The road to Pangboche - hometown of my guide Tashi, and home of the oldest monastery in the Khumbu

I’m very excited to be spending some time in Pangboche, home of the famous monastery and its Llama Gyeshi especially as I’ve learnt about an electricity improvement project that I’m going to try and help find financing for (but more about that later).

We met many interesting characters along the way, starting with the elderly sherpa lady you see with Tashi. Saturday is the weekend in Nepal; this lady and her husband and friends had a few too many 'cold ones' and Tashi and I sprang to their aid to ensure they successfully got to the top of the hill without damage to anything beyond a bit of dignity :)

In this case, the old lady has enjoyed a few too many drinks during her day of rest! Who can blame her? :) Tashi and I jumped into action to help her up the hill.

Only a little further along, we come across a remarkable elderly Nepali man, who decided 10 years ago that the path above Namche needed some serious work - and from that day to this he's been out collecting donations to improve the road. Miles of it have been dramatically improved, a real benefit to this major route into the upper Khumbu. 

This elderly gentleman has been collecting money on the path between Namche and Pangboche and points west daily for a decade.

And here below are pictures of my travelling companions Tashi and Bikram, without whom I would not enjoy the trip nearly as much (nor, frankly, likely arrive at the intended destinations! Hover for more :)

This wonderful man is the reason I'm not lost in the Himalaya. One could not ask for better company.
He's amazingly strong - he's carrying about 20 kilos up these hills - and always smiling.