{"id":1034,"date":"2017-06-24T16:01:57","date_gmt":"2017-06-24T16:01:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/?p=1034"},"modified":"2017-10-08T15:23:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-08T15:23:54","slug":"ebc-trek-everest-base-camp-trek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/ebc-trek-everest-base-camp-trek\/","title":{"rendered":"EBC (Everest Base Camp) Trek!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Truly an adventure. \u00a08 days up. 3 days down. \u00a0Kathmandu &gt; Lukla &gt; Phakding &gt; Namche Bazar &gt; Deboche &gt; Dingboche &gt; Loboche &gt;\u00a0Gorak Shep &gt; EBC &gt;\u00a0Kala Patthar &gt; Pangboche &gt; Namche Bazar &gt; Lukla &gt; Kathmandu!<\/p>\n<p>Things to remember for next time:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take the Diamox\/Acetazolamide\u00a0(altitude sickness medication) starting at Namche Bazar<\/li>\n<li>Bring plenty of toilet paper ($5\/roll at the top)<\/li>\n<li>Bring hot sauce for food (menu is the same at every place)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Kathmandu<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve been to a dusty, noisy, congested Southeast Asian city, you&#8217;ve been to Kathmandu. \u00a0There are heaps of prayer flags, sacred Hindu sights, and the great Buddha eyes, those eyes&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000324.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1035\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000324.e-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000324.e-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000324.e-450x300.jpg 450w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000324.e.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Buddha Eyes<\/p>\n<p>The best reason to go to Kathmandu is to get to the trekking region! \u00a0Shall we?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 1 &#8211; Kathmandu to Lukla to Phakding<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Flying from Kathmandu to Lukla is a trip in itself. \u00a0It was&#8230; a little scary. \u00a0The runway is sloped uphill to slow the planes while landing, and it helps them speed up on takeoff.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Rl9wx3TJnO0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When I got out of the plane, I immediately noticed the sky-scraping mountains.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1037\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2-300x180.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2-768x461.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2-500x300.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000325.e2.jpg 799w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">View from Lukla<\/p>\n<p>From Lukla (9,383&#8242;) we hiked to Phakding (8,562&#8242;). \u00a0I&#8217;ll track the elevation because it will quickly become more impressive! \u00a0The hike to Phakding was along a river, in a valley, across suspension bridges, and adorned with prayer flags.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1377.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1039\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1377.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1377.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1377.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1377.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Trekking to Phakding<\/p>\n<p>I immediately noticed the incredible height of the mountains above me. \u00a0In my past hiking experiences in Colorado, the peaks were never that much taller than you. \u00a0You start maybe at 8,000&#8242; or 10,000&#8242; and hike to 13,000&#8242; or 14,000&#8242;. \u00a0In the Everest region, peaks you can see are miles above your head. \u00a0At my highest point,\u00a018.037&#8242;, I could see the top of Everest, but it was still 11,000&#8242; above my head!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 2 &#8211; Phakding to Namche Bazar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The first day I thought, this isn&#8217;t that hard. \u00a0Well, we actually LOST elevation the first day. \u00a0Day 2 was the first &#8220;real&#8221; hiking day. \u00a0Phakding,\u00a08,562&#8242;, to Namche Bazar, 11,286&#8242;. \u00a0It was a little more difficult, but again, nothing crazy.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1460.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1040\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1460.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1460.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1460.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1460.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Trekking to Namche Bazar<\/p>\n<p>The last part of the hike was over the top suspension bridge in the background of the above picture. \u00a0The hike brought us to the last big city int he Everest region, Namche Bazar, ATM included!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1514.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1041\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1514.e-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1514.e-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1514.e.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Above Namche Bazar<\/p>\n<p>We were eating some tasty food, below is a bowl of sherpa stew with milk tea and rice. \u00a0The other staple was Dal Bhat, kind of a vegetable curry. \u00a0We aggressively ate them in the beginning, but 7 days later&#8230; it because very, very, very repetitive (hence the hot sauce recommendation).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1482.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1042\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1482.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1482.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1482.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1482.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Sherpa Stew<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 3 &#8211; Acclimatization Day in\u00a0Namche Bazar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First views of Everest!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1044\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e-500x281.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1532.e.jpg 853w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On the acclimatization day, we hiked from Namche Bazar to the Everest View Hotel for our first view of Everest and a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4084.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1045\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4084.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4084.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4084.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4084.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>After our cup of coffee we hiked back down to Namche Bazar, relaxed, explored the curio shops, and prepared for the next day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 4 &#8211; Namche Bazar to Deboche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Snow awaited us when we woke up! \u00a0Then off to Deboche (12,168&#8242;).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1538.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1047\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1538.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1538.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1538.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1538.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Namche Bazar<\/p>\n<p>There were many Yak-if (Yak traffic) jams on the trails. \u00a0You just had to wait it out! \u00a0And also stand up the mountain from the the yaks because you wouldn&#8217;t want them pushing you off the trail, tumbling down the mountain, as they passed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1562.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1048\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1562.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1562.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1562.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1562.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Yaks<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 5 &#8211;\u00a0Deboche to Dingboche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A beautiful hiking day! \u00a0Also the highest elevation I&#8217;d been in my life and the first day of altitude sickness&#8230; \u00a0We hiked from Deboche (12,168&#8242;) to Dingboche (14,469&#8242;).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1624.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1051\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1624.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1624.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1624.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1624.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">A view of Ama Dablam<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4132.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1052\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4132.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4132.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4132.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_4132.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Keeping out the dust<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1636.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1053\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1636.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1636.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1636.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1636.