They got your back !!
Not unless you are in a really bad shape and condition, they will make sure of you completing the trip no matter how difficult it is and have the men to watch for you even if you are falling way behind the group. They will monitor your condition and make the call if you may or may not continue. Before my trek up ebc started, I knew there were few people in the group before us who didn’t complete as the guide had called the shot, convincing them to withdraw and can always come back at another time.
I don’t know if I’d call it lucky for my case, I didn’t sleep at all throughout the ascending trek until I descended to Pheriche from Gorakshep and I’d complained about some health condition, particularly my heart wasn’t feeling right when I was at elevation above 4km and yet the guide dismissed it being just a mind trick. I didn’t take any medication prior to or during the trip, up till I arrived at Dingboche (well, I took a tablet of paracetamol given by a team mate to get rid of the headache experience during the descent from Tengboche to Pangboche). Knowing me not carrying diamox, he convinced me and gave me some to take as a preventive measure after noticing me and few others troubled by mild altitude sickness. And by the time I reached Gorakshep, I realized I was in a very bad shape due to some fever/flu, although my oxygen level maintained above 60+ which he implied still capable of reaching EBC but must take it slowly and re hydrated often. So I continued following the team and went up, it was a terrible idea, and I only realized half way through that I left the water bottle I newly bought at the lodge before leaving Gorakshep for EBC…
But I made it, took twice the time the others done, though I was pushing too hard that I exhausted completely and I could barely move my feet plus my body temperature was going down. Decided to call for Heli, but Sali our guide, again convinced me all I need was rest, instead he ran back the fastest he could to Gorakshep and summon a horse ride for me. No emergency evacuation at all, and I took some cold medicine that night after getting hauled back to Gorakshep and next day dragged my exhausted body down to Pheriche, which my team mates commenting if I was just faking ill since I appeared to be revitalized unlike the remaining others who descending together… My thought was, probably the medicine kicked in, and I was able to recover my stamina faster unlike the way up EBC perhaps thanks to Oxygen…
Thinking back, it wasn’t that bad and perhaps glad that I trekked back on my own feet. My take on the most enjoyable moment of this EBC trip is probably the time trekking down from Pheriche to Namchee Bazaar when everything was clear to view, the unexpected snow and the scenery for this stretch at that time was the best in the entire trip (’cause it was foggy and windy during ascending all the way)! I haven’t mentioned aside from sweeper and Sali our main guide, there was another member who was a porter but unlike other porter, he actually stopped and checked on those fell behind the team, accompanied them and at one time before reaching Gorakshep, I remembered the visibility was so bad due to fog and sand and there were only two of us, we were unsure about our location until we saw that porter who actually returned with a bottle of warm water from Gorakshep, helped the lady carrying the load off her and then walked us back to the lodge there.
If you decide to going with a tour company, go with them and I am sure you are in the right hand. Sali is experienced and he is able to make the right decision whether you shall proceed (like my confused case) or return next time (like the other poor guys didn’t make it for obvious reasons). He and his company know what they are doing.
