An 8 minute report aired on Radio New Zealand in January. Both myself and my mother Janine feature in it and have been working for NOLS this year (in New Zealand and Alaska!) If you want a little insight into NOLS New Zealand then have a listen. We feature in the last 3 minutes and the … Continue reading “Students survive in school of hard knocks”
I have just returned back to the urban world after 100 days in Alaska. Here's an insight into a trip at the start of the season (May 2016) in the Chugach Mountains. The wind picks up and with a strong crashing gust we all sit bolt upright, our ears perked up. Silence. We sit, pausing, … Continue reading Small in the face of the mountains
18 days walking in far Eastern Nepal, mostly in the Kanchenjunga region, right up near the border of Nepal and Tibet. Snippets of our adventure and stories that unfolded along the way. Every trip back to Nepal is different. Different companions, routes, and circumstances blend together to create an interesting mosaic of experiences which are … Continue reading Chasing Snow Leopards
On first impressions I looked like your average female tourist in Thamel: a casual dress, sandals, and a little unkempt following a few weeks in the mountains. If you looked a little closer you may have noticed my distinctive gaitor tan lines, chunky Suunto watch and well-loved Hyperlite Mountain Gear backpack slung over my shoulder.It … Continue reading Mountain Man Magnet!
“Are you married?” Tashi asks, as I sit down next to the fire. She’s stirring a pot of thukpa, a hearty Tibetan stew. “No” There’s a silent moment, and Tashi reaches over for the jar of salt, sprinkles some onto the palm of her hand and drops it into the thukpa. “Many people never get … Continue reading When are you going to have kids?
A quick update via an Australian and Finnish family we met on the trail. We've now walked over 300km and climbed over 10,000m in 15 days - quite an achievement considering the altitude and how rugged the terrain has been! Our feet are killing us, mostly because of the gnarly descents. A few days ago … Continue reading A quick update
After flying to a small town in the far east of Nepal at 90 metres above sea level we jumped on a local bus for a nerve racking 9 hour journey to the end of the road. After both suffering from a 24 hour diarrhoea and vomiting bug we started walking into the mountains. During … Continue reading Nepal: Satellite Phone Update 5 Apr 2016
Note: this article was published in the NZOIA Quarterly publication back in 2014. Often we share the epic stories, the physical challenges and the hardships of longer expeditions. I wrote this to give an insight into the joys of slow-paced travel. I have naturally itchy feet, always further aggravated by the Banff Mountain Film Festival. … Continue reading A slow paced journey: Walking Across Nepal
I adjust my straps, sling my big red backpack over my shoulder and make my way to the check-in desk. I slip my passport onto the counter, drop my bag onto the scales, and smile at the check-in lady. I daydream my way through security and finally I'm buckled in, watching the land blur as we speed down the runway. I close my eyes and begin to reflect. This is the 39th flight I have been on during the past year. Flights have become a time for me to zone out, to reflect on where I’ve been and where I’m going. I start doing some maths in my head. During the past 5 years I haven’t spent more than 5 months in one place. And during the past 20 months, I haven’t spent more than 5 days in one place, apart from one 10-day stint in San Francisco.
