This past March Taylor Diepold took on and completed a 20 day trek through Nepal through 3 formidable mountain passes. Trekking on foot, Diepold covered a distance of 124 miles with over 53,000 ft of elevation gain. Check out her full write up of the experience below.

Date of Completion: Completed in 20 days March 8 - March 27, 2025

Total Distance: 123.96 miles

Total Elevation Gain: 53,745 ft (≈33.5 miles vertical)

Start: Surke, Nepal

End: Lukla, Nepal

Mode of Travel: Trekking by foot

Support: Lodges / tea houses (beds, meals, heating stoves, shelter, water; we carried 35–40 lb packs with clothing, gear, sleeping bags).

Trekkers: Taylor Diepold (33F) + partner Daniel

Overview:

“We began this trek in March—preseason. Too early for crowds, too cold for comfort. Many tea houses were shuttered. Nights dropped below freezing; water bottles froze solid. Drinking required strategy: purifying with chlorine tablets, tucking bottles inside jackets for warmth, or filling thermoses with boiling water from the yak-dung stoves that kept lodges alive.

We travelled with no porter, no guide—just ourselves, our breath, and the mountain.
I carried 35–40 lbs. Every step was both physical and emotional: my grandmother had passed away the week before I left. I carried grief, blood (my period came on Day 3), and determination as real as the ice under my boots.

We chose the reverse (counter-clockwise) route. Less symbolic than strategic—Daniel remembered the tail end being quieter, less tourist traffic. It did feel that way: like walking backward into something raw and uncurated.” - Taylor Diepold

Kongma La Pass

Elevation: 5,535 m (18,159 ft)

Segment: Chhukung → Lobuche

Distance: ~6.6 mi (10.6 km)

Conditions: Steep, rocky ascent; exposed ridgelines; often snow-covered in March.

Risks: Thin air (O2 saturation dropped into the 80s overnight), frostbite, icy footings.

Kongma La was our first true reckoning. The approach was barren—rock, ice, silence. We climbed with water strapped under jackets, granola bars treated like treasure, and the weight of knowing that nothing at 18,000 ft is small. Here, even instant coffee costs ₹250, and a Snickers feels like gold.

We stayed in lodges like Tibet Lodge, Tibet Viewpoint, and Tashidelek along this stretch. Dinner was dal bhat or fried noodles—carbs as lifeline. Protein was rare.

Cho La Pass

Elevation: 5,420 m (17,782 ft)

Segment: Dzongla → Dragnag (into Gokyo Valley)

Distance: ~5.8 mi (9.4 km)

Conditions: Icy incline, boulder fields, sharp winds. Snow made the descent treacherous.

Risks: Avalanche, rockfall, altitude sickness, hypothermia.

Cho La was brutal: a wall of ice and wind-sharpened edges. My breath turned shallow; every step a calculation. People asked me, “Are you taking anything to get up?” I wasn’t. Just lungs, legs, and stubborn will.

Crossing Cho La felt like survival. The descent into Gokyo was reward enough: warmth, cheaper food, a real bed without drafts. We stayed at Kanjiro Lodge, Oxygen Altitude, and Himalayan Eco Lodge before feasting in Gokyo. Sunshine through intact windows felt like luxury.

Renjo La Pass

Elevation: 5,360 m (17,560 ft)

Segment: Gokyo → Thame

Distance: ~13.7 mi (22 km)

Conditions: Glacier crossings, long demanding day, sharp winds at the summit.

Risks: Crevasses, fatigue, whiteouts.

To reach Renjo La, we crossed two glaciers in one day. Without a friend and his guide, it could’ve taken hours longer. The pass itself gave us views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu—unforgettable, uncontainable.

Descending into Thame, the mood shifted. A glacier above had collapsed into a lake, flooding part of the valley. Homes washed out. Silence heavy. We stayed at Valley View Lodge and Thame Nirvana Lodge, meeting locals rebuilding with bare hands and open hearts. Their stories—about politics changing 17 times in two years, about foreign aid, about resilience—cut deeper than altitude ever could.

Food & Ritual

We lived on dal bhat, thukpa, potatoes with egg, ginger tea. Shared Snickers bars for morale. We filled thermoses at Friendship Lodge, 3 Pass Guest House, Mountain Home and tucked them in our sleeping bags like lifelines.

In Tangboche, I saluted the sun facing Ama Dablam from Viewpoint Lodge. Prayer flags cracked in the wind. I spun prayer wheels with numb fingers, wordless prayers rising with the smoke of incense. My daily sadhana with japa mala carried me, bead by bead, mile by mile.

March Weather & Conditions

Daytime Temps: ~14–24°F (-10 to -4°C) at higher passes. 30F-55F Valleys

Nighttime Temps: Often below 0°F (-18°C).

Weather: Clear skies common but unpredictable—snow squalls, heavy winds, and frost overnight.

Trail State: Ice on passes, frozen lakes, shuttered lodges, limited supplies.

Crowds: Minimal; preseason meant more solitude, but fewer open accommodations.

Reflections

Fitness isn’t sculpted here—it’s stripped raw. It’s wiping your face with a baby wipe after days without a shower. It’s carrying grief and still choosing each step. It’s bleeding, crying, laughing, praying—all in thin air.

I am 33. Female. Not a superhero. Just a woman with a pack, a partner, and breath. What I found on the Three Passes wasn’t triumph, but humility. Not a finish line, but a transformation.

By the time we reached Lukla, I knew this: real resilience isn’t about conquering mountains—it’s about walking with them.