Climbing New Peaks in Nepal

After a brief stop in Bangkok to refresh, reconnect with wifi and get our laundry done, we were off on the second leg of our SE Asian adventure: a trek in Nepal. We were excited for the adventure but wholly unprepared for what was to come. That said, I loved how game everyone was, and we dove in headfirst. 

After a warm welcome at the airport by our guides Jaget and Chandra, they told us that cooler than expected weather conditions meant we would need a few additional items: hiking boots, crampons, -20 degree sleeping bags, insulated hiking pants. Yikes - thank goodness I hadn’t yet seen the movie Everest. The gear list required us to brave the streets of Kathmandu for our purchases...

 ...an experience in and of itself that I absolutely loved but was admittedly exhausting. Brady got to practice his negotiating skills (not bad), and despite best efforts, we still contributed more to the local economy than we probably needed to. From Kathmandu, we headed to Pokhara where we were to start our trek. Here we got a fun cultural lesson when a Frenchman condescended to us on how to shut a door so we would not disturb him….we were all a little flabbergasted by his arrogance but had a good laugh in the end.

Our 10-day trek through the Himalaya offered a lot of opportunity for introspection, contemplation, and soul searching. As we were departing I received word that my stepfather had passed away, so it was a particularly poignant time for me, and I couldn’t think of a more spiritual place to be as I dealt with the myriad of emotions. Whenever possible, I connected with my brother who was doing a terrific job holding down the fort and caring for our mom, but I couldn’t help but worry about her endlessly. 

There were certainly ups and downs, disappointments and adjusting course (our goal of Annapurna Base Camp was thwarted due to avalanches, and our reroute to Mardi Himal was cut short by sickness), but all in all, it was an incredibly rich experience. Though there were grumbles and complaints, for the most part I witnessed strength and determination in our children that I hadn’t seen before. Yes, the hiking was intense at times, but the grittiness of the accommodations was also something new and we all took it in stride (mostly). Being virtually cut off from civilization for 10 days created space for long discussions with our kids, and further helped us see them as young adults finding their way in the world. I think it’s safe to say it was perspective changing for us all, and an experience I would not trade for anything. In fact, we are looking forward to our next visit....perhaps a try at Everest Base Camp. Anyone game to join us?