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- Coming back from Nepal
Dal Bhat Power, 24 Hours, 5 days No Shower
— Tenpa Sicho
We've just come back from our two-week holiday in Nepal, so let me tell you about our adventure.
Since I arrived first and had a few extra days, I went solo on the Helambu trek. This trek starts in Sundarijal (1,390m), just a one-hour bus ride from Kathmandu, and is known for its many Tamang villages. The highest point is Thadepathi, at 3,700m, which was snow-covered during my visit. After Thadepathi, I made my way to Nakote, where a recurring knee pain forced me to end the trek early.
Despite the early finish, it was a lovely, sunny two-and-a-half-day trek. Being completely alone was refreshing, with no distractions except for a few pages of my book before bed. I didn't spend too much time in my head — I even realized that work never crossed my mind, which was quite pleasant.
I returned to Kathmandu in a five-hour shared jeep ride to meet my girlfriend who had just arrived. We spent a couple of days planning our next trek, but both got food poisoning the day before leaving (despite eating at different places 😅).
We were supposed to do the Langtang Valley trek, but with very cold and snowy conditions there (max temperature was -6°C) and lacking proper equipment, we changed our plans. Instead, we opted for the Pikey Peak trek, famous for its breathtaking views of the Himalayas' highest summits: Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Numbur, Annapurna, and others.
So off we went, completely sick, on a ten-hour journey crammed into an eight-seat jeep with ten people. Thankfully, nobody vomited, though they provide bags for this purpose due to the poor road conditions that turn the journey into an endless roller coaster.
We reached Dhap (2,932m), the trek's starting point, where a cloud of fog replaced the breathtaking view and stayed with us for three days. Along the way to Pikey Peak, we met wonderful people, including a Nepalese guide — whose family had fled Tibet on foot across the mountains to escape China's invasion — who shared fascinating mountain stories and Himalayan wisdom.
On the third morning, after a freezing night in a tea house at Pikey Peak base camp, we woke at 5 AM to reach the summit (4,065m) for sunrise. After a 90-minute hike in the dark, cold, and wind, we were ready to witness the stunning view of the entire Himalayan range and Earth's highest summits:
Pikey Peak Summit — what a view !!
Okay — we didn't get the views — and of all the people we met, we were the only ones to reach the summit (the others felt it was pointless because of the weather), except for the wisdom guide who was happy to wait 2 days (!!!) at the base camp for a better weather window. What does that say about us, impatient Westerners?
Anyway, despite having no visibility in the morning, the weather only got better from that point, and during the last few days of our trek, we had awesome weather, went through beautiful forests, crossed cute villages and monasteries stuck in time, and even got rewarded with views of the splendid Numbur (6,958m) on our way back to Phaplu.
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This was our first multi-day trek experience, and we were hungry for more! It was pure joy spending our days walking in nature and meeting wonderful people along the way. We'll definitely return to Nepal, and this experience has inspired us to seek similar adventures in other places.
After our long jeep journey back to Kathmandu, we treated ourselves to a nice hotel and massage—which takes on a special kind of flavor after living simply for a week. It was remarkable to see how the locals in these remote villages had adapted to living in the cold year-round. Ironically, the places that needed comfort the most were the ones that had the least.
— James
Tools & Websites
Maps.me is a free app I've been using for the past 10 years, and I relied on it heavily during our trip in the Himalayas. You can download maps for offline use, and it includes all hiking trails, even the most obscure ones. A must-have for travelers.
Watch Something Wonderful is a curated YouTube video generator that serves up random but captivating content about culture, nature, history, and other educational topics.
Niki Studio is a Vietnam-based digital design studio that focuses on creating remarkable, brand-heavy websites. Their own website is the perfect showcase of their skills ↓
James’ Library
Book  | Although I'm late to discover Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore served as my introduction to his work. It's a mysterious tale that weaves together two journeys: a runaway teenager searching for his destiny and an elderly man who can speak with cats. Their paths converge through metaphysical realms, strange prophecies, and enigmatic encounters. Murakami's writing style defies easy description, but it has a peaceful quality and distinctive aesthetic. Most things are forgotten over time. Even the war itself, the life-and-death struggle people went through is now like something from the distant past. We’re so caught up in our everyday lives that events of the past are no longer in orbit around our minds. There are just too many things we have to think about everyday, too many new things we have to learn. But still, no matter how much time passes, no matter what takes place in the interim, there are some things we can never assign to oblivion, memories we can never rub away. They remain with us forever, like a touchstone. |
Mobile Game | I rarely recommend games in this newsletter, but I must give a shoutout to Toppluva, the tiny Swedish game studio and snowboarding enthusiasts behind the Grand Mountain Adventure series. GMA 2 is the best mobile game I've ever played—the scenery is incredibly realistic, there are no annoying ads, the selection of music is spot-on and the free version offers plenty to play with. |
…Aesthetic Corner…
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The new Swiss passport, designed by RETINAA, is a marvel of design and engineering. It incorporates 3D-modeled landscapes and a travelogue through Switzerland's regions. Hidden security features reveal additional artistic details when viewed under UV light.
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Pilet is Soul Circuit's modular tablet/console based on Raspberry Pi 5 with a 7-hour battery life. I'm not entirely sure of its purpose, but I love its vintage IBM/analog computer aesthetic.
Sustainable Living
The NeverRest Project tackles Everest's waste crisis, where tourism has tripled in 20 years to 80,000 annual visitors. Sagarmatha National Park produces 200 tonnes of yearly waste, with 790 kilos daily during peak seasons. Despite efforts like the Nepalese Army removing 33,877 kilos in 2022, waste continues to overwhelm the ecosystem. The project aims to assess the situation and create lasting solutions.
Instead of banning tourism, the NeverRest Project balances environmental protection with local economic growth through regenerative tourism. Following the 2030 Agenda and other global initiatives, it promotes zero-impact travel to protect both nature and culture. Better waste management and public awareness are key to solving Everest's environmental issues.
The Sustainable Everest Base Camp initiative, partnering with the Nepal Tourism Board, tackles waste management at the site. With 240,000 liters of urine dumped into Khumbu glacier each season, the NeverRest Project has implemented solutions that cut urine waste by 42% and uses solar tents to reduce fossil fuel consumption. These changes help maintain both environmental and economic sustainability.
Friends of James
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Notion — my go-to tool for the last 6+ years, where I store all my notes, manage tasks, and essentially run both my life and businesses.
Webflow — the engine behind all my websites, letting me design, build, and launch seamlessly without code.
Make — the tool that runs my business on autopilot, handling all recurring and time-consuming tasks
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