So I just googled “Everest Base Camp Elevation”

Someone recently asked me what the elevation of Base Camp is and I was like “um…its pretty high…?”

I guess it would be smart to be SOMEWHAT knowledgeable about where I’m going. For those of you who are interested, Google says Everest Base Camp is about 18,000 feet above sea level.

To put this into perspective, the highest peak in North America is Denali in the Alaskan Range which reaches 20,156 feet above sea level. The U.S.’s lower 48 states more commonly reach the ballpark of 14,000 feet above sea level. The most notables being Mount Whitney in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains (14,505 ft), Mount Rainier in Washington state (14,411 ft), and several peaks in Colorado. If your a “peak-chaser” or avid outdoors-person, you are super familiar with the fourteeners.

Apparently “peak-chasing” or “peak-bagging” is a thing and reaching the 14,000 ft elevation is a huge badge of honor for this “adventure-seeking” group. I added the quotations slightly sarcastically here because there is some controversy about certain hikers in the nature enthusiast world.

To break it down for you, the stereotypical “peak-chasers” are generally only interested in reaching the summit to take a few Instagram-worthy photos to show the world how “cool” they are. They are in it just to stay they did it. The nay-sayers claim this group lacks true appreciation for the environment. They don’t take the time to understand local culture and they don’t respect the trails, often hiking areas that are prone to erosion issues due to heavy use. A friend of mine who’s hiked all over the world explained “peak-chasing” once like this…they focus their eyes on the summit and don’t spend time looking around on the way up.

However, if you’re like me and numbers are not your thing (like you didn’t even read those elevation numbers I gave you) then you’re probably not going to fall into the peak-bagger category. While I am excited to be able to “say I did it” once this trip is over, the trip itself is much more than reaching the goal of base camp. I’m most excited to wanter the Himalayas. I’m excited to see the streets of Katmandu and be immersed in a culture so different from life in the U.S.

I hope to include a little more on the blog about Nepalese culture and what I’m learning before this trek. Nepal is known for the beautiful temples, delicious food, the unfortunate 2015 earthquake, and many more things I’m probably not aware of. I’m excited to share a little more culture on the blog in the future.

Ok, so now for the updates on fitness, gear, and thoughts/emotions for week 4:

Fitness

Sunday 7/8 – 3 mile run outside
Monday 7/9 – Taught RPM
Tuesday 7/10 – 20 minutes of stair stepper, 20 mins weights upperbody/back focus
Wednesday 7/11 – REST
Thursday 7/12 – 45 mins of weights, leg focus
Friday 7/13 – 45 mins of weight, chest/shoulder/triceps
Saturday 7/14 – 3.5 miles run/walk

I’m super proud to report I lifted weights three times this week! Boom – goal achieved! Each weight session had a different emphasis and I made sure to hit almost all the major muscle groups. Let’s see if I can keep that going.

I had to skip my normal Sunday morning RPM class because I had a baby shower to get to. However, I was able to run outside for the first time in a loooong time and it felt amazing. On Saturday, I was overly ambitious and skipped my normal gym time for a run outside again. It looked so beautiful out! But it was deceivingly hot. I ended up walking more than intended because I ran out of water. The morning was still beautiful and I am glad I didn’t spend it inside.

Gear

I don’t have much to report on the gear front. I have several piles of stuff waiting to be returned and another Amazon box on the way, so I should have more to report next week.

One piece of preparations that I’ve totally forgotten about are the immunizations required for traveling in Nepal. I need two shots and a prescription for diamox to help with altitude sickness. I’m not a huge fan of doctors, so checking this off my gear list will be an adventure in itself.

Thoughts/Emotions

This past weekend we reached the 2 month mark! Two months until Everest! Overall, I mostly just can’t believe I’m doing this. However, at the same time I’ve been thinking about, talking about, and planning for this trip for so long it almost doesn’t even seem that crazy anymore. As silly as it sounds, preparing to trek the Everest Base Camp trail has just become a normal part of life.

However, it as become apparent to me with this recent question on elevation that I am just not thinking of some fairly normal questions one might ask when considering a trip like this.  Like, “what is the elevation of Everest Base Camp?” Or, “what affects does diamox have on your body?” (Yeah I didn’t think of that. Thank you co-worker Ashley for considering my health.)

So friends, please let me know if you have any questions about my trip – or better yet, if you were me, what questions would you be asking yourself??

Comment below or send me a message! 🙂

 

Catch up with my first weekly update here or my previous update here!