2020 GeoEx Catalog

New �  Legendary Nepal TOURING · HIKING · OPTIONAL TREKKING | 12 DAYS · GROUP

T  rekking (in the modern sense of the word) was born in Nepal, the rooftop of the world, and though the typical routes have become overrun with eager hikers, the remote Solu Khumbu region brings us back to the Nepal we fell in love with decades ago: jaw-dropping Himalayan scenery, Sherpa traditions, and very few other travelers. The great mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary also adored this corner of the earth, and we walk in his footsteps—and sleep where he slept— on this unusual adventure. After taking in highlights of the UNESCO-acclaimed Kathmandu Valley, we’re whisked by helicopter far off the tourist circuit to the mountain town of Phaplu. Set- tling into the newly renovated Happy House, ancestral home of our friend Ang Tshering Lama, we hear stories about explorers who stayed there, including Sir Edmund Hillary and Count Guido Monzino. (Look for items from the Italian count’s 1973 Everest expedition, the most extravagant in history, in which some 6,000 porters carried fine wines, silverware, gambling tables, cigars, and leather sofas up the mountain.) Day hikes take us to Thupten Choeling Monastery, a bastion of Tibetan Bud- dhism, and Junbesi village, the cradle of Sherpa culture. We unwind with home-cooked meals by the fire, singing bowl sessions, and guided yoga. Those of us up for a relaxed four-day trek make our way through lush valleys and forests and past temples, terraced fields, waterfalls, and astonishing snowcapped vistas to reach the 13,337-foot summit of Pikey Peak— said to offer Hillary’s favorite view of Mount Everest.

BEYUL EXPERIENCES

ABOVE  The Happy House, a superb place to kick back after a good hike, just like Sir Edmund Hillary did.  BELOW  Pikey Peak with prayer flags.

This is the only place on earth where, on a clear day, all eight of Nepal’s 8000-meter giants can be seen at once. Before returning to Kathmandu, we get a last dose of mountain majesty with an exhilarating helicopter fly-by of Mount Everest. may 1–12; oct. 15–26  from $11,375 Day 1  arrive in Kathmandu ✦  2  explore Kathmandu ✦  3  helicopter to Phaplu ✦  4  Chiwong Monastery day hike ✦  5–8  opt for Pikey Peak trek or excursions to villages, markets, and Ratnange Ridge ✦  9  Thupten Choeling Monastery, Junbesi village ✦  10  Everest fly-by; helicopter to Kathmandu ✦  11  Kathmandu sightseeing ✦  12  depart.

ROBERTHARDING / ALAMY