As we invite you on a trek to Everest Base Camp, it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t share with you the guides that make it possible. This is my story of how I got to befriend some of the most amazing people I know during my last trip to Nepal.
What was I doing in Nepal?
I participated in the NUS Mountaineering program to complete the Technical Mountaineering Course. Our guides were Tulsi and his team from the Himalaya Summit Club. We hiked up Langtang Valley and then climbed Tserko Peak, which stands at 5.75km above sea level.
Before proceeding, note that I was on a 20 days mountaineering expedition which is a lot more intense. If you would like to read about the Everest Basecamp Trek, you can find it here.
Introducing, the team that made it all possible
We spent a considerable amount of time together – three weeks, to be precise. During this time, I had the opportunity to learn about the Langtang Valley culture, as well as the life stories of each guide and porter.
Thupteen, who knows the mountains by heart
Thupteen was interning as a guide with the Himalaya Summit Club. He grew up in Langtang Valley. Where we were hiking was also his home. He knew the yaks, the boulders, and the guesthouses by heart.
I spent the most time with him. After the end of the trip, we went around Kathmandu climbing rocks, visiting attractions, eating good food, and meeting his friends from the Nepal Mountaineering Academy.
Bhajuram, who showed us infinite kindness
Bhajuram was undoubtedly the kindest man on the trek. As we were on a mountaineering expedition to climb up Tserko Peak, we were really pushing ourselves to our limits. And we wouldn’t have made it without Bhajuram’s kindness. He carried my friend down after he was too weakened to walk after the summit push. He helped me remove my crampons when I was too exhausted to do anything but walk back. He is also an active TikToker!
Sujal, who paved the way for us
Sujal was a senior guide on our trip despite him being just 23. He was incredibly strong and yet very humble. Before he was a mountain guide, he was training to become a Singapore Police Ghurka.
He headed out one day early before the summit push to set up fixed lines. The job was incredibly dangerous as he had to brave through rockfalls, crevasses, and steep terrain. Only with the lines fixed by Sujal, could we ascend the mountains safely the next day.
Tulsi, who led us to the summit and back home
And finally, we have the boss, Tulsi. He is an accomplished mountaineer. A few of the mountains he summited were Cho Oyu, Mt Everest, Ama Dablam, and Mt Blanc. He is one of the few Nepalese with IFMGA mountain guide certification. He was also featured on the Netflix documentary Aftershock, which told the ghastly story of the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
He taught us how to walk with our crampons, how to walk and breathe in high altitudes, and how to ice climb. He was also pivotal in ensuring all of us make our way back down the summit safely.
Despite the geographical distance between us, I discovered that we share many similar life experiences and aspirations. We were mostly in our early 20s, we scroll TikTok and Instagram daily while we work hard to achieve our dreams. We came to the mountains to seek for a future, to seek for a meaning to life.
More than just summits
Life is more about the journey and the people than the summits. I came to Nepal without much expectations, I left with a deeper appreciation for nature, for the mountains and for the community who lives there.
Sotravel 
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