Monday, January 16, 2023

Trekking the Langtang October 2022

An early morning start from Syabru Besi

This keen group got up early after a day on the bus from Kathmandu over rough roads, heavy traffic and  experiencing 6 hours of travel into the foothills of the Himalayas.

First day...a morning tea stop in Chunama

Each day starts with breakfast at 7am, trekking by 8, tea around 10am and dal bhat lunch noon or thereafter. 

Approaching old Langtang village which was buried in the 2015 earthquake. 


New Langtang Village, Village View Hotel

Suspension bridges over the Langtang Khola

Earthquake memorial to those lost :(

Langtang Lirung 7234m

Woman carrying fodder for Yaks

Jangbu Tamang and his wife at Tibet Guest House, Langtang

Sunset, Red Panda Lodge, Sing Gompa, 


Welcoming family in Thulo Syabru

A view from lodge in Lama Hotel


Following the Langtang Khola river

Gompa in Thulo Syabru
The high point in Langtang - Kyanjin Gompa 4100m

Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Trekking to Manaslu March 2018

Our destination - trekking the Manaslu circuit - one of the more challenging treks in Nepal!

Mt. Manaslu 8163 m - 8th highest peak in the world

Some narrow trails following the Budi Gandaki river

Lots of stone steps with gain and loss of elevations

Many suspension bridges

New bridging above the river to avoid flood seasons

Many lodges and homes being rebuilt post 2015 earthquake


Narrow trails, valleys, and bridges

Bridge to Philim


Lots of variety in geography

Namrung

Manaslu at sunrise from Lho

Naike - 6211m

Samagaon 3500m) after rest day and a 25 cm snowfall - 
this view to the north and to Samdo,
then Larke La pass at 5100m



Soti Khola Tea house




What was left to do? With no time to wait for the Larkya la pass to open
we opted to fly back out to Kathmandu!





Monday, March 20, 2017

Yoga & Culture 2017

A friend at Yoga for Today asked me to run a trip for her studio to Nepal, and 9 wonderful yogis joined me to Kathmandu in mid February. It is always nice to briefly walk about in shirtsleeves and practice yoga in some amazing places in +20C warmth while winter is still happening back home in Canada.
Yoga in the garden at Begnas Resort
A short day in Hong Kong allowed us to visit the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island not far from the airport, then the evening flight to Kathmandu, where our Nepal adventure began!
Big Buddha on Lantau Island



The 'silent" boat ride to Begnas resort
Organic Coffee family
A quiet boat ride on Begnas lake took us to the Begnas Lake resort, in comfortable cabins, western washrooms, yoga in the garden and delicious meals including fish from the lake! An ayurvedic doctor and spa for massage and warm oil treatments was very welcome for all. We walked local villages, visited a school and enjoyed organic coffee at the Begnas Coffee place.



Breakfast at Pokhara Damside

We spent 3 nights in Kathmandu and then off to Pokhara (the second largest city in Nepal) where it is a bit warmer (+23C) days and more of a resort town. We visited the Tibetan refugee camp, the International Mountaineering museum, several schools and shopped the Lakeside streets of Pokhara.

Sunrise on the Annapurna's
An early rise (5am) and short drive up a ridge to Sarangkot to see the sunrise on the Annapurna's, allowed us to experience the start of another amazing day. It was a bit hazy, but we could see Annapurna South and Machhapuchhre (Fishtail).

A short 30 minute flight back to Kathmandu, and visits to Thamel shopping, a Nepali Culture show and visit to Patan, another royal square in the valley, and then final preparations to return home.

Boudhanath Stupa, Kathmandu - now rebuilt after EQ

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Yoga & Culture tour 2016

Another successful Yoga and Culture tour to Nepal with two fine groups! We did our daily yoga practice in some unique locations and walked through the cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara as well as some villages to experience the Hindu and Buddhist cultures. The food was good and beer or wine at 4 or 5 every day was a great time to reflect upon our day's experiences!

Yoga in garden at Begnas Resort
The Nepal people are still suffering from Government inaction following last April's earthquake and very little rebuilding has taken place especially in the remote villages near the epicentre where homes and schools were devastated. My school in Nalang has not begun rebuilding due to lack of supplies like cement (which comes from India) and expertise - the men have had to leave to find work and earn a living. A 5 month long blockade at the border with India held back all kinds of needed supplies for everyone including food, medicines, building products, and in particular fuels.

Hindu Temples at Pashupatinath
Lack of LPG gas has meant that most people need to use wood to cook their meals creating an unhealthy atmosphere of smoke and haze all through the country! It is being rationed and sold at exorbitant prices by the mafia. Even vehicle fuels like diesel and petrol is rationed resulting in long lines of cars and trucks waiting for days to even secure a half tank at inflated prices. The Nepal government is doing nothing to alleviate this problem.


Due to all the above issues, tourism is down anywhere from 50 to 75% and a noticeable absence of tourists when we arrived February 2. One way we can support this country is by travelling there and this employs staff in hotels, shops and restaurants. Fortunately, we were not inconvenienced too much.


There is still power shedding with no power for many hours in the day. One must expect to shower by candlelight some days and go to bed and read by headlamp at night. In spite of all these issues, the people remain calm, stoic, smiling, happy with what they have and appreciative of our presence.

Yoga in Pagoda room, Vajra Hotel
The weather was warm during the days to +20C and the nights in early February were quite cold. The hotels do not have any central heating so we used electric heaters when the power was on! Later in February we had warmer nights, birds were returning to nest, flowers were blooming and it really felt like spring in the foothills of the Himalayas!

Some of these photos will give one an idea of what we experienced.


With students and Arjun in Begnas


Silent boat ride on Begnas Lake


Up early for sunrise on the Annapurna range

View from Sarankot northwest

Tashiling Monastery, Pokhara