As the helicopter took off we grabbed our gear and started the journey.....

Lukla is a tiny mountain village that clings to the mountainside acting as the main starting hub for all traffic to Mount Everest. There is one trail that climbers , villagers , sherpas and monks all use . The distance is about 25 miles but it will take us about 2 weeks to acclimate to the altitude. Myself and Valentine are doing this without any guides or sherpas carrying our gear . We each have packs weighing about 26 pounds without water . We will need many gallons of water to fight the altitude problems each day .

Valentine speaks French English and Chinese and was incredible asset on this mission and also being fantastic human to travel with ........

We begin around 10000 feet above sea level . The Himalayas here are very lush and dripping. Everything is green. Temperatures moderate and we started off feeling strong and swift. Our gear and equipment all performing perfectly so far. The countryside is very poor and the tiny villages are incredibly humble and basic . It felt like going back in time 500 years

Sherpas are a wonder of the world . These amazing humans are carrying supplies and climbing gear for expeditions non stop. Up and down the treacherous trail. These guys on average carry about 185 pounds of gear . Its nuts. Completely sure footed like mountain goats they stride upwards balancing massive cargo on their foreheads with straps . Most of the sherpas are in basic clothing handed down from past expeditioners. We saw sherpas in flip flops carrying back breaking loads over the roughest terrain ........ Every few miles we would see a sherpa outdooing the last one we thought took the title .............

The trails winds up throught the mighty Khumbu Valley. Crossing many ravines and powerful rivers. Massive rope bridges help keep the supplies on their way. Sometimes a herd of yaks would be returning down the mountain and share the bridges and tight paths ........ Yaks are huge and they dont move for anyone .... We learned fast !!!

Moral at all time highs and feeling good. As i trekked i thought about so many people and things in my life . Sherpas were amazed that 2 white guys were carrying all their gear too. We were the only ones the entire time in Nepal .

These guys are superhuman . Biggest worker ants ive ever seen and the nicest !!!

Sometimes we would be trekking in the countryside for hours and see no one for miles ....... Every so often we would come across tiny villages and neighborhood kids would come out and be epic rascals and look for snacks or coins ....... These 2 literally held us up with paper aeroplanes and homemade stick guns. Kids all over the world are hilarious ...... They all have snotty noses too. Just a rad thing internationally !!!

Religous carvings in many of the rocks all the way up............... No idea who does it but it must take absolutely forever.

Couldnt tell is this poor laddies football was filled with snacks or if he was a real wild bastardo and it was to stop him biting folks . Either way it stopped me in my tracks.

Im hopin it was many snacks !!

Indiana Jones for days

On the trail we met the most drunkest man we saw in Nepal . He was fantastic . Kind of like a sherpa version of Jack Sparrow . All seeing and all knowing and all full space cadetting

He lived in this tiny shack and invited us in for tea . He gave us tea but he drank from a different kettle . I forget his name and im so bummed to this day i cannot rememeber. I always end up hanging with the villager that banishes himself from the rest of the town. He was a grade A maniac of the best kind . I loved him instantly . He showed us his magazine and newspaper articles about him and his sherpa team. Years ago he single handidly saved many many climbers trapped high up on Everest in avalaches. I really wished id taken a photo of the articles . Ive tried to search since but cant find him.

High altitude sherpas that summit Everest are the men of men . These guys carry gear to the most dangerous part of earth so they can feed their families if they ever make it back down to get paid ..........Its the most hazerdous gig and these guys do it all the time and no one ever sees it .........I dont know what the Nepalese words for "Giant balls of Steel"are but godammit these sherpas got em !!!

I wondered if our friend suffered PTSD . His tales from the summit of the worlds highest mountain were harrowing . He doesnt go up anymore . He was so great . I miss him !!

The mountain village of Namche Bazaar

The higher we get the slower our steps are . Its also getting much colder. At night its well below freezing. Altitude is really hard going. Each breath is harder to find. But we are in good health and keeping solid pace.