So you’ve heard about covid-19 right?

Well… COVID-19 wasn’t really A THING in early 2020. The World was only just waking up to the realisation of what a global pandemic actually is. People were going about their everyday lives, relatively unaffected by the tsunami wave that was about to come. Looking back now, it almost felt like the rip tide before the first wave. So… during this period of unknowing, we found ourselves at the base of Mt. Everest. A million miles away from the chaos that was unfolding in countries around the globe. Just me, Amy and the roof of the world. But more on that later…

Nepal had been a place on our radar to visit for quite some time pre-2020. We’d been looking for the opportunity to explore the breathtaking mountains, lush rainforests and bustling cities. We’d done a ton of research on costs, logistics, where we wanted to go, what we wanted to achieve and see. We just needed an opportunity to actually go, when our employer announced the were closing for a huge renovation - if this wasn’t the chance we were waiting for I don't know what was! We decided to book with a company for trekking to have a local contact and someone to show us the ropes. So that was it… Tickets purchased… We were off!

WHY this setup? For me, having the versatility of the 3 lenses combined with the image size of the full frame body made sense. I wanted to capture panoramas, intimate portraits, focus stacked landscapes. Things I just couldn’t do without this set up. Granted I could have gone for a lightweight options, my trusty Nikon 28-300 f/3.5-5.6G ED VR. But the weight saving comes with a compromise. Shooting mainly in the valleys, gives such high contrast scenes and a massive change of light and shadow. The f2.8 lenses handle low light situations much better and provide a much superior image - key for printing.

WHAT worked? Three key things stood out for me in my setup. 1 - My Peak Design Clip was a lifesaver. Having my camera clipped to the shoulder strap of my pack, being able to capture moments as they happen, vs. taking my pack off, unzipping it, fumbling around to get my camera out, correctly exposing the scene THEN shooting the image. It saved time, effort and makes your pack feel lighter by distributing weight on your front. 2 - The Tamron G2 70-200S. The compression I was able to get with this lens to create a sense of scale, mood and depth was incredible. Its versatility to shoot long exposures for sunrise, then lifestyle shots around the Monkey Temple make it a killer combination. 3 - My Rear Entry Bag - I took my Ski Photography Backpack, the Osprey Kamber 42l. Now, I’m not saying this is the ideal HIKING bag, but for me it combines the perfect harmony between comfort and useability from a photographers perspective. Being able to whip your pack around your waist, zip open the rear, and change a lens; all without taking my pack off is amazing. Not having to unpack clothing and food to grab my camera saves time for me, but also impacts the rest of your group and stops me being a nuisance.

WHAT didn’t work? If I had the opportunity to go again and repeat the same trip… The only thing to change, would be to shed some weight. Hiking for such extended periods with this amount of weight, at such high altitudes, can be a painful and tiresome activity. There isn’t one item that I took with me that I didn’t use; however there was definitely some that gathered dust in my bag. I hardly used Nikon 14-24 f2.8 wide angle lens - which happens to my favourite landscape lens to use in Canada. The wide angle style of this lens just didn’t lend itself to the vast landscapes I found myself in. The distortion of this focal length just seemed to diminish the grandeur of the Himalayas, rather than accentuate them. My second item I could cut from my pack would be my tripod. I went on a trekking trip, not to be confused with a photography trip. Walking for 8hrs a day with a plan of distances and timings in mind, means your hands are tied in, to some form of schedule. I had to be aware of other people and their goals. As a result, I couldn’t just stop and compose a waterfall shot for 20 minutes, try different angles and exposures; Focus stack for every image and make the experience revolve around photography. Snap a memory here and there if you can, but don’t become absorbed by it It’s about being there in the moment to experience the culture, sights, smells, the people and the commaradory of the trail. Photography has to be second to that. In short… know what intention you have for your trip… and LEAVE ALL OTHERS AT HOME!

The Manaslu Circuit 🏔

This trek is a stunning 13-day journey which heads around the world’s eighth highest mountain, beginning in the busy market town of Soti Khola. It ascends through dense jungle, rice paddies and alpine villages. With such diverse terrain and breathtaking scenery, it’s a great alternative region to visit. The area was closed to outsiders until the early 90's and tourism is still restricted through a strict permit system which gives you a true Nepali experience. These images were shot along the trek; in small Tibetan Settlements in the North of Nepal. The locals there were celebrating Tibetan New Year at the time and were proudly changing their Buddhist Prayer Poles. It was wonderful to see families taking such pride in their homesteads and continuing traditions.

