Blog
Here you’ll find our blog posts, listed by main category. To receive posts by email as they appear, sign up for updates on the homepage!
Bucket List Adventure: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R3)
Have you been to the Grand Canyon? Well the name suits it. It’s big!!
Here is a great story about what some call "the great upside down mountain." You can walk down to the bottom pretty easily, but getting back up can be a different story. We are lucky to have Brian Roach, FNP-C here to tell us about his R3 adventure.
Lama Dai Walks to the Top of Everest!
On May 20th of this year, Rajesh Lama (Lama Dai), summited Mt. Everest. Okay, a few people do that every year — pretty cool, a major athletic and mental feat. But that’s just part of it…
On April 1st, Lama and his partner, Rachana Lama, left their home in Kathmandu and started walking to Mt. Everest. After doing the two passes trek, they reached Everest Base Camp. Then, after an acclimatization climb of Mt. Lobuche, he took a short rest before heading up Everest. Oh, and a stint as the event medic for an endurance race, too. So, a busy spring outing…
Everest ER interview! HRA doc Nishant Joshi Njo with Lama Dai
Here’s a double header video for you! Two stars of the mountain. One, Rajesh Lama, known as Lama Dai, walked from his home in Kathmandu up to the summit of Mt Everest. The other, Dr. Nishant Joshi Njo, is one of the doctors this season at Everest ER, the medical clinic at Everest Base Camp run by the Himalayan Rescue Association. On his way to the top of the world, Lama Dai strolled into the medical tent and sat down to talk about the purpose of Everest ER, the history of the HRA and you know, the weather, and whatever you talk about at 18,000 ft.
3 Ways to Prepare for Your Hike or Expedition
Is there anything worse than a leaking tent, broken shoelace or ripped rain gear when you are on an extended trip? There may be a few worse things, but unexpected happenings that come up on a climb or hike or expedition often make the difference between a no problem moment or really bad, foul time. So here to get you thinking ahead and being prepared (who said that?) is Grant Salisbury.
Grant has backpacked throughout the lower 48 states. He's done about a dozen river trips to remote parts of Alaska and the Yukon territory, primarily packrafting trips in the Brooks Range, as well as 1000+ miles of the Yukon river. He also spent about a decade living in developing countries running landmine clearance operations, typically in areas with little infrastructure such as rural regions of Angola and Mozambique and Colombia.
So as part of our Search and Rescue series here is a short and sweet tale about gear redundancy. Having what you need, something for repairs, and spares just in case. ("Oh my glove just flew off in the wind, off the cliff. Now a marmot has it!") Let’s make these memories good ones. Jam Jam!!
What is Search and Rescue? with Angela Widler, PA-C
Search and Rescue, SAR. What exactly is it? And who are these people who mostly volunteer to spend their free time looking for lost or injured people in the outdoors? Is there anything scarier than being lost, cold, hungry and tired? Well maybe a few things, like squirrels gnawing at your fingers. But aside from that, none of us want to be in a situation where we have to call for help. So let’s take some time this year to learn a bit about how to stay found in the wilderness, maybe not in an existential sense, but physically.
Let’s learn about what to bring and what to pack for different events and locations, weather and terrain, what to do if your gear breaks, and what to do if you do find yourself lost: who you gonna call?
We are launching something new at musamasala.com. Every other post for the first half of this year will be about staying found or getting found. We have an amazing group of experts from the wilderness medicine community, former military, SAR members, therapists and climbing guides here to share with you what they have learned, along with first hand accounts of people who have survived in tough situations around the world. Along the way we will share extra tips, quizzes and polls on related topics on on social media.
AdventureWomen: Interview with Heather Heverling
Are you looking for a fun adventure and want to travel exclusively with women who share your passion for new and exciting destinations? Well Adventure Women May just be what you are looking for. We had an awesome time talking to Heather Heverling, the President of AdventureWomen, a Travel + Leisure Magazine 2022 World's Best Tour Operator selectee. With over 50 trips to more than 65 countries, they have something for you. In fact, we're excited for AdventureWomen's trek to Everest Base Camp, coming up April 15-30! We highly recommend this incredible opportunity to get out there with the best. Thanks, Heather, for taking the time to talk with us. Jam Jam!!
Beginners' Climbing Competition in Nepal!
Come on everybody, time to go climbing! The Musa Masala team, along with Wongchhu Peak Promotion and Nirvana Gears, as well as Crimpanzee Adventure Hub, are holding a beginners' climbing competition on October 16th!!
