The title Adventurer of the Year was earned from being the first person to climb Mt. Everest and fly from the summit where on landing he swapped his wing for a kayak and paddled for a month to the sea. Sleeping rough and eating whatever he could find on the river banks he travelled all the way from Nepal to the Bay of Bengal in India.

He is labelled the Mad Scientist for his brave/calculated and perhaps a little mad flight from the top of Kilimanjaro in 100 kph winds. He was the only pilot out of 68 of the world’s best that hiked to the summit that dared to fly. So when I got invited to his house I of course jumped at the chance to fly with him. After a big party, a large amount of barbequed pig and chatting with paragliding pilots from around the world we got up early and took flight in the skies above his house.

Whilst paragliding from west to east of Nepal, Babu saw the perfect place for a paragliding pilot to build his house… and so he did!

High in the mountains with breath-taking sunsets over the Annapurna’s and great flying conditions he settled with his wife and 2-time Nepali kayaking champion, Susmita Sunuwar. We took off in fierce winds and were soon swooping over the Himalaya in the hot sun. We rose up a thousand meters in the thermals and then Babu took me out into the middle of the valley for some acrobatics. He threw me into a 360-degree spin where we were rotating laterally at great speed, we were horizontal with the wing and pirouetting around it. A pilot on the ground later told me I was rotating at about 60km/hr and experiencing around 2G’s. At one point the parachute was beneath us in a manoeuvre called a wing over. We rotated fast in one direction and then Babu turned us quickly and spun back the other way, all the time he was working hard, really working the glider and throwing it around, we were owning the skies – absolutely terrifying, yet strangely addictive!

Another highlight was our rafting expedition along the Kali Gandaki

It is a river that I have wanted to explore for years due to the remoteness, views and exciting water. I have viewed the gorge from both ends on other expeditions to Nepal but due to a lack of road or path the only way to experience the waters of the Kali Gandaki is a 3-day rafting or kayaking trip. This involves bringing a support raft full of camping and cooking equipment as you need to be fully self-sufficient. Carving the deepest gorge in the world between Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and named after “Kali” the goddess of destruction, the Kali Gandaki is one of Nepal’s most holy rivers. Beginning its journey high on the Tibetan Plateau the mighty Kali flows through the Himalaya and eventually into Northern India and the Ganges. This will be a great addition to our Nepal tours for 2014.

I had the privilege to show some great people around my favourite country and make some lifelong friends. We walked on a 200m thick glacier on our Langtang trek, climbed high to the holy Gosainkunda Lakes, mountain biked on the Annapurna circuit, rafted the Bhote Kosi, kayaked the Sun Kosi, motorcycled into North Western Nepal, bungee jumped and abseiled into huge canyons and so much more! Thanks to everybody that chose to explore Nepal with Lost Earth Adventures this season and making it such a success.

Happy Travelling,
Richard

For more details on our Nepal trips please see our Nepal adventure tours and treks page  or sign up to our newsletter for latest developments.

Take on a classic and rewarding challenge by trekking to the top of Yorkshire’s 3 highest peaks – Whernside 736m, Ingleborough 724m, and Pen-Y-Ghent 694m, all in aid of cancer research and awareness.

Enthusiastic group from last year’s Yorkshire 3 Peaks Charity Challenge!

Join us in support of the charity, War On Cancer as we aim to complete this feat in less than 12 hours! Not only is this for a great cause, we’re sure you’ll also love the spectacular Yorkshire landscape along the way.

In 2012 Lost Earth Adventures met cancer survivor and the founder of War On Cancer, Tracy Gould. Her aim is to raise as much funds for cancer research while encouraging supporters to get outside, get fit and have fun while doing it – and we couldn’t agree more. Cancer is devastating, and we firmly believe that through continued research we can beat it. With your support we hope to eradicate this horrendous disease and nip it in the bud for future generations.
2012 saw the astounding success of the first annual Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge and we’re looking forward to making it bigger and better this year!

When and Where Is It?

