The second day of the trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp is the first “real” day of hiking. This is because it’s the first full day — the previous day being a half-day from Lukla to Phakding — but also because it has the first climb and because it takes you from 8,660 feet elevation to 11,287 feet.

Day 2 starts the way Day 1 ended, with sections of little ups and downs known as “Nepali flat.” Most people stop for a tea house lunch in the area around Monju. During the morning you will get your first glimpses of a big Himalayan peak, in this case Thamserku, a 21,680-foot peak which at this point in the trip will look massive.

After lunch, the trail starts to climb steadily and the canyon becomes more narrow. Eventually you will be hiking right by the Dudh Khosi itself and catch a view of the famous “double suspension bridge.”

The lower of these bridges is actually abandoned, so everyone climbs to the upper one and then heads across — often after waiting for a pack train to come across the other way. Sometimes quite a group can accumulate on these bridges, waiting for the animals to pass through before hustling across. It’s nice if you don’t have to hustle, though, because the bridge and the view from it are spectacular.

After the bridge, the climbing gets considerably steeper, and the trail much more dusty. It’s also in this section that you pass above 10,000 feet in elevation, so you will probably feel more winded than usual; we certainly hope you’ve been preparing for the elevation by drinking lots of water.

The payoff for all this effort comes at a rest stop with a bathroom at the top of the last switchback: your first view of Mount Everest. An informational sign marks the spot and offers details about Sagamartha National Park. Up the valley you can see a group of snowy peaks; Everest is the pyramid-shaped one in the back, often with a wisp of cloud coming off its peak; that results from its summit stretching up into the jet stream.

The trail now mellows in steepness but keeps climbing to another checkpoint. And just a few minutes after that you start to see buildings through the trees, then you find yourself walking among terraces and past shops, surrounded by an ever-more spectacular view. You are arriving in the large Sherpa village of Namche Bazar, where you will spend Day 3 resting and acclimating.

Read about Day 3 of the trek to Everest Base Camp.

Trek the Himalayas

with Embark Exploration Company!