The Sacred Tsum Valley
"Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it."
Looking back at where I have come from
Looking my friend deep in the eyes, a last hug, a wave and soon the taxi disappears in the small streets of Kathmandu. Out of sight, but never out of mind. Promises are made, we see each other again on the next adventure. My last day of my first hiking season as a full-time Mountain Leader and owner of my own travel company. I am in tears sitting here unable to process all the beautiful moments, memories and experiences of the last three weeks, let alone the last eight months. Yet, deeply feeling zen and at peace. Only eight months – it feels like the most intense time of my life living every moment to the fullest.
I still have to remind myself that this is my life now. A life I have worked hard for over the past five years, but a life that feels like has always been waiting for me. Ask me and I will tell you I will never go back to an office job. No matter how much harder the road ahead of me may be, I will always choose to be wild and free following my dreams and trying to make this world a better place. Naïve some may say, but for me the only life I want, the only life worth living.
This is what the mountains do to you – they make you look beyond the horizon. You realise that there is so much more out there to explore and that your potential is without limits if you set your mind to it. As a woman that has always thrived in male dominated environments, the mountains are liberating and reassuring at the same time that you are capable of so much more. This is what traveling does to you - it makes you think outside the box, question your life and dream big. Often, I have been told I am running away from life. But I realised by traveling, seeing new places, learning about other cultures and meeting extraordinary people I have always been running towards a life worth living. And after so many years I feel like I am finally arriving.
When people follow your call
A friend to trust
Luckily, I met Surya via a friend on my first visit to Nepal in 2019 who has been an incredible source of help throughout my solo travels back then and who will be our guide for the next three weeks. Over the years of traveling I have learned to feel people’s energies. When meeting Surya in a restaurant in Kathmandu I surely did not know that I will lead a trek with him one day, but I felt his warm vibe and knew I wanted to stay in touch with him. Trusting my guts did not disappoint me. In the months of preparing this trek Surya has been incredibly patient with all my questions and supportive in putting together an itinerary for a lifetime trip.
Off the beaten track
With little effort we put a trekking route together that was more special than the usual deal and that went off the beaten track to still feel the peace and quiet of these majestic mountains despite being on one of the more popular routes in Nepal. In this, Surya and I are very similar – we see guiding in the mountains as a passion and not work. And whilst we are well aware that we have to live off the job, our biggest success is creating unforgettable mountain experiences for everyone involved. In this I can proudly say, we jointly succeeded.
A sacred place
After trekking for a few days we left the beaten track and diverted off the main Manaslu Circuit into the Tsum Valley. It is sacred by the belief of Buddhists, yet sacred to me by its sheer beauty and the vibrant energy you feel here. We hiked through villages where time seemed to have stopped meeting happy locals that looked content with their simple life. Yet, Surya had a lot of insights to share about the difficulty of e.g. education for the young generation or health services in such a remote place.
Festive season
I had specifically planned to come in October in the hope to take part in the annual festivities that take place in the valley’s monasteries once most of the harvesting is done. In this, Korma, one of our porters who was from one of the valley’s villages, was invaluable. Surya had hired him to bring income to the local community, yet also because he speaks the local language, therefore knew about the festivities and could get access to locked up monasteries and shrines. We were also invited to his home to meet his family for tea and arak, i.e. the local spirit, making our detour in the Tsum Valley a truly unique experience.
Diving deep into the culture
One of my highlights was a puja, i.e. religious service, in the newly renovated Tsum Monastery in Lamagaun, where about twenty monks were rehearsing religious texts whilst we were sitting among the locals in deep meditation. The monks playing their instruments gave me goosebumps and I can still hear their chanting when closing my eyes.
A special place
At the end of the Tsum Valley is a small monastery, Mu Gompa, at 3800 meters. The accommodation is basic, the nights are cold, and the food is local, hence most guides convince their guests to come for a day-visit from the nearest village only. Yet, I had planned an overnight-stay and Surya encouraged the group that we should stick to this plan, as it is a truly magical place. And, oh dear, was he right! We arrived in the afternoon and ventured out again to hike in the hills around the monastery. At this time of the day, the light is so special, and the setting sun lets the snow-capped mountains appear even more magical.
Upon our return we joined the monks in their evening prayer, which was truly meditative. At the end we enjoyed the best Dhal Bat, i.e. the Nepalese national dish, of the whole trek, and we were blessed with an incredible night sky. After two shooting stars I happily went to bed, wondering what the second half of our trek, the Manaslu Circuit, may bring.
