Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Hello again everyone.

Yesterday the team made an executive decision and took advantage of the helicopters flying gear into base camp and hopped a ride from Gorak Shep to Namche. This short but scenic ride provided a spectacular view of the route and surrounding mountains as well as saved our legs from 20+ miles of hard hiking.

You would not believe how amazing 11,000 ft could feel after spending eight days above. But wow, it was delightful and the warmth was easily welcomed. We stayed the night and once again awoke to beautiful clear skies in Namche.

So today we finished the trek out to Lukla, where we started this journey after a nine hour hike. It was surreal to descend into the trees and see all of the flowers and rhododendrons that seemed to have come to life in just two weeks.

Everyone is doing great and refreshed after all the thick and humid air, and the super hot showers didn’t hurt either. We wrapped up the evening with dinner and handed out our tips to our amazing porters, and guides who worked incredibly hard to help us on this adventure. Without them it would be nearly impossible.

We are hoping for good weather tomorrow morning so we can catch our heli’s back to Kathmandu.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the BC crew!

Tashi Delek!

We made it to Pheriche and we’re officially in the Khumbu valley. That feels good to say.

We had such a special day with a stop at the Pangboche Monastery - it’s one of the oldest monasteries in the region and was founded in the early 16th century.

We were lucky enough to receive a blessing from the llama (Tibetan word for monk) and we all agreed it was a really memorable experience. Sitting on the floor surrounded by intricate woodwork, murals painted centuries ago as the llama chanted and made offerings for our safe passage in these mountains. Pangboche and the monastery is a haven of ancient wisdom and natural beauty with Ama Dablam beaming in the background.

After we received our katas (traditional white scarves) conveying wishes for a safe journey from the Llama, we said goodbye to Pangboche and made our way to Pheriche. Ama Dablam and the big mountains shining all around us the whole way.

We’re at 14,000 feet now and we’re feeling the altitude a little bit as our bodies are working hard to acclimate. Good news for us is we have 2 nights here to help that process!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

P.S. how could I forget? We also got our first views of Lobuche. Ooooo, she’s looking so pretty!

Saturday, March 22, 2025 - 9:15 pm PT

Namaste everyone!

We are back from Everest Base Camp! All is well and the team is doing great. We had an amazing time and adventure the last few days on the Khumbu Glacier.

Our hike into BC was clear, beautiful and there was big wind high in the mountains that made it a touch chilly. The wind high on Everest was so strong we could hear it ripping across the mountain from several thousand feet below. Once in camp we had a nice hot lunch and then most of the team took naps in the warmth of the tents. We had a big dinner and then it was off to bed after the long trek. Camp is directly on the glacier, although it’s covered in rock and doesn’t seem like we are on ice. However, the constant cracking, popping, and pinging that the glacier makes at night reminds us of where we are.

Our second day at camp we had hot showers, explored camp and then went for a walk to see where the start of the route up the icefall starts. We even managed to see the icefall doctors making their way slowly as they pioneered their way up the endless maze of blocks of ice.

Today the team is headed downhill and we are all looking forward to warmer temps and the thicker air!!!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Base Camp crew.

What a day! What a day!

We seem to have settled into the trail life, finally leaving the jet lag and nerves surrounding what to expect on the trip behind and walking with ease.

We climbed to the top of Namche this morning and traversed along a winding trail. Patchy clouds stuck around from a little snow last night but we still had some beautiful mountain views.

Nawang, one of our Sherpa guides, spotted two Himalayan tahr - a type of mountain goat - below the trail today. What a lucky sight! We all would have walked right past them even though we were keeping our eyes out.

The clouds got more dense as we left our lunch break for the big hill climb to Tengboche. Soon after, it started snowing. It was a peaceful and quiet snow and we mostly climbed in silence just taking it all in.

We made it to the top of the hill and the ancient Tengboche monastery. It was so special to be there and spend some time learning about the sacred site.

Soon we found ourselves descending to Rivendell — our teahouse for the night. While the snow continued outside, we stayed cozy in the dining room playing Farkle and Bananagrams! Some of us kept track of our score on our phones and some of us *cough cough David* kept track using almonds and pistachios. I guess the almond method worked because he beat us all.

The snow continues outside our windows but we’re all tucked in under sleeping bags and ample warm blankets.

Sweet dreams from the Himalayas!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

The goal for today was to take care of ourselves and do what we needed to do to be ready to go higher tomorrow.

We had a couple options for the day but we all chose to take a short hike to the top of Namche to see views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam! We stood in the sun, talked about the routes and conditions on the mountains (it’s been a very low snow year so they all look a little barren) and then headed into the museum next door to learn more about the Himalayas and the people who live here.

We spent the afternoon exploring the shops and cafes around Namche Bazaar and having lunch at Eat Smart (think yummy sandwiches, fresh juices and warm soups). Some of us got pampered with a $7 hairwash and blowout - who would guess we’d have these amenities over 11,000 feet in the middle of the Himalayas?

