on September 15, 2026
We’ve spent years using Syabrubesi as a trail end — a place we know, and a place that’s given us a lot. After the recent Bhotekoshi-Trishuli flood disaster, we’ve been asking ourselves what Himalayan Adventure Labs can actually do to help, beyond our own guests and guides.
We don’t have a full answer yet. But here’s what we’re doing to try and figure it out.
On September 3, we lent a Garmin inReach to Anuj Chudal, a friend and fellow guide at HAL, who was on the ground working with a group to assess the damage and needs of local communities in the Trishuli corridor.
Niraj, a friend and climbing consultant at HAL, has also been on the ground assisting with search efforts.
Yesterday, I signed up for a course on CalTopo for SAR Mission Management, run by SAR Academy and powered by the The National Association For Search And Rescue — covering initial response and hasty mapping, risk management and route planning, search zone segmentation, field deployment, incident action plans, and how to scale up for larger multi-agency incidents. The goal is to build real skills, not just good intentions.
HAL already runs the Himalayan Outdoor Safety Initiative (HOSI) — risk assessment, satellite comms, remote medical support, medical and heli-evac insurance, weather forecasting, emergency protocols and 24/7 backstopping for our teams. What’s happening now is an extension of that, not something new.
And later today, I’m attending The Stimson Center‘s virtual briefing on the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster — trying to better understand the risk factors at play, and what comes next. Thanks to Niraj for the nudge to attend.
These are the communities we’ve spent time in and been through together. Helping, in whatever way we can, big or small, feels like a basic obligation.
More as we figure out what’s actually useful.
CalTopo for SAR Mission Management: https://lnkd.in/gdNa9StP
The Bhotekoshi-Trishuli Disaster in Nepal: What Comes Next? — September 15, 2026, 9:15 AM (US Eastern): https://lnkd.in/gUz8HFf2