Category Archives: Great Himalaya Trail

To Gyabla (2730m) The valley begins to widen on the stage to Gyabla, and rather than climbing up and down it is a more gradual and steady ascent until we reach the outskirts of the pretty village of Gyabla.  The … Continue reading →

To Amjilosa (2308m). The stage from Sukathum to Amjilosa is a challenging day. After crossing the suspension bridge outside Sukathum we enter dense forest once again until the valley narrows into steep gorge country.The sound of the river is deafening … Continue reading →

To Chiruwa (1270m) The trail ascends and descends steadily for approximately 4 hours as we make our way towards the Tamor Khola and the valley floor at Nagadin. This area is significant to the history of Nepal and is where … Continue reading →

Walk To Mitlung (1542m) Today we will begin our Great Big Walk!  We will walk approximately four hours to Mitlung.  The trails throughout the lower sections of the Kanchenjunga region pass through fertile valleys that typically produce up to three … Continue reading →

Drive to Taplejung (1820m). Today we plan to drive to Taplejung. Flights can sometimes be delayed due to mountain weather and so flexibility and patience may be required. The Kanchenjunga region is home to Sherpa, Limbu, Rai and Gurung people.  … Continue reading →

Today we fly  to Bhadrapur (2420m) and then drive to Ilam. Bhadrapur is situated in the terai, south east of Lukla. The flight from Kathmandu takes approximately  50 minutes and affords views of the entire trek and the Himalaya from … Continue reading →

We had an excellent day touring some of the famous spots of Kathamandu, including my favourite, Boudhanath Stupa. The stupa is the second largest in the world and the largest in Nepal. The stupa was alive with many folks celebrating … Continue reading →

This morning we’ll be sightseeing and taking in  key attractions in and around Kathmandu. The Kathmandu Valley has an amazing range of fascinating highlights.  We will visit Pashupatinath and Boudhanath (two favourite places of mine). Quote for the Day All … Continue reading →

Meeting the Expedition Team In Kathmandu (1330m) Today we will be meeting up with the members of our expedition team.  We’ll try to get to know each other, build team bonds, and work to take care of last minute tasks … Continue reading →

Bags are packed. No sleeps left. No hockey games left. A few more things on the to-do list left to do and then 34 hours of travel. We fly St. John’s to Halifax to London to Delhi to Kathmandu. We … Continue reading →

Stage Two: it gets worse before it gets better!

And so it begins… Step One: Start pulling all the gear on the list.

1) Seeing lots and lots of prayer flags. Prayer flags are flown on high passes, on summits and around stupas and other holy places in Nepal. The different colours represent the different elements. The flags have prayers/intentions printed on them … Continue reading →

As is the case with most expeditions, there comes a time where the countdowns begin. My injured finger has finally allowed me to return to hockey and so I decided to count how many games remain in this season…16! Of … Continue reading →

As I type this, the kettle just boiled and Marian just flipped another page of our Great Himalaya Trail book. She’s been reading it as I’ve been working on the map above. We’ve been documenting/learning about our route through a … Continue reading →