I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends Nepal is an incredible country with many different layers and attractions. It’s no wonder this country that’s tucked away in the mountains attracts so many different kinds of people: hippies in hemp clothing with dreadlocks and ukuleles strapped to their hips, old retirees looking for adventure in their moonlight years, adrenaline junkies looking to challenge their selves and conquer some of the world’s most enticing and deadly peaks. Regardless of what sort of person you are when you arrive here, this place will change you! I’ve heard it being said that you do not go to Nepal for a vacation; you go for an adventure. Any adventurer will tell you that if you’re setting out on an experience that’s going to be physically demanding and where you’ll know it will be pushing you to limits you hadn’t come close to yet, it’s essential to have a plan and understand what you’re getting involved with. That, my dear reader, is where my good friend comes to your rescue. Puru is a guide who I met during my first Nepal trek as we climbed up to Poon Hill and then up to Annapurna Base Camp. He was guiding a middle-aged Chinese woman, and our group of three finished our first day off at their heels, talking about the trek and our hopes for the weather. As the girls, he was very kind and patient with us from the beginning, and I asked him various questions about what we were getting ourselves into. Throughout the next week, our two groups were always around each other. Sometimes we stayed in the same lodges in the same towns; other days, we would catch each other on the trails and stop for water breaks. This was all very friendly and kind; Puru was highly knowledgeable about the mountains and willing to help us with whatever questions we had (while still having the self-confidence to laugh if we were asking stupid, redundant questions and would tell us so). It wasn’t until the end of our trek that I realized what a fantastic man Puru is, what sets him aside from the several other guides I had already met. When we were all at the top of Annapurna Base Camp, we were caught in a heavy snowstorm with a mean wind. There was a group of us close to 10 people at the top, and we were all outside laughing and screaming into the wind that threatened our descent. I wrote about this situation in one of my previous blogs. Still, essentially Puru had taken me aside and, knowing that I was familiar with copious amounts of snow and being in the mountains, told me that it was up to the two of us to get the rest of the group down safely. The snowstorm had erased the trail we had used the day before, so we would have to create our new path down the mountain through the avalanche zone. Puru fearlessly leads the way through uncharted territory with enough confidence to make the entire group, including myself, feel just as confident as he.
One of our group slipped from the edge of our path and began falling, but Puru instantly jumped from the ledge and caught her from falling too far down the mountain face, me hot on his heels. We weren’t even part of his group, just a crew of tourists he had taken under his wing to ensure that we would enjoy our time and make it through safely. I contacted Puru once we got back to Kathmandu and asked him for advice on planning my hike up to Everest Base Camp. With a great smile and a cup of tea, he welcomed me into his office in the heart of Kathmandu and helped me plan everything I needed for this next adventure of mine. Puru and his team have trekked through all of the areas in Nepal and are apparent experts. He helped me customize my itinerary and helped arrange everything from the flights to what sort of clothing and snacks we should bring. As if that wasn’t enough, after we had booked flights, he could change our flight dates multiple times for us – free of charge. He even arranged for my friend and me to take a helicopter up into the mountains without additional cost – a scarce thing, I’m told! Puru was not just a man looking to expand his business but genuinely wanted to help you have the best time possible in his beautiful country. His company can help arrange any treks you are interested in doing. He is an excellent guide who can take the fittest of the fit and the frailest up these mountains.
But most importantly, he is a great human with a kind heart. Over the few weeks that Puru and I came to know each other, I’m honoured to be able to call him a brother. If you ever go to Nepal and are yearning for adventure, look no further than Puru at My Everest Trip for all the help you could ever need. Check out his website for information on how to get a hold of him and what services he provides to his family.
https://myeveresttrip.com.