EBC 2018: An extraordinary adventure that I will never forget
Mar 2018 • Solo
Hi, I am Stephen Lim from KL, Malaysia. A first timer in high altitude trekking.
Before I begin, I like to say that the extraordinary adventure that I had was blessed with three matters: a caring wife, a good travel agency & a reputable travel insurance company.
Being an amateur, I needed a lot of information and advises to start my EBC Trekking. That is when I contacted Mr Tika Regmi of Desire Adventures back in May 2017. For the past 8 months prior to my trek on March 2018, I kept constant communication with Mr Tika. And he offered a lot of vital advises and information for my planning.
Finally, came March 13, the day I arrived at Kathmandu. Picked up by Mr Dinesh the guide, I was chauffeured to the hotel. Then I had a short meeting with Mr Tika.
On March 14, the team including myself were flown to Lukla by helicopter. To me, that was the beginning of my extraordinary adventure.
March 14: Lukla to Phakding
It was a trek that began with some descent and then accent. Cooling and a good trek. Mr Dinesh was a good guide. And after 4 hours of trek, I reached Phakding.
March 15: Phakding to Namche
It was a smooth slow walk as a start for about 3 hours for me.
But, my health was weaken due to food poisoning that occurred at Phakding on March 14. Severe diarrhoea and vomiting on March 15 midnight caused me the loss of proper sleep. I didn't have breakfast on March 15 due to loss of appetite.
The trek from Phakding to Namche for me on March 15 was torturous as my body was almost energy-less due to the diarrhoea. But yet, the guide Mr Dinesh kept motivating me until I finally reached Namche, after almost more than 7 hours of trek up the mountain. Again, a good guide from a reputable tour company such as Desire Adventures had made the difference.
March 16: Acclimatization at Namche.
My diarrhoea and weakening conditions of my health due to lack of appetite to eat had worsen. I had to make a vital decision: "shall I continue?". I decided...NO. Why no? First, my wife was very very worried about my safety & health as she was constantly being updated about my condition by the guide and Mr Tika of Desire Adventures. These gentlemen are my "communication channels" between me at Namche and my wife at Malaysia. My wife got constant updates whenever possible.
March 16 evening, at Namche.
I told Dinesh about my desire to end my trek to EBC. Now, what was the next actions should I take? I had communication with my wife, Dinesh and Tika via internet. And we agreed that I had to be evacuated ASAP from Namche to Kathmandu for medical treatment.
And here came the next vital point: I have a Travel Insurance coverage from a very reputable company call World Nomad. Fortunately, I bought the Explorer Policy which included an helicopter medical evacuation for up to 6000m. Trust me, this policy saved me.
My wife together withTika and Dinesh of Desire Adventures made many crucial arrangements with the insurance agenct and the helicopter agency for my heli evac from Namche.
One more vital point: efficient communication and swift decision making between my wife, the guide, Mr Tika of Desire Adventures and World Nomad had saved me.
March 17: Namche - Helicopter rescue
Finally, it was a big relief and blessing when I saw the sight of my rescue helicopter over the horizon at the heli pad sitting on a hill at Namche.
Within an hour, I reached Kathmandu airport. And, an ambulance from the renowned CIWEC Hospital was waiting for me at the landing tarmac and I was swiftly brought to the hospital for treatment.
This is my EXTRAORDINARY JOURNEY to EBC.
Thank you.