Coniferous Forests

The scenery that awaited me just south of Namche was absolutely gorgeous. The pinewood (Pinus sp.) forests that laced the southern hills were a mix of vibrant reds and greens, and the backdrop of white and silver layers of snow that adorned the southern slopes of Nupla (elevation : 5885 m) really brought out the contrast of colours. I found that it was significantly easier to appreciate the beauty that lay all around

Even though it was bright and sunny that morning, the temperatures outside hovered just above freezing - a sure sign that winter was just around the corner. Despite the cold, I quickly packed up my gear, eager to get back out on the trail and on to Tengbouche. After making my way up the narrow shop-lined alleyways to the northern side of Namche Bazaar (Nepali : नाम्चे बजार) (elevation : 3440 m), I turned right

The day started off slow and relaxed with a bit of coffee and lemon tea (NPR70+150) before I went out to look around the quaint little shops that were scattered around town. Namche Bazaar (Nepali : नाम्चे बजार) (elevation : 3440 m) is considered the business capital of the Khumbu region and is the site of a weekly market where you can find all sorts of goods and trekking paraphernalia. I ended up stocking up on quite a

Today I witnessed the mountains come to life! I woke up at 04:30 and went outside to do some stargazing in the crystal clear mountain skies, braving the brisk temperatures that were as low as -10 degrees Celsius. After setting up the intervalometer on my Nikon D7000, I stood watching the constellation Orion and Jupiter (then situated just above the Hyades cluster in Taurus) slowly set behind the mountains

I had been looking forward to the flight to Lukla for quite a while as all the things that I had both read and had heard from others travelers made the journey not only sound dangerous but also immensely fun. As such, I awoke that day bright and early and very eager to go. I had paid USD282 (NPR29000) for the return flight from Kathmandhu to Lukla with TARA Air and had decided on the return date of the 27th of