Tent Camping in Nepal’s Himalayas
Photos by Exploredinary, Starr Studios and Scott Brown
My accommodations and transportation in the 2019 trip to Nepal
I grew up camping in the Texas Hill Country. Both Garner State Park and Enchanted Rock were regular stops and I later camped in the Northwest around Mount Rainer and then spent years motorcycle camping across the American Southwest and Rocky Mountains. I had a lot of great experiences and saw some amazing things. But when a photojournalist friend of mine, Scott Brown, called me up and asked me if I wanted to go ride motorcycles and camp in Nepal my mind raced with all sorts of reasons why I should and shouldn’t say yes. He pressed me for an answer and I asked for 5 minutes to decide. I called him back in 2 minutes and said yes.
Mentally preparing to cross a suspension bridge on my Royal Enfield
Several photojournalists were heading to Nepal to cover a non profit who was providing water purification systems to remote Nepali villages in the Himalayas. One of the other photojournalists had dropped out last minute and I was offered the slot. I had nothing to offer the project other than I knew how to ride and was willing to go. I showed up in jeans and a leather jacket and took a lot of teasing for not having the thousands of dollars of gear everyone else was wearing. After a week into our journey the teasing stopped as my lightweight packing turned out to be much easier to manage than what the others were hauling around.
The suspension bridge in Central Nepal
The journey into and through the mountains was led by Vishu, a Nepali Sherpa who began working in the trekking industry at 15.
Vishu and myself in 2020
Vishu led us into some of the most remote villages in Central Nepal. I am happy to say we stay in touch regularly and receive photos from his adventures into Nepal, India, Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia.
Our tents and view of the Annapurna Range
The cliches everyone uses like “pictures don’t do it justice” really take on a new meaning when you see the Himalayas in person. Waking up to see them night after night outside your tent is indescribable. It was “life changing” is another tired cliche, but that’s where you land when you experience it. You can see why so many people describe spiritual experiences in this place.
Sarah Reyes and Daniel Driensky of Exploredinary
Climbing into higher and higher elevations on dirt roads with jaw dropping cliffs, it became pretty clear how important motorcycles are to being able to travel to these locations. Daniel and Sarah traveled by Land Rover with all the film equipment which required alternate routes and sometimes large delays to get caught up with us on the bikes.
The Royal Enfields and The Land Rover for the film crew
I’ve done my share of wild camping, but sipping hot tea outside our tent in the foothills of the Annapurna range of the Himalayas is an experience I doubt I will ever beat.
