Behind the Scenes: Day 7 - My highest elevation yet!

I'm super excited for this day of the trek. We'll end at about the elevation of highest peak in the lower 48 states (Mount Whitney at 14,494 ft) and I will hit the highest elevation I've ever been at (Mt. Sneffels, 14,150).

We'll gain about 1,800 ft in elevation and at this altitude, the effective oxygen will be at 12.1%. At sea level it's about 20%. Given we'll have been at altitude for 7 days, I anticipate feeling pretty good at this point.  

Day 07 - Trek to Dingboche (14,470 ft ~ 5 hours)

From Tengboche, the trail drops to Debuche, crosses another exciting suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River. 

From there, we'll climb to Pangboche amongst thousands of mani stones (stones with prayers inscribed on them). 

The trek continues uphill, taking us to the quaint traditional Sherpa village of Dingboche with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam. 

As I read through this itinerary, I'm definitely becoming more comfortable with the pace and acclimation time we'll be getting. I'll also be taking meds to help combat altitude sickness which gives me more confidence that I'll be able to absorb the experience more fully.

Only 15 days until it's go time...