My First Everest Base Camp Experience as a Porter Almost Stopped by Altitude Sickness
Young and dumb enough to underestimate mountains, that’s how I would define my first Everest Base Camp Experience.
I am Pemba Tamang, born in Kavrepalanchok and now an owner of Nepal’s growing trekking agency “Eco Nepal Trekkers”.
And today I will be taking you back to 2009, when I went to Everest Base Camp for the first time as a Porter. You mightn’t believe it, but I carried around 25 kg of load during each day of that trek.
This experience of mine is something that actually taught me how difficult the Everest Base Camp trek actually is.
Additionally, I also learned how Everest Base Camp altitude sickness begins quietly and then speaks loudly if you do not listen.
I hope that from this story, all the first-time trekkers gain some insights to prepare themselves better. Because if I had known then what I know now, my first journey would have been much safer and much kinder to my body.
Roots in the hills
Ever since I can remember, my father, my brother, and many uncles have always worked as guides and porters. When they returned, they always brought back photos with foreign guests under bright prayer flags and some postcards of Everest for me.
In fact, sometimes they even brought guests to our village as well. I looked at them and promised myself that one day I would walk those trails with my own strength.
And the day finally came in October 2009. I said yes to a porter job to Everest Base Camp. I felt proud. However, I was also a little anxious as I was taking my first step to see the up close view of the world’s tallest mountain, Everest.
Kathmandu to Jiri by road
Back then, many teams still started from Jiri. We took a jeep from Kathmandu. Nine hours on a winding road. Sounds tiring, right?
Honestly, it was tiring, but excitement was stronger than my fatigue.
And my brother had told me that the real test would start the next day. So, tied my head strap and I slept early.
If I knew then, I would have used the road day to hydrate well and stretch. I would have eaten simple food and avoided heavy dinner. Small choices matter when you are about to climb for many days.
Jiri to Phakding with my first heavy load
My trek felt real the moment I lifted the 25-kilo bundle. The strap pressed my forehead. I leaned my body forward and found a rhythm.
The trail rolled up and down for hours. I was nervous because it was my first day with a full load, but I was also excited as it was the first step towards the career I had always wanted.
The hills looked familiar. The purpose felt new. After six hours on the trail, I reached Phakding. I slept like a stone.
But the first day on the trail taught me something that I will never forget. The difficulty on Everest Base Camp isn’t just altitude. Maintaining balance, pace, and patience with a steady weight on your back also adds another layer of difficulty.
Phakding to Namche Bazaar: the shock and the lesson
The next day was long. We crossed many suspension bridges. The last one, the Hillary Bridge, danced in the wind.
I kept my eyes on the planks and my breath in rhythm with my steps. The climb to Namche is steady and honest. It does not pretend to be easy.
We reached Namche around three in the afternoon.
I was surprised by the size of the town. So many lodges without roads. So many faces from many countries. As a porter, I did not stay with guests in their hotels. We had a porterhouse.
I wanted to ask many questions on why is so, but I was shy and I was also tired.
That evening, my appetite fell a little. I felt a light, dull headache. At that time, I did not know this was the first small sign of my altitude sickness on Everest Base Camp. I ate what I could and slept.
What I know now: Namche sits at 3,440 meters. Loss of appetite and mild headache at this altitude are common. Hydration and a slow pace help a lot. A rest day matters.
Acclimatization the right way
We took a rest day in Namche. During those days, I really thought rest day meant zero walking.
But our lead guide had better wisdom. We climbed to the Everest View Hotel and returned to sleep lower in Namche. He always used to say Climb high, sleep low, that’s the trick to climb high altitude, you know?
That short walk helped more than I expected. My head cleared, and my hunger returned by dinner.
If I knew then, I would have tracked my oxygen saturation morning and evening. I would have kept a simple log of sleep, appetite, and headache level. A small notebook can prevent a big problem.
Namche to Tengboche: beauty and thin air
The trail to Tengboche moves through forest and long views of silver rivers and bright peaks. It looks gentle on paper, but the final climb to the monastery is steep. Bells rang softly when we arrived.