Crimpanzee is an amazing facility and we are so happy to be working with them on this event. This is an awesome opportunity for climbers who have never entered a competition, or who have only entered a couple competitions, to get out there and see what it is like. Brand new climbers can see what it is all about. It's about fun!!
The Pacific Crest Trail - here comes Kristen Pilarcik!
Stretching from Mexico to Canada, the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail is 2,653 miles from border to border. In elevation it goes from 43m(140ft) to 4,009m(13,153ft). It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968. It literally goes from the desert to the mountains, a challenging change of climate and a totally immersive view of the beauty of this land. Passing through California, Oregon and Washington States, thru hikers come from around the world to trek the PCT.
Mount Rainier, The Next Step
Climbing season is upon us, and now we have seen a monster spring season in the Himalaya for climbing the big mountains, with amazing weather windows of calm winds and warm sun on the biggest peaks. Everest had a amazing window for climbers this year. In Washington state Mt Rainier is the big mountain that has the ability to go from nice guy to evil beast before you know it. For this post Matt Carvey, having just graduated from medical school tells the story of his winter mountaineering and Denali prep course with one of the best companies in the business, Alpine Ascents International. This course gives you a great feel for a longer expedition type climb on a big mountain. Let’s let Matt tell the story as we check out Mt Rainier. Jam Jam !! Matt!
Musa Masala Hypothermia Cards are here!!
Available now in our store, this card is a simple tool to help you recognize hypothermia, prevent it and treat it.
When going on an outdoor adventure, planning is key to a safe and fun time. Be honest in assessing your skill level for the activity. It’s easy to overestimate your skills and get in trouble. When in doubt, ask a professional guide, ranger or coach for help and information.
What I Learned About Resilience on an Icelandic Trek
Musa Masala welcomes 2022 with a topic we think all of us can relate to, resilience. What does it mean to you? Very different things at very different times, we think. Tamar Izcovich returns with a look at resilience that stopped us cold, and started us thinking. How we speak to others about this and what others are going through should always run through how we speak to friends, family and patients. This story will change our approach, and we hope it helps you as well.
Thank you, Tamar. Your posts are always a lesson in how we move through life. Jam Jam!!
Mt. Kilimanjaro, Summit and Success with Preparation and Passion: Leigh Zimmerman's Story
We are so fortunate to welcome Leigh Zimmerman to Musa Masala. Leigh has been a wonderful supporter of our programs. We originally met through our friends at Wongchhu Peak Promotion with whom she trekked to Everest Base Camp. She recently returned to the mountains, this time the stunningly beautiful Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. This is her story. She barely mentions the medical mountains she has climbed in her life. We are in awe of her drive and passion.
The Mystery of Mallory and Irvine: 10 Little-Known Facts
Do you think George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine made it to the summit of Everest in 1924 before disappearing? Everyone who is intrigued by the story has their opinion. We are here to help, whether you're an old hand to this mystery or it’s the first you have heard about it.
To celebrate our first Facebook live event, we thought we would post 10 things you may not have known about the mystery of Mallory and Irvine that you can learn from our show!
Hypothermia Signs and Symptoms
We are back with more on hypothermia. In this post, we will define this condition. We want to give you some basic information on hypothermia. In the next post, we will deal with reacting to hypothermia signs and symptoms. Keep warm, keep active and stay safe!
COVID-19 in Nepal
We had our first Musa Masala group Zoom call last week, and it was so wonderful for everyone to get together, even if just through the screens. We were all supposed to be in Nepal at the hospital on October 4th for the opening of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital, then our Climbing Competition in Kathmandu followed by the first Musa trek in the Mardi Himal. But a few things have changed (COVID-19), so we took time to talk about the current situation in Nepal. We will share part of that with you here and in the next few weeks share our conversations on the opening of a road to Lukla, wow! And we will fill you in on the situation with the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital.
Thriving Outdoors with Type 1 Diabetes
Whether you’re climbing, hiking, camping or even trekking in the Himalaya, wilderness travel can be a challenging experience. Add in controlling your blood sugar as a type 1 diabetic as your body adjusts to new foods, environments and stress levels, and you can have your hands full.
We reached out to a special adventurer, Svati Kirsten Narula. Svati is a writer, runner and hiker with a lot of experience in managing her diabetes care as she travels far and wide.
Climb Mt. Baker with Musa Masala!
For the first time, we are excited to invite you to come with us! We’ll travel to the the beautiful Northern Cascade mountains for a three-day climb of the magnificent Mt. Baker. At 10,871 ft., this volcano is a perfect introduction to glacier climbing. And who better to go with than Willie Benegas of Benegas Brothers Expeditions?
Read on for more info. The climb will take place June 9-11, 2020. We have limited spots available.