If there’s anything I learned during our 11-day trek in Nepal, it’s this. Our guide Uzol told us over and over again about the importance of mental toughness as our bodies attempted to adjust to the quickly-increasing altitude. At first we nodded along, not quite sure how that we understood what he was telling us. And then, it slammed us in the face.

It was 4:45AM when Uzol knocked on our doors. It was the day of our final climb and our highest ascent of the entire trek. We awoke in our guesthouse in Gokyo, a a village in the Everest region that rests at 4,800 meters (15,750 feet). Our bodies were nearly depleted–over the course of 6 days, we had hiked nearly 30 miles and ascended a total of 2,000 meters (6,560 feet).  But even though our bodies were hurting, the pain was far more intense in and around our minds. We were faced with pounding headaches, shortness of breath, and lack of appetite: all common symptoms when hiking higher than an altitude of 4,000 meters (13,120 feet).

As we awoke to the knocks on our door, we came across a realization: it was time to dig deep. Today was the day we would climb to the top of Gokyo Ri, a mountain standing at 5,375 meters (17,634 feet). Although we’d only be ascending 575 meters (1,890 feet), we’d be doing so at the highest elevation and the thinnest our lungs have ever breathed. But, this was our end destination–the climax of our trek. We wouldn’t be returning again soon, and an opportunity like this may very well never present itself again. So after a quick breakfast, we set out at 5:30AM with our headlamps, pointed them to the ground, and did the only thing we could: climb up.

The sun rose behind our backs, illuminating the never-ending path that stood ahead of us. Our feet walked and slipped constantly on piles of dust and rocks. Our hydration packs continued to replenish our bodies with water. Our heartbeats echoed through our temples. All signs pointed towards turning back and hiking downhill, something we hadn’t done in 6 days, but our minds urged us to prevail. And finally, nearly three hours after we’d started, there was suddenly nowhere left to climb.

We tried to mentally process what we were seeing. We looked out at a panorama of the Himalayas, including four of the world’s highest mountains (Cho Oyu, Makalu, Lhotse, and Everest). The views seemed surreal, as if we’d had transported ourselves to an alternative high-altitude dimension. The mountains were close enough to grasp.

I thought back to the past six days, how they had all led to this. As we sat atop it, Gokyo Ri seemed less like a destination and more like another incredible part of an incredible journey. A journey that was led by our bodies, footstep after footstep, and fueled by the strength and endurance of our minds.

More internet words to come. Miss you already, Nepal.