Thank you for donating to assist our staff
During the covid lockdown years of 2020-2021 we directly assisted our loyal core staff by distributing your contributions with Project Himalaya paying all transfer costs so that every dollar was donated.
Final Dec 2021 update: On behalf of all the staff, "please convey a lot of thanks to all the donors. I have lighted hundreds of lamps for all of you. May god give all a beautiful n successful life, may god give you all a long n happy life.. Thank you all of you..."
- Yangzom and Lobsang
Our Nepal staff are back on their feet with almost everyone getting at least a little work this last Oct-Nov 2021 season.
In India, Lobsang drove tourists for the summer but Ram Lal and horses worked very little, and so everyone's income was substantially down, however, with the cushion provided by the donations, they are OK even if they feel winter's pinch.
Followers and previous trekkers of Project Himalaya raised $14k, an amount of support that stuns me - thank you!
Previously: Lobsang and Yangzom light butter lamps as a thank you for your kindness
2021 winter wind up donations
USD456 outstanding from the donations to mid-2021 - additional: USD750 from Greg Weston - EUR118/USD139 from Alan Kerr - USD500 from Fred Mauren - USD250 from Greg Danforth
USD340 to Stanzin Khungha
USD351 to Ram Lal
USD350 to Pema (horseman, Ladakh)
USD345 to Dorje (Ladakh helper)
USD345 to Lobsang Chomphel
USD181 to Aiteram Lopchan
USD181 to Bali (Bal Bahadur)
And with the above transfers, that accounts for all the donations in: USD14,053 and the money distributed to staff US14,053 (fees paid by me). I have everything on a simple spreadsheet that is easily shared.
Money donated to mid-2021:
All fees paid by Jamie. Separate from the below, USD750 + 450 donated by Jamie & Esther and given to Pemba and family
USD993 to Lobsang
USD993 to Ram Lal
USD989 to Bali
USD700 to Bire Tamang
USD600 to Angchuk (driver)
USD999 to Stanzin Kungha
USD700 to Raj Kumar
USD500 to Aiteram Lopchan
USD500 to Dawa (Da Gelje) Sherpa
USD433 to Mingmar Sherpa who is now a father!
USD434 to Bire Tamang and family who is building a vegetable garden business
USD686 for Lobsang
USD686 for Ram Lal
USD435 for Sanjaya Tamang who is also a new father
USD434 for Bali (approx 50,000Rs)
USD439 for Tashi Tamang (approx 50,000Rs)
USD100 for Lobsang
USD670 for Dorje (Ladakh helper)
USD670 for Pema (horseman, Ladakh)
Donations to mid-2021:
USD500 from Lars A, USD250 from Roger Nix, USD100 from Jan Sz, USD100 + 100 from Alan Kerr, USD600 from M. USD250 from Jim Robinson, USD300 + 300 from Fred M, USD100 +150 from Mike Parle, USD250 from Denio Moreira Carvalho junior
USD200 from Celesta, USD80 from Jane & Glenn Fisher, USD130 from Phil Whitwell, USD200 from Gaye Kittel, USD250 from Carsten Nebel, USD300 from Max Sadler, USD500 + 500 from Bruce Utsey
USD500 from Jim Twiss, EUR220 (USD250) from Barbara and Harald, USD200 from anon, USD300 + 500 from Greg Weston, USD200 from Mike Farris, USD20 from Lynda Behan, USD30 from Matthew Ingram, USD40 from Clare Robertson, USD50 from Louise Dunlop
USD200 from Peter Sih, USD300 from Ralph Oertel, USD150 from Anselm Murphy, USD200 from Martin Rhodes-Schofield, USD200 from Guido Zijlma, USD250 from Leeann I-S, USD250 from Jonathon Cupka
USD500 from Peter Wood, NZD200/USD135 from Mark & Kate Sanders, USD200 from David Wright, USD200 from Paul Murrill, USD250 from Tracey Steelhammer, USD1000 from Greg Danforth, USD500 from anon
USD300 from Jim Morrow and friends, USD100 from Herman Kromhout, USD100 from Bill Rowntree, USD150 from Miriam Ueberall, USD200 from Nick & Lee Neagle, NZD100/USD72 from Jim Park
Mid 2021 total: USD12,417 - major thanks!
