SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Bursting from the clouds in a Twin Otter to see the Himalayas' towering peaks, Dave Brosha knew his dream had become a reality.

"You could see them rising above the clouds," the Yellowknife photographer and father of one said. "It was totally breathtaking. It was one of those magical moments in a person's life they dream so much about."

Yellowknifer Dave Brosha sits atop the 5,545-metre-high peak of Kala Patthar, located near Mount. Everest in the Himalayas. Brosha trekked to the Everest base camp and beyond in support of Multiple Sclerosis research, raising almost $11,000. - photo courtesy of Dave Brosha

Brosha's trip to Kathmandu, Nepal, earlier this year was a long journey. With stops in Vancouver, Denver, Washington, D.C., and Qatar before touching down in Kathmandu, the flight was longer than 15,000 km and took more than two days. After spending a few days there, he flew into Lukla, a small mountain village 2,800 metres above sea level, nestled in the mountain range.

Airplanes must land on a 2,000-foot runway on a 12 per cent incline, making it one of the most dangerous airports in the world.

Brosha said seeing the Himalayas for the first time was a moment he will never forget.

"I thought about it for so many months and years and I recognized some of the mountains from photos. It was a definitive moment for me."

For Brosha, trekking the Himalayas to Mount Everest was a life-long dream. He became a self-proclaimed Everest junkie after reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. The book tells the story of eight climbers who died during an attempt to reach the summit in May 1996.

"I think (the book) sparked a lot of people's interest in Everest," he said, adding it was strange because the book is about a tragedy. "The book really got me thinking about people who go out and live life, for better or for worse. They go experience things."

Brosha said climbing was out of his league and he wasn't willing to risk his life for the experience, but wanted to take on the adventure in a less dangerous way ñ a visit to the Everest base camp.

"It was experiencing the world of Everest with some more defined safety parameters," he said. "It was a complete physical challenge for me and it pushed me out of my normal physical range."

Brosha trained for more than a year for the trek to the Everest base camp, some 5,360 metres above sea-level. Challenged by the lack of mountainous terrain in Yellowknife, Brosha found alternative ways to prepare, spending time in the gym and eating healthy, but also relying on intense snowshoeing.

"It's pretty good endurance, so going out on full-day treks really helped out," he said.

A Yellowknife resident since 2004, Brosha is a strong supporter of fundraising for multiple sclerosis research. Brosha's father, Louis, has the debilitating condition. Brosha's family has been involved in the Super Cities Walk for MS, a nationwide fundraising event, for years.

"Me being here, I've missed a lot of that fundraising effort," he said, later adding his family's team has raised more than $100,000. "When I had this idea to go to Everest, I thought it would be a great way to tie into their efforts."

As of last week, Brosha had raised almost $11,000. He said he hopes to raise more over the next week or so.

In Nepal, Brosha joined a group of strangers, some from Germany, some from Australia, forming a team of 16 trekkers and more than a dozen Sherpas, and began the almost 2.8-km vertical trek to the Mount Everest base camp.

"Physical-wise, I felt fine," Brosha said. "There were some days that were 10 or 12 hours of walking. It really messed up my sleep. Between bitter cold and the altitude playing mind tricks on me, it was definitely a challenge."

Getting only two hours a sleep a night over the six-day trek, Brosha said he felt like a zombie by the time he reached the base camp.

But Brosha almost didn't make it past the first day. After completing the first day of hiking, Brosha was hit by a stomach virus.

"I had a great first day and didn't feel the altitude," he said.

Lying in his sleeping bag, wet, shivering cold and vomiting, Brosha wondered if it was over before it even began.

"I was thinking this was the end. How disappointing to come all this way and on Day 1 having to go back."

By morning, after a 3 a.m. chocolate bar, Brosha had recovered and was ready to continue on.

"I remember the first time we laid eyes on Everest," he said. "It was a pin prick in the distance but it was an emotional moment for the entire team."

Brosha said after arriving complete strangers, the team left like a family.

"We really pushed each other on," he said.

The first hikers to arrive at the next camp would cheer for everyone upon their arrival. .

"You were going as yourself to achieve a goal, but to become part of this larger effort, this cohesive group rooting for each other, it was truly something."

Brosha said the Sherpas' ability to navigate the mountain range was incredible, and credited them with the team's success. He said they would carry two or three backpacks at a time ñ some 35 to 75 kilograms on their backs.

"They would still be far ahead of us on the trail," he said. "They're incredibly strong and they've been born acclimatized to the altitude. They really made the experience for us as much as the mountains did."

Brosha said the young men, between the ages of 16 and 25, were trying to support their families.

"It's eye-opening to see the amount of labour they have to go through in that part of the world to make a living. We take that for granted in this part of the world."

The morning after reaching the camp, the team was given the option to go to the Kala Patthar peak, 5,545 metres above sea level. The peak offers the best view of the base camp and the peak of Everest.

Atop the Kala Patthar peak lay Buddhist prayer flags. A predominately Buddhist country, each peak in the Himalayas is draped with the flags to offer luck and spiritual support.

Brosha was one of five who made it to the top.

"To see Mount Everest from there and see the sun rising over it was totally spectacular," he said, adding it was the first time he had to hand his bag over the a Sherpa to make it to the top. "I wouldn't have made it without the Sherpas. It was the most emotional part of the trip for the five of us who made it."