Much has been written about the natural beauty of Nepal and particularly about the majestic Himalaya. Nepal really is one of the most amazing places I have ever visited, but it is also a place lacking political stability, a constitution, and a national leader who can turn this country around. With one notable exception, Nepal is also a country in which it is impossible to find a good steak. Steak is the one food item the entire expedition has been longing for and it is most likely never going to turn up at Base Camp. The phenomenon behind our daylong dreams of a juicy, well-seared slab of meat (preferably from an American restaurant, like Morton’s) is quite simply that one’s muscles deteriorate rather quickly while living at altitude. In just over five weeks of living up here, we have lost 20 lbs. on average.

Here, at Everest Base Camp, we live at 17,500 feet. Every day, our bodies shrink and our muscles become weaker. To add insult to injury, the food at Base Camp is not exceptionally good. Most Westerners wouldn’t volunteer to eat the odd Nepali concoctions our main cook, Pemba, dishes out. As a result, our bodies long for protein and other nutrients…and for tasty food! Enter the 48 oz. bone-in filet…it is everything our bodies want to eat and yet it’s 8,000 miles or more away. As a Hindu country (formerly the world’s only Hindu monarchy), Nepal isn’t big on steak or any other products derived from a cow. Luckily, however, there is one place -call it a pit stop- where we can feast on this forbidden delicacy.

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is not only the biggest freestanding building in this tiny country (far bigger, for example, than the now-defunct royal palace), it also caters to Western palates. Hence, while we are resting our heads on pillows the Hyatt’s staff generously gave us at the beginning of the expedition, we are dreaming of a return to Kathmandu, where will deplete their stock of red meat. A comfortable bed, a proper toilet, and a shower are all secondary to our craving for a good meal, complemented by a big, cold glass of fresh milk.

Of course, these are just dreams for now as we sit around waiting for the stormy weather to clear. In the meantime, the reality is rather bleak. Kenton’s wisdom tooth is better, Anita no longer suffers from AMS, my high-altitude bronchitis is clearing, but we are all starving day by day, wishing for things other than yak burger (for which one needs a mini chain saw rather than a knife and fork), dahl, and other local delicacies.

The Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu is the largest freestanding structure in Nepal. It is also serves steak, which the team are craving.