Month: March 2018

    For my second trek in Nepal, I wanted to see Mount Everest.  I didn’t need to be particularly close, and I have no desire to be amongst tourists all cramming themselves into Base Camp, I just wanted to see the highest mountain on earth with my own eyes. So in late December, I set off again with Khadak as my guide.  Once again I left all the planning to him and enjoyed just following along with the trek he had planned.  We caught the bus from Kathmandu to Jiri arriving there at about 4pm and had time for some fabulous coffee and local donuts before catching the next bus to Shivalaya.  By the time the bus arrived it was near dark, and it was cold and pitch black when we arrived in Shivalaya.  We picked the closest lodge and settled down for the night with hot tea and daal bhat for dinner. Early the next morning we started hiking.  I had tried really hard this time to pack less equipment to make my bag lighter, but I was not wildly successful as my pack still seemed to weigh a ton.  We stopped for lunch at one of the many delightful lodges and continued on, passing some spectacular scenery of wide open valleys and crystal clear rivers.  There was a tremendous amount of damage to many of the buildings from the 2015 earthquake which was heart-breaking to see.  Not just the damage to such beautiful architecture, but the obvious loss of life and income for the many families affected. We came to a junction and decided to head up to Pikay Peak.  It was uphill the whole way (unsurprisingly, being a peak) and the going for me was painfully slow but again an amazing experience.  There was no rush

By: Katey Freeman I had never been on a trek before in my life, but arrived in Nepal with a determination to go trekking and experience the wonder which is the beauty of the Himalayas and the abundant wildlife here.  So on November 2 I left the city for the adventure of a lifetime – the Mardi Himal Trek. I met Khadak at 6am in the morning and we took a private car to Kande, where we unloaded our kit and my very first trek got underway.  It seems I have a lot to learn about packing.  Even though I thought I had taken only “the essentials” my pack seemed much bigger and heavier than his!  Arriving at Australian Camp for a cup of divine Nepali tea was amazing, and the view reminded me that I was really trekking in Nepal, and doing something quite amazing.  We continued along the trail, which was surrounded by stunning forest and amazing scenery. We stayed out first night at Archana camp and we were the only people there. It was absolutely magical.  I was not sure what to expect with the accommodation at the tea houses, but I did think it would be very basic, and it wasn’t at all.  The rooms were lovely and the beds very comfortable with thick duvets to curl up in.  We had fried rice for dinner, followed by several cups of hot water-buffalo milk which I became very fond of. The proprietors invited us to eat with them in their kitchen, and the whole experience was very personal as we were welcomed and made to feel like family, not guests.  We sat and watched dusk fall over Annapurna South and Annapurna Massif, and watching the snow-capped peak turn pink in the sunset I could not believe I