Vijay Rao got ‘conned into trekking’ as he puts it,
after listening to the trekking encounters of a friend who went to Everest Base
Camp and Gokhyo trek. But unlike many others, who go to EBC on a whim and with
no proper training, he took his mission very seriously. Vijay knew
that planning was very crucial for converting his dreams into action. He
started by doing easy small treks that would eventually lead him to where he
wanted to be. He built his skills and knowledge over a period of four
years and finally felt he was ready to take on this monumental trek in 2022. I
had a discussion with him about his experience in doing the Everest base Camp
Trek.
When did the trekking bug bite you, Vijay?
I
started trekking in 2017. A friend who returned from EBC and Gokhyo trek, told
me about her adventures and I was fascinated. So, we decided to do a
small easy trek and my wife and I did Har Ki Dhun in 2017. Trekking was new to
me. I was in the Navy and had done a bit of hobby sailing and the like, but
nothing really adventurous. But I was always particular about fitness and
exercise and that of course made it easier to get into trekking.
My friend gave me a tip that really
stuck with me. She said ‘pick a trek that you will enjoy and when you come
back, you will look forward to the next one”. It is always important to start
with a trek that is well within your capabilities. We picked a good easy short
trek to begin with and really enjoyed the walking, the surroundings and the
company of our fellow trekkers. At the end of the day, we would reach camp and
there was a lot of camaraderie and fun.
What were some of the other treks you did and how did they help prepare you for the EBC trek?
We next did
Sandakphu, which was again, a beginner’s trek. After that we were forced to
take a break because of the Pandemic. I then wanted to raise the bar a bit and
decided to do a high-altitude trek. My goal was to do EBC, but I was not
prepared in 2020. Goechala takes you to a maximum altitude of 16000 feet. It
was the first trek where I had to acclimatize and understand how the body
reacts to a lack of oxygen. I needed the necessary skills and
experience to attempt EBC.
EBC is a difficult trek and I wanted to be absolutely sure that I could
take it on. Each trek taught me several lessons and new facets to trekking.
Every exposure made me realize that I needed the necessary experience and
information to get my boots on the ground for EBC. If I attempted the trek in a
half-baked manner, I would be in a soup.
How did you physically prepare for the EBC
trek?
In my past
treks, there were a few fellow trekkers who were in their thirties, but found
it difficult to complete the trek. They were completely unprepared and had made
no efforts to do the necessary exercises and enhance their stamina and
endurance prior to the trek. That taught me a very valuable lesson. At sixty,
it was all the more important for me to make the right efforts to prepare for
EBC, which was more difficult than the other treks I had done.
Four months before the trek, I started doing 45 -50
kms of walking, alternating it with running. Then I progressed to stair climbing and
walking with 4 kg weighted backpack. I then tapered off the exercise two weeks
before I went on the trek. It was initially difficult to do this post the
pandemic. But it is very important to get into this routine to ensure that you
have enough stamina. I also worked on strengthening my muscles, especially
those in my core and pelvic region to ensure that those muscles which would get
used most in the trek have been exercised and are in good shape for this trek.
Vijay, tell us about the trek and your
experiences.
According to me, the trek was more difficult than the other treks that I
had done. But I really enjoyed doing the trek despite the difficulty and the
altitude gain. The actual trail offered a lot more security than the others.
The trail was broad. It was easy to walk on the trail for the most
part.
The first day, there
was a gradual descent, and then there was a climb for 45 mins to Phakding. It
was a crucial day for me as it gave me an indication about my capacity to trek.
The Kathmandu to Lukla flight can sometimes get cancelled due to bad weather
conditions. Lukla is a very tiny airport and they will cancel the flight as
they don’t want to take any chances with the weather. Our group got split into
two and I was part of the group that landed earlier at 10am. Two of
our members got delayed and they reached at 4pm. The destination was Phakding
and it took me about two and a half to three hours to get there. I had ample
time to rest on the first day and it gave me the courage to go on.
The real trek begins on the second day, where we walked from Phakding to
Namche Bazar. The first part of the trek was not too difficult and then came
the steep climb to Namche which seemed never ending. Namche Hill was a
continuous incline. It was more of steps and some bit of trail. The
walk on the second day took me seven and a half to eight hours. At Namche, we
were able to rest and acclimatize and we went to see a view of Mount Everest
from the view point. But we were not able to see it because of cloud cover. We
got a brief glimpse of Lhotse though.
After Namche, we reached Tengboche. The weather started getting better
from Tengboche onwards. Most blogs don’t mention the subsequent days till
Gorakshep, as difficult. But for me every day was a challenge. There was always
a gradient and as you got into higher altitudes, the trek got more difficult.
