Nepal is my home away from home. This is where my hiking journey began and where I did my first 8000m climb. Some awesome moments in this archive.
The peaceful, lakeside town of Pokhara is surrounded by monstrous snow-capped Himalayas. There are a number of magnificent viewpoints that look over Pokhara but also towards the Himalayas. The World Peace Pagoda is a popular viewpoint but arguably the best viewpoint in Pokhara is the Sarangkot Hill Viewpoint. These days there is a cable car …
The Annapurna Circuit Trek is one of the most popular expeditions in the Himalayas of Nepal. While Everest Base Camp may be the most well-known trek in Nepal, the Annapurna Circuit Trek is definitely a close second! I’ve done both the EBC and the Annapurna Circuit Trek among many other routes in Nepal. In this …
This week was all about winding down. Big mountain expeditions can be stressful on the body and the mind. It’s tough to take just one day back in the city and then get going again. Your body has been in a stressed mode due to the altitude for more than a month and letting it …
That was the toughest mental and physical challenge of my life. I made it to the summit of Makalu (8,463m), the fifth highest mountain in the entire world. After twelve days off the mountain after a heli-evacuation, I went straight back into a summit push. There were so many doubts and so many fears but …
Mount Makalu, is the world’s fifth-highest mountain, reaching a lofty height of 8,463m. Located in the Mahalangur Himalayas on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region (China), it is situated twelve miles from Mount Everest. Makalu means ‘Great Black One’, due to its dark rock formation although it is mostly covered in snow and ice. I trekked …
This has been a tough week. It felt like the old days of solo travel but not fun or adventurous. Often when traveling solo you don’t necessarily feel alone but this week I’ve felt very isolated. After three days of being scanned, tested, and operated on in Kathmandu, I headed on a short flight to …
At six in the morning, I scrambled a few of my belongings together and was whisked away into a helicopter. It was a whirlwind moment with hardly enough time to say goodbye. Most of the members at camp didn’t even know I had left. Within minutes, I was at eye level with the summit of …
I wouldn’t know it at the time, but I set off up to camp two with sinusitis and an infection in my gum. I made it but it wasn’t pretty. From the minute we set off from the base camp, I was feeling tired. By the time we reached Camp 1, I was extremely fatigued …
After ten long days, we arrived at Makalu Advanced Base Camp (5,800m). This would be our new home for the next month as we did our acclimatization rotations up to the higher camps throughout our quest to summit Makalu Mountain (8,463m). Base camp is quite an extensive setup. We have 7ft tall tents to sleep …
The 50-day Makalu expedition begins with a 10-day journey to an advanced base camp at 5,800m of elevation. It’s one of the highest base camps in the world and the trek is quite rugged compared to other popular routes in Nepal. I wrote an extensive guide to the Makalu Base Camp Trek, which you can …
This week was time to put the final touches on preparation for our 50-day Makalu expedition. There is always something that will be forgotten and packing for an expedition like this requires attention to detail. This huge packing list only adds to the nervousness of an expedition. However, after venturing into the death zone last …
The Makalu Base Camp Trek is an off-the-beaten-path expedition in the Himalayas of Nepal. It’s longer, more rugged, and presents an intense physical challenge compared to more established trekking routes in Nepal. The trek to Makalu Basecamp takes most trekkers at least 8 days to reach a top altitude of 5,050 meters. Trekkers then need …