Let me tell you, nothing prepares you for the moment you finally stagger into Base Camp after days of grueling trekking. I’m not usually a crier, but when those iconic rainbow prayer flags came into view? Full-on happy tears streaming down my wind-chapped face. Going with my sister was the best decision, we’d bicker one minute about who got the last Snickers bar, then be hugging the next as we helped each other through the tough parts. Our HC Treks guides were absolute legends, knowing exactly when to push us and when to let us nap like sleepy mountain goats.
The landscapes will haunt your dreams (in the best way): rugged trails lined with mani stones, yaks plodding past with their bells jingling, and the Himalayas stretching endlessly before you. That final push to Base Camp? Pure magic. One minute you’re gasping for air like a fish out of water, the next you’re laughing-crying while drinking celestial-tasting ginger tea with your new trek family.
