My husband and I completed the EBC trek with Island Peak, followed by a helicopter ride back to Lukla.
Nepal Hiking Team has been amazing in every aspect, from communication before the trip to our time in Nepal. Every detail exceeded our expectations.
We would like to take this opportunity to specially compliment and express our heartfelt gratitude to our guide, Netra. Beyond providing explanations about the trail, he ensured our well-being at every step. On the third day at Namche Bazaar, we fell sick, and Netra supported us in every possible way, ensuring we had proper nutrition and hydration to recover. He even carried our day packs to help us sustain our pace to the next location. Coming from a lifetime at sea level, acclimatization was another challenge for us. Netra offered essential support to manage our symptoms, especially headaches, and constantly checked in on us.
What touched us most was during the Island Peak hike. As a trekking guide, he could have handed us over to the mountain guide at that point and stayed back. Instead, he chose to accompany us to the base camp to ensure our well-being, health, and comfort. This meant sleeping in a smaller tent, more exposed to the cold weather and strong winds. The Island Peak hike was extremely challenging. By then, on the ninth day of trekking, we were physically drained. Carrying heavy mountaineering equipment uphill was an additional struggle. Netra volunteered to carry our equipment up to the crampon point, roughly 4.5 hours uphill, beyond which he couldn’t proceed without proper mountaineering gear. This act was especially touching and played a crucial role in our successful ascent of Island Peak.
On our return to Kathmandu, bad weather at Lukla grounded most flights, causing a two-day backlog for helicopter rides. Netra tried everything possible to get us onto a helicopter, even if it meant sacrificing his own seat. He had to make a two-day walking and land transfer back to Kathmandu instead.
Every action Netra took touched our hearts. To us, Netra is like a big brother. He said, “I’m not only your guide; I am your friend and guardian.” He put our well-being above everything else and constantly gave us positive encouragement and empowerment whenever we had self-doubt. He reminded us that we were like family and that we would always help one another.
Our porter, Dakman, was equally fantastic. Seeing that we were exhausted and unwell, he quickly carried our duffel bags to the tea houses and then returned to help with our day bags so that we could keep going.
In every way, we are beyond pleased with Nepal Hiking Team and will absolutely choose them again for future treks in Nepal. When we return, we will undoubtedly request Netra to be part of our journey again.
