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October 13th - November 19th, 2011
Following the original climber's route to Everest, this trek walks into the Buddhist home of the Sherpa people. With very little tourist traffic the lifestyle is traditional, the culture is rich and the welcome sincere. In this pastoral setting we get "walking fit" and acclimatized before climbing up to the high Khumbu. We stock up in Namche Bazaar's wildly colourful market and head up the Bhote Kosi. It is the least travelled Khumbu valley. Only recently opened to tourists and off the "Everest highway", life continues as it always has, herding yak and goats and scratching barley from the ground. It was once the Sherpa's trading route to Tibet, then the refugees began struggling over the pass and now Tibetan yak caravans bring their wares to the Namche market. We will camp by many of it's villages as we acclimatize for the first of our high passes: the Renjo La. There is a special excitement about crossing a high pass. In the Himalaya it approaches the sublime. The stiff climb is rewarded with an incredible vista, (in the Kumbu it includes four of earth's highest peaks) and then the delight of descent into a new valley. The terrain of the Khumbu allows a linkage of three passes to create a traverse route of continuous discovery unparalleled anywhere on earth. The Renjo La, Cho La and the Kongma La (all over 5400m.) connect all four Khumbu valleys (including access to the foot of Everest, Base Camp and Kala Patar). Excellent high valley lodges (all over 4500m.) give us the chance to relax and explore the local Sherpa culture between our passes. Crossing Kongma La we can see most of eastern Nepal. In every direction snow peaks, crumbling glaciers and walls of ice tower above us (and we are at 5560m.) Nuptse's enormous rock face soars directly overhead . . . so close you can hear the jet stream winds ripping through the pinnacles above. The Nuptse wall continues higher still to Lhotse, then Makalu, Baruntse, Chamlang and Amadablam, Kangtega, Thamserku, Kwangde, Cho Oyu, Tobuche, Cholatse and Pumori. Cloud is filling the valleys. We stand alone with the Gods! More info
Deep in the Himalaya we land on Lukla's postage-stamp airstrip. The milky blue Dudh Kosi rushes down through stone-housed villages. Prayer wheels, stones and flags send out their mantras of peace. Side valleys reveal impossibly high snow peaks. Climbing up the last steep pine-clad slope into Namche Bazaar, we are suddenly surrounded by wildly-shaped mountains. and walls of ice. We have entered the world of altitude. High up the Dudh Kosi, Everest (Chomolungma) reigns supreme. The dream-like towers of Thamserku, Kangtega, Ama Dablam, and Pumori line this valley of giants. Mountain goats graze on the cliffs. Musk deer and rainbow-coloured pheasants browse in the forests of rhododendron and birch. At Tengboche, the monastery perched high on Kangtega's shoulder, monks sing morning puja and blow their long horns as the sun rises on Chomolungma. Yak bells clang and tinkle in the meadows. Bed tea steams in our hands. Approaching Gorak Shep on the moraines of the Khumbu Glacier, Everest's summit is high above, it's black rock face stripped bare by hurricane force winds. Long tails of spindrift sail off into space. Our trail now twists through the glacier's surface rubble. We lose sight of Everest as we approach Base Camp. The tortured Khumbu Icefall looms over the tents. Beyond Base Camp the trail disappears into a chaos of crevasses and seracs...the beginning of high adventure for some...for others, a frozen tragic end.. From Gorak Shep, in the early morning chill, our procession of lights winds up the ridge of Kala Patar. Everest grows huge. From North Col to South Col it's enormity is revealed. Far below us the base camp tents are tiny dots of colour. The icefall is a crumbling torquoise cliff. All around is a heady swirl of icy peaks, intensely blue sky and waves of prayer flags in the wind. More info
March 28th - April 21st, 2012 15 day trek - moderately strenuous - high point 4100m. Land price $2850 CAD This trek explores the rhododendron forests that cover the shoulders of the Himalaya. With monsoon heat and rain, the rhododendrons of Nepal's Annapurna Range can grow thirty meters tall. In spring sun we will walk under enormous canopies of pink, rose and scarlet. The pathways are carpetted with petals. From every hilltop an endless sea of blossoms flows down into terraces of wheat and barley. The snow peaks tower above. Although requiring good fitness, this fifteen day trek has short walking After two days wandering through Kathmandu's medieval bazaars and temples, our trekking begins in the steamy lowland rice paddies. Hiking up the Modhi Khola River we enter the rhododendron forests. Following the blossoms up the valley our trail emerges suddenly into the Annapurna Sanctuary. We are surrounded by ice peaks soaring up to eight thousand meters. This is one of the Himalaya's most spectacular vistas. Descent into the blossoms is quick. The villages of Ghandrung, Tadapani and Ghorepani are garlanded by the most enchanted forests of all. We leave this mountain garden and return to the subtropics below. Back in Kathmandu we party with our Nepali crew who carried, cooked and cared for us all the way..... It is hard to say goodbye. Nima Sherpa and I invite you to join us on a culturally rich and magical journey in extraordinary landscapes