We reached Gorakshep early, had a bite to eat and then headed to EBC. There is
a choice here, either we can go to EBC or Kala Patthar. Some groups prefer to
go to Kala Patthar in the evening. They get to see the sunset which is
spectacular against EBC and the other greats such as Lhotse, Nuptse, Changtse, Pumori and Ama Dablam etc. But
there is also a time constraint and one needs to get back in time. I chose to
do it in the morning and see the sunrise. I didn’t go all the way to Kala
Patthar but went up to the mid-way point where the view is spectacular and
better than the top. The evening before we went to Everest Base Camp. After all
that is the name of the trek and you need to take a photo of yourself next to
the sign that says Everest Base Camp 5363 metres. It gave me such a sense of
satisfaction and pleasure. I was also happy that I had worked hard to do this
trek and getting to EBC made it worth the time spent and effort put in.
The first day of
descent from Kala Patthar to Pangboche was particularly difficult. It started
at 3am in the morning and got over at 6.15 pm. I was
exhausted. So, if possible, it is important to add another day on
the descent if you can.
Some people opted to take the helicopter back to Lukhla. It can be an
expensive option, but also eliminates three days of descent, which can only add
to the fatigue and tiredness after reaching EBC and Kala Patthar.
Acute Mountain Sickness is common while trekking EBC. How did you combat this?
I decided that I would take Diamox during this trip. Trekker have
diverse views on whether to take medication or not as a preventive and everyone
is entitled to their opinion. One of the Youtube videos that I watched on
combating altitude sickness talked about trusting Diamox as an effective
deterrent to altitude sickness. I also feel that one invests, time, money and
effort in preparing for a trek like EBC and it makes no sense to fall victim to
altitude sickness when Diamox could have prevented it. I was taking 125 mgs in
the morning and 125 in the evening. I started in Namche and took the
medication till I finished my descent.
What were some of the other precautions you took to avoid falling sick during the trip?
I did Goechala in 2021 and during thesummit day, I realized that I had made a few mistakes.
On the final day, when we were to visit Goechala summit 1, I hadn’t eaten
properly and drunk enough water. I was dehydrated and weak and it started
telling on my body and I really had to struggle to get to the summit. I did an honest debrief of myself and
realized that I had made some mistakes because of ignorance and negligence. I
was also very tense and stressed about summiting and that made the trek more
difficult for me. I also had mild symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness and all
that made me doubt my capacity to do EBC. But when I did EBC, I drew on these
past experiences and made sure that I was adequately prepared. I made sure I
took medication (Diamox), I had energy bars and the right nutritional
supplements, I drank enough water and kept myself in good spirits.
The other thing I was very particular about is that I
would walk at a slow pace and take adequate rest. Most trekkers who are
sensible and aware of the dangers of AMS do that. It is also very important to
watch out for signs of altitude sickness (headache, nausea, dizziness etc) and
immediately descend or call for a rescue helicopter if required.
Some members of my group took raw garlic and also
drank garlic soup on a regular basis, as garlic is also an effective deterrent
against AMS.
It is also important that you don’t get hit by a
stomach bug and experience stomach pain or diarrhoea. I was particular that my
stomach shouldn’t get upset, so stuck to Dal Bhaat, the Nepali classic of rice
and daal and veggies and had a light breakfast.
What were the positives for you?
1.
It is very important to find a good trekking guide/
organization that will coordinate this for you. I did my research and asked
other trekkers before I made a decision. The trekking company that I went
with, were extremely professional and took very good care of us. Our guide was
very good and supportive and motivated us to push ourselves and complete the trek.
At the same time, he was careful to ensure that none of us suffered from
AMS.
3. If
you prepare for the trek and take all the necessary precautions (like taking
medication, walking at a slow pace, drinking adequate water and making sure you
are properly dressed) that are a must, you most certainly will complete the
trek and also handle altitude without any challenges.
What is an absolute must on the trek?
Hmm....let me see. I would say
1. A Down jacket
2. A
pulse oximeter to measure your oxygen levels
3. Insurance
that covers emergency medical evacuation by helicopter
4. Diamox
or medical equivalent
5. Medication
for an upset stomach
6. Positive
can-do Attitude
And finally, is the Everest Base Camp trek worth the hype?
This is an interesting question.
(laughs…) Yes, it is definitely worth the hype. The views of Everest and other
mountains such as Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Pumori etc are amazing if it is a
clear day. Seeing Everest from Kala Patthar is spectacular. The
entire trek is very scenic and it constantly challenges you and is very
demanding on your body and mind. The feeling of achievement at the end of the
trek is tremendous. I worked really hard to be able to do this and it was well
worth the amount of time, effort and focus that I put into it.
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