After what felt like endless travel, we landed in KTM around 9:30am on Tuesday. My friends Cindy Herman and Tony Hoff are along on this adventure. They will be trekking to base camp with me and then flying home as I continue up the mountain.

It’s wonderful to be back in Nepal! All the sounds, smells, crazy electrical wiring, and even crazier drivers are still here going strong.

COVID-19 protocols for travel are a lot easier now, which is welcomed! As all things mountain-related tend to be fluid, we have had changes in our itinerary already. We originally planned on a five-day quarantine in KTM. However, it is a bit of a COVID-19 hot spot at the moment, so we landed, took COVID tests, and plan to fly to Namche Bazaar tomorrow!

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We are going to spend two days in Namche to work on our altitude acclimatization. Because it sits at close to 12,000ft, it’s high enough to cause altitude sickness. Once we land, we are going to walk around and take it easy without exerting ourselves too much. Tomorrow, we’ll hike to the Everest View Hotel, where we will have our first view of Everest since we arrived in Nepal. We’ll also be able to see Ama Dablam, which was my first training peak back in October, 2020 in this Second Seven Summits journey!

We’re focusing on staying hydrated, planning and practicing our mental games, as our female (woo!) guide has shared that Everest is a mostly mental game. We are experiencing really cold temperatures with the extra moisture in the air, but everyone is doing great and is in great spirits!

About Namche: a village located 3-4 hours from the previous city. Traditionally, it was a trading post where villagers traded yak cheese or butter for agricultural goods grown in lower cities. The first climbers of Everest put Namche on the map. Its purpose and profile changed forever as climbing became more popular in the 60s and 70s, and as it’s topography and location are perfect for acclimatization and connecting trekking trails. Amazingly, it still only has 60 dwellings. Namche has prospered significantly from tourism, and is the wealthiest district in Nepal, out-earning the capitol city of Kathmandu.

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