The main thing I wanna do at my second trip to Nepal? To look upon the highest mountain on earth, Mt Everest. But not from a helicopter window. With the bit of trekking experience I have so far, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and taking the Everest Base Camp Trek.
Due to its popularity, it seems to be a very crowded trek, especially now when it’s high season. I was looking for an alternative route to avoid the crowds and decided to trek to Gokyo first, continue heading east to EBC and Kala Patthar and go down quickly via the crowded route from Gorak Shep to Lukla.

This is my detailed itinerary:

day 1: flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2.840m), trek to Phakding (2.610m)
day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazar (3.440m)
day 3: acclimatization day
day 4: Namche Bazar to Phortse Thanga (3.680m)
day 5: Phortse Thanga to Kele (4.200m)
day 6: Kele to Phangga (4.480m)
day 7: Phangga to Gokyo (4.790m)
day 8: acclimatization day, hike to Gokyo Ri (5.360m)
day 9: Gokyo to Dzongla (4.830m) via Cho La Pass (5.420m)
day 10: Dzongla to Lobuche (4.910m)
day 11: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp (5.364m), return to Gorak Shep (5.140m)
day 12: Gorak Shep to Kala Patthar (5.550m), return to Pheriche (4.240m)
day 13: Pheriche to Namche Bazar (3.440m)
day 14: Namche Bazar to Lukla (2.840m)
day 15: flight from Lukla to Kathmandu

Sounds challenging. I have a lot of respect for the next two weeks in my life. It’s not about the flights to and from Lukla, which seems to be the most dangerous airport in the world. And it’s not about my physical and mental condition. It’s the cold weather without the opportunity to leave which scares me. I will never forget these following two weeks certainly. Tomorrow I will go!