• • Saturday, 6th July 2013
• • Horton-In-Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire

Further Details

• • There is a £100 minimum sponsorship with 100% of the funds raised going towards cancer research and awareness.
• • Upon registration a £50 deposit is required which can be used towards your total sponsorship amount.
• • The challenge is open to a maximum of 40 participants – so be sure to register ASAP to avoid disappointment!

Contact

Please contact us or to register for the event or for further details on the challenge.

More About the Yorkshire 3 Peaks

See what the challenge is all about on our Yorkshire 3 Peaks page.

This is a short video that we filmed whilst exploring the Himalaya on our Nepal Xtreme tour in September and October last year.

See what you could be doing on your next trip…

The drive into the Langtang is along a peaceful country lane that winds its way through the Himalayas and goes nowhere except the trail head of the Langtang Valley. It gives great views and we met barely any traffic. We took our time stopping along the road to talk to locals and take in the scenery.

We left our jeep at Syrabru Besi and walked through thick forest following the powerful Langtang River. Conversation was a plenty and the group soon became a team as we climbed steadily towards the highlands of the Himalaya. The sun was shining and many tea stops were enjoyed watching the monkeys playing and listening to the birds. Kerry wasn’t happy just sitting around and could often be found upside down, resting on her head or teaching our porters how to sit in the lotus position. Kerry runs a yoga retreat ‘Balance KMC’ and was enjoying the tranquillity of practicing in the Himalaya.

The group expressed they would like to do a big walk. They were interested in crossing the Laurebina La, past the Gosainkunda Lakes and into Helambu. This is a massive walk but gives so much variety and amazing scenery along rarely used paths. I was happy for this decision too! We walked to the Langtang Glacier, climbed Tserko Ri then descended back to Changtang. The next day was a mammoth walk where we completed a normal day and half’s trek in one day. We hiked for 8 hours to the bottom of a big hill where night set in. I explained that if we walked for 3 hours through the forest in the dark we could have a decent guest house with hot showers, good food, great views the next morning and a rest day the following day. The alternative was to stay in a dingy tea house with no meat and no showers! Suprisingly everybody opted for the dark walk in the forest, which after a long hike I was very impressed with the determination. We all don our head torches and headed up the hill. This was an exciting outing with the porters making bird noises and playing their Nepalese music, there were 12 head torches snaking through the forest lighting the way. The air was crisp and humid and our senses were awoke to the sounds of the Himalayas at night.

The next morning our choice to carry on had gone down well when the group woke up to a hot sunny day in a pretty village offering a spectacular panorama of the Himalaya. Breakfast was had al’ fresco and we soaked up the rays.

At the Gosain kund Lakes the Baba was still there meditating (see last Langtang post) but it was remarkably warmer. This and the setting sun inspired Kerry and Ella get on with some yoga. We arose early and headed up to 4600 meters to cross the Laurebina La and leave the high mountains behind to descend into the lush middle hills which where hidden thousands of meters beneath the clouds. We could see many mountain tops shimmering in the morning light a hundred kilometers or so to the south and 200 kilometers to the west with clear views of the 8 kilometer high mountains of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri.

We traversed high ridges and mountain tops high in the clouds as we crossed the grain of the middle mountains, meeting very few tourists. This is where the majority of Nepal’s population live in the warmer climate and on lush fertile land many days walk from roads. They live peacefully sustaining themselves from the fresh produce they grow and remain untouched from modern society.

On our last night we wanted to give our hard working Nepalese companions a good send off. I bought a couple of plump chickens which Kumar turned into a tasty curry. We got invited into the families simple home where we shared our meal with 3 generations. It was nice to see the family living in such harmony in a house that had been built with the grandfathers bare hands. The little children cuddled up in blankets asleep round the fire.

The next day was a short walk through rice terraces of bright yellows and greens to Chisapani where we stopped for dinner and met our jeep to return to Kathmandu. We all had the day to explore the enchanting city, some opted for spars and pampering and others for a scenic flight up to the face of the worlds highest mountain.

All in all a great time!