Sanjay's recent family addition
Yangzom lights butter lamps again as a thank you, photo by Lobsang
Mingmar and his November surprise
Dec 2021: Yangzom lights butter lamps again as a thank you
My position
I must declare my own position first. Project Himalaya is small and unique. Unlike most other trekking companies, I don't pay myself a wage, I am not collecting a salary while soliciting donations.
I have always run our treks as a "lifestyle business". While living in Nepal (for 25+ years) I could not justify earning many multiples of what we paid our staff and photos sold mostly paid for my camera systems. I am now in New Zealand and pay taxes and cannot claim any welfare benefit of any sort, unemployment or covid-19 small business assistance, so no "free" money. My position is ok as I have a generous partner and my parents died in 2019.
Our India staff
Our staff in India are simply awesome and communicative as to what will work for them and us, and I so look forward to catching up with them in 2022.
Lobsang Chomphel
Lobsang is the mainstay of our operation in India and has been working with Project Himalaya in Ladakh since the beginning with Joel and myself
Lobsang (and Raj on the left, who since 2018 has had a restaurant in Manali)
Ram Lal
Ram Lal has also been working with us more or less from our beginning in Ladakh, his tough horse-mule team and astute leadership enabling us to take the wildest, most remote trails.
Ram Lal
Angchuk Dorje
Cheerful, patient, kind and always early, Angchuk is the best driver, both sightseeing and driving us to and from treks.
2013: Pasang (Angchuk's brother, also a driver), Angchuk and Lobsang
Stanzin Kungha
From Kargyak in Zanskar, Stanzin has been working for us since 2016 and wants to become a guide; he has been an able helper so far and has climbed Dzo Jongo a couple of times too. He has returned to his home village of Kargyak to help out with the family farm.
Stanzin Kungha
Raj
Thank you, Raj! Raj cheerfully cooked for our tough treks for as long as he could but health issues slowed him so he set up a small restaurant in Manali. Although he wouldn't say, times are tough and I'm glad to offer some small assistance, some humanity.
Raj in Zanskar
Our Nepal staff
In Nepal, we work with Expedition Himalaya who share work around the staff, so there are multiple overseas companies who employ them and can assist. Therefore the people that have almost exclusively worked for Project Himalaya are the ones without other possible safety nets, and so our support will go to staff that worked for us many times.
Bali (Bal Bahadur) Lopchan
Bali (Bal Bahadur) Lopchan is the guide-sirdar on our toughest treks, ie all of them!
Jamie and Bali at the end of our epic 2015 GHT Wild West trek
Bire (Bir Bahadur) Tamang
Bire (Bir Bahadur) Tamang is a trek guide and sometimes cook for our tough camping treks and in 2019, cook for our National Geographic Everest expedition.
From a long time a go, Bire with our awesome Mustang and Saribung Wild team
Dawa Da'Gelje Sherpa
Although often cook on our longer, tough Nepal treks, Dawa has climbed Everest three times and also cooked at Everest ABC including for our 2019 National Geographic Everest expedition.
2012: Dawa summits Everest for the third time, a variation of this photo was used for the cover of the magazine Action Asia
Aiteram Lopchan
When the going gets tough, Aiteram rises to the occasion and has carried heavy loads to get us through those sometimes overweight first few days. In more normal times, as a general hand, he helps with the tents and serves meals with an emphasis on shared work, shall we say.
2018: we visited Bali, Aiteram and our porter crew's village, here in Aiteram's house with soft dirt floor and simple living but with beer so perhaps life is comfortable enough?
Recent previous treks | 2018
2017 | 2016 |2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
2005 | 2004 | 2002-03 | 2000-01 | pre-2000
2011-2015 expeditions | 2000-2010 expeditions | 2004-2010 expedition dispatches