Team Poem – Led by Bill

To Everest Base Camp, or not to Everest Base Camp – that is the question, whether ’tis nobler …

… for the beauty of the earth, and people is infinite, so

we will remember the cave of Gorakshep, the sights of Base Camp replenishing our souls

But the memories of shared meals, steps together, and smiles on Nepali flats will continue for a lifetime.

Stuck in crowds on barren hillsides, queuing over rocks and streams

The sounds of bells, rotor blades, and voices pour into immense space

the tranquility and silence swirling in the midst of the Himalayan sounds

And the constant stony roar of the river below brought back memories of

gratitude for being in the presence of the grand yet serene, while waking everyday to the crisp perfect blue skies.

So close to the infinite, so near to the top

humbled, grounded, small, alive pushing boundaries, growing emotionally and physically, as …

… huh …

… the journey outweighs the destination, and the people maketh the journey.

FMC thanks Andy Carruthers for his permission to reproduce this article, first published on his ‘Great Walk Adventures’ blog (December 2023).