-Richard-

Richard is the co-founder of Lost Earth Adventures and has spent the last 2 months in Nepal guiding a variety of different adventure tours and treks! Stay tuned for more updates from the trail. You can find out more details of our Langtang Trek here.

Check out our Facebook Page to see more photos from these trips and our other adventures.

Getting to the Trailhead

Driving out to Seti Khola (the trailhead of the Manaslu Circuit Trek) is a special experience in itself. The drive, in a rugged Toyota Landcruiser takes 6 hours to get to Arughat through breathtaking scenery. You really do need a 4X4 to conquer it! The road is one of the most remote I have ever traveled on, crossing the grain of the Himalayan foothills.

At Arughat you need to change vehicles. The locals have built an impressive road to Seti Khola and understandably so, they don’t allow jeeps from Kathmandu to profit from their hard work. We would need to negotiate for another vehicle to take us the rest of the way.

I asked my assistant Dipak to sort a vehicle for myself, and our companions Julian and his wife Rosa. Dipak came back after 5 minutes and said there was a bus we could take and that it would pass through in an hour. We had lunch and as the end of the hour was approaching I asked Dipak where we should catch the bus.

Sometimes a Bus, Sometimes a Jeep – Always an Adventure!

He replied matter of fact, “I call bus, bus come.” I thought this was a bit strange but said that we were ready to carry on. A further 15 minutes passed and there was still no bus. I enquired with Dipak again, wondering what was going on. His response was “You still want a bus? Or maybe you want a jeep?” Starting to get impatient I told him I didn’t care whether we had a bus or a jeep, I just wanted any form of transport, as long as it left immediately! Understanding my urgency and request Dipak said, “Ok boss, here is the jeep!” I didn’t understand what he was pointing at, as there was not a jeep in front of me. Dipak, responded again, pointing in the same direction, “Ok, there is the bus!” He had been pointing at a pick-up truck, which was very clearly neither bus nor jeep! I was confused, Dipak explained, “If we stop and pick up every passenger we pass, then it is a bus! It will get very full of people. If we don’t stop, and pay more money, than it is a jeep!”

In the end, we took a jeep.

Finally we took off and I was keeping a close eye on my watch as I try to only use roads by daylight. We had only been moving for about 3 minutes before we stopped and pulled into a garage.

“Sir, we need to replace the suspension. Small job. Only 10 minutes sir!”

I knew this was not a ten-minute job, but alas this is adventure travel. The work on the truck was carried out efficiently by four men and an hour later we were traveling along a small road carved into the side of a steep cliff, finally arriving at the trailhead as the sun was setting.

Lofty Walkways, Local Firewater and Dodging Donkeys in the Himalaya

The next morning we trekked along lofty walkways through a steep gorge dodging long trains of donkeys to the village of Machhakola. We quickly learned the Nepalese saying for ‘donkeys coming’.

That night the whole village was partying to a large karaoke system that had been carried on someone’s head from Kathmandu. The music echoed down the valley and into the night. Some of the young local girls looked like they had been practicing for months to do their solo dances, with the village watching in a circle and clapping. We were presented with flowers; I danced with the porters, drank some of the local firewater (raksi), ate some spicy dried fish and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

The trek followed the intensely beautiful Buri Gandaki valley for the next few days passing dazzlingly bright red poinsettia trees, many more donkeys and traditional Gurung villages. We even passed a bunch of nutty runners who were running around the Manaslu Circuit! They were part of high altitude adventure race. Click Manaslu Trail Race for more details.

In a remote, friendly, special and beautiful place

We caught our first glimpse of Manaslu at the village of Lho, its summit shinning brightly 5 kilometers above us! It was surprising how close the mountain was. We met a group of children with rosy-red windswept chubby cheeks that insisted in climbing all over me whilst shouting the English alphabet as loud as they could. When our stop for the night came into view it was then I realized what an incredibly special place we were in.

