Waking up to the cool, crisp air and enormous mountains behind me was a great way to start my first actual day of trekking. Little did I know how much of a test both mentally and physically this first day was about to bring. The first three hours or so were quite mild, slightly inclined trekking which was perfect for admiring the incredibly beautiful landscape around us. Ryan, my best buddy from PIC Guam, his sister Kelly and a friend of theirs from Thailand, Mike, and I were so happy to be out trekking through this incredible part of the world. Everywhere we looked there was one breathtaking view after the other that continually had each one of us saying aloud, “Oh my God, look at that!” This place was truly heavenly.
The next three hours became increasingly harder as the we began to rise in altitude and become tired as we were getting used to trekking with 45lbs on our backs. Because we had lost a day at Kathmandu airport waiting for the weather to get better, we decided to do two days of trekking in one to catch up and stay on schedule. Maybe not the best idea on our first day of trekking, getting used to our packs and walking for hours and hours at a time. The two hours after the first six of trekking would challenge me in more ways than I thought possible as every muscle in my body burned from the long hours of uphill trekking. Every breath I took was shortened due to the lack of oxygen as we climbed higher and higher. The cold mountain air chilled my lungs, making it even harder to breathe. My head began to throb due to my body not being used to this sudden increase in elevation. We had reached a checkpoint where they checked our Trekkers Information Management System cards (TIMS). I was afraid to ask how much longer to Namche. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle another minute of trekking. “Two more hours”, replied the guard. Discouraged and unsure of my ability to make it, I asked God for some help to get me through. I'm pretty sure he heard me because those last two hours I barely remember as I pushed through and made it to Namche. I arrived delirious, dizzy and fatigued beyond belief, but I had made it. I was so overcome with relief when we arrived I could barely contain myself. Upon our arrival, taking off the heavy pack was enlightening as I almost floated around the town of Namche the rest of the night, nurturing myself back to life with the delicious local mountain foods. With a full belly and ten hours of trekking behind me, it was quite ensured that as soon as my head hit the pillow that night, I was out faster than Ryan could hit the light switch.
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