Day 7: Tengboche

Hiking time: 4-5 hours

We’ve had another amazing day today! We woke up to perfectly clear skies in Namche Bazar and were so excited to have a view of the mountains. The first couple hours of our trek were along a mostly flat ridge (what a treat!) where we got our first view of Everest. It was surreal to finally lay eyes on, and be so close to, the top of the world. It felt like every turn revealed a view more breathtaking than the last. I can’t think of a more epic landscape in the world! After a while, we stopped for tea in a little village and left with a couple souvenirs from our new friend, Karma. Witnessing the culture and way of life high up here in the Himalayas has been one of the most fascinating and special parts of the trip. Next we continued our trek all the way back down close to the river until lunch. Chow mein was a great reward. After lunch, we started back up, gaining elevation, chatting with other trekkers from all over the world, and watching the landscape change. Our last stop for the day was at a monastery that we were able to visit. It’s mind boggling to see places like this so high up here that are only accessible by foot, yak, or helicopter! We’re thankful to be cozy at our tea house for the night and ready to take on another day tomorrow. I think I speak for us all when I say, we feel so lucky to be here!

-Hailey Young