The high altitude stone village was guarded by large ancient chortens and smoke was bellowing from the many chimneys. The culture in the village of Sama has remained untouched for thousands of years. The people are Gurungs of Tibetan origin and not a lot has changed there over the last couple of centuries. We were greeted with many smiles and by locals peddling their wares. I was even offered a full yak’s skin for about £15. Another man rode past at full canter on his horse. A yak train passed by, bringing goods along the 6-hour hike from the Tibetan border. Huge glaciers cascaded from the Manaslu Himal and we were completely surrounded by 7000m peaks. I was so happy to be in such a remote, friendly and beautiful place.

From here we spent 2 days ascending the 5100m high Larkye La following a path that negotiates the moraine to the side of the Larkye Glacier. From the pass we descended down to Bimthang, which was like an oasis in the desert. On a 3700m high alpine pasture we could see colourful gingerbread cottages. This was amazing! We had come down from high altitude where it was cold and inhospitable and we were now in cosy little cottages, far lower and warmer. We indulged in a big hearty meal and a round of beers!

The next 2 days were spent enjoying part of the Annapurna circuit. On our last night myself, and the two porters, Dipak and Kumar prepared a large meal for us all. The owner of the teahouse we were staying in kindly let us run amuck in her kitchen and we prepared a feast. This was a great end to a spectacular trek.

-Richard-

Richard is the co-founder of Lost Earth Adventures and has spent the last 2 months in Nepal guiding a variety of different adventure tours and treks! Stay tuned for more updates from the trail. You can find out more details of our Manaslu Circuit Trek here.

Check out our Facebook Page to see more photos from these trips and our other adventures.

The tours both started with some relaxing and a sight seeing and cultural tour of the Kathmandu Valley, with its many impressive temples. Afterwards we left the bustle and fast pace of the city, heading high into the mountains.

First we drove to an elevation of 2200m, fifteen kilometres from the Tibetan border. Here we undertook two canyoning expeditions into the 165m deep gorge that houses the wild Bhote Kosi. This involves abseiling and sliding down eight tiers of an incredible large waterfall. Everybody learned the ropes quickly and all were apt at the art of being pounded by water whilst negotiating slippery and exposed terrain. Laurie, Graham and Chris are the only people so far this year on a Lost Earth Adventures trip to make the leap from the 500ft bungee bridge. All 3 lads were remarkably composed in such a terrifying and exhilarating experience!

Due to unusually high water levels for this time of the year we’ve not been able to run the upper section of the Bhote Kosi. The upper section has been constantly monitored by our guides and has been deemed to risky for the time being. We had all been quite anxious to raft the 20kms of continuous class 4-5 rapids! Wanting to keep our thrill levels up and adrenaline pumping we decided to kayak the white water of Sun Kosi. The instructors did a stellar job of teaching and guiding us through the rapids. After originally rafting this section the group wanted to experience negotiating the rapids in their own kayak. The waves appear so much bigger when lower to the river and it’s highly rewarding to be in control of your own boat. The four sections of class 2 rapids provided the adrenaline we craved. The flats were a welcomed event, with long, wide and smooth glistening sections carving through rice terraces, topped off with sunny views of the mountains!

Next we boarded a Twin Otter and flew high into the Mustang following the path of the Kali Gandaki – the world’s deepest gorge. From the windows we had a clear view of the world’s 7th, 8th and 10th highest mountains – Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, and Annapurna. At the small enclave of Jomson we negotiated for two very rugged, Indian made jeeps to climb the next thousand metres. The afternoon was used to relax, acclimatise and discuss the next days’ events. Eager to ride, we spent the last hour of daylight with our guides showing off their riding skills and taking us to their favourite trailheads and viewpoints!

Then it was down… 3 days of down! The first 20km is steep, rocky and everything you want from mountain biking. We were given options of a wide, rocky and rarely used jeep track or to take the menacingly steep single track that cuts the more direct line. Raj Kumar and Jarrah took the path of least resistance and were well in front of the group, leaping from every lump on the mountain!

We had made it back to Jomson for tea and apple pie, made with apples fresh from the orchards that line the trails below. It is here that the jeep tracks deplete into the vast riverbed of the Kali Gandaki and where you and your little bike have to negotiate river crossings, rough Himalayan terrain, large trains of donkeys and goats and the occasional puncture! This is adventure cycling at its best, being totally self-sufficient surrounded by the world’s largest mountains.