Manaslu Himal 🏔
The 8th highest mountain in the world. We spent the night in the village of Lho before heading higher up the trail. A gorgeous community rich in Buddhist culture with the Monastery looming high about the settlement. I caught these shots from our balcony... it was -25°c at night which made for a chilly sleep in our wooden shack.

A Collection of Clouds ☁️
Our Manaslu Circuit trip ended early at the high village of Samagaun on day 7 due to impassable snow levels higher up the trail. As a result, we spent a day or so exploring the local area. We hiked to Birendra Taal which is a glacier fed lake up by a Monastery at the foot of Mt Manaslu on the path to base camp. Whilst hiking to the lake, clouds swirled in the valley as weather systems pushed through, creating some real drama and atmosphere to the landscape; Himalayan Vultures soared on the thermals above us… What an awesome day with the great company of Fran and Ben.

Cheaper than Uber... So unfortunately our Manaslu Trek came to an early end when deep snow turned us back short of Larkya La Pass. However we blagged a lift with a local pilot flying in pipes for a HydroElectric Power project in the valley. Here’s me, Amy, our guide and two monks in the back of a Helicopter... it’s amazing what you can get for fifty bucks! Safe to say we rated Jamal 5 stars for the journey.

Our journey out of the mountains began by chopper. After that, our guide pulled a favour from a friend who packed us 8 of us into a Jeep. We then bundled into a minivan (after a brief peanut scare which left my tearing bags from the van roof in search of my EpiPen and medication), and 6 hrs and lots of Nepali classic tunes later, we crashed at our Hostel in Thamel. After resting up for a day after an arduous journey back to the city, we were ready to get out and enjoy the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu for a couple of days.

Things to do in kathmandu🇳🇵

EVEREST BASE CAMP TREK 🏔

After much deliberation, we decided that the main objective for our trip was to reach EBC and Kala Patthar, so anything else would be a bonus. Whilst it wasn’t our initial plan, we wanted to make the most of our time here, but still, respect the knowledge of our guide and his company… which turned out to be very very good advice indeed - but more on that later!

A note here is that, because we hired our guide privately in Kathmandu, we were able to have these discussions with him and reach collective decisions. If we had booked onto a large tour with multiple parties, these decisions would have been more likely taken out of our hands, or have to be ruled with a majority. It’s a balance as you do pay slightly more for going private, but the flexibility and input we had made it worth its weight in gold. We found Raj at Himalayan Encounters to be a fantastic communicator and had an excellent network of people to connect with and make things happen when we really needed it. They are the Nepal office that handles all of the Intrepid Expeditions, so you have peace of mind knowing they have tons of experience in executing trips.

Day 1 - After landing at Lukla, you will start the trek to the village of Phadking (3hrs) – on the way you will pass incredible boulders, carved with Buddhist prayers. We stayed at Hotel Sherpa. Food was a little more expensive and portions here were smaller than we’d become accustomed to in the Manaslu region, however, we’d recommend the mushroom lasagne, and they made excellent coffee!

Day 2 - A cobbled-stone pathway will lead you through the Gorge of Dudh Koshi, where lush Rhododendron forest and waterfalls are plentiful. Local stray dogs will follow you here in the hopes of a free meal. We adopted a Himalayan Sheepdog whom we named Caesar, who proceeded to follow us all the way to our hotel and got a good-hiding by the owners after he followed us in and laid down for a snooze by the fire! Our guide Raj explained in Nepali culture, for him as a guide, it doesn’t look good if you have dogs following your group. Needless to say, these dogs need zero encouragement, but Amy and I are big softies when it comes to dogs, but we try our best not to give any more scratches.

Namche Baazar 3440m

These black and white images may be the two I’m most proud of from my entire trip to Nepal. Whilst spending a day acclimatising at Namche Bazaar we wandered around the village exploring the winding cobbled streets. We love dogs and were drawn to a particular spot high up on a terrace above the houses. A gang of dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds were hanging out together, outside a building. It turned out the be the local butcher’s shop. We watched as the men worked their way through piles of meat. Chopping and chunking mixed handfuls into blue plastic bags. These bags were then loaded onto mules and sent on their way up higher into the mountains. All the while, the dogs waited patiently by the door, drooling in anticipation. When the last mule had been loaded and sent on its way, pandemonium struck as scraps were thrown out onto the terrace. In all the commotion, I hadn’t noticed the murder of crows that had gathered on the tin roof behind me! A bone hit the roof and in an instant they all took flight. Soaring on the thermals, they rose against the swirling mist in the valley. As the cloud parted, giants were revealed behind them, towering above us. Our necks ached to see where summit meets sky. This is the first time I truly was in awe of the magnificent Himalayas.

