Can you really see Mount Everest from Kathmandu?

May 20, 2020 Opinion and advice everest, ganesh himal, global health, himalayas, kathmandu, langtang lirung, nepal, nepali times 20 Comments

One of the side effects of coronavirus lockdown that many people have been talking about is the clarity of the air. Less traffic means less pollution. Nowhere illustrates this better than Nepal’s capital Kathmandu. Last week the Nepali Times posted a photo that purported to show a view of Everest from the city. Could it be true?

The fate of Langtang village two years after the Nepal earthquake

April 26, 2017 Good causes langtang, langtang lirung, nepal, nepal earthquake, teahouse trekking, trekking 9 Comments

One of the most jaw-dropping experiences of my recent visit to Langtang was passing through Langtang village, the site of a devastating landslide during the 2015 earthquake. Yesterday was the second anniversary, so it seems like the right moment to remember what happened.

From wasteland to wonderland: a trek in Langtang

April 12, 2017 Trip reports edita, ganesh himal, gosainkund, helambu, himalayas, jamie mcguinness, langtang, langtang lirung, naya kang, nepal, nepal earthquake, project himalaya, shishapangma, teahouse trekking, trekking, trekking peaks, yala peak 8 Comments

I’ve been meaning to go to Langtang for a long time. It was Nepal’s third most popular trekking destination, but this changed suddenly after the Nepal earthquake. The region is getting back to normal again and I was long overdue a visit. Here’s the story of my trek.

Tilman’s expedition to Langtang

February 4, 2015 History bill tilman, dorje sherpa, exploration, first ascents, ganchenpo, ganesh himal, helambu, history of mountaineering, history of nepal, langtang, langtang lirung, mila mikhanovskaya, nepal, paldor, pasang ongchu sherpa, shishapangma, tenzing norgay, trekking, trekking peaks, wildlife 11 Comments

The great mountain explorer Bill Tilman made three treks in Nepal in 1949 and 1950. His first to Langtang was not successful in mountaineering terms, but as an exploratory journey it must have been as enjoyable as any he undertook.