The trails we’ll be using are in great condition – they have to be; they serve as transportation routes between Sherpa villages – and the distances we’ll walk are actually surprisingly short. On most days, we’ll hike about four miles and gain 1500-2000 feet in altitude. That works out to about 375-500 feet of elevation gain per mile. By comparison, climbing House Mountain, a local hiking destination near where I live in Virginia, entails an increase of 1500 feet over 2.5 miles – a rate of 600 feet up per mile.

Of course, the equation changes a bit when you’re hiking above 10,000 feet, which is why this trek will feel harder than going up House Mountain, even though in most places it’s actually not as steep. The air at that altitude is thinner than what you’re used to and, as you ascend, it’ll be increasingly harder to catch your breath.  For that reason, the familiar Kilimanjaro climbing mantra of pole pole (“slowly, slowly”) holds true in the Khumbu as well.  We’ll take our time and enjoy the views, giving ourselves every opportunity to acclimatize well and eventually stand in the shadow of the highest peak on earth.

Q. What’s the food like in Nepal?

A. On the trek, you’ll probably eat a lot of pasta, potatoes and eggs. I tend to shy away from the meat options, just to keep my stomach happy, but, if you’re game, you can get yourself a yak steak or chicken cooked any of about a half dozen ostensibly different ways (e.g. chicken steak, chicken sizzler, fried chicken, chicken tender…). There’s also the ubiquitous dal baht tarkari: steamed rice with lentil soup and vegetable curry. It’s simple and tasty and it’s powered many a porter up the Khumbu. It’ll do you right too. Back in Kathmandu, two of my favorite meals are pizza at Fire and Ice and breakfast and a hot pot of tea on a foggy morning while seated outdoors in the garden restaurant at Pilgrims Book House.

Are you ready for a holiday adventure you’ll never forget?

-Erik