This is my last night in Africa for now. Tomorrow, I am flying back to Nepal. My last group just left, and even though it was the same trip, it was very different. Smaller group but different stories... The first part of the trip, Mt Meru, was just as beautiful as always. I really enjoy climbing that mountain and every time, I find it easier. Now the part that scared me the first time seems like fun, and sleeping in the little huts is like being in my own bed, well...almost! This trip was great because there was hardly anybody else on the mountain. Very quiet, which made it a lot easier for the clients to sleep. But a few suffered quite a bit from altitude sickness, especially during the summit day. I started worrying a ... read more

I am still in Tanzania, my first trip with clients in this country just ended. I now have 2 more days to relax and get ready for the next trip before the new group arrives. But I am happy to do it all again as I really enjoyed it. The group was really nice, and we had favorable weather almost all the time, especially on the summit days, on Meru and Kili. The trip is amazing. So the first part of the trip was Mt Meru, which I had done just before the clients arrived. I found it easier and less intimidating the second time, and the morning of the summit there was virtually no wind, so it was a lot warmer than the previous time. The sunrise was really beautiful, with the sun coming up ... read more

There is something quite amazing to start a trek and be walking next to a group of giraffes... I still have to make sure I am not dreaming all this. The trek up to Mt Meru started in the rain forest. It was very foggy, misty even, but the forest was really like an enchanted forest, with big trees, full of moss and lichen, and the sound of monkeys. I was hiking with the guide that will be working with me for the next 6 weeks, a really nice tall friendly Tanzanian and a ranger with his .306 to chase the potential buffalos and elephants off the trail... An American guy also joined our party, he was traveling solo and needed a ranger also, so we went together and it was very pleasant to share the ... read more

So I left India. IN the middle of the night, strange to be back again in the Delhi airport, leaving but knowing I would be back soon! And three flights later, it was cloudy over Tanzania but Mt Kilimanjaro was there, tall and majestic, with all the white clouds at its feet. It was really something to see, knowing I would be standing on top of that beautiful mountain within the next few weeks if all goes well. I was a bit sick and very tired when I landed, and dreaming of a good night in a hotel room, after a hot shower. I got out of the airport, was picked up by the local contact here, and right away I was given instructions how to use my new cell phone and told that I was ... read more

It is very late in the evening, more like early morning, and I just officially finished my first trek as a guide. It was a really good experience, and now I am almost on my way to Africa, for a very different experience. But the last few days have been good, I visited the "classics", the Fort in Delhi, the one in Agra, the TAj and Fathepur Sikri. Quite a different experience after a trek in the isolated mountains of LAdakh, but also wonderful. I always wanted to see the TAj and it is, indeed, lovely. Amazing what a person can do because of woman! IMpressive monument. But it was very hot and sticky and all of us were somewhat struggling with the heat. It doesn't rain much, actually the only rain we had was in ... read more

How could I possibly summarize almost 3 weeks of trekking and travelling by bus across the Himalayas... It was almost 3 weeks ago that my group of 5 clients and I left Leh for a beautiful trek in Ladakh. With a local guide, 3 cooks, 4 horsemen and 12 horses. Waw. It was amazing scenery and a lot of fun. with some long more difficult days and some shorter ones, and even a few rest days. We went up about 5 moutain passes of about 5000m or more, saw kyangs, cranes, marmots, hare, yaks, dogs and also a few trekkers and of course, some nomads.... So here is just a few memories that I bring back from the trek... The visit to the nomads, when we were invited inside their tent... There was one woman and ... read more

Back from the first trek... 10 days ago or so, a Ladakhi picked me up at my guest house with some kind of a Jeep, with what I would call an interesting suspension and squeaky brakes, and my guide Puntsok and I were on our way to Rumtse, where our trek was to start. On the way we stopped in a village for tea, then I visited the Chemrey Monastery, always interesting, especially when you ask questions to the monks or the locals... Then you realize that the buddhist iconography is very complicated... No wonder I am lost. Then we took another break, and meanwhile I was watching an Indian guy cleaning the ears of another guy... This is a normal job here, "ear cleaner". Didn't look like fun. When he was done, he realized I ... read more

For the next 2 weeks, my job is to explore the area and learn about Ladakh. This is a lot of fun, and yesterday, I was sent out on a mountain bike down to the Tikse monastry. Needless to say, it was an indian bike with little issues, and a little on the short side for my long legs. But it was a lovely morning, already hot, with not a cloud in the sky. I happily rode down the hill all the way to Tiske. I was having a wonderful time looking around this really arid and beautiful part of the world feeling like I was dreaming. I went past the old Shey palace, which used to be the capital of Ladakh, and was many times greeted by friendly people on the street. I finally reached ... read more

In a way it is hard to believe... I am already back in India. But it is not a big surprise at the same time, as I loved it so much. For those who don't know, I have been offered a job to guide in Ladakh, Nepal and Tanzania. So I am now in Ladakh, exploring the area for 3 weeks before the group shows up... So after a long day flying from Montreal to Amsterdam and then Delhi, I arrived late at night in the International airport. The local guide I will be working with was waiting for me, and took me to the other airport to fly to Leh. Delhi was 32 degrees and humid, thank God it was late at night! Then I sort of slept on top of my luggage at the ... read more

So here I am, in Africa for the first time! And I am experimenting a strange cultural shock. Not from seeing Africa, but from staying in the fanciest hotel I have ever seen, and will ever see. But first thing first.... After Nepal, I landed in PAris, where I was meeting an old friend. It was a blast to try to see all of PAris in... 48 hours!!! So we walked and took taxis and metros to see all the most famous places. I will not even try to list them all. Of course, I didn't really visit any of them, but just enough to say "been there" and want to return. I loved Paris, friendly people (who said PArisiens where rude?), amazing food, we did the real French thing, with chocolate croissant in the morning ... read more