My partner and I We weren't sure what to expect from this trip, how hard it would be, how the body would be at high altitudes having never been there before. From the moment we left the airport, our guide Raj was by our side until the end of this journey, accompanying us, supporting us and helping us to clear some doubts. In addition to being a guide, he was a companion-friend for chats and playing cards in the evening of dumbal and Romi (Nepalese games that he taught us).
Our adventure begins in Lukla, and we meet our Porter Subash, another essential teammate without whom we would never have been able to complete everything on our own. He really was the superman of the situation and we thank him very much for what he did for us, he is always smiling and kind, and all 4 of us moved together as if we were a family.
We reach our first 4000, the altitude makes itself felt, and Raj has always been ready and willing to help us and advise us on how to proceed and what to do. He had brought Diamox with him in case we wanted to try it, but fortunately, acclimatization took its course, and over the next few days, the body adapted better and better.
The tour of the three passes was a complex trek, with many hours of walking and a lot of effort, many wake-up calls at dawn, and a lot of adaptability, as our guide Raj said, you have to be positive, courageous and determined with the goal in head to complete it. We live in the mountains and we are used to walking and climbing a lot of altitude. From our point of view, it is not a trek with difficult paths or tracks and a complex altitude difference, but with the high altitude, everything becomes more difficult.
Precisely for this reason, I think the tour recommended by the company was the better choice than doing it in the other direction as the difference in height to tackle the passes is reduced. We recommend that you bring snacks with you throughout the trip and that you have cash in rupees to take any extra food, as the walks are long, the effort a lot and hunger the same :) however, the guide will be able to give you all the advice.
I also suggest perhaps a water bottle filter the water to save money and avoid buying bottles in the lodges for the whole trek and a power bank since the top-ups at altitude are high and are valid for a single device. However, All the effort is repaid enormously by the landscapes seen that I will never forget. Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lothse, Choyu, Everest, and all their glacial valleys are there before your eyes altogether. It was an experience that I will carry with me forever, and to make it even more pleasant and perfect were the people who made it possible (the company was always available from the start and always answered my questions by email, changing the itinerary according to my requests) and who accompanied us. We thank Subash and Raj again for their commitment and for the attention shown to the whole Nepal Hiking Team and to us. Namaste and Dhanyabad.
Erica and Giacomo
