Click the photos to enlarge…
Arriving in Lukla airport
Fiona showing kids photos of them on the digital camera screen
Kids in a doorway
A manny stone near Phakding
Looking over the river towards our campsite at Phakding
Chris rests in a lodge in Phakding
Chris and Paul starting the hike up to Namche
Bridget, Paul (at back), and Chris
Porters carrying in supplies for the higher villages
Yaks on a bridge
The same yaks crossing the bridge as seen from a distance
Local children making their own fun
Not sure if this yak is trying to give us a message!
Meeting the IMG sherpa team at Namche Bazaar
Our personal sherpas - Mingma Ongle and Dasona
A view of the nearby mountains from Namche
The famous Namche market - traders from all over the valley come here on Saturdays
More market scenes
The township of Namche nestled into the valley
Bridget turns the prayer wheels at a temple above Namche
Close up of the prayer wheels
Bridget and Chris
Yaks going straight through the main street of Namche
Fiona and Paul
All four of us at the Everest View Hotel (Everest is the mountain above Fiona's head with the big cloud plume coming off it)
Paul enjoying the sun at the Everest View Hotel
Paul is a bit skeptical about the Yeti skull which is housed in a monastery in Khumjung
Bridget, Paul, Fiona and Chris heading onwards and upwards towards Debuche
Coming into Tengboche
Inside the Tengboche monastery
Fiona receiving a silk Kata from the Lama
Paul after receiving his blessing from the Lama
On the trail again with great views of Ama Dablam for most of the day
Paul near a Buddhist monument
An action shot of the yaks en route
Bridget & Fiona taking a break on the way to Dingboche
Inside the lodge at Dingboche where we ate our meals (our tents were pitched outside)
Porters carrying heavy loads of kerosene to Dingboche
Bridget on a small bridge on the way to Dingboche
The small village of Dingboche - our tents are in the background
Local children dig up the potatoes from where they've been stored for the winter
While in Pheriche, Fiona contemplates a modern monument for climbers that have lost their lives on Everest
Paul, Chris, Bridget & Fiona on top of the hill between Dukla and Lobuche
Many monuments are placed here for those that lost their lives on Everest - a very somber place
Chris and Paul on the way to Lobuche
Our tents set up at Lobuche
Fiona at camp
Dan, John, JF and Paul trek up towards Gorak Shep
Paul near Gorak Shep - the last town before Everest base camp
Fiona inside our tent
Campsite at Gorak Shep
Fiona rugs up in the morning at Gorak Shep
Bridget near Gorak Shep
Chris and Bridget - just engaged! Taken from Kala Patar (Everest can be seen in the background - the black one)
Inching our way closer to Everest basecamp
Paul with a giant prayer wheel
A local Nepalese woman crushing seeds for flour
The group of trekkers and climbers heading in with Paul this time (2007)
Looking down on a sherpa village
Who believes in yetis?
The precious "yeti head"!
Inside the Tengboche temple
Paul receiving a kata as a blessing in one of the temples
Damien, Tim and Paul getting their blessings
Nepalese kids
Paul trekking into Everest basecamp
Just keep walking!
Paul, Damien & Tim on the trek into Everest basecamp
Enjoying a rest and lots of Sherpa tea in one of the teahouses
Paul and his trekking group having a break on the hike to Everest basecamp
Damien and Paul
Damien, Paul & Tim on the Khumbu glacier
Beck and Liz near the start of the trek into basecamp
Julia, Cas, Denise, Liz and Ang Nima on the trek into basecamp
Marg crossing one of many swing bridges
Fiona and the trekking group on one of the bridges
Marg, Liz, Denise and Fiona enjoying a hot drink in one of the teahouses
Looking down on the town of Namche Baazar
Beck exploring one of the crashed helicopters
The Edmund Hillary memorial near the first school he built in Khumjung
Sherpa people carrying their loads
Denise, Beck, Marg & Julia taking a break on the trek into Everest basecamp
Beck climbing a hill on the way to Everest basecamp
Marg - getting colder as we get closer to Everest basecamp
The trek into basecamp
One of many yaks carrying supplies into basecamp
Fiona - somewhere close to basecamp
Beck - almost at Everest basecamp!
The girls +1 trekking group meets up with Paul near Gorek Shep
The very start of the icefall from basecamp