We continued mainly downhill for the next 2 days where we spent the night at a place called Tatopani, which in Nepalese means hot water. So as the name suggests we got to soak our muscles in the natural hot springs, this experience was enhanced by the constant supply of cold beers. Life doesn’t get any better than this!

The next day we headed back to Pokhara for some R ‘n’R but as the group were not the sort to sit around doing nothing some paragliding, motorcycling, row boating and helicopter rides were arranged.

Never a dull moment, thank you guys for a great time.

-Richard-

Richard is the co-founder of Lost Earth Adventures and has spent the last 2 months in Nepal guiding a variety of different adventure tours and treks! Stay tuned for more updates from the trail. You can find out more details of our Nepal Xtreme Adventure here. 

Check out our Facebook Page to see more photos from these trips and our other adventures!

We’re just putting the final touches on the website for our guided mountain bike days out, and will let you know when it’s live.

But in the meantime…

Watch this video of Lost Earth Adventures’ co-founder, Richard Goodey and Lead Mountain Bike Guide James Perkins riding hard through Dalby Forest and North Yorkshire Moors.

From gnarly table top jumps and world class single track to the vast expanse of the North Yorkshire Moors, this is how we ride in the White Rose County.

Want More Adventure?

You can see more about all of the UK adventure activities that we offer, like rock climbing, gorge walking and scrambling, abseiling, hiking and mountain biking on our UK Activities page. We provide guided, private instruction tailored to any ability.

Fly into the thick of the Himalayas with the mesmerising and pristine Annapurna Massif as your backdrop? Check.

Reach a breath taking altitude, 3700 metres above sea level into the holy, Himalayan outpost of Muktinath? Check.

Spend four incredible days tearing down steep single track, rarely used dirt trails, across suspension bridges perched high above the world’s deepest gorge and through some of the planet’s most epic and rugged terrain? Check.

Spend your evenings drinking yak butter tea, sinking cold beers, relaying tales of the day’s adventures in remote mountain teahouses and villages. Check.

Is this the world’s greatest downhill mountain  biking adventure? We’d like to think so. 

We are stoked to have Raj Kumar – Pro Rider and Nepali Downhill Mountain Biking Champion, two years running guiding this unforgettable portion of our Nepal Xtreme adventure holiday on our next two tours, departing in October.

Want to see what’s in store? Watch the video of Raj Kumar hitting the trail from the high Throng La pass to Muktinath in style.

And, want to make sure you don’t miss out? More details of our Nepal Xtreme adventure holiday can be found here.

Experience 5 seconds of free fall from the world’s 3rd highest bungy jump and soar to new heights, paragliding in the shadow of the Annapurnas. Now, we’re offering these adrenaline fueled activities, free on all of our 2013 Nepal Xtreme adventure tours.

What are you waiting for?

More details can be found on our Nepal Xtreme trip page.

Classlane Media filming at Brimham Rocks

Lights, Camera… Action!

Lost Earth Adventures got a taste of Hollywood last weekend as we were privileged to partake in a film for the National Trust. The film is to showcase the awesome outdoor adventures you can have at National Trust locations throughout Yorkshire and includes rock climbing!

The personable and professional crew at Classlane Media that were behind the making of the film ensured they filmed our best sides as we and our clients got vertical, rock climbing and abseiling at Brimham Rocks.

Guide, Richard Goodey even got to use the GoPro head cam as he climbed up and abseiled down a classic Brimham Rocks route!

The weird and wonderful rock formations of Brimham Rocks, coupled with the area’s outstanding beauty is the perfect natural stage for an adventurous day out (and indeed a fun and exciting day of filming)!

Capturing Richard’s ‘good side’!

We’re looking forward to seeing the finished film and can’t wait to share it with you!

Lost Earth Adventures provides exhilarating days out, rock climbing, abseiling, hiking and gorge walking throughout Yorkshire and the UK.

Find out more about our UK based activities here.