~ Dhaulagiri and the Annapurnas....close up! ~
From Khopra Ridge on Annapurna South to Hidden Valley, French Pass and Dhampus Peak The Kali Gandaki is the deepest river valley in the world, with eight thousand meter peaks soaring on both sides. South of the gorge are the subtropics and orange groves at Tatopani; north the desertified Mustang and the Tibetan Plateau. A major trade route for centuries, mule, pony and goat caravans made the villages rich in wealth and culture. From Poon Hill, on our walk in, we will see our whole trek spread out before us. Khopra ridge climbs the shoulders of Annapurna south, with the holy pilgrimage lake of Khayer our high camp for easy ascents and acclimatization for our final objective: 6012m. Dhampus Peak. It rises on the west side of the valley abyss beyond 8167m. Dhaulagiri and 6920m. Tukuche Peak. We savour the immediacy of the Annapurnas and the daily light show on Dhaulagiri until it's time to plunge to the river and dive into the Tatopani hot springs. Sticking to village trails and avoiding the road as much as possible we wil walk up to Marpha in three days. Directly above is the long climb to Dhampus Pass. Somewhat acclimatized from our time on Khopra we will still work very slowly up to the 5150m. pass. Over the pass lies Hidden Valley and our high camp at 5050m. We are very high and very "out there". Everything here will depend on weather. A day trip will take us across the valley to French Pass, the northern end of the horrific canyon that slices between Dhaulagiri 1 and 2. From it's crest the world is full of peaks soaring impossibly high above, icefalls crashing and the jet stream winds ripping over Dhaulagiri. Wild, raw, primeval! For the climbers in the group Dhampus Peak lies waiting. It is not technically difficult but will probably require ice axe and crampon use. The summit view is hard to fathom.; the Dhaulagiris, the Annapurnas, east to Manaslu, west to Kanjroba, north to Tibet and south to the Ganges Plain. Amongst the elements! We descend to Marpha.. Bypassed by the road, we can still enjoy Thakali hospitality, yes even apple pie and brandy! If we still have time we can walk to the wild crumbling fortress of Kagbeni and stare up the desert valley into the Mustang. We fly out of Jomson and our mountain journey is done. The land price (Kathmandu to Kathmandu) is $4450 for climbers (a group of seven) $4650for a group of four. Non climbers pay appox. $200 less.. It's expensive but much of the cost is for the peak permits and insurances, and because we have few chances to restock our food and fuel we will have a much higher porter wage bill.
In 2005 we trekked around MANASLU in the Spring and explored both sides of KANGCHENJUNGA in the Fall. Both treks are as off the beaten path as you can get in NEPAL. Both became huge journeys into the unknown, leading to explorations of incredible geography and rich traditional cultures..
MANASLU -- NAAR PHU became, in the fall of 2007, the richest, most exciting and fulfilling trek in my experience. After thirty days of the subtropics, sharing kitchen fires in Tibetan villages, stunning pilgrimage views of Manaslu from all directions, the crossing of the Larkya La pass, the climb into the high deserts and ancient villages of Naar Phu, the descent from our second high pass brought us to the delights of Manang (including lovely Maya's chang shop), the blessings of Lama Teshi and an awesome flight through the Himalaya back to Kathmandu. If you could only do one trek in Nepal I would put this on the top of your list. THE MARSYANGDI KHOLA TO THE KALI GANDAKI -- RHODODENDRONS AND THE ANNAPURNA SANCTUARY --Spring 2008 This route paralled the entire Annapurna Range crossing ever higher ridges dotted with gurung Villages, until we merged with the understandably beloved trail up into the Sanctuary and down into Rhodoland.. The first eight days of "the real Nepal", an untrekked area of most hospitable Gurung villages, was not rich in rhodos, but was an around the fire cultural delight. On the more trekked routes below Annapurna South, the rhodos were at their unbelievable peak. Although there is now a road through Tatopani, the hot springs were still delicious. But combined with the long dusty road and days of bus riding to Kathmandu my next trip will bypass the hotsprings and takethe beautiful traildown to Tikedunga and Birethanti and Nayaphul. 2012 -- BACK TO THE RHODOS
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days. Our focus is on relaxed enjoyment in a truly magnificent setting.
