Bhandar - Gokyo - EBC trek (March - April 2023) - I arrived in Nepal in mid-March with the idea of doing a long (at least 2-week) trek to Gokyo in the Everest (Khumbu) region. I had the time and wanted to acclimatize slowly by spending a week or so of trekking to reach the popular destination of Namche Bazaar. I was introduced to Kiran of Altitude Himalaya who assured me that my ideas of trekking from Jiri to Gokyo (and potentially Everest Base Camp if acclimatization went well) were do-able over the course of 18-20 days. Kiran immediately came across as friendly, knowledgeable and experienced. He suggested that he and I do a practice hike to get a sense of my capabilities and what I could expect to find on my trek. We did this hike, it was a very good idea, and within a day he found a guide for me, Sudip, who also had a lot of experience and knew the terrain I was going to. Sudip was a fine guide, knowledgeable, strong, and an easy personality to be around. The trek started at Bimti Bhandar (east of Jiri) and, over the following 19 days, took me to Taksindu, Nunthala, Karakhola, Chaulikharka, Namche, Dole, Machermo and then to Gokyo. With me having acclimatized okay, Sudip and I continued over to Cho La Pass and then linked up with the main trail to Everest Base Camp. We went up there and then returned to Namche via Pengboche. It was a strenuous trek at times but this is what anyone doing this should expect and the pay off is the fact that you have spectacular landscapes all around you. The lodges all served good healthy food and made travelers feel at home. The lodges on the EBC trail were very busy by mid-April but we always found a place for ourselves. Kiran was only a phone call away and helped out whenever we had these rare uncertainties about accommodation. But Kiran checked in with Sudip and I occasionally anyway to hear about how things were going. The trek finished in Lukla and Sudip and I flew from there to Ramachap Airport and then a bus transfer to Kathmandu. After I returned to Kathmandu, it was a pleasure for me to take Kiran and Sudip out for dinner and drinks. They were also generous to me in their own way and are great ambassadors for Nepal. Well done to Altitude Himalaya and I wish their venture much success!