It doesn't take anyone very long to realize that without our support team, we wouldn't get very far. After the first day watching porters carry their loads up hours of stone staircases, we are all in appreciative awe of their strength and endurance. Regulations for...
The weather in the Khumbhu Valley has always been a bit unpredictable, and even more so now with the climate change of recent years. As we climb toward Namche Bazaar, our sunny day turns to snow. It's a magical entrance to this famous waypoint, and the town is...
The trail to Everest Base Camp begins with an early morning flight into Lukla and then a hike down into the valley. Up and down the trail, we pass through brightly painted villages, around piles of black and white stones carved with Buddhist mantras, and across long...
Bouddhanath Stupa is the center of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal--and one of my favorite places in the city. As soon as you enter the gate, the chaos of the streets recedes. Prayer wheels spinning, monks chanting, and prayer flags fluttering...a quiet peace infuses...
How do you start a journey to Everest Base Camp? With a blessing, of course. Whether Hindu or Buddhist, no one leaves their home and embarks on a long journey without a blessing first. At the Hindu holy temple of Pashupatinath, where monkeys scamper, ascetics...
As a trekking guide, when the day first comes that a client needs a helicopter evacuation, you can only hope that you're ready.....and you had better be, because the decisions in those moments can be life or death. I've seen plenty of sick people in the mountains of...
These days are not easy, but they are powerful. Over 14,000 ft, our bodies struggle to breathe, struggle to recuperate from any minor infraction (respiratory trouble, stomach ailments). Nonetheless we climb...and we reap the rewards. At Lobuche and beyond, the...
The Mountain Madness Everest Base Camp Trek is well on its way (with me as the guide for a group of 15)! After climbing to the top of the Monkey Temple for views of the city, watching the funeral rituals at Pashupatinath, sitting beneath the eyes of the Buddha at...