We had done it. At this point we had gone over 3 mountain passes, 2 glaciers and reached heights of 5600 meters (18373 feet). Even though our trek was far from over we had a massive wave of accomplishment and relief flow over us. The hard part was over and it was all downhill from here. Upon arriving at the Yak Land teahouse in Chukhung we were greeted by a smiling Nepalese gentleman. He welcomed us and asked if we had come with a guided group. We told him we had come alone. He seemed impressed and blessed us with a free pot of tea and place to stay for the night. Having spent some time at altitude, once we started getting lower and lower the trekking became much easier. We seemingly breezed through 30 kilometer hiking days. The heavy pack no longer felt like as much of a burden as it did in the beginning. Maybe we had just gotten fitter along the way. Maybe the high altitude had given us temporary superpowers. Whatever it was everything after the third and final pass felt much more relaxing. This was one last look at the breathtaking Himalayas of Nepal from up high before starting on the long journey home.

This image was photographed by Vincent Schnabl in 2017.

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