“As the trek winds its way through the valley, you pass a series of prayer wheels, stupas and engraved mani stones.”
Our team of guides and porters were ready to welcome us at Tenzing-Hillary as soon as we landed at Lukla close to lunch time on April 25, 2025. Our porters carried our duffels and our guides led us to the nearest tea house. A hot drink of ginger tea and a Dal Bhat lunch perked us up and we were ready to begin the hike on Day 1.
Dal Bhat is considered the most powerful meal and a comfort food with the locals as it’s loaded with carbs and protein. It comes with a generous helping of rice, soupy lentils and veggies on the side. “Dal Bhat Power – 24-hour” is a common phrase we heard in Nepal and all tea houses serve this. It is a healthy food choice and perhaps the safest to eat as you hike up in higher altitudes.
Our hike began through a series of shops over a cobblestone lane selling everything you need from snacks, hiking essentials to camping gear and souvenirs. We saw a lot of stray dogs along the way and you had to be careful to look down so you don’t step on a snoozing dog bang in the middle of the lane, carefree and basking in the sun, completely oblivious to the people and the noise surrounding it.
We passed local village boys playing volleyball. Volley ball is a popular sport in Nepal and most played amongst schools and youth communities due to its easy access.
Phakding village is nestled in the Dudh Koshi River Valley. It sits at an altitude of approximately 8,700 feet and on Day 1 we mostly lost elevation. As the trek winds its way through the valley, you pass a series of prayer wheels, stupas and engraved mani stones. At specific turns we saw snow-capped mountains peeking out from the greener hills and valleys. We still had a long way to go to get closer to the snow-capped ranges.
We finally reached Phakding and settled into Namaste lodge, excited to begin our first tea house experience in this Himalayan trek.
Stats: distance and elevation profile
Distance: 5 miles | Elevation gain: 573ft | Elevation loss: 1,220ft
Wanderlust On Foot 
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