Greetings everyone, 

Today the team left behind the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu and have made our way to the beautiful and peaceful Khumbu valley. 

We had an early start to the day (5:30) so we could hopefully catch better weather for flight into the mountains. Thankfully it paid off as we were one of just a few flights that made it to Lukla before the clouds closed the flying routes. We flew via helicopters on the appropriately named “Everest Air”. 

The first day on the trail was pretty quiet and not busy at all, which was a pleasant surprise for all of us. There are no roads here, only a simple trail that leads all the way to Everest Base Camp, and it was mostly downhill today. 

Everyone is doing great and enjoying the fresh mountain air, incredible views, and the simplicity of hiking in the mountains. 

We have just finished dinner and are headed to bed after an enjoyable meal here at our tea house located in the funny sounding village called Phakding. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp Crew

Namaste!

The team finally has arrived after some very long and tiring flights. Everyone is doing well after a well deserved night of rest here at the peaceful and appropriately named Yak & Yeti Hotel. 

We started our day with lots of coffee and a nice big buffet breakfast, then had a team meeting to discuss all the gear and review the details of the adventure that we are about to head out on. After our meeting we headed out on a brief tour of Kathmandu where we visited the beautiful Monkey Temple, and the famous Boudhanath Stupa.

We also celebrated a special someone’s birthday today!!!

It's quite the culture shock visiting this busy city packed with nearly 4 million people. The streets are packed with people, motorcycles, and cars that honk endlessly. I'm sure everyone is looking forward to peace and quietness of the Khumbu where we head tomorrow.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew