An amazing thing happened on our hike today. On the way to Lobuche (last stop before EBC) we passed an area with several memorials dedicated to those who have died on the trek. I was shocked when I recognised one of the names on a memorial. Trevor Stokol, a guy I went to high school in Idaho with. I didn't know him well as he graduated only a few months after I arrived. But I knew of him really well as his parents were close to mine (he was also from Texas). H...

Well you never know who you're going to come across up here. The other night we were eating dinner in the tea house, huddled together, me slurping my tomato soup, hands cradling the bowl, trying to keep warm, when I noticed the girl across the room looking at me. I smiled and paid no attention until she came upon us and said "I know this sounds weird but, are you one of the doctors at Wollongong Hospital?". Turns out she's a paramedic and recognised me from the...

Well you never know who you're going to come across up here. The other night we were eating dinner in the tea house, huddled together, me slurping my tomato soup, hands cradling the bowl, trying to keep warm, when I noticed the girl across the room looking at me. I smiled and paid no attention until she came upon us and said "I know this sounds weird but, are you one of the doctors at Wollongong Hospital?". Turns out she's a paramedic and recognised me from the...

Learn to expect the unexpected. Things don't always work out as planned. You can't always get what you want. Man makes plans, God laughs...etc etc. This is what happened today. After a leisurely morning we set off for what was meant to be a 3 hour hike. Most tour groups ascend from where we were, in Tengboche, to Dengboche in one day, a 6-7 hour hike and, most importantly, an ascent of 650m (3800m to 4450m). This is quick, unideal, and often when Trekkers feel...

Today we left the busy village of Namche, bound for Tengboche. True to the guidebook's word, it took 5 full hours to get there. We initially had to walk up and down, up and down for about two hours, then straight down for an hour, before crossing the river on yet another suspension bridge and then two hours straight up. We wanted start early so we got up at 5:30 and left at 7. The hike was awesome! I felt so good, much unlike the other day's hike when I wanted...