Nothing says Kathmandu quite like momos and Everest beer. The size of the bottle does justice to its namesake.

Chris, Tara, Abby and Andy: you made it fun!

Again Mountain Madness showed their muscle and had us on the first flight out.

We said our goodbyes, got another prayer scarf (never can have too many of those before a flight in or out of Lukla) and got on the plane. Again, it was a crystal clear morning.

No big deal. Just roll down the ski-jump-like airstrip at Lukla and you’re winging your way back to Kathmandu. No worries.

Some combination of emotions from completing a grueling trek which had been an obsession for well over a decade plus the release of sitting in an airplane, ipod playing a favorite song, and the mountains receding into the distance started a torrent of tears rushing down my bearded face.  My time with these friends was slipping away. Nothing I could do about it except let it be part of the moment.