The Khumbu valley, high in the Nepal Himalaya, is home of the Sherpa people and Mount Everest is the iconic peak that first brought westerners there in the early 1950's. I went there in 1999 and am grateful to have had the opportunity to visit many times since, primarily working as a trekking guide. Trekking and mountaineering are an important source of income for the villages while Buddhism provides a strong cultural backdrop to life in the region. The environment is a beautiful but harsh one, alternately cold and hot, dusty, the air is low in oxygen and staying healthy there is a real challenge.

Photography too is a challenge, the light can be good but there is high contrast between the valley shadows and the bright sky. This series of images portrays something of the landscape, the trails and the people of the Khumbu. Visit if you can, you won't be disappointed.