Nepal Blog

What do lawyers do when they are not working? We are a varied group, with varied interests. I have been a Taekwondo practitioner since 1994 and also Yu Shin Hap Gi Mu Ye, an evolved form of Hapkido involving open hand and certain weapon use. I have climbed at Devils Tower, in Wyoming, and have taken over 20 trips to Devils Tower, summiting during many of those trips.

Most recently, our group of four, myself and three dear friends, have done treks in Africa, South America and Asia. We summited Kilimanjaro in August of 2019, completed the Cordillera Blanca trek through the Andes Mountains in Peru, in July of 2022, and in the Summer of 2023 we completed the Haute Route trek in the French and Swiss Alps. In July 2024, we trekked from Lukla, Nepal to the Gokyo Valley of Nepal. Each trip involved training for long days, with a backpack of up to 20 pounds, including water, extra layers for possible weather changes, which are sometimes pretty significant, snacks, and a potential change of clothes.

Except for the Alps, where our maximum altitude was about 10,000 feet, the other trips involved significant altitude gain. Kilimanjaro’s summit is at 19341 feet, and took six days to ascend and two full days to descend. The Cordillera Blanca highest point was a mountain pass at 16,908 feet, and the high point in Nepal, at the Gokyo Ryi pass, was 17,600 feet. We had amazing views of the Himalayan range, including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyo. We did not climb those peaks.

For the Nepal trip, we did winter hikes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although not very high, the weather is cold and can change quickly. That was my first hike with spikes on my boots.

If you are considering a trek like any of these, read the trek itinerary and train harder than is recommended. High altitude gets very real, very fast. On the Kilimanjaro summit night, one of the people on the trip had an oxygen level of 58. Had she not been brought to lower altitude and been treated with strong steroids, she likely would have died.

These trips are a get away and reset for each of us. I am otherwise pretty accessible and most clients and attorneys are able to reach me by cell phone or text message.

Here are some highlight photographs.

SUMMIT OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO, AUGUST 3, 2019 – I HAVE WHITE SUN GLASSES 19341 FEET