Nepal 2024 – before the trip

End of March 2024

 

 

It’s been a year since I had to travel home from Nepal unexpectedly. At the time, I was actually planning to travel to the Everest region and tackle the 3-pass trek there. The photos on the internet just looked too good. I didn’t want to be put off by the feared crowds. I wanted to avoid Everest Base Camp anyway. At the time, I was still going back and forth about how I actually felt about Nepal and trekking there. But just – that landscape!

 

Now, a year later, I realise that the Annapurna Circuit has left me with rather happy memories. Between all my Ladakh treks etc., it was something special – the landscape, the people, the emotions.

 

I had only seen Mt Everest once before, in 1995 from the Singalila trek near Darjeeling. It was relatively small in the distance and so unspectacular that I preferred to have my photo taken with Kanchenjunga behind me. By the way: doesn’t it look funny, the mountain massif? It’s also known as the “Sleeping Buddha” and here he has a cloud on his belly and above his head. Mt Everest, Lhotse and Makalu are out of the picture on the left.

 

So this Everest area was still in my head of places I would really like to experience in real life. And then, a month ago, my life took an unexpected turn: I discovered a job offer at german tour operator Diamir Erlebnisreisen: Product Manager Himalaya. That sounded like something like it was just waiting for me! Or me waiting for something like that. I fidgeted through the night, thinking of all the obstacles and consequences, and then I wrote an application. To summarise the story: there were 3 conversations and lots of thoughts, but in the end we said “yes” to each other after 4 weeks. But because the “yes” wasn’t followed by an immediate job start, but you still have to do this and that, I had an acceptance and 6 weeks until I started work. And what do you do when you’re me? Consider travelling! But one that was already intended to serve the new job. The job was first changed from Himalayas to India and Nepal. I have gaps in the south of India and even more in the centre, but my heart was drawn back to the mountains: this was the opportunity to kill three birds with one stone: to get to know all the local people in Nepal (and they me), to learn more about Nepal and to do this trek that was on my wish list! Diamir also thought it was a great idea!

 

And so I researched a flight, found it, booked it and a week later I was ready to go! I don’t think I’ve ever travelled at such short notice – except for one time when I had to do something for a company in Mumbai. Here is some information about the 3-pass trek. It’s also on offer at Diamir – here is the link. 3 passes over 5,000 metres – that sounds pretty mighty! But the good thing is: you don’t have to. You can also say after the 1st pass: I don’t like it any more. And then go back an alternative route. At first I thought I would never get to this area because almost all the offers on the internet included the flight to/from Lukla. Lukla is considered to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world and sometimes accidents happen there and passengers die. That’s all too scary for me. I thought I would have to walk an insanely long way to get there – but I was wrong! You can now drive quite close by car. It takes longer than a flight and I’m sure it’s a lot of back-breaking rocking – but the main thing is not to fly!

 

And that’s the plan now: arrive, get to know the people, get together and talk about it in more detail, get a guide, then start and stay flexible. And yes, I want to go with a guide this time. For company, to learn more about Nepal and the people, in case things get dicey and to get a better feel and experience for Diamir.

 

And now I’m fidgeting around inside and dragging my feet until I land in Kathmandu! And remember the beautiful mountains last year.