When I was a kid, my dad would take my brother and I out to a park somewhere (maybe in Wisconsin?) to go “rock climbing.” Of course, this really wasn’t climbing up rocks, at least not in the sense that we were scaling the sides of cliffs with a bunch of equipment. No, really it …
Comparing 3 Classic Treks: Inca Trail, Grand Canyon & the Himalayas Read More »
They trudge by you on the path, carrying packs much larger than your meager day pack, often wearing nothing more than flip flops or worn out tennis shoes on their feet. They hang out in the kitchens of the teahouses, eating plates of dal bhaat, playing cards and joking around. They are, for many people, …
I woke up to the sound of pouring rain – and if that sounds like a good song lyric, it’s because it is. Lying warm and cozy in my bed in Tengboche at 4:30 a.m., I could hear the rain pounding the roof outside. I flipped on the light switch under the window to confirm …
I’ve written quite a bit already about my trek to Gokyo Ri with travel photographer Peter West Carey and five others. Gokyo Ri is an alternative to the Everest Base Camp trek, starting from Namche Bazaar and then veering off in a different direction. In addition to keeping a journal during the trek, I kept …
A cold rain was pelting me as I cautiously, but quickly, put one foot in front of the other. My eyes glanced downward long enough to ensure I wasn’t stepping on any cracks in the wobbly bridge, but they darted back up again before I could stare down to the raging river far below. It …
Hiking the Himalayas is like almost nothing else you have done before. Before my trip, my only frame of reference was hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu four years earlier. Considering that was just a four day trip and only reached at altitude of 4400 meters, it really was no comparison. I did buy …
A First Timer’s Guide to Trekking in the Everest Region Read More »
It has been more than a month since I returned from Nepal, yet as I celebrate Thanksgiving this year, that time in Nepal is what comes to mind. As we were trekking in the Himalayas for two weeks, our group leader, Peter, occasionally had us share three things for which we were thankful. It was …
It was 3:15 a.m. when my alarm clock buzzed in my ear. I was already awake, though, stirring with worry over whether I would be able to make it. I snuggled under my two thick blankets around 8:00 p.m. the night before, trying to get good night’s rest, but that was all for naught. I …
As my departure date for Nepal drew near, I found that most people assumed I was trekking to Everest Base Camp (EBC). I knew I wasn’t, but the fact was, prior to arriving in Nepal and taking a good look at a map of the Everest Region (also known as the Khumbu), I really didn’t …
The Trek to Gokyo Ri: An Alternative to Everest Base Camp Read More »
Almost any trekking trip in the Everest Region of the Nepal Himalayas starts with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, a small town that is widely considered the jumping off point for such treks. The only real alternative to flying to Lukla? Taking a 12 hour bus ride from Kathmandu to a town called Jiri …
