Survival in Sherpa country at the foot of Everest

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure from Kathmandu by jeep at 5am. We take the road that goes east of the Kathmandu valley and turn south at Dhulikel.

The Himalayan range appears to your left from the scenic road that descends towards the Sun Khosi Valley. Enjoy a pleasant drive through this lush valley: mango and banana trees line wheat fields and rice paddies. It's a warm region at only 500 meters above sea level. We leave the main road and take the one that climbs towards Solu, a Sherpa region south of the Everest region. We ascend through pine and then fir forests to reach Phplu and then Junebesi at 2700 meters via a track. Check-in at the lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Breakfast at the lodge

A 3-hour walk along a beautiful trail along the Junebesi River.

We pass through beautiful Sherpa villages with thick stone walls and stained or colored wooden windows. Then a 30-minute climb takes us to the monastic village of Tubten Chöling. The Great Lama, Tulsi Rinpoche, found refuge in this valley after fleeing Tibet, which was invaded by China in the early 1960s. Since then, hundreds of nuns and monks have joined him. Most of them are originally from Tibet. Their small, individual dwellings now cover the mountainside around the monastery. You will have the privilege of sharing a bit of their daily life. In the kitchens, the nuns and monks on duty prepare meals for three hundred people. Enormous cauldrons steam over the fire, and hands are busy preparing momos or Tibetan bread.

The result is a famous and balanced Tibetan meal that you will share with the high-ranking nuns and monks in the steward's room.

In the afternoon, you will visit the grounds of the monastery founded by Tulsi Rinpoche. An excursion in the mountains surrounding the monastery will follow, along with preparations for the expedition. At the appointed time, you will gather in the main hall of the monastery to witness the Buddhist ceremony where sacred horns, cymbals, and conch shells accompany the melodious chanting of the nuns and monks. Dinner and overnight stay at the monastery guesthouse.

Breakfast

A walk in the forest in a remote region. Only shepherds and their herds of yaks sometimes venture into this region in the summer.

Training in primitive survival techniques.

Setting up a bivouac in the forest, gathering, collecting wood and water.

Overnight bivouac in the middle of the jungle.

Survival activities: you will need to establish your routine and find your place among the Asiatic black bears and leopards that inhabit these mountains. You will practice orienteering with and without a compass, find your way using the sun or the moon, and move around to find the best spot to set up camp.

Setting up a bivouac in the forest, gathering, collecting wood and water.

Night bivouac

Depending on the snow conditions, you will have the opportunity to climb to 3500m or more. You are now on the roof of the sky. All your efforts will be costly, and your progress will be slow. Energy conservation will be your primary concern. In this environment, making a fire with two pieces of wood and preparing your meal using only your meager supplies and the day's foraged finds will be a remarkable feat. We will also discuss altitude sickness and acclimatization to help you better understand life at the summits.

Setting up a bivouac, gathering foraged ingredients, collecting wood and water.

Night bivouac

You're in the deep end!

You'll follow the trails that villagers use in summer to reach the Dudh Kunde lakes. What could be better than feeling like the first climbers of the world's largest mountain range! Survival will now be your daily reality, and you'll find a rhythm to continue the adventure. Building a good bivouac with a fire and clean water, eating wild plants, and preparing a good herbal tea will fill you with joy.

Setting up a bivouac, gathering foraging, collecting wood and water (source).

Night bivouac

We will discuss and emphasize group psychology to ensure nothing is overlooked in your team's experience. You will feel the fatigue and the end of the trek. All that will remain is to plan the setup of a bivouac in the forest, and this will all come naturally. Your instructor and local guides will still be able to share their expertise to help you get through the final hours in good conditions.

Night bivouac

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In the morning, you'll be up early and begin your trek along the Trakshindo ridges, heading towards civilization and Sherpa villages. Check-in at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge (FINALLY, LUXURY!).

Breakfast

We enter a dense forest of conifers and rhododendrons covered in lichen. We must stay together for fear of bears.

Sometimes a clearing allows us to glimpse the valleys below and, in the distance, the Himalayan range. The trail now runs along a ridge above the trees. Views of Everest and the snow-capped peaks. After reaching a very old stupa, we join the wide track leading to Phaplu and follow it for over an hour before cutting across through a pretty village overlooking Phaplu, at 2460m. Arrival in Phaplu in the late afternoon and check-in at a lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Breakfast

Departure from Kathmandu by jeep at dawn to reach the Kathmandu Valley. Settle into Patan, a royal city near Kathmandu.

The hotel is located in the Newar district, very close to the Royal Palace Square, which is one of the jewels of Nepalese architecture.

Dinner and overnight stay at a hotel in town.

Breakfast

Morning dedicated to visiting Patan and Kathmandu with your trekking guide. Departure from the hotel to the airport and departure.