The journey began on May 4 when Mittal left from Mumbai for Kathmandu. “There were seven of us in the group, with two trek leaders. Actor-director JD Majethia was on the trip with us as well,” she shares. It all started when Mittal’s fitness trainer shared a wish to visit Everest base camp

On a whim, the comedian agreed to join her. “As it went, my trainer could not make it because of work commitments, and I ended up taking the trip,” she laughs. It took the team 16 days in total; from Lukla to base camp, and back

While the decision to go was taken on a whim, Mittal reveals that it spurred her on. “I took the preparation seriously. People kept telling me it is not that challenging, and that the failure rate on this trek is only four per cent. Ridiculous!” she remarks. Her preparation, which began in late March, included three days of weight training followed by cardio-heavy exercises

While the Mumbaikar admits that her trainers did not suggest any special dietary regimen, she adopted a protein-heavy approach. Another helpful tip was packing as much insular wear for the trip as she could

To combat the low oxygen at the high altitude, Mittal chose to train using altitude masks. “Although they make you sound like Bane, they proved so helpful,” she jokes