Mt Everest

Our journey to Mount Everest, also know here as Mt. Qomolangma, took us 2 days with a sleepover in Xigaze mid-way. The long bumpy bus ride was compensated by the rural and peaceful Tibetan landscapes, frequent stops for sightseeing, visiting the Tibetan Mastiff breeding region as well as the city of Gyangze and its temple (yes, another one 😱). Along the way were the endless barley fields for the production of the Chinese barley wine.

The weather forecast announced cloudy and rainy weather in the Himalayas, so our hopes to have a clean view (or any view) of the mountains were low. However, when crossing the last pass at 5200m... there they were, the highest mountains on Earth, clearly visible to delight our eyes.

One hour later, we reached the basecamp just 5 minutes before the end of sunset (what a luck, and hectic dangerous bus drive to get there in time). We finished the day staring at the colossal Mount Everest (even when you’re already 5200 m high it looks colossal) until the sun was replaced by the full moon and stars, what a perfect day ending!

Sleeping was hard at 5200m and with 6 persons in the same room and half of them snoring. Luckily, we woke up in great shape and full of adrenaline to marvel at the sights of the Everest during sunrise on a blue sky, freezing cold morning. We couldn’t have asked for better, this was probably the best moment of our trip so far!Read more