Standing on top of the world

Last March, I spur of the moment-ed decided to go to Hawaii. At first, I wasn't overly enthused about it because my mom and aunt had gone when I was a kid. It sort of seemed more like their trip than mine, but just saying the name — Hawaii — conjured up twinges of excitement. It was, after all, one of the most famous places on earth to see some pretty magnificent beaches and revel in the aloha spirit.

One of the things I researched before going there was getting to the top of both Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. I spent hours googling what the hike would be, and even called up both mountains to learn what the weather/climate would be like, what kind of clothes I'd have to wear, could I sleep on the mountains and where, should I bring my hiking backpack with me or leave it in the car, and how much could I feasibly press on if I felt the effects of altitude?

Turns out I had nothing to worry about at 13,796ft except a wee dab of peripheral edema on my hands, but it was beyond awesome standing on the top of Mauna Kea. There was a little cairn and I sat perched on one of the rocks at the base, backpack cast off to the side, swatting away tiny bugs that kept making a beeline to my exposed arms (gosh, were they ever annoying!). I also couldn't have picked a more perfect day: the temperature was 10C at the top with nary a wind, there was hardly any snow, the skies were clear with no real threat of incoming cloud cover, and I could see for miles around and below me.

Now, I'm looking forward to the same kind of experience. I scored an amazing flight deal that'll take me in and out of Abu Dhabi, but I'll be using that as a jumping off point to India and Nepal. And you know what's in Nepal? The highest mountain in the world counting from sea level. A friend and I are planning on solo trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC) together and I'm almost beside myself with excitement. Just think: 18,000 feet in the air where Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary once stood 61 years ago.

I've already spent more hours googling EBC than Mauna Kea/Loa and I don't even leave until April. The things that await me are beyond words: a suspension bridges that soar hundreds of feet over rushing creeks, super narrow paths you have to share with downward-heading yaks (keep to the hill side), colourful Tibetan prayer flags, rhododendrons and juniper firs in the midst of sky-high snow-capped peaks, the Khumbu Icefall just 100m above EBC and, of course, the mighty behemoth itself, Mount Everest.

It's becoming close to being all-consuming, the thought of being able to conquer a little bit of the mountain. The dream is still to get to the top of Everest but with the amount of money and training that's involved, there's no way that'll be happening in just a few months.

But for now, it's EBC.