This trip would not have been possible without the hard work of: Dil Kumar Tamang, Lhakpa Sherpa, Lok Man Tamang, Mendho Tamang, Mingmar Chhering Bhote, Mingmar Norbu Sherpa, and Raju Tamang, and finally the HAL team members in Kathmandu. The plan was set: enter the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), visit the north base camp, and traverse west to Makalu Barun National Park (MBNP) via Nango La and Lumba Sumba. The […]

Temo dhu-ka? (How are you?) It was a smooth flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, one of five major cities along the Terai, close to the Indian border and a gateway to the northwestern districts on the Great Himalayan Trail. Our destination was Dolpo. The plan was to connect Shey Phoksundo with Jomsom in the Mustang district, crossing five passes above 5,000m. We stayed overnight in Nepalgunj, and the next morning, […]

“The Fann Mountains are part of the western Pamir-Alay mountain system in Tajikistan’s Sughd Province, between the Zarafshan Range to the north and the Gissar Range to the south. In an east-west direction, they extend from the Fan Darya to the Archimaydan River.” A team member dropped out of the trip, visa delays, and a visa run to New Delhi for Srijan and me. We also faced a route change […]

Srijan and I recently led a group of friends (Anjan, Avash and Bimal) on the Khopra Ridge trek, located in the foothills of the Annapurna range. The trek began in the scenic village of Ghandruk. The weekend brought a lively atmosphere to Ghandruk, with music playing late into the night. Some of us woke up early, eager to escape the festivities and find some peace on the trails. As we […]

The stage was set for an exciting adventure – a trek from Kanchenjunga to Makalu. Two teams embarked on their journeys at different times, with the plan to converge at Ghunsa, where they would transition to a camping setup and continue westwards towards Lumba Sumba, entering the Makalu Barun National Park. My team, consisting of Daniel and Mingmar, started the trek from Taplejung. Opting for the higher route through Linkhim […]

We approached Paro airport with excitement about the journey ahead. As we entered the airport’s arrival area, we were greeted by beautiful wood carvings, with vibrant colors and paintings. It felt like entering a boutique hotel!   This was HAL’s inaugural Snowman trek, and the goal was to trek the first half also known as the Laya-Gasa route. A dream that Tony and Sharon had nurtured for years. Our team consisted […]

This year’s Manaslu Fastpack marked our third edition, and it was only the second time we included Tsum Valley in our route. For those interested, you can check out last year’s trip report to learn why we decided to incorporate this beautiful and culturally rich valley into the Manaslu Circuit. Our 2024 Manaslu team consisted of Jeremy and Sudeep, while Srijan unfortunately had to sit this one out due to […]

Eastern Nepal, particularly the eastern section of the Great Himalayan Trail (GHT), had lured me for a while. And explore I did, venturing into the region a total of three times in 2023, each journey adding more trails to my map. First Trip: May 2023 Sijan, a close friend of mine, having gotten into grad school, was fulfilling a vow to visit Pathivara 3,794 m (Nepali: पाथिभरा देवी मन्दिर, Limbu: […]

Haunted by a near-drowning experience in high school, I spent fifteen years terrified of water. It wasn’t until early 2022, in preparation for a sailing trip in the Orcas Islands, that my friend Seth (a great mentor over the years, we started Himalayan Adventure Labs together, but he has stepped back now) nudged me back into swimming lessons. Overcoming that fear felt like a victory, and when Seth floated the […]