Upper Mustang in Winter: The Valley When the Trekkers Leave

Upper Mustang after the trekking season ends is a different place. What the valley looks like in January and February, who remains in Lo Manthang, and what the landscape offers without the summer crowds.

What Country Is Mount Everest In? Nepal, China, or Both

Mount Everest sits on the border of Nepal and China. But the question of which country it belongs to is more complicated than the border line suggests.

Ilam Tea: Nepal's Mountain Crop and the Families Who Grow It

Ilam in eastern Nepal produces some of Asia's finest teas at elevations above 1,500m. What the gardens look like, what the processing involves, and what the families running the estates do between harvests.

The 1996 Everest Disaster: What Actually Happened on May 10

Eight climbers died on Everest on May 10-11, 1996. Here is what happened, what went wrong, and what the Sherpa guides saw that Western accounts missed.

Nepal Flag: The Only Non-Rectangular National Flag in the World

Nepal's flag is the only non-rectangular national flag in the world. Here is what the shape, colours, moon, and sun actually mean - and what changed in 1962.

The Seven Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley: What the Lists Miss

The Kathmandu Valley's seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites are well documented but poorly explained. What each site actually is, what the listing criteria miss, and what a proper visit to each looks like.

Sherpa People: Who They Are, Where They Come From, What the Mountain Has Cost Them

Sherpa does not mean guide. It is an ethnic group with a 500-year history in Nepal's mountains. This is who the Sherpa people actually are.

What the Earthquake Left: Patan Durbar Square a Decade On

Patan Durbar Square was among the most damaged heritage sites in the 2015 earthquake. What has been restored, what is still scaffolded, what was lost permanently, and what the square looks like ten years on.

Rural Nepal: What Life Looks Like Between the Mountains and the Maps

Most of Nepal lives in villages not on any trekking route. What rural life in the middle hills, the Terai borderlands, and the remote west looks like and what the distance from Kathmandu means in practice.

George Mallory: The Man Who May Have Summited Everest Before Hillary

George Mallory disappeared on Everest in 1924. His body was found in 1999. Sandy Irvine's remains were found in 2024. Nobody knows if they made it.

Rainbow Valley: The Open-Air Cemetery on Mount Everest's Northeast Ridge

Rainbow Valley gets its name from the colours of the dead. Here is what this section of Everest's northeast ridge actually is, and what it costs.

The Annapurna Circuit Without a Guide: What the Trail Looks Like Now

The Annapurna Circuit is one of Nepal's few major treks where solo trekking remains legal and well-supported. What the current trail status is, what the checkpoints check, and what a self-guided circuit involves in 2026.