.All Trips / Asia / Nepal

Namche Bazaar, Nepal

03 Namche

One of the most memorable places I’ve visited was the Khumbu region of Nepal, home of the friendly Sherpa people.  The main town in this region is Namche Bazaar.  It is not an easy place to get to.  You don’t just drop by.  Most people fly to Lukla from Kathmandu, where they start a one to two day trek to Namche Bazaar (depending on how fast you go).  This is the route those going to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal take, gradually acclimatizing as they ascend.

There are no roads here so all goods are brought to Namche Bazaar either on the backs of human porters or beasts of burden, large cattle at this altitude, yaks at higher …

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.All Trips / Asia / Nepal

The World’s most Dangerous Airport — Lukla, Nepal

Lukla Airport blog post

I’ve had some gut-wrenching plane landings (and take-offs) in my days.  The first as a young medical student flying with a bush pilot to remote First Nation (American Indian) villages in Western Ontario.  The plane was outfitted with large skis so that it could land and take off from frozen lakes or rivers.  Unfortunately we were traveling at the time of the spring thaw and the ice was starting to melt.  Landing on the puddle dotted ice was bad enough, but the feeling of the plane trying to accelerate as it kept dropping down and breaking into the soft ice still gives me nightmares as I thought we were done for (thought the pilot wasn’t phased in any way and …

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“Pic of the Week”. July 19, 2013. Himalayan Sunrise, Nepal

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Much more than any place I’ve ever visited, the Himalaya are a landscape more vertical than horizontal.  The mountains in the Khumbu are towering masses that because of their altitude are always covered in snow.  The valleys are steep and narrow, completely impractical for roads.  The only way for people to get in or out is on foot over steep terrain; all goods are either carried by porters or beasts of burden walking the same paths (there are a few places helicopters can land but this is extremely expensive and somewhat dangerous).  Just a few suspension bridges (all built by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust) provide access across the roaring rivers to the other side of …

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“Pic of the Week”. November 30, 2012 — Musical monks, Kumjung, Khumbu region, Nepal

November 30, 2012

The Sherpa people live in one of the harshest regions on the planet, the Khumbu.  Their world is one of majestic steep mountains (the highest anywhere), roaring rivers, glaciers, steep trails and yaks.  There are no roads, no airports, not even a swimming pool.  They are poor and have little; still, they are among the happiest and friendliest people I’ve had the privilege of meeting.  The Sherpa are best know for their excellence in mountaineering.  From Sir Edmund Hillary on they have guided and staffed expeditions to the many tall peaks in the region, especially Mount Everest.

We had camped overnight near the village of Kumjung, close to Namche Bazaar and not far from Mount Everest.  It …

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