I woke in the night and felt short of breath. I sat up and breathed slowly. Suddenly, I got scared, my young mind didn’t wanna tell our team about the experience. I was scared that I might have to go back.
But it was a mistake; I learned later that many people experience this at altitude. It is the body adjusting to thin air. Warm layers, calm breathing, and honesty about night symptoms help a lot.
And always inform your guide if something like this happens !!!!! If it’s normal, they would give you a sense of relief; if it’s not, they can mitigate the situation in a much better way.
Tengboche to Dingboche: Ama Dablam and a heavy head
After breakfast, we walked toward Dingboche.
One hour later, I saw Ama Dablam for the first time with my own eyes. My father and brother had shown me that mountain in old photos.
But nothing can compare to seeing it in real life; honestly, it felt like a gift. I did not have a phone to take pictures in those days.
Regardless, the memory is in my mind instead, and that is enough.
A little below Dingboche, my head felt heavy. My body felt tired in a way that did not match the distance. By evening, we reached 4,410 meters. I tried to eat, but the food did not look good. I went to bed early.
What I know now: In Everest Base Camp, altitude sickness usually shows more at Dingboche. This is normal and predictable.
Dingboche to Lobuche: the hardest day
This was my sad and unforgettable day. The plan was simple.
Walk from 4,410 meters to about 4,940 meters at Lobuche. I had never slept this high before. The climb after Thukla is short on the map, but it is steep and it bites. Memorials for fallen climbers sit near the top. The wind is strong. Prayer flags crack in the air.
We reached Lobuche, but there was no space in the porter house that night. The lodges were full.
We had to walk back down for almost two hours to Thukla to sleep there. My legs were finished. My shoulders felt crushed. This was the most tiring day of my first Everest Base Camp experience.
If I knew then, I would have eaten a hot soup at Thukla before trying the hill. I would have asked the guide to confirm porter beds earlier in the day. Logistics protect health. A safe place to sleep is part of the altitude strategy.
Lobuche to Gorak Shep to Everest Base Camp: the hardest joy
The next morning, we went back up from Thukla, over the memorials, and reached Lobuche again, then continued to Gorak Shep. The moraine trail is rough and loose.
But such trails were also present in my village, so I know every step needs attention. I moved slowly and kept my balance.
However, a little below Gorak Shep, I felt a headache return. I told myself to be strong and continued.
We reached Gorak Shep, had tea, and then went to Everest Base Camp with our guests. The ice, the flags, the sound of the glacier moving under everything. For a moment, I forgot the pain in my head. I felt small and full at the same time.
We returned to Gorak Shep for the night. The cold was sharp. My head felt heavy. I could not sleep well. This is how my night went at 5,164 meters.
What I know now: Many teams celebrate too long at base camp and reach the lodge late and cold. A short visit, a timely return, warm food, and early sleep help your body cope with the height.
The cure that everyone forgets
The next morning, we started our descent. We went down to Pheriche. Air felt thicker. My appetite came back. My mood lifted with every hundred meters we lost. This is the cure people forget to respect. Descent is medicine. It is not a defeat.
From Pheriche, we moved toward Namche and then out to Jiri. We celebrated at the end. The guests were kind and gave me a good tip. Maybe I was the smallest porter in the team. That day I felt ten feet tall.
What altitude sickness actually felt like to me
It started with a dull headache that did not match my effort. Then a loss of appetite. A little nausea. Fragmented sleep with sudden wakes. These are early and common signs. At Dingboche, they were stronger. At Gorak Shep, they became loud.
There are red flag signs that mean stop and go down. Breathless at rest. A cough that turns wet or brings pink foam. Stumbling on a straight path. Confusion or unusual behavior. Blue lips or nails. If you or your friend shows these, you descend without delay. No photo is worth your life.
Everest Base Camp difficulty in simple words
People think it is a technical climb. It is not. It is a long walk at a very high altitude. The difficult parts are not ropes or ice tools. Rather, they are thin air, long days, cold mornings, and rough moraine under your feet. Put those together for twelve to fourteen days, and it becomes a real test.
With the right pace, two acclimatization days, warm layers, three to four liters of fluids a day, simple food, and a guide who watches you closely, the test becomes beautiful and safe.
