It’s called the mother of all treks. It’s featured in “The 10 Best treks in the world” list by Lonely Planet. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/tasmania/travel-tips-and-articles/76228
All this did not matter to me when I agreed to do this trek. For me it was simple…If I cannot climb the Mount Everest, I could very well go to its base. And well before my knees complain and lungs crib to cooperate.
It was much later that it struck me that it’s no cake walk, I need to prepare.
Here I was going on the by far the most challenging trek in the Khumbu region…..the Nepalese side of Mt Everest is officially called Khumbu. It’s called the most arduous trek for non professional mountaineers/trekkers. But then I wasn’t doing something people like me (read naïve trekking enthusiast) don’t do. Thousands trek to the base camp every year. And like them I prepare.
The aim is to reach the Everest Base Camp…the camp where summit climbers camp while they aim to reach the top of the tallest mountain in the world.
The other point to remember is that I would be trekking to reach a height of 5643m at Kalapatthar and 5380m at the base camp. I need to be fit. There is the omnipresent risk of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS); I could not add non fitness to it. Add to it the cold temperatures, long days, longer walks and a low partial pressure of oxygen. Do I dare be unfit!! No chance!!
So I prepare.
A regular to the gym, it still did not bode well that I could not manage steps continuously without going out of breath. So out goes the regular gym routine and in comes in a new customised workout that literally wrings out the laziness and laid back attitude out of me!!!
Soon I realize the body is a fabulous work of engineering. A steady exercise regime builds my calf, thigh muscles; increases my stamina, endurance capacity and sheer lung power. Now if you walk close to 8 kms on undulated surfaces in about an hour and a half, you come close. Add to it climbing and getting down close to 2000 steps twice/thrice a week….it gives you a firsthand reality check about your fitness level!!!! And boy…did I get the shock of my life!!!! Which I overcame with sheer determination and will power…oh…and hard work too J
Being a night time owl…read..raat ki raani….it gave me a renewed appreciation to the glory of the rising sun, chirping birds, dew drops on leaves and the fresh clean cool morning air. The days just got long enough for me to get a whole lot of things done. I was not sleeping away those couple of early hours, you see… ;)
A disciplined schedule of what you want to do is a great motivator. I no longer need an alarm to wake up in the wee hours of the morning. My body and mind are ready and willing…...sometimes before time.
I have a fabulous team of co-trekkers who train with me. We push our bodies to however much we can.....and then some more, goad each other to excel, have bonded and look forward to a fabulous two weeks.
I see only benefits.
