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 […]

The trip was to find an alternative route for ‘The Annapurna Circuit’ and the first stage was to cross ‘Namun-la’ pass, a pass not many have heard about.

The Annapurna massif loomed ahead, a silent challenge of towering peaks and hidden trails. Chulu, a 6000m+ titan, flanked by the 5000m giants of Kang La and Thorung La, awaited.