Nepal has begun. After an exciting flight and a short first hike, it’s time for the first real day of trekking. At 7:30 we set off feeling fresh. It’s around 0 degrees, and you warm up quickly as you walk. I’m together with Lakpa and Michelle, and upon arrival I’m assigned my own guide. After some beautiful mountain trails, I start to feel like I’m simply enjoying a pleasant hike in the mountains. My bag is carried by a porter, and around me I see people carrying their own gear as well I see older people making this journey. I feel like today is going pretty easily for me, and on a bridge I see a jute sack lying around. At first, I just fold it up, but then I think: I’m going to fill it with plastic lying along the route.
I’m not Greta Thunberg, nor a world savior. Still, in this way I’m contributing a little to keeping the region clean. After walking 13 km, I drop off my well-filled bag—several kilos—at a waste station. Why? No idea, I’ve never done anything like this spontaneously before. Why not?
The hike is quite tough even though I feel like I can do more. And especially knowing that I’m with Michelle, whom I admire greatly because of her prosthetic. After 6 hours of hiking we arrive in Namche Bazaar. Stunning, a magical place nestled in a U-shape among the mountains. A well-known stop and the largest town in the region. You can get everything here in Namche, from various bars to an official North Face store. A wonderful arrival point where we stay for two days to acclimatize due to the altitude.
The next day, I feel good and we have a relaxed day planned: 10 km to another village and back. After a few kilometers, this is also the moment I see Mt. Everest for the first time. WOW!!! My eyes get watery at the sight of this gigantic peak in the distance. Breathtaking and incredibly beautiful. A magical moment. After taking some photos of “the roof of the world,” my sherpa Pemba and I continue our route to Khumjung Village.
Khumjung is an incredibly beautiful and remote village. Many people skip it because they only want to see the Mt. Everest Viewpoint. On the way, we stop at a museum focused on plastic cleanup. I’d already fulfilled that duty the day before. Still, the museum’s promotional video raises your awareness. Everything here is carried by human effort, and the tourist flow is large. Unfortunately, that also leads to pollution. At the museum counter, there’s also an advertisement for “Everest Judo” in Khumjung Village at 3,500 meters altitude. After my sherpa asks around, we learn that this mini-dojo is located inside the village school. It’s wonderful to visit the school, meet the sweet Nepali kids, and glance through the window of the dojo. For those who don’t know: I practiced judo until I was 16, so this is special to me. It also inspires thoughts about doing something for this village—teaching judo, donating clothing, volunteering at the school. All noble ideas running through my mind. This village is truly a hidden gem, with a beautiful monastery as well. The school was built by Edmund Hillary, the first to successfully summit Mt. Everest. He did a lot for this region.
When I get back, I meet up with Acacia and Arthur, a South African couple I met on the flight. We enjoy a beer and some live music. I tell them that everything feels easy for me here, and I decide to carry Acacia’s backpack the next day. Sherpa Stan turning his noble intentions into action.
The feeling that I can do more leads me to decide to join Michelle in her attempt to summit Lobouche. To do that, I need to adjust my schedule, and the next day we have a long 16.5 km hike ahead of us.
Day 4 of hiking, with the extra weight of Acacia’s roughly 10 kg backpack, feels good for Sherpa Stan. On the way, we stop by a monastery where monks live at around 3,800 meters. My sherpa and I walk around, and coincidentally—or not—it’s time for them to empty the donation box, and I see monks counting money. Not small amounts, as far as I can tell. Again, the duality of religion and the many donations tied to it, something I also saw in India.
It certainly doesn’t spoil the fun, and the monks remain fascinating to watch.
Once in Pengboche, we reunite with Michelle and Lakpa the sherpa. Lakpa is experienced and has climbed Mt. Everest twice, and almost 30 times the mountain ahead of us: Lobouche Peak. He comes up to me and asks if I want to climb the mountain—asking with the same simplicity as if I were ordering a croissant with or without cheese. That’s how he presents the choice. I’ve already made my decision, but the moment he stands in front of me and I actually say yes, there’s that moment of, “And now you’re really going…” With some nerves, I still have no idea what I’m getting into. I haven’t done my homework about this mountain, let alone gained any mountaineering experience. For someone who grew up below sea level, this is quite something. I don’t think—I do, in this case. I’m just going to try, and we’ll see how it goes. That’s my mindset.
The next morning, I feel less energetic. The cold, the altitude, limited facilities, altitude pills for the first time, and of course the biggest factor: the nerves about my decision to climb the mountain. Slowly, we walk for about 5 hours to Thukla. Along the way, you constantly see the mountain peak. While you’re walking at 4,600 meters and see that mountain in the distance, it’s hard to believe that you’re going to climb to the top. You think it seems impossible… and that’s where it goes wrong—you start thinking instead of doing.
Just do it—that’s how I’ll end this blog now that we’ve arrived at our last stop before making our attempt. More about that later!
