NAMASTE!!!
The Spring trekking/climbing season has just concluded. There is nothing much interesting to report on the trekking front but, like always, interesting things did happen in the mountaineering world. Kami Rita Sherpa, 54, completed his 31st ascent of Mount Everest. Oh, and 4 British climbers reached the top of Everest in under 7 days using xenon gas. A climber using oxygen usually takes 45-50 days to ascend Mount Everest with a majority of the time spent acclimatizing. Anyways, below are some updates on what’s being going on at 3 Summits for Nepal and Crystal Mountain Treks:
WHATT – Women’s High Altitude Trekking guide Training program:
The first Women’s High Altitude Trekking Training (WHATT) program was conducted in 2022 immediately after COVID had subsided. The WHATT Program gives female guides who have recently received their trekking guide license (but have none or very little on-the-job experience) training on the practical aspects of guiding. Over four years, from 2022 to 2025, we have trained 45 female guides. Click “what are the WHATT 2025 graduates up to” to learn about the trek experiences of recent graduates from 2025.
WHATT will be taking a break for a year in 2026. Our lead trainer is expecting. We will resume training aspiring female guides in 2027. In fact we plan to conduct an ADVANCED WHATT program so that female guides who have completed the BASIC WHATT can themselves become trainers for our future WHATT programs. Instead, in 2026, we are planning to build another girl’s hostel in Taplejung district (Kanchenjunga region). The girl’s hostel would be for girls from faraway villages to pursue higher education. They bring their rations from home and our hostel provide them boarding free of charge. 3 Summits has built two such hostels in Taplejung district.
AVALANCHES ON THE ANNAPURNA BASE CAMP TREK
The Annapurna Base Camp Trek route is notorious for avalanches. Almost every year there is a fatality caused by avalanche on this route. This year, in late March 2025, an avalanche fatally struck a solo Chinese trekker. The incident occurred between Deurali and Macchapuchare Base Camp. Hence, it is a good idea to learn about these avalanches on the Annapurna Base Camp trek and prepare accordingly.
KHUMBU COUGH
The Khumbu cough, a hacking cough experienced at high altitude, is as common and debilitating as altitude sickness. But it rarely figures in the preparation plans of trekkers. In a survey of 283 trekkers walking in the Everest region of Nepal, 42% suffered from cough. This Spring Chris N, who has trekked in Nepal multiple times, Derrick M and Blake P were infected with Khumbu cough. It’s almost been two months and the cough still seems to be lingering.
While Khumbu cough is most prevalent in the Khumbu region, one can also be infected by this cough on other high altitude treks. It is probably more common on the Khumbu trek because of the sheer number of trekkers to the Khumbu region. The Khumbu cough explained should help you prepare for future treks to the Khumbu region.
The DHAULAGIRI CIRCUIT TREK in 2026
Christopher Natsuume, my friend from graduate school, will be trekking the Dhaulagiri Circuit in the Spring of 2026. This is part of his quest to visit all base camps of mountains over 8,000 meters. He has already been to the base camps of Everest, Lhotse, Manaslu, Annapurna and Cho-Oyu. According to him, “Cho-Oyu was the longest to get to, and the most beautiful. It’s been my favorite so far. Annapurna was the easiest. EBC/Lhotse Base Camp was the least pretty, but the walk there was the most beautiful – Amadablam, etc… Manaslu Base Camp was the hardest walk straight up, but was the prettiest of the mountains.”
Dates: May 04 – 22, 2026 (19 days)
Price: 3-6 participants – US$ 4,250 and 7-8 participants – US$ 3,750
The Dhaulagiri circuit trek circles the Dhaulagiri massif. Among all the camping treks in Nepal this is probably the shortest where will get over the French Pass at 5,360m/17,600ft. I will be joining Chris on this trek. I did this trek around 15 years ago and am eager to experience it again. Chris and I also have plans to visit the base camps of K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I and II and Broad Peak in Pakistan soon.
Donate
All 3 Summits for Nepal programs are possible because of donations. To donate to our school and training projects in the future, please click on this DONATION LINK. Global Pearls manages all our donations which are tax deductible in the USA.
I hope you have a lovely summer! For us in Nepal, this is the time to cool down in the rain…
