NEW TREK DATES 2007

First up!

Zanskar Spring Traverse
As spring lays its magical hand over the passes and pastures, we set out again in a season and in a style we have made our own. This journey is a wonderful blend of challenging trekking and warm village welcomes, with insights into a culture that we love.

Dave Donaldson and 6/8 trekkers are booking, along with Corrine Keller.
27 May-25 June, 33 days -- expedition style -- leaders: Joel and Lobsang

Caravan; a Mountain Passage - Ladakh to Spiti
Ten years after they first explored the region, Joel and Lobsang lead a short but stunningly beautiful trek from turquoise Tso Moriri (lake) on the Changtang to the Utah-like valleys of Spiti via the magnificent Parang La (pass).
22 June-10 July, 19 days -- expedition style -- Joel & Lobsang

Custom trek for Per and family.

14 July/30 July, a custom trek for a family.

Ladakh Meditations

This trip combines trekking, meditation, and learning qigong in a high-altitude wonderland. We will traverse the highlands of Ladakh, going over passes and across land which is politically Indian but culturally and geographically Tibetan. We will trek to three ancient Buddhist temples, each of which has unique Buddhist art found nowhere else in the world. We will combine the trek with daily meditation practice, and each day learn some Dayan (Wild Goose) qigong, a 2000 year old form of movement which opens and heals the acupuncture meridians. Both the qigong and meditation are optional -- you can come to just admire the scenery and the art. But if you choose to participate, by the end of the trek you'll be able to do the whole form (which is part of traditional chinese medicine), and at each gompa, you'll have time to participate in a longer (half or full day) meditation retreat. All this with horsemen carrying your gear (you carry only a daypack) and Lopsang preparing delicious, healthy traditional 3-course meals every evening!

Dates; 1 - 25th August

http://web.mac.com/brosenbaum1

Jumlam *Exploratory
Our very favourite autumn trek; and this time we do the Jumlam gorges full justice with time to explore all the stunning canyons and passes where snow leopard and ibex roam.
28 Aug-25 Sept, 29 days -- expedition style -- Joel with Lobsang -- US$2820

High Roads to Asia; return to Devi

From one trade and pilgrimage route to another...Joe and Brenna made some Koras around Bodnath with me, Marcus and Christina from my Chadar 2005 passed through, and I was happily out of the high season Thamel I detest to an autumn Delhi I love - time for tea with Druk, and Ali, Kit, Dennis, Lobsang, Tenpa and I head north east to Nanital, Kumaon, and the sacred sisters...small is beautiful, and in the words of the fifties saturday morning serials, to be continued!

Welcome...

This goes up on my blog at regular intervals, but welcome anyway to my collection of images and writing. I am in the Everest region currently, and moving on in quick succession to Nanda Devi and Sikkim, part of what our trekking organisation (Project-Himalaya.com) being about is exploring new regions of the Himalaya, our home.

Enjoy!

Joel

(Pic, Joel at Phu gate, Nepal, 2004)

Everest; a pilgrimage

It suddenly occured to me that this trek, this year, marks my moving into my third decade of Himalayan trekking, and there is little or nothing on Everest on this blog.

Today I was lucky enough to trek to a remote Gompa near the main tourist route, rarely visited by trekkers, which sums all up all that I love about trekking and in particular the Solu Khumbu.

The sense of peace and tranquility has to be felt; prayer flags cracking in the wind, autumn clouds moving across the face of the Himalaya, and of course, tea with the lama in his delightful garden.

Singge

Ice cream....

Anyone reading our website or talking to us will know the story of one of the children we sponsor, Singge.

I was lucky enough to have a little spare time in Manali, and we all got out for ice cream, shopping, and planning the camping trip that looks like it is happening in December, Lobsang, Tenpa, a couple of Tsaraps horses and a few of his schoolfriends.

Enjoy the pics...Kim gave him a groovy bag that he found a little bright, so he hid it under his shirt...such a guy...

Joel

The Autumn of 2006

Manali in the late autumn is stunningly lovely, made more so by the approach; a 17 hour jeep ride starting at midnight and crossing the highest pass, the Taglang La, by starlight; by mid afternoon the wonderful scenery of west Lahul was all around me, clear blue skies, glacier fed rivers running so blue and trees in all their autumn finery.

A brief stop to put a fresh Katag at Jason's cremation spot on the river bend at Keylong, the Chandra valley, and a warm and touching welcome from Tenpa and Nyima Lhamoo, then pizza from the ever better Al forno looking down on the lights of the Kulu valley.



The last two days have seen my small home coming together, with new coats of paint, and sorting out my books which, tolerant like all old friends have to be, have been housed in collections of bags and boxes for years...having tea with karma in his shop in Leh, I found a pile of metal and silver horse stirrups, all odd ones, which now make perfect book ends.

Ends and beginnings!

Joel

Pictures from top...Tibet colony, Manali, where I live, a fine umbrella, 3 generations in my old family home, and an eternal chorten in Ladakh.

The Summer Of 2006

Over!

Lobsang and all our staff left this morning, and I am left free in a wonderful autumnal Leh to pack up my gear for the treks and the year ahead.
Our Jumlam trek with 9 trekkers was the toughest yet, with washed out trails, high (cold) water but clear skies.
Tomorrow I have a night enjoying Pangong Lake, then overland to my apartment in Manali.
Already 2007 offers some exciting prospects; from a Zanskar film project to a couple of family treks, and of course, my trademark, new trek regions in a professional and responsible manner...
Enjoy the pictures, with more soon.

Joel

Top pic; the custodian of Markha Gompa, bottom pic, classic Jumlam scenery.