Travel photographs

April/May 2009 - A varied expedition in the Solu-Khumbu region, embracing three valleys (Hinku, Hongu and Gokyo), three high passes (Mera La, Amphu Labtse and Renjo La), and three summits - Mera Peak (6476m), Island Peak (6189m) and Gokyo Ri (5360m).

PHOTO GALLERIES

Lukla to Phuiyan - Quiet wooded trail high above the Dudh Khosi valley
Phuiyan to Pangkongma - Hot, dusty trail through villages and rhododendron forest
Pangkongma to Nashing Dingma - Over a pass and into the lush green Hinku Valley; first view of Mera Peak
Nashing Dingma to Chalen Kharka - Ascent along wooded ridge of mixed bamboo, juniper and rhododendron
Chalen Kharka to Chanbu Kharka - Ascent over high pass into rocky moorland; cold sacred lake
Chanbu Kharka to Tashing Ongma - Path high above valley drops through ancient forest to village on rocky riverbed
Tashing Ongma to Tangnag - Walk up rocky riverbed and dwarf rhododendron meadows to head of valley; lonely gompa
Tangnag to Khare - Up a glacial valley to high altitude village; acclimatisation ridge
Khare to the Mera La - Climbing up to the Mera Glacier; crossing a broad snow plateau
Mera La to Mera High Camp - Ascent to campsite on lofty mountain ledge with spectacular views
Mera Peak Summit Day - Wide snow plateau; two steep summit domes; panorama of world's highest mountains
Kongme Dingma to Hongu Valley Camp - High altitude valley of grassland, stony and sandy riverbeds
Hongu Valley Camp to Panch Pokhari - Ascending through moraine fields to head of valley; high altitude lakes
Over the Amphu Labtse - Difficult pass involving ice climb, rock scramble, glacier ascent and abseil; first view of Island
Imja Tsho Camp to Island Peak High Camp - Walking beneath the massive south face of Lhotse; short climb to camp
Island Peak Summit Day - Across a glacier, up a headwall, and a narrow summit ridge; teahouse celebrations
Chukhung to Pangboche - Descent of Imja valley to the forest zone amid wintry scenes
Pangboche to Dole - High snowy trail above Imja valley; crossing into damp wooded valley
Dole to Gokyo - Bleak and wintry weather conditions up a wide valley and past a series of small lakes
Gokyo Ri - Breathtaking Everest viewpoint of lakes, glaciers, and virtually every mountain in the Khumbu
Ngozumba Glacier - The biggest glacier in Nepal viewed from the crest of its lateral moraine
Ngozumba Tsho (Fifth Lake) - Walk alongside glacier moraine and climb to a viewpoint under south face of Cho Oyu
Over the Renjo La - Crossing a high pass in thick snow
Lungde to Thame - South along dry valley to Sherpa village with monastery high on hillside above
Thame to Namche Bazaar - Down a pine clad valley to the capital of the Solu-Khumbu region
Namche Bazaar to Lukla - Along a conifer forested valley with many lodges and villages along the trail
In Kathmandu - Exploring the many Buddhist and Hindu temples in Durbar Square and the city's backstreets

VIDEOS

DIARY

Islands in the Snow - Trekking and climbing in Nepal’s Solu-Khumbu