Even though we lost a day looking for phantom trails out of the Ruby Valley, we still arrived a day early to Machhakhola. Manaslu is a restricted area: it requires a special permit and a guide for company. I was quite grateful for a day of rest in the wait: the past 7 days alone… Continue reading Manaslu Circuit
Of the Ruby Valley track I had no knowledge, and no expectations. It was just a link between Langtang and Manaslu, a walk that needed to be walked to stitch the regions together. It soon became clear that there is much more to the Ruby Valley than that. Again we were taken by surprise as… Continue reading The Ruby Valley
Back in the Rolwaling we already decided not to cross Tilman's Pass, the last truly technical stretch on the high route. The Iron Lady in Thame told us that no one goes there and true enough, we found no information whatsoever on this pass. Here and there we caught that the ice on top of… Continue reading The Sacred Lake: Langtang National Park
It is said that the Rolwaling is a mirror of the Khumbu 40 years ago, before the people there abandoned most of their traditional activities and developed everything for tourism. I'm not sure about that, but the Rolwaling is a fast-changing region that was hit hard by the earthquake. It is also inhabited by Sherpa… Continue reading Rolwaling
Tashi Labsta was the third, and most likely the final, out of the five high and technical passes we would cover on the high route. The pass is notorious because of a high danger of rockfall and the perilous glaciers that border it to the west. It was the final obstacle on the way to… Continue reading Tashi Labsta La
Never ever have I been as relieved to reach a place as I was when I got out of the jeep into the streets of Num. After a small quest to restock on cookies, kerosene and a welcome meal of fried noodles with eggs, we were ready to start afresh. A local man led us… Continue reading The promised land: Num to Makalu Base Camp
The way to Num was long, hard and full of surprises. I'd like to explain, first of all, that I will be talking a lot from the I perspective in my writings from the Great Himalaya Trail. This is because, even though we are a team, at the same time it is a very personal… Continue reading Brutalised and shattered: Taplejung to Num
Our story with Aarn starts on Te Araroa in New Zealand. When we first started encountering these packs we frowned at them with great skepticism, wondering how awkward it must be walking with those pockets on the front of your body. We didn’t really understand the point of it, and we decided we did not… Continue reading Aarn Guiding Light Bodypack
Being the last outpost before the North Pole, the backcountry of Svalbard is one that truly deserves to be called wilderness. On these desolate islands approximately 2500 people share the land with more than 3000 polar bears. The geography is striking: pointy mountains rising out of the sea, broad valleys crosscut by glacial rivers, ridgelines… Continue reading The road through Norway, part IV: Svalbard
The best way to appreciate the Norwegian scenery is undoubtedly, from above. My favourite means of travel is thus on foot, as unlike in other mountain areas such as the Alps, there is very little infrastructure in place to reach the tops. Besides of a few viewpoints along mountain roads you need to walk if… Continue reading Peaks of the Aurlandsfjord, part II
Team Belgica 