I was asked a number of times in the past, if I like hiking so much, why I never visited Nepal, which is undoubtedly the trekking capital of the world. The truth is the multitude of trekking options in Nepal made it difficult for me to decide on the first one.

I was first captivated by pictures of a panorama of mountains and aqua blue lakes stretching into the horizon that can only be seen from atop Gokyo Ri. Extending the trip to Everest Base Camp was an afterthought – it was only later that it sunk into me what I was committing to undertake.

The physical and logistical preparation for the trip over the last couple of months was the most I’ve ever done. It is this preparedness that allowed me to focus on the most important aspect of the hike – the mental discipline to live a routine for 2 weeks to get up and get going, no matter what.

The Khumbu valley is a holy land. And this can be felt in every ray of sunshine reflecting off a white giant, every scent of juniper, every birdsong and every snowflake. The Maker’s presence and the balance of creation is evident. One would only have to look, smell and listen.

The people of these mountains are generous, kind and genuine. Always ready to help and give their all without asking anything in return. Life is tough in these quarters but they make the best out of it with a smile.

In all, this was an experience that challenged me to my limits and enriched my soul. I couldn’t have done it any sooner as all the lessons learned in multiday hikes before were used by me to avoid trip-ruining pitfalls and to problem solve with ease. This was the right time. And it was the best time.