While it's always hard to be away, it's always good to be back.

Everest is hard, but saying goodbye is harder.

Of all sides of Everest - the south from Nepal, the north from Tibet, and the east, also from Tibet - it is the eastern approach via the Kama and Kangshung Valleys, which are the most stunning.

The history of Everest is rich, fascinating, and still much alive today. Meeting an elderly Tibetan woman at Rongbuk Monastery, Tibet, brought it front and center.