We are but specks in the universe. Only once before have I been so overwhelmed by the grandiosity of this planet, that I was brought to tears by what lay in front of me. The first time was at Fjdrarglijufur Canyon in Iceland. The second was upon exiting Tengboche Monastery yesterday. Our day began in the village of Khumjung. After a short hike out of town, we came to a junction. This, it was explained was the point where we would officially begin hiking, in reverse, the Everest Marathon course.  After this, we have—taking away two acclimatization days—four more hiking days to get to Everest Base Camp. I’m told today…

I’m sitting in bed, nestled inside my toasty sleeping bag. It’s 5:30am. I’ve been in Nepal for six days now. From the chaos of Kathmandu to the mighty Himalayas. The air you breathe here is so different. Thinner…but also purer. Much like the people. Most of them are Tibetan Buddhists. They’re friendly, welcoming, hospitable to a fault. Even the children will greet you with a ‘Namaste” as you pass. Today, after a short, but strenuous two-hour hike, we arrived in Khumjung, a small village, located at 3790 meters above sea level. We are 25 miles front Mt. Everest now. Along with neighboring Kunde, it is here that Sir Edmund Hillary…

Each day here seems to be more breathtaking than the next. This one was no exception. Our acclimatization day in Namche Bazaar took us first, into Sagarmatha National Park, where we got to see Mt. Everest for the first time. Then, as if we weren’t all sufficiently excited and downright giddy, we got to preview the last 5k of the Everest Marathon. I mean, WOW. Let’s start at the beginning. Sagarmatha National Park lies just above Namche Bazaar. It doesn’t take long to get to the main attraction. After all, Sagarmatha is what the Nepalis called Mt. Everest, long before the British decided to name the mountain after Welsh Surveyor…

The Sherpa Capital of Nepal It’s Sunday morning in Namche Bazaar. I’m lying in bed, at our teahouse, appropriately named Friendship Lodge. If there is one thing, that has been universally true since our arrival in Nepal it’s just how friendly people are.  Namche is the Sherpa capital of Nepal; the last major settlement along the trail up to Everest. It is, a stunning villlage. Nestled in a bowl, with views of the Himalayas, the entrance into town is nothing short of breathtaking. A Buddhist stupa and prayer wheels line the main stairway up into the center. At the bottom, women, in traditional Tibetan dress, are doing laundry in a…

Flying into Lukla Lukla. It’s the place every dream of Everest starts. It’s also infamous for having what’s believed to be the world’s most dangerous airport. The impossibly short runway, surrounded by high mountains makes it so that only small planes are able to take off and land there. The 20 minute flight is infamous for rattling even the steeliest of nerves. I would be lying if I said we weren’t all a little bit nervous. We were also excited. Excited to get our adventure underway. And definitely quite excited to get away from the lodge in Ramechap we had the “pleasure” of staying in the night before. But that’s…

Wow. What a whirlwind the last 24 hours in Nepal have been. A day spent on layover in Hong Kong already feels like it’s in the distant past. From the moment my plane touched down in Kathmandu, it’s definitely been one ‘go with the flow’ moment to another. The airport’s many quirks, just a small taste of the chaos that lies outside.  Kathmandu is like no other city I’ve been to. I’ve traveled to cities in Africa and Southeast Asia before. Their chaotic nature is somewhat of a given. But never have I been to such a large city without traffic lights or stop signs of any kind. I’m pretty…