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Arrival at Dingboche<\/p>\n<p>The tallest peak in the continental United States is Mt. Whitney, 14,505&#8242;. \u00a0I&#8217;ve hiked above 13,000&#8242; with no problems. \u00a0But hiking at altitude and sleeping at altitude depletes your body and by hiking to 14,469&#8242;, I began to encounter headaches, mild dizziness, and shortness of breath at night. \u00a0Not fun! \u00a0Despite these issues, we chose only to take the altitude medication &#8220;in case we really needed it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 6 &#8211;\u00a0Acclimatization Day at Dingboche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the morning, we did a short hike about a 1,000&#8242; higher than where we stayed. \u00a0The views were spectacular as usual.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1653.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1055\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1653.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1653.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1653.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1653.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Day Hike View from Dingboche<\/p>\n<p>When we got back from the hike, we were generally feeling terrible with headaches and sleepiness. \u00a0But it seemed like everyone around us was having the time of their lives! \u00a0It didn&#8217;t make sense, was everyone else in better shape than us? \u00a0Trained harder? \u00a0Something else? \u00a0We asked around, &#8220;are you on Diamox?&#8221; \u00a0The overwhelming answer was, YES! \u00a0We figured that was why everyone else looked happier than us, so we popped the pills.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 7 &#8211; Dingboche to Loboche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The next few days kept breaking my personal record for highest altitude ascended. \u00a0We were off to Loboche (16,104&#8242;)!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1056\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e-300x140.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"140\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e-300x140.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e-768x358.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e-1024x478.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e-500x233.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1666.e.jpg 1029w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Baby Yak!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1676.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1057\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1676.e-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1676.e-300x225.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1676.e-400x300.jpg 400w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1676.e.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Just another great view<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1689.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1058\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1689.e-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1689.e-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1689.e.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Altitude&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>The above picture is one of my favorite. \u00a0It was at our &#8220;hotel&#8221; in Loboche. \u00a0According to the chart, we were around 55% oxygen compared to sea level. \u00a0I can&#8217;t say we were feeling great, but the effects of altitude seemed to be stuck at just mild headaches. \u00a0Was the Diamox helping? \u00a0I assume so. \u00a0We did see someone collapse on the side of the trail and there was an almost endless flow of helicopter traffic from the mountain trails back to Lukla, so at least we weren&#8217;t that bad!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 8 &#8211; Loboche to Gorak Shep to EBC!\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The morning was spent hiking to Gorak Shep (16,859&#8242;), we had lunch (more Dal Bat &#8211; real tired of it at this point), and then to EBC (17,846&#8242;)!<\/p>\n<p>We kept wondering, where is Everest? \u00a0Where is Everest? \u00a0Well, you actually can&#8217;t see Everest that much on this trek, we did catch a glimpse on the way to EBC, but it was generally cloudy that day and didn&#8217;t get a good view.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000444.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1061\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000444.e-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000444.e-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000444.e-450x300.jpg 450w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/P1000444.e.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Almost there! <a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1715.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1059\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1715.e-300x201.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"201\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1715.e-300x201.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1715.e-447x300.jpg 447w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1715.e.jpg 715w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">EBC &#8220;summit&#8221; with our guide!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1060\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e-300x79.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"79\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e-300x79.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e-768x203.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e-1024x270.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e-500x132.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1719.e.jpg 1818w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">EBC<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 9 &#8211; EBC to Kala Patthar to Pangboche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The hardest day by far. \u00a0We woke up at 5a.m. to hike to the highest point of our trip, Kala Patthar (18.037&#8242;), and the best views of Everest!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1062\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e-300x96.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"96\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e-300x96.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e-768x245.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e-1024x327.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e-500x160.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1760.e.jpg 1502w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Everest is the black triangular peak to the left of the highest peak in the picture<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1764.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1063\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1764.e-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1764.e-225x300.jpg 225w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1764.e.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Everest is directly above my finger<\/p>\n<p>Once we reached\u00a0Kala Patthar, we hiked back to\u00a0Gorak Shep for breakfast, and then hiked a looooooooong 10 miles down to Pangboche (13,074&#8242;). \u00a0Exhausting!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 10 &#8211; Pangboche to Namche Bazar<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>At this point, we were just on the dusty road home, hoping that the water for the shower was hot in Namche Bazar (it had been a while).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1066\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e-300x169.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e-768x432.jpg 768w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e-500x281.jpg 500w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1802.e.jpg 853w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1803.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1065\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1803.e-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1803.e-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1803.e-450x300.jpg 450w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1803.e.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Trekking back to Namche Bazar<\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 11 &#8211; Namche Bazar to Lukla<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>What took us 8 days to get up, only took us 3 days to get down. \u00a0Our pace was fast, only hindered by the occasional donkey in the way.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1804.e.jpg\" rel=\"lightbox[1034]\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1067\" src=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1804.e-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1804.e-300x200.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1804.e-450x300.jpg 450w, http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/IMG_1804.e.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Day 12 &#8211; Lukla to Kathmandu<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Everyone we met, our guide, our porter, the other trekkers were incredibly nice, everyone was there for the same reason &#8211; to enjoy this beautiful earth! \u00a0EBC trek was not a vacation, it was an incredible adventure!<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"584\" height=\"329\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PgNKSqfywTo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Flight back to Kathmandu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Truly an adventure. \u00a08 days up. 3 days down. \u00a0Kathmandu &gt; Lukla &gt; Phakding &gt; Namche Bazar &gt; Deboche &gt; Dingboche &gt; Loboche &gt;\u00a0Gorak Shep &gt; EBC &gt;\u00a0Kala Patthar &gt; Pangboche &gt; Namche Bazar &gt; Lukla &gt; Kathmandu! Things to &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/ebc-trek-everest-base-camp-trek\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1034"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1162,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1034\/revisions\/1162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.craigpratsch.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}