With full bellies and clean hair, we headed back to our teahouse just in time for an afternoon snack of tea, yak cheese and crackers.

Ah, the life of a rest day in Namche. We lived it up! And are ready to keep heading uphill tomorrow.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

Thursday, March 20, 2025 - 5:10 pm PT

The daily life is rewarding out here and part of that is how simple it is. We woke up in Phakding this morning and had a delicious breakfast. The dining room was cozy and heated by a stove in the middle of the room. Soon, we said our goodbyes to Nawang (the owner of the teahouse who smiles with his whole face) and started the hike to Namche.

We meandered along the side of the Dudh Koshi river, so vibrant with its blue rushing water.

We crossed many suspension bridges, one time we even made it half way across one before a big mule train faced us down from the other side - we backtracked! You never challenge a mule on a hanging bridge.

Soon we found ourselves at the base of the Namche hill - we slowed our pace and moved together one step at a time. Halfway up, we saw a glimpse of Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) and that was the boost we needed to keep going.

Being close to nature, having a great community with this team and having a goal each day to enjoy the moment we are in - this is the simple life but it feels like pure happiness.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche team

Hello again everyone.

Today the team once again woke to beautiful clear skies and mountains in all directions.

As per usual, we hit the trail after breakfast and slowly made our way further up valley to the village before Base Camp, called Gorak Shep. Which in the Sherpa language means “place where the Raven died”. And it’s very fitting.

Being the last village means there are less tea houses = busier and food quality diminishes. Plus it doubles as storage for the Everest expeditions gear while they aren’t climbing.  It’s a dry dusty place and we are happy to be only spending one night here.

Once at camp we had a nice lunch and then a few of us ventured out to hike up Kala Patar Which means black rock. About half way up there are spectacular views of Everest and we stopped to take a few pictures. While some called it good, a couple of us finished hiking to the highest point roughly 18’500ft.

Everyone is doing well and very excited to make it to Base Camp tomorrow.

And just so everyone back home knows, once we reach Base Camp, there may not be cell reception or probably no WiFi either.  We might be off grid for two days, but I promise I’ll update as soon as we are back in service.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the nearly at Base Camp crew!

There were perma-grins on our face today as we flew into the Himalayas. We got so lucky with nearly perfect weather and amazing views of the highest mountains in the world.

We got an early start and after landing in Lukla headed to the Sunrise Teahouse. We sat in the window-filled dining room and enjoyed tea, coffee, and our first (of many!) teahouse breakfasts. We watched the planes and helicopters fly in and out. Met our incredible Sherpa team - Dawa, Kala, Jangbu and Nawang and eventually began our trek.

Even though the trail can be described as “sometimes up, sometimes down” today was mostly trending down. We crossed our first suspension bridges and breathed deep in the peace of the walking.

We learned yesterday about the importance of enjoying the moment you are in and we definitely did that when we walked to the bakery this afternoon and enjoyed fresh cookies, cakes and bread.

It feels so good to finally be in the mountains.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Lobuche Team

Hello again from Nepal -

Today was another beautiful day here in the Himalayas albeit just a little windy.

The team had breakfast and lots of coffee and hit the trail just around 8am. It was enjoyable hiking in the warm of the sun except for when the wind would howl a bit.

It was a relatively short day as we bumped up to just over 16’000ft. It took the team about 4.5 hrs to make it to Loboche, named after the mountain that looms above us. Along the way we pass over Thukla pass where there is a memorial to those lost on Everest over the years. It’s a pretty somber place with over 50 chortens built in memory to the climbers.

Once at our new tea house we had lunch, napped, and then walked over to view the Khumbu Glacier, wehere we could just barely make out Everest Base Camp far off in the distance.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the BC Crew!

Namaste - we made it to Kathmandu!

The Lobuche climbing team has all arrived in country. We hit the ground running today with our first team meeting followed by a round of gear checks.

Before we knew it, it was time to head out to experience the sights and sounds of Kathmandu. We loaded the van and were propelled by the honks, horns and beeps from the cars and bikes around us as we made our way to the Boudhanath - our first of two UNESCO world heritage sites we visited.

We strolled around the gleaming white dome and visited an ancient silk Thangka painting school where we learned more about this vital part of the Tibetan Buddhist culture and took in the detailed and vivid paintings.

Next thing we knew, we were at Swayambhu also affectionately known as the “monkey temple”. We reveled in the views over the city and snapped wayyyy too many photos and videos of monkeys being cute as heck. Don’t worry! We kept the proper distance and no phones, water bottles or snacks were snatched by the smart little guys.

The jet leg started to hit about then so we headed to Thamel - a vibrant area of town full of shops, restaurants, trinkets and treasures galore. We powered through an early dinner, picked up some last minute gear and headed back to the hotel.

We’re all doing some final packing before we fly to Lukla early tomorrow morning. Cross your fingers for good weather!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel