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Day 12- We summit Kala Patthar

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 Our schedule today called for a 5 hour trek to Everest Base Camp with the Kala Patthar summit the next morning at 4:00 AM. Just before we left, we received news that we were booked on a helicopter at 6:30 AM the next morning to return to Kathmandu. This was extremely fortunate because we were a day behind because of the serious weather problems last week. We quickly decided to eliminate the trek to EBC and prepared ourselves to climb Kala Patthar. The day was bright sunny and cold as we began our ascent and with stunning views in every direction, we climbed 1,600 very steep ft. over 1 mile. We reached the 18,650 ft. summit at 11:30 AM. We celebrated, admired the views, hugged and filmed messages of thanks to the supporters of our fund raising trek. We also recognized and thanked the members, employees and volunteers of PACH as well as our valuable partners at FIBUSPAM in Riobamba, Ecuador. We ended our fund raising effort with donations of over $21,000 to our Permanent Endowment Fund.
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Day 11-We trek from Dingboche to Gorak Shep

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 This turned out to be a monster day. Our original plan was to trek to Lobuche. Instead, for a variety of reasons, we passed through Lobuche and continued an additional 3 hours to our final village, Gorak Shep. For other reasons that we did not know at the time, this decision, while making for an extremely long and difficult day, would turn out to be very fortunate. Our day started again with a clear, bright sun and we made our way to the important intersection town of Thukla. We arrived there at 11:30 and enjoyed a quick lunch with a couple from Northern Ireland. Then, we faced a punishing climb north up to the Khumbu Glacier in the direction of Everest. At the top of that climb we passed through an area filled with monuments to the many climbers who have perished climbing in the region. We continued on for two hours arriving in Lobuche. Feeling strong enough, we decided to press on climbing higher and higher in the now cold and windy conditions. We crossed the Lobuche glacier and, 9
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Day 10- Acclimatization Day #2

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 We awoke this morning in Dingboche to a crystal clear sky and a temperature of 9 degrees. (That includes the temperature in our rooms!) At 8:30, we left for our second, and last, acclimatization hike. Slowly, we ascended a mountain overlooking Dingboche to an altitude of 16,000 ft. This was a gain of 1,700 ft. in less than a mile; a very steep climb. Along the way, we hung some prayer flags, saw some mountain goats and chatted with other trekkers. As we climbed, we were blessed with nearly 360 degree views of many Himalayan giants including Makalu, Ama Dablam, Tabuche, Cholatse and many others. We rested in the sun at 16,000 feet for over an hour and then began our slow descent. At 2:00, we returned to Dingboche and at 4:30 we were surprised to be in a heavy snow. Most importantly, we ended our day in good health and great spirits with the stage set for our exciting final three days.
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Day 9- We Have Made it To Dingboche

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 Greetings from Nepal. After an immense day yesterday, we trekked another 7 miles over 7 1/2 hours and reached Dingboche at 14,300 ft. It was another sparkling day with breathtaking views in all directions as we got closer and closer to the giant peaks. We are very tired and a bit sore but super happy and in good health. Tomorrow is our second “rest day” and we will acclimatize up to 15,800 ft. This will prepare us for the next few days leading to our summit of Kala Patthar at 18,519 ft. We are grateful to our fantastic guide Jit Lama, and our porters, Jungue and Padam. Hope you enjoy the photos. Our trek began in a Rhododendron forest. It was 25 degrees and foggy with light snow when we began our day.  After about 1 1/2 hours, we looked back at where we started in Tengboche. What a beautiful morning it was.  Today’s destination was far off on the left side of beautiful Ama Dablam which you see in the background.  Good night from Dingboche, Nepal. 
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Day 8-We Trek to Tengboche

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 This morning, we were thrilled to wake up to clear and sunny skies. We set off for Tengboche at 8:00 rested and ready for a challenging day. The route to Tengboche is not overly long at 5 1/2 miles but it is punishing. The first 2 hours are easy going and incredibly scenic with stunning views of Everest, Ama Dablam, and Lhotse. Then the fun starts. The remaining 3 miles begin with a descent of 1,400’ and then a relentless, steep climb of just under 3,000’. We arrived in Tengboche at 3:00 and I’m not sure I could have walked much further. We visited the famous Tengboche Monastery and then warmed up in the warm and cozy dining room of our packed tea house. We are looking forward to another clear day tomorrow and a longer but less challenging trek to Dingboche at 14,469’. The next several days will be challenging and more serious in terms of altitude but will put us in the remarkable and beautiful neighborhood of the Himalayan giants. 
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Day 7- We Acclimatize to 12,900’

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 Today, we had what is commonly known as a “rest day.” While perhaps a bit less challenging, it is hardly restful. Like all trekkers do, our destination was the famous Everest View Hotel located above Namche at 12,900 ft.  This climb of 1,500’ with a subsequent return to 11,400’ in Namche teaches your body to adjust to the lower levels of oxygen as you ascend. The saying is “climb high, sleep low.”  Yet again, it was a cloudy, foggy and cool day. Today, the hotel should be named “Everest Don’t Expect a View Hotel.” Nevertheless, we enjoyed our day immensely. And despite the weather, several times during the day, the sky would suddenly open and offer a stunning glimpse of the spectacular mountains all around us. I will include a couple of them below.  We are told the weather will clear tonight and remain clear for the rest of our trek. Tomorrow, we will trek to Tengboche. We woke up to this… Literally two minutes later it became this… And this. And then closed in again. We visit the No
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Day 6- We Reach Namche Bazar at 11,440 Feet

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At long last, our trekking has begun in earnest and we have reached our first important destination. This morning, we set out from Phakding for iconic and historic Namche Bazar. This is always one of the most difficult days of any Everest region journey. The trek is roughly 8 miles long with an altitude gain of over 3,000 feet. The first four hours wind through a spectacular river valley with incredible views, many suspension bridges and challenging ascents and descents. The last four hours are straight up and punishing after crossing the unforgettable Hillary Bridge. Yak and mule trains are frequent and, while fun to watch, they can be dangerous and challenging to cope with. Namche itself is the central hub of the most popular trekking and climbing routes to the world’s highest peaks including Everest. You share the trail with people from every country in the world and hear a hundred different languages. Arriving in Namche puts you at an altitude of 11,400 feet and your body begins to
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