Top Ten Treks in the Nepalese Himalaya

Photo Essay: Hiking the Andes with Mountain Lodges of Peru

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Talk of the Himalaya makes most people think of Everest, and talk of Everest brings the name Hillary to mind. Imagine then being able to spend a night at the very spot from which Hillary and so many others began their assaults of this tallest mountain in the world. Well, you can, just like thousands upon thousands before you. The trek to the Everest Base Camp is today the second most popular mountain walk in Nepal and the path beaten by so many feet is clearly marked and well catered. There is the added bonus of cheerful Tibetan towns and red-painted temples along the way. Most time-restrained vacationers fly to (and from) the airstrip at Lukla, acclimatize at Namche Bazar—the biggest village in Sagarmatha National Park—and then head up the Imja and Lobuche Khola valleys to the Khumbu Glacier and Base Camp shelters. Peak peepers at the turn-around point walk the nearby trail to the top of 18,450-foot Kala Pattar for a full view of the surrounding arena.