The Khumbu valley, high in the Nepalese Himalayas, is home to the Sherpa people. Mount Everest is the iconic peak that first brought westerners to the area in the early 1950's. I visited for the first time 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, often dusty. Add in the low oxygen environment and you have a challenging adventure travel destination, but one that is well worth the preparation time needed before a visit.
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.
