It was, indeed, a spectacular, thrilling and leg-breaking effort, as we, literally, sprinted down the mountain slopes of the great Himalayas, in 3 days. What a grand closure to an epic Trek! 17 kms on Thursday, 16 kms on Friday and 18 kms, yesterday (Saturday), brought us to Lukla at 5.30 pm, yesterday evening. Every muscle in the body was tested and stretched, as, we carefully negotiated the steep gradients, loose top soil and uneven surfaces and, at the same time, to ensure that we did not get injured or end up with nasty falls. There are many Trekkers who take a Chopper down to Lukla after reaching the Everest Base Camp. I think walking down the hill is what really completes the Trek. Last evening, at the conclusion of our Trek, it was our pleasure to host the Team Leader, Asst Guide and the two Porters to Beers and a Chicken Sizzler dinner, with some delicious, spicy starters . It was euphoric, indeed! The 5 of us were absolutely thrilled to bits at having successfully completed this epic, magnificent, world renowned EBC Trek. During our ascent, we had first-hand experiences of Trekkers who could not complete the Trek due to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). Dangerously low Oxygen levels meant that they had to be Air evacuated to Kathmandu. In fact, our Insurance Policy for this Trek covers Air Evacuation in case of distress and poor health. Coming back to our dinner, last night, the Beers disappeared faster than they appeared on the table 😆. 12 days without alcohol and non veg food and the craving is at dangerous levels. 😜The joy and great sense of achievement that all of us felt at having successfully reached our destination and returned safely to Lukla (starting point of the Trek) was blissful and freaked! This morning (Sunday, May 18th), we took the early morning Dornier flight out of Lukla and arrived at Kathmandu, a few hours ago. Lukla is rated one of the most dangerous airports in the world. The runway, built on a plateau, leaves no room for error! 😛 Words cannot express our thrill and satisfaction, and, not to forget, a deep sense of gratitude to the Almighty for blessing our Trek with success, and keeping us healthy and safe, these past 12 days. A few days of rest is certainly called for. 😊 I will fly back home to Cochin on Wednesday, 21st. In the meanwhile, spend a couple of days here in Kathmandu enjoying the sights, local cuisine and souvenir shopping! Guys, thankyou a million for Walking With Me these past 12 days! Believe me, it's been unbelievable to have your support and encouragement egg me on, despite adversities and difficult conditions (not to forget, freezing temperatures)! Thankyou with all my heart! I will close this blog tomorrow (hopefully, or the day after, for sure) with an overview of a stupendous, scintillating, splendorous trek to Everest Base Camp. Until then, enjoy your Sunday .....😍👋 A titbit......the locals call Mount Everest, Sagarmata...!
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