Profile
Bhanubhakta Acharya: The Grass-Cutter Who Made a Poet
A grass-cutter's wish to leave something behind changed Nepali literature forever. The story of Bhanubhakta Acharya, the Aadikavi.
Akanshya Regmi
Sociologist and journalist based in Kathmandu. MA Sociology, BA Journalism and Mass Communication. Eight years teaching sociology at Campion College Nepal. Editorial Director at The Goreto.
Everest
The Everest Death Zone: What Happens to the Human Body Above 8,000 Metres
Above 8,000 metres, the human body begins to fail. No rescue comes easily. Here is what the Everest death zone actually does to you.
culture
Swayambhunath: The Monkey Temple Is the Wrong Name for It
Swayambhunath has been called the Monkey Temple since Western visitors noticed the primates, erasing 2,000 years of Buddhist significance. What the stupa actually is and what it means to the Newari Buddhist community.
culture
Nepal's Buddhist Monasteries: The Ones That Are Still Actually Monasteries
Most monasteries in Nepal have become heritage sites. A handful are still functioning communities of monks and practitioners. What distinguishes a working monastery and which ones in Nepal still qualify.
Places
The Two Caves Most Pokhara Visitors Confuse
The limestone sparks when light strikes it. Not metaphorically. The rock carries a natural electrical charge, and under a headlamp the walls of Mahendra Cave scatter light back at you in a way that stone walls shouldn't. Mahendra Cave Pokhara: What's Inside Nepal's Most
culture
Marpha Built Itself Around a Wind That Arrives at Eleven
At 11am the wind comes. It arrives from the south, funnelled up through the Kali Gandaki gorge, and within an hour it can reach 60 to 80 kilometres per hour. Trekkers describe it as someone opening a giant hairdryer pointed directly at your face. The people who built Marpha knew
Places
At Kagbeni, Two Rivers Meet and Refuse to Mix
North of Kagbeni, the road requires a permit. South of it, it does not. Two rivers meet just before the village and they do not mix easily. The Kali Gandaki runs grey-green from glacial melt. The Mustang Khola runs red-brown from the clay of the Mustang plateau. For a stretch
Food & Drink
Dal Bhat: Nepal's National Meal and What It Actually Is
Dal bhat is described everywhere as Nepal's national meal but most trekkers eat a simplified tourist version. What a proper thali involves, what the refill culture means, and why it is the most calorie-sensible thing to eat on a trek.
Trekking
Bodies on Everest: Who They Are, Where They Rest, and Why They Stay
Around 200 bodies remain on Everest, preserved by cold and impossible to reach. This is who they were, where they rest, and why no one has brought them home.
Places
The Name Depends on Which Tradition You Carry Up the Mountain
She stops at the 108th spout, tilts her head back, and lets the water hit her face. It is October. The water is glacier-fed, channelled through stone carved in the shape of a cow's head, and at 3,710 metres above sea level it is cold enough to
Places
Machhapuchhre: The Peak Nepal Keeps for Its Gods
Machhapuchhre Nepal rises to 6,993m above Pokhara and has been closed to climbing since 1957. It is the only peak in Nepal with a permanent ban. It is sacred to the Gurung people as the home of Shiva. No permit exists. No permit will be issued. In 1957, a
Born Here
Nothing Was Impossible: A Tribute to Nims Dai (Nirmal Purja)
"I have to push my limits to the max. Sitting tight, waiting it out and living in the past, has never been my thing. I want to be at the world's highest point again, knowing it might slip out from underneath me at any moment. Because that