I did a 14-day trek to the Everest Basecamp with Man Sunuwar from Man Odyssey Trekking Adventure Nepal in February 2018, and I cannot thank him enough for the experience and the help he provided. To give some perspective: I turned 70 shortly after the trip to Nepal, and I’m really not a mountain guy, having spent most of my life at sea level and near the ocean (I’m a diver). But Man understood the challenges (and my worries) very well, he found the right pace for me, and we made it up (including to Kala Patthar which was a truly magical experience) and back down to Lukhla as planned, and I returned to Kathmandu happy and in perfect shape. Most amazing!

Man and his team, with perfect organization and professionalism, truly took care of everything, so all I had to do was get up in the morning and walk. Man has been guiding groups to the basecamp for decades, is from Lukhla area, knows everybody and everything along the trail, and knows the best places for food and accommodation. The tea houses chosen were all fine, clean and wonderfully comfortable. Waking up every morning to the high mountains was incredible and something I am so happy I got to experience. And the food along the way (Sherpa Stew!) was fantastic.

I got violently ill with diarrhoea on the first day of the trek (probably brought that with me from Kathmandu). I could see that Man was worried about my condition and whether we would be able to get up and back in time. But he supported me in every possible way, let me have a day of rest, and watched over me for the rest of the trek to make sure I eat and drink properly to regain my strength. And it worked! And while we met quite a number of people with problems from altitude sickness, once I got the diarrhoea under control I felt completely fine (taking Diamox as a precaution) – I think Man’s programme, with its slow rhythm of hiking and acclimatization days, was perfect for me.

One thing about the timing: We left Lukhla on Feb 15th, at the very start of the hiking season. It was still very cold (especially at night), and at one point we had to change our route because it started snowing. But it was already beautiful and sunny during the day, with spectacular blue skies, and most of the time we were walking, a small group of people, alone in the high mountains, with nobody else around. The best!

So – Man. my friend, thank you so much again. And also thanks to our tireless porter, and to everybody else who helped. You created unforgettable memories.

Wolfgang Weber

Hamburg Germany