Hiking to Everest Base Camp
Gear Editor Kristin Hostetter is hiking to Everest Base Camp this week. Follow her progress here with live updates and photos.
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From Katmandu we boarded the 40 minute flight to Lukla, the gateway city to the Khumbu Valley. Pilots fly in using only visuals, and the runway is super short. Flights are often delayed by days and can be quite dangerous (lots of crashes). We lucked out with a perfect flying day.

Our first teahouse meal in Lukla. Tasty and generous breakfast of rosti and fried egg at the Namaste Guest House. [photo: Kristin Hostetter]

Our first glimpse of Everest on the hike from Monjo fro Namche. [photo: Kristin Hostetter]

Namche Bazaar is the unofficial capital of the Khumbu valley, and from here on villages will get much smaller. [photo: Kristin Hostetter]

Shopping in Namche for yak bells. [photo: Kristin Hostetter]