In Kathmandu I met up with a Nepal Alternative Treks guide, and together we embarked on a journey to the Solukhumbu region, to do the Three Passes Trek. A challenging route, the guide was very professional, gave confidence, and opened up many local inroads – geographical and cultural – that would have been off-limits had I done the trek on my own. Considering the challenges on the way, it was indeed very wise to have organised a guide, despite having vast experience in many mountain ranges. Crossing passes in the Himalayas at 5,500 meter is a different story, and acclimitisation (in particular when you carry your own backpack of 17 kilos/37 pounds) had to be well-planned and monitored on a daily basis. So we did, which resulted in the most spectacular mountain vistas I have ever witnessed. Several 8000ers (4 of the 6 highest mountains in the world…) in one panorama, this is arguably only possible in the Solukhumbu region of Nepal. The exquisite vastness of the mountain ranges is just overwhelming, and can only be experienced by being there.
The guide was flexible, supportive, and very friendly, and became a mountain comnrade, perfecting a trip that I will never forget. 100 % recommended to organise trekking trips with this organisation !