Erupting to the West, the astonishing peaks of Kongde and Tartika. Only after reviewing the map later that evening, we realise these peaks are only 6168m & 6093m…some 2500m lower than Everest. With over 3000m of rock directly above you though, they dominate the valley, high above the clouds, seemingly touching the sky. It’s rare to witness magnitude in its raw form like this, so close in front of you.

Acclimatisation Day Top Tips

• Visit the Tenzing Norgay Memorial and National Park Museum. An array of statues and accolades for Tenzing’s achievements stood in the grounds with Ama Dablam, Lhoste, Everest and Nuptse veiled behind. The museum is host to lots of alpinist memorabilia from the early explorers of Mallory, Irvine, and Hillary from the golden age of mountaineering. It has taxidermy of a whole host of Himalayan animals and birds. It’s also a great place to spot Danfe, the national bird of Nepal. Also known as The Himalayan monal - this vibrant peacock/pheasant-like bird wanders the woods behind the museum so keep your eyes peeled!

• Hike up to Panorama Viewpoint & Everest View Hotel. 400m above Namche, this stunning viewpoint provides the perfect vista to capture 360° views of all the mountains. There’s a tea house up there but we took a flask so sat in the sun and relaxed awhile which was wonderful. Everest View Hotel even has its own helipad, where guests fly in to stay the night!

• Visit Sagarmatha Next. Whilst on our way up to the viewpoint, we met a Swede named Tommy Gustafsson, the project director for SN. He told us how he’d been coming to the Khumbu Valley for over 30 years, and moved permanently to Namche back in 2015. He’d been instrumental in working to reduce the overflowing garbage issue and increase recycling. His efforts include over 100 recycling bins along the trail from Lukla to Gorak Shep, as well as the “Carry Me Back” initiative. A crowd-sourced waste removal system designed to send waste to its rightful place where it can be recycled by utilising the movement of locals and tourists, who collect 1kg bags of recyclables when leaving Namche, to then be dropped at Lukla Airport. In its pilot season, over 2500 people participated, helping transfer over 4 Tons of waste to Kathmandu and reducing their impact on the park, helping Sagramatha Next in its quest for sustainable tourism. A visitors center and art gallery have been built for artists from around the world to take residency. They use trash directly from the park to sculpt and exhibit, and all proceeds go back into the initiative! Super cool guy to run into, and the center is well worth a visit.

• Namche Bakery & Pizza House. If you have some free time in the afternoon as we did, sit out on their terrace, soak up the sun with a beer or tea and some delicious homemade cakes. We did try a baked cheesecake elsewhere but it literally tasted like the smell of Yaks… you’ve been warned!

Day 7 started from Dingboche, as we ascended the small ridge behind the village above the Pheriche valley. From the stupa at the top, Taweche and Cholatse (6440m) make for a pretty striking scene; they seem to lean forwards from across the valley in the west. To the north, Lobuje Peak (6119m) and the snowfields of the Cho La are the kings of the skyline. The walking is fairly flat and at this point, many other trekkers are heading in the same direction. We chatted with several people as we crossed the moor-like plateau. A widower from San Francisco, here to scatter his late wife’s ashes, which we bonded over as I had a vial of my grandfather’s ashes to scatter too. Also family from Saskatchewan, taking their two kids on a round the world year out - what an amazing opportunity to have at such a young age!

As the gradual incline continued, the groups dispersed and we were alone again in the Khumbu, glorious rays beaten down on our faces and crisp clean air in our lungs. Paradise! Late in the morning we crossed the Khumbu Khola at Dughla and took a light lunch at the foot of the huge terminal moraines of the Khumbu Glacier flowing off Everest. From here it’s a steep climb up the rocky moraine until you crest the ridge, where you reach the Everest memorial site at Thok La Pass.

It was an baizare day for a number of reasons. Obviously the lack of climbers being the standout; but, moments after we arrived at Gorak Shep, our guide got a call. Bad News. The company director had called to say we must return to Lukla immediately and not waste any more time going to EBC or Kala Patthar, due to us being the only group from their trekking company left in the valley. A COVID outbreak was already imminent in Kathmandu and they wanted all tourists to leave the country by March 20th (3 days time)! After much deliberation with Raj and the company, we agreed on leaving early the next morning, allowing us to still visit Base Camp, and Kala Patthar for sunset. We would then have a long two days trekking the 52km back to Lukla.