If I knew then, I would have
- Added one more acclimatization day between Namche and Dingboche or after Dingboche.
- Started a doctor-approved Diamox plan early and have taken it consistently.
- Tracked my morning and evening oxygen saturation with a pulse oximeter.
- Carried less non-essential weight to protect my knees on the moraine.
- Spoken early about my headache instead of hiding it to look strong.
- Confirmed porter accommodation earlier in the day at Lobuche.
- Kept my gloves, hat, and spare socks inside my sleeping bag at night so dawn would not rob heat from my hands and feet.
These small decisions reduce Everest Base Camp altitude sickness risk more than big speeches do.
What helps most on the trail
Pace: Walk slowly from the first hour, not only after you get tired. A slow start saves your day.
Hydration: Three to four liters daily. Soup at dinner for salt. Tea is helpful. Alcohol is not.
Food: Simple carbs, rice, potatoes, soups, eggs. Eat even when your appetite is low. Small, frequent meals beat big, heavy ones.
Rest days: Climb high and sleep low in Namche and Dingboche. A short hike above the village and a calm afternoon below work better than full rest or hard sprints.
Sleep: Warm hat at night. Dry base layers. Keep the next day’s socks inside the bag. Avoid going to bed cold.
Communication: Tell your guide about your headache, appetite, sleep, and mood. Early words prevent late problems.
Decision time: Turn back on time. The mountain is patient. Be patient with yourself.
Everest Base Camp’s Real Difficulty Is the Terrain, cold, and the mind
My first trip taught me that from Dingboche upward, the land turns into stone and wind. Loose rock steals balance. The cold steals energy. Your mind must work harder to place each step.
Additionally, everyone should remember that fatigue is not only in the legs. It is also in the eyes and in the head. On moraine, a careless step becomes a twisted ankle. Poles help. A steady rhythm helps more.
Night temperatures can fall below minus ten near base camp. Mornings are sharp. Start warm. Stay warm. Do not sit in sweat after a climb. Change your base layer if you need to. Protect your fingers and face from the wind.
Your mind will test you. It will ask why you came. Answer kindly. Look at the line of porters moving like a quiet river. Take ten slow breaths. Then take ten more steps.
A word about guides and porters
As a porter, I learned the dignity of steady work. Fair loads keep bodies healthy. Good boots prevent injuries. A warm jacket and a fair bed at night keep the human spirit strong.
Guides make many small choices that you do not see. When to stop for tea. Where the wind will be less. How to spread the team on a narrow path. When to insist on a rest day. Choose a guide who respects safety more than the schedule. Choose a company that pays porters fairly and books porter beds, not only guest rooms. This is not charity. This is proper trekking culture.
Clear, simple rules for first-timers
If some first-timers are planning their journey to Everest Base Camp, here are a few rules that will help you out:
- Gain no more than four to five hundred meters of sleeping altitude per day after Namche.
- Take a rest day every thousand meters gained.
- Never ascend with a worsening headache, nausea, or unusual fatigue.
- Drink before you are thirsty and eat before you are hungry.
- Keep your hands, head, and feet warm at all times.
- Speak early about symptoms. Silence helps nobody at altitude.
- Respect cut-off times for side trips like base camp or Kala Patthar.
- Carry proper insurance that covers high-altitude evacuation.
- Trust your guide’s call even when your pride resists.
- Remember that descent is the strongest medicine on the mountain.
Small moments I carry still
Even though the journey in itself was hard, the moments I got to live still warm my heart.
Like a grandmother in Debuche pushed a hot cup of tea into my hands and told me to drink slowly. A monk at Tengboche brushed snow from one step and smiled at every person who passed. Near Thukla, a line of porters moved through dawn, each with the same quiet focus. These are the images that return when I close my eyes.
And these are the people I wanna help through our company.
What this journey gave me
My first Everest Base Camp experience as a porter taught me respect. Respect for my body. Respect for the cold wind. Respect for simple food and warm tea. Respect for time. Respect for the rule that health is the real summit.
It also taught me how to care for guests with honesty. To ask about sleep and appetite, not only about photos. To plan days that protect lungs and legs. To turn back with a calm voice when the mountain says enough for today.