After a few months of travel since I was last trekking in the country, I returned to Nepal this week for a three-month stay. Travel in the covid-era has become fraught with potential mishaps and I find myself carrying a parcel of documents such as PCR-tests, vaccine cards, letters of invitation, visa letters, quarantine hotel …
The life I lead is usually pretty exciting. Even when there are down days, there’s usually at least one epic adventure or exciting opportunity over the period of a week. However, this week was about as bland as they come for me. After arriving back to Skardu early from our successful summit of Spantik, I …
7000m is a place I never imagined I would find myself. However, atop Spantik Peak at 7,027m is exactly where the week ended. It was an enduring battle to get there in bad snow conditions and wild weather but it was a journey I’ll never forget. I’ve documented the entire expedition in this guide: CLIMBING …
This week was spent off-grid trekking to Spantik Base Camp and getting set up for our climb. I’ve written in detail about the journey in my latest trekking guide: CLIMBING SPANTIK PEAK I’ll add the excerpts from that article to this Weekly about our journey from Skardu to Spantik Base Camp. TREKKING TO SPANTIK BASECAMP …
After so many years of adventures and trekking, it takes a little bit to get my adrenaline racing. It takes even a little bit more to generate some fear within me. Fear is healthy, it means you are pushing yourself outside of the dreaded comfort zone. Right this second, my adrenaline is on the move …
After the K2 Basecamp Trek, there was a definite need for some rest. However, a few days back in Islamabad had us ready to rock and roll again. We weren’t heading out for quite as big of an expedition as the two-week trek to K2 Basecamp but a few micro-adventures in Hunza were waiting for …
Every time there is discomfort the human mind seeks comfort. We had weeks of jeeps, trekking in dust, no showers, toilets made of rocks, delays, and harsh weather. It was all worth it for the incredible experience and views along the K2 Basecamp Trek but the body was asking for at least one day of …
It’s the second week of our long journey to K2 Basecamp and the ‘Savage Mountain’ is just around the corner. I’m still in a bit of disbelief at the scenery on this trek. The scale of the mountains is just unbelievable. Each campsite is dwarfed by 7000m and 8000m peaks right from the first day …
It feels good to be back out in the mountains on a trek. No connection for two weeks just the sounds and smells of the mountains. This will be the longest I’ve been off-grid in a long, long time so I’m enjoying just taking it all in and letting my brain switch off from the …
After a relaxing few days in Islamabad, it was time to get the K2 Basecamp expedition underway. We boarded a domestic flight from Islamabad to Skardu, which gave us views of Nanga Parbat (8,125m) out the plane window. Upon arrival in Skardu we had a short Jeep ride to the hotel, which was full of …
It’s been a while since I’ve exited an airport without having any idea at all what a country has in store. Covid has slowed me down, and I’ve also visited a few countries that I’ve been to before. However, today I touched down in Pakistan with zero expectations and I’ve done basically no research as …
Intentionally swimming with sharks is not everyone’s idea of a great week but it’s been on my bucket list for a long time. I never did this activity when I was based on Oahu as it can be a bit expensive, but times have changed and now I had the entire trip comped as a …