the mountain for our last day of trekking.
On Day 13, once we were back in Kathmandu, we met some other climbers and had very enlightening conversations over lunch at the Marriott. A stark contrast from lunch the days prior on trail (when we were cold, wet, and having garlic soup for the nth time). We were with a few of Manal’s friends: Satish from SF (he summited Everest with her last year) and Jenia from Russia (a guide that frequent leads trips to EBC for folks from her country). We talked about how the standards and practices have changed for people that summit some of these iconic mountains and folks that fly into/out of base camps for certain summits. Practices that seem like they should be unacceptable or frowned upon, but people still do them to make their dreams and achieving these pursuits a little “easier”. Realizing that what motivates and drives some people is solely the prestige and how there are folks that you look up to and admire, but how different they turn out to be from the way they portray themselves on social media once you see them in real life on the mountain.
On Day 14, I finally headed to the airport, my mind still swimming and processing everything from the past two weeks. Knowing that it has ended, and as with most experiences in my life lately: happy that it happened but still drowning in bittersweet feelings. I was living for the moments in the city seeing tourists, locals, expats, and observing how people have adopted certain practices and made this city a home. The definition of “home” is something I’m still reflecting on lately and a concept that is ever-changing in my mind (and likely something I will talk more about in a future post). I like to go into these situations and experiences with few expectations, not as much “research”, and honestly just going along for the ride with an open-mind about what I’ll see and learn.
We do hard things not because they’re fun 100% of the time, but because we come out of them stronger than ever. We were tired, smelly, and uncomfortable a number of times on this trek but the joy and excitement that came from being immersed in nature and reflecting on the beauty surrounding us every day made it all worth it. Until the next adventure inshaAllah.
