If you’ve been following me on YouTube for a while, you might remember back in September 2022 when I took off on my very first international trek: a 7-day adventure to Everest Basecamp with a helicopter ride back down. It was bold, it was beautiful, and it inspired me to want to do more international treks.
That trip was more than just a trek. It lit a fire in me, a deep desire to return to the Himalayas, this time with a group of women from The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System. Fast forward 2.5 years, and that dream finally became a reality.
Since my first trek back in 2022, I stayed in touch with Prakash, the amazing guide from my first Everest Basecamp trek who’s gone on to start his own trekking company, Cordial Trek. Together we mapped out something truly epic: the 18-Day Everest Three Passes Trek for some of the ladies in The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System.
This route isn’t for the faint of heart. It starts in Lukla, follows the classic Everest Base Camp route, and then pushes even further into the Himalayas. After reaching EBC, we tackled some of the highest mountain passes in the world including Cho La Pass, Renjo La Pass, and the dramatic landscapes of Gokyo Lakes. The trek wraps up in Namche Bazaar and ends where it began, in Lukla, with a flight back to Kathmandu.
Over three weeks, I’ve hiked alongside an incredible group of women, two phenomenal guides, and five hard-working porters through some of the most awe-inspiring and challenging terrain on the planet.
And let me tell you… this was THE HARDEST THING I’ve ever done in my life. It made my 2018 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike feel like a walk in the park.
But it was also one of the most rewarding. The views. The connections. The sheer grit it took to put one foot in front of the other day after day. Absolute magic.
Curious how it all went down?
Check out Part 1 of my 3-part video series featuring this incredible trek on my YouTube Channel!
Wondering what gear made the cut for this intense trek?
You can check out my full 18-Day Everest Three Passes Trek Hiking Gear List—complete with links to everything I brought along with the video I put together showing everything I packed for my trek.
Make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss Part 2 and Part 3, dropping soon!
Until then, happy trails and keep on truckin’ ✌️
Hello Kathleen,
What a great channel you have put together for the hiking community focused on women.! I’m so sorry you came down with that upper respiratory infection. I was traveling in Chile about the same time and it happened to me too. I was lucky enough to join a meetup group about 15 years ago and have travelled quite a bit lately with some of the women I met through that group. We did a trip through Nepal and Bhutan with a trek in Bhutan and are looking to go back to Nepal for a trek next April. Would you mind sending me the contact info for your guide Parkesh? Or anyone else you might recommend for guiding a trek to EBC. I would appreciate that! Looking forward to seeing more content! Would love seeing more of your new home state too!
Best,
Debbie
Sure! Our guide, Prakash has his own trekking company, Cordial Trek, which you can find online here: https://cordialtrek.com
Very cool! We will have to share experiences. I climbed and summited Mt Kilimanjaro via the western breach in 2019. I wish I could have come down by helicopter! I did great during the ascent, but got so worn put on the descent – jelly legs on the last day and could barely walk. That said, I want to do more international treks.