We have a habit of spending holidays doing very non-traditional things, taking advantage of inexpensive hotels and less-crowded places. Thanksgiving 2011 was no different as we took the long holiday in our favorite island destination, Kaua’i. Past adventures We’ve been here several times together and have found it one of the absolute best islands to […]

The following is a continuation of Mera Peak Expedition — Why Basa matters so much If arriving in Basa was remarkable, spending a day there was incredible. We slept incredibly well after our prior evening of rahksi and dancing…and rahksi. Even though we were in their home village and they slept in their own homes, the […]

The following is a continuation of Mera Peak Expedition — Arriving in Basa Challenges Nepal is a great example of what happens when extremely poor meets well-meaning. Westerners have been coming to Nepal in large numbers for several decades because of its amazing mountains and equally amazing people. Westerners have opened their hearts and pocketbooks and donated […]

The following is a continuation of Mera Peak Expedition — Phaplu at last. The next day’s trek was almost entirely downhill from just above 3000 m. (about 10,000 ft) and ended up at 1800 m. (5900 ft). We were in the sun most of the time, making it a warm but very enjoyable journey into […]

The following is a continuation of Mera Peak Expedition – Getting in and out of Kathmandu. After our aborted attempt to fly to Phaplu from Kathmandu on Monday, we were able to successfully fly out at around noon on the 11th of October. The Tara Air plane was a small turbo prop that sat 19 […]

Originally submitted at REI Regain your confidence when walking on packed snow and ice with the updated, simple-to-use Yaxtrax Pro traction devices. Yaktrax Pro Let’s be fair, folks…these things work By Chris et Jeanne from Pasadena, CA on 11/13/2011 4out of 5 Pros: Versatile, Great Grip, Comfortable, Easy To Put On & Adjust Cons: Bulky […]

Quite unexpectedly, we were able to take a short, local flight this morning from the El Monte Airport, about a half hour from our home in Pasadena . For an hour or so, we flew in and around the mountains that we love to hike. To have such a bird’s eye perspective and to pass […]

No arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal can beat the greeting that we’re always given by our friends from Adventure Geo Treks, known as ‘AGT’ by us, and ‘Geo Treks’ by the locals. For us, they’re much more than a commercial operation and much more like friends. Though he owns and runs one of the largest tour […]