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!
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!!
Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital Visit: An Interview with Dr. Marlena Strandir
I have to say this is one of my favorite posts ever. It covers so much of what Musa Masala has been working towards and cares about - a complete and open hospital to provide care in an area where people had few options available, and the people who do it. The ones providing the care and who really make the hospital happen.
How did this magical post come about, you may ask? Well, through the awesome efforts of Dr. Eric Johnson and the hard work of the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation. Dr. Marlena Strandir and her husband, Jason, visited the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital Tapting this past October. They arrived for the opening ceremonies of the hospital with the team from the Wilderness Medical Society. They stayed on for two weeks to work with Dr. Gurung and the staff. You could not find two better people to fit right into the pace of the hospital.
Travel Safer, Travel Smarter: Survival kits with Mykel Hawke
We are so excited to have Mykel Hawke work with us on on our SAR and safety series with this awesome article on survival kits. Mykel Hawke is well known in the survival and preparedness world for his television series on the Discovery Channel, "Man, Women, Wild," and "One Man Army." Mykel is the author of several books. One of them, "Foraging for Survival" written with Douglas Boudreau, is a favorite at Musa Masala and appears on our recommended books list. He has written several books on wilderness survival, as well as "The Quick and Dirty Guide to Learning Languages Fast."
Mykel is a former Special Forces Green Beret officer. He retired from the army as a Captain after originally joining as an enlisted man, rising to Sergeant First Class before taking a commission to become an officer. Mykel is also a paramedic and deputy sheriff. He has seen it, done it and written about it — and now he is teaching us how to survive it. Musa Masala is proud to have Mykel here to help keep us and you outta trouble. Jam Jam, Mykel!!
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.
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.
Everest: Who Takes the Trash Out?
We are back with a new show! Want to know about who is out there making effort to clean up the park and mountain? Want to know a little history of the cleanup operations over the years? Did you know there have been active clean up efforts going on for awhile on Mt. Everest? Want some firsthand accounts of the situation at the high camps this season?
Hiking Tips for Newcomers by Suzanne Cheree Ellis, NREMT-P
Have you ever gotten the itch to just get out there and head into the wilds, and when you arrived had an “oh no” moment? Suzanne Cheree Ellis, the creator of the Ellis Collapsable Isolation Box, is a Paramedic in Texas. Suzanne is here to tell us about her recent family adventure. She is starting off a new series of informative posts with two main themes: beginners’ outdoors tips and safely managing outdoor activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize social distancing is often the goal of outdoor adventuring, so let’s do it safely while we explore and have fun. Thanks Suzanne, so glad you made it back to us!!
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.
Our Climate, Our Health: Enviromedics with Author Paul Auerbach
Enviromedics: The Impact of Climate Change on Human Health, is the title of a book released in 2017, written by Paul Auerbach and Jay Lemery. Both emergency department physicians and avid outdoorsman and past presidents of the Wilderness Medical Society (Dr. Auerbach is one of the founders), these two practitioners were in a unique position to see the changes not only to the environment, but how those changes were affecting their patients in the emergency room.
Musa Masala at Everest Base Camp: The Everest ER Interview
Once again the Musa team visited Everest ER, the medical tent run by the Himalayan Rescue Association to treat climbers, porters, guides and staff at Mt. Everest Base Camp.
The following video features an interview that Lakpa Sherpa and Dr. Jennifer Konopka did with Dr. Suvash Dawadi and Dr. Subarna Adhikari while they worked at the clinic during the 2018 climbing season. A great footnote is that this was the first year two Nepali doctors worked together at Base Camp. They were joined by Dr. Brenton Systermans from Australia.
Ama Dablam, Olga and Cyclone Fani!
Of all the exploits and climbing efforts in the spring 2019 season, we at Musa Masala feel pretty strongly that one of the most outstanding accomplishments belongs to our friend and fellow Musa, Dr. Olga Dobranowski. Olga just completed a solo, rapid ascent of beautiful and mesmerizing Mt. Ama Dablam. If you have been anywhere around this mountain, it will become your favorite. It holds you and you will never forget seeing it.
Lakpa Norbu Sherpa: The Unofficial Mayor of Everest Base Camp
We are proud to bring you a true force in the world of Himalayan climbing. Lakpa Norbu Sherpa is one of the leading experts in Nepal in the art of long line rescue. This entails hanging from a cable below a helicopter that flies thousands of feet above sea level, often near the ceiling of its capabilities. You are then lowered to a climber on rocks or glacier, often in temperatures far below freezing. After attaching the injured or sick climber to a harness, the two of you are then lifted into the air, dangling below the helicopter until you reach your destination. This is not the activity of your average human.
Mountain Doctor: Brendan Milliner with the Himalayan Rescue Association at the Pheriche Clinic, Nepal
As the spring climbing and trekking season begins again in the Himalaya, we are excited to introduce you to Musa friend, Dr. Brendan Milliner. Brendan was at the Himalayan Rescue Association’s aid post in Pheriche this past fall season.Thanks, Brendan, for showing us around and giving us some insight into the kinds of patients you treat and the experience of working high in the mountains! If you go to any of the altitude lectures this season at an HRA post, be sure to get your Musa Masala Altitude Tips card free! It's a great time to be in Nepal. Jam Jam!!
Our Promo on the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital Premieres
It was Nepal Night at the Wilderness Medical Society’s winter conference in Park City, Utah. The team that put it together, Jenevieve Suzanne Kincaid, Paul Queior and Tony Islas, did an amazing job.
Tony was up on stage introducing the speakers and told stories about how he became involved with Wilderness Medicine, his friendship with Wongchhu Sherpa and his commitment to the hospital. Fellow speakers, Luanne Freer, Eric Johnson and Paul Auerbach passionately spoke of how Wongchhu influenced their lives and the importance of doing good works.
Rattlesnake Safety Tips: A Venomous Snake Tutorial
Welcome to the Good Trekker, Safe Climber series of educational tutorials at Musa Masala! In the below video, Jules Sylvester of Reptile Rentals shares valuable insight into the three venomous snakes of Southern California. In the 10-minute video, you will get an overview of these snakes, how avoid getting bitten, what to do if you do get bit and a quick view of the treatment plan at the hospital if you wind up there. These treatment protocols are basically the same for all pit viper envenomations in the United States, so this information is standard nationwide. Every bite is unique though, so there will be adjustments to treatment for every bite.
Everest Base Camp Manager Georgina Davenport and Her Journey in Medicine and Mountains
We are always excited to get the chance to shine a light on medical providers doing challenging things outdoors. This week we are virtually heading to Spain to talk to Georgina Davenport, a paramedic currently working in EMS and as the office manager for The Benegas Brothers Expeditions, with twin brothers and super climbers Willie and Damien Benegas.
Announcing: Musa Masala Comedy Jam Jam!
All of us here at Musa Masala are always looking for exciting and different ways to help raise money for the Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital and we think we have come up with one that will make you laugh.
Musa Masala presents our very first Comedy Jam. We’re calling it Comedy Jam Jam!! It will take place on Sunday, August 5th at Timpanogas Tavern in Heber City, Utah. We have two of the funniest people we could sneak out of the Denver comedy scene, Louis Beck and Steven Agyei. We are super thankful for Jacey at Timpanogas for making her place available to us.