This trek focuses on the Southern Valleys of the Solu Khumbu--home of the highest mountains in the world. This area, virtually untouched culturally for 600 years, is a settlement of Tibetan people who became the Sherpa tribe and still have similar culture today to their ancestors. These Sherpa villages are full of blooming rhododendron trees, poinsettias and other flowering trees and grasses, yaks grazing, men and women working in the fields gathering and drying grains often with a child on their back or running around their feet. These beautiful and friendly people are very welcoming to the few westerners they see.

We will arrive in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, an ancient city containing 7 UNESCO world heritage sites and are among the most sacred sites in the world. We will visit the famous Boudhanaht—the largest Buddhist temple in Nepal and my (Kathleen) personal favorite place to spend the day while in Kathmandu. There are hundreds of people turning prayer wheels and the shops surrounding the temple play music of chanting mantras and wafting incense fills the air. It is absolutely peaceful with a tangible sacredness. It is nice to have tea or lunch in one of the balconies above the temple with a view of the city. We will also visit Swambunaht; a very ancient temple (considered to have been self manifested) with families of monkeys frolicking about. Then time permitting, to Bhaktapur with its huge squares, pagodas, temples and medieval palaces is known for rich culture, temples, wood carvings, metal and stone artwork and a huge outdoor market. 

Then we will visit Pharfing about 2 hours from Kathmandu by hired car which is one of the most sacred places in the world where the 2nd Buddha Padmasambava achieved many miracles. This is a pilgrimage place for people from all over the world and historically significant as well.

Then we fly to the mountains and trek in the Solu Khumbu for 18 days through mostly Sherpa villages (also Rai and other tribes reside there). Our first stop is Heleshi (Maratika in Tibetan language). For those interested, we will combine this trek with a humanitarian project Sherpa Journeys is sponsoring to build a healthpost and Tibetan Medicinal garden (see homepage link for more information). We will visit a famous "wish fulfilling and extremely sacred" caves there and for those interested, attend a long life puja ceremony at the monastery. 

There is an optional day hike up to 13,500 peak called Pike Ri which has the best panoramic view of the entire Nepalese Himalayan mountains in the area.

We will observe the daily practice at some odf the monasteries including the beautiful Thupten Choling Monastery run by the Tibetan Buddhist master, His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche. He is revered as the most learned lama of our time and is a teacher of the 14th Dalai Lama; 700 monks and nuns live there and 80% are Tibetan refugees.

One day will be spent at the sacred glacial lake Dudh Kunde--locally called the wish fulfilling lake--with snowy peaks towering overhead.