Nepal

I didn’t have to think twice when my boss walked to my desk on a Thursday afternoon and asked me if I wanted to represent him at a conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, starting the following Monday. The opportunity to visit a region I only knew from National Geographic Magazines, a place that seemed not only far but also unreachable, was intriguing. To spend a long weekend after the conference in a new country and get the chance to explore it was too tempting. The internet articles I read that evening were made by and for people who had time to prepare weeks in advance, and I wasn’t one of them. So, I decided to get there and figure it out on the way and spent the remaining time to prepare for the conference.

The weekend flew by and the conference started. In the late evenings, I tried to figure out what to do while optimizing for budget and time – two things that usually don’t go well together. I knew for sure that reaching the summit of Mount Everest in those four days was not an option; I didn’t have the time, money, or training. So what was the next best option? After asking local conference participants and some local tour guides, I learned that I had three feasible options. First, take a helicopter to see Mount Everest. Second, do a trek in the Kathmandu valley. Third, do the Poon Hill trek. Taking a helicopter to see Mount Everest seemed not only ridiculous but also would have felt like cheating as it was too touristy. The Kathmandu valley didn’t feel adventurous enough. So only the Poon Hill trek starting in Pokhara remained – a five-day trek in the east of the country that I had to do in 3 days. My decision was made. Looking at other travelers and the gear they carried around, slowly the realization crept in how poorly prepared I was. I didn’t have hiking boots, gear or waterproof clothing. The fact that this level of preparation didn’t bother me was a direct result of an abundance of reckless spontaneity and ignorance. My excitement muted all potential doubt about the upcoming adventure. A guide and a flight to Pokhara was everything I thought I needed. Wearing sneakers and jeans, I was ready to go. W

hat I didn’t have in gear, I had in motivation in my heart, a smile on my face, and a camera in my hand. I didn’t know yet the saying that every dead body on Mount Everest was once a motivated person.

You can read the full story here

And here are my favorite pictures of this trip