The dust swirled fiercely, stinging our skin. We hid our faces in coat collars and crouched low to the ground, waiting for the helicopter to lift off and the dust to settle again. The airport consiste
Our party number is seven now. In Lukla we hired two porters, Nima and Lac Ba, local village men who will accompany us, help carry our gear, and keep us on the right trails. Today was our
Tengboche: With no roads nearby, the Sherpa porters are to the Khumbu region what trucks are to the American highway. They carry amazing loads up and down the mountains and, unlike their touri
Tengboche: I wake up to the sound of monks chanting, their hums sounding like a distant airplane engine. I lay in my warm sleeping bag a while listening, watching the early morning light stream
Pangboche: Acute Mountain Sickness, or AMS, is caused by ascending to high altitude without allowing enough time for your body to acclimatize properly. It can cause symptoms ranging from the si
We started our hike to Everest Base Camp under low hanging gray clouds and fast dropping temperatures. The threat of snow was obvious but we were anxious to see Base Camp. After all, we had hiked nine
Gorek Shep: Some would say it isn't the destination, but the journey. And certainly, 12 days into our trek into Everest's Khumbu Valley, the journey has been fantastic. We have gradually acclim
Phortse Tenga: My whole body aches! We have been walking for 14 days straight up steep mountains, down into valleys, and back up more mountains. Today we walked six hours until my body refused
I'm looking out our lodge window at a row of trekkers in tents. As they pace back and forth warming themselves in the bitter cold wind, I reflect how happy I am that I'm in a warm sunroom heated by a
Standing at the top of Gokyo Ri I breath in deeply, filling my lungs with the cold air which carries the scent of remote wilderness. It snowed all day yesterday and the landscape, as far as the eye ca
Namche Bazaar: We had just arrived back from our trek to Namche Bazar, the nearest place to what one could call civilization. (That is, if one defines civilization by the number of bakeries wit
Dole: Hiking down the thin mountain trail I am in awe of my surroundings. The smell of damp earth greets my nose, I listen to the brook as it flows past my feet, and I try hard to memorize the
Saturday is market day in Namche Bazaar. Locals walk for miles to sell their wares or buy weekly supplies. The market takes place at one end of town on stone-walled terraced levels, merchants displayi
What kind of people hike in the Everest region? We have been pleasantly surprised at the diverse group of people we have met. One would assume a trek of this nature would only be for the young and fit
After a helicopter ride, plane ride, and taxi ride, we are back in busy Kathmandu. We have returned to the comforts usually taken for granted: sinks, running water, hot showers, fresh fruit, electrici
The Lakeside area of Pokhara is a touristy little center that marks the beginning and the end of most trekker's visit to the Annapurna region of Nepal. We are here with lots of good friend