Nepal has begun. After an exciting flight and a short first hike, it’s time for the first real day of trekking. At 7:30 we set off feeling fresh. It’s around 0 degrees, and you warm up quickly as you walk. I’m together with Lakpa and Michelle, and upon arrival I’m assigned my own guide. After some beautiful mountain trails, I start to feel like I’m simply enjoying a pleasant hike in the mountains. My bag is carried by a porter, and around me I see people carrying their own gear as well I see older people making this journey. I feel like today is going pretty easily for me, and on a bridge I see a jute sack lying around. At first, I just fold it up, but then I think: I’m going to fill it with plastic lying along the route.
I’m not Greta Thunberg, nor a world savior. Still, in this way I’m contributing a little to keeping the region clean. After walking 13 km, I drop off my well-filled bag—several kilos—at a waste station. Why? No idea, I’ve never done anything like this spontaneously before. Why not?
The hike is quite tough even though I feel like I can do more. And especially knowing that I’m with Michelle, whom I admire greatly because of her prosthetic. After 6 hours of hiking we arrive in Namche Bazaar. Stunning, a magical place nestled in a U-shape among the mountains. A well-known stop and the largest town in the region. You can get everything here in Namche, from various bars to an official North Face store. A wonderful arrival point where we stay for two days to acclimatize due to the altitude.
The next day, I feel good and we have a relaxed day planned: 10 km to another village and back. After a few kilometers, this is also the moment I see Mt. Everest for the first time. WOW!!! My eyes get watery at the sight of this gigantic peak in the distance. Breathtaking and incredibly beautiful. A magical moment. After taking some photos of “the roof of the world,” my sherpa Pemba and I continue our route to Khumjung Village.
Khumjung is an incredibly beautiful and remote village. Many people skip it because they only want to see the Mt. Everest Viewpoint. On the way, we stop at a museum focused on plastic cleanup. I’d already fulfilled that duty the day before. Still, the museum’s promotional video raises your awareness. Everything here is carried by human effort, and the tourist flow is large. Unfortunately, that also leads to pollution. At the museum counter, there’s also an advertisement for “Everest Judo” in Khumjung Village at 3,500 meters altitude. After my sherpa asks around, we learn that this mini-dojo is located inside the village school. It’s wonderful to visit the school, meet the sweet Nepali kids, and glance through the window of the dojo. For those who don’t know: I practiced judo until I was 16, so this is special to me. It also inspires thoughts about doing something for this village—teaching judo, donating clothing, volunteering at the school. All noble ideas running through my mind. This village is truly a hidden gem, with a beautiful monastery as well. The school was built by Edmund Hillary, the first to successfully summit Mt. Everest. He did a lot for this region.
When I get back, I meet up with Acacia and Arthur, a South African couple I met on the flight. We enjoy a beer and some live music. I tell them that everything feels easy for me here, and I decide to carry Acacia’s backpack the next day. Sherpa Stan turning his noble intentions into action.
The feeling that I can do more leads me to decide to join Michelle in her attempt to summit Lobouche. To do that, I need to adjust my schedule, and the next day we have a long 16.5 km hike ahead of us.
Day 4 of hiking, with the extra weight of Acacia’s roughly 10 kg backpack, feels good for Sherpa Stan. On the way, we stop by a monastery where monks live at around 3,800 meters. My sherpa and I walk around, and coincidentally—or not—it’s time for them to empty the donation box, and I see monks counting money. Not small amounts, as far as I can tell. Again, the duality of religion and the many donations tied to it, something I also saw in India.
It certainly doesn’t spoil the fun, and the monks remain fascinating to watch.
Once in Pengboche, we reunite with Michelle and Lakpa the sherpa. Lakpa is experienced and has climbed Mt. Everest twice, and almost 30 times the mountain ahead of us: Lobouche Peak. He comes up to me and asks if I want to climb the mountain—asking with the same simplicity as if I were ordering a croissant with or without cheese. That’s how he presents the choice. I’ve already made my decision, but the moment he stands in front of me and I actually say yes, there’s that moment of, “And now you’re really going…” With some nerves, I still have no idea what I’m getting into. I haven’t done my homework about this mountain, let alone gained any mountaineering experience. For someone who grew up below sea level, this is quite something. I don’t think—I do, in this case. I’m just going to try, and we’ll see how it goes. That’s my mindset.
The next morning, I feel less energetic. The cold, the altitude, limited facilities, altitude pills for the first time, and of course the biggest factor: the nerves about my decision to climb the mountain. Slowly, we walk for about 5 hours to Thukla. Along the way, you constantly see the mountain peak. While you’re walking at 4,600 meters and see that mountain in the distance, it’s hard to believe that you’re going to climb to the top. You think it seems impossible… and that’s where it goes wrong—you start thinking instead of doing.
Just do it—that’s how I’ll end this blog now that we’ve arrived at our last stop before making our attempt. More about that later!
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