HIMALAYAN JOURNEYS

Our home is in Nepal, the gateway to the Himalayan region. Since 1978 we have walked the fascinating Durbar Squares of the Kathmandu Valley, marveled at the architecture, building techniques and the artistry that went into building such monuments. We have stood in awe at Swoyambhunath and Bouddhanath Stupas as the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha gazed silently across the valley in the four directions. We have walked the colorful alleyways and market places that have served residents and traders alike for millennia. We have designed, pioneered and operated trips in Nepal; from Kanchenjunga in the east of the country to Humla in the west and every conceivable trip in between. We have been at the forefront of eco-tourism in the region, being the first to disallow campfires and later pioneering the use of first kerosene and then LP gas on our treks, climbing, biking and rafting trips.

Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. The mighty Himalaya that dominates the northern skyline gives way to rolling hills above lush valleys that gently give way to the thickly forested plains in which the stately tiger and the unique rhinoceros roam freely. All this in a country that is, on average, 120 miles wide.

Bound by Tibet in the north and India on the other three sides, Nepal lies in the temperate zone, but the weather and terrain are greatly influenced by the altitude, which in Nepal ranges from almost sea level in the south to the highest point on earth.

The population of Nepal is about twenty-eight million and consists of an amazing 36 different races and tribes, each with their own traditional costumes and speaking a different language or dialect. All these races and tribes coexist peacefully by embracing mostly Hinduism or Buddhism, the two major religions of the country. The harmony in which these various races and tribes exist is one of the remarkable features that define Nepal.