One thing is for certain - hiking in Himalayas will do miracles for your waistline. The pants that just barely were fit before will become utterly large after a week and a half and over a hundred kilometers of walking later. And the best thing is that you can feast like crazy while doing this.
Another certainty is that the mountains will literally tell you to stop and enjoy the view (read: draw your breath) even if all you want to do is just keep soldiering on until reaching your final destination for the day. In hindsight high altitude really is a blessing in disguise. How else would I have stumbled upon on so many great photo opportunities.
Also do not fool yourself that low altitude physical preparation would mean anything above 4 000 meters. Just remember to pack as lightly as possible. 10 kilograms is the utmost maximum in order to protect your knees from collapsing already after one long day. I learned it the hard way and was seriously considering to quit the hike in its infancy before witnessing the miracle of Ibuprofen and a pair of knee-warmers.
And please Respect the Sherpas and don't bother them with your backpack if you truly can carry it yourself. You just save them space to carry one extra box of beer to the next village where you can wash it down with a nice plate of momos and some delicious apple pie. And yes, they would still outrun you on the trail (with flip-flops by the way) even if you carry nothing at all.
Sherpas, I salute you!!!
