Blog
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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.
Traditional Sherpa Fashion with Ang Diku Sherpa
Hey everyone, we are bringing back one of our favorite and most popular posts, Sherpa Fashion, by Ang Diku Sherpa. This was one of our earliest posts at Musa Masala and it is sought out online for all the great details on the beautiful clothes worn during festivals and formal events in the Sherpa culture.
A lot has changed at Musa Masala since it was originally published. Now, Ang Diku is the General Manager of Wongchhu Peak Promotion. She's also instrumental in the success of the construction and operation of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital.
Enjoy the post and contact us if you have any questions about Sherpa fashion and traditional dress. We will bring you more soon! Jam jam!!
Mount Everest's First Summit Wedding! An Interview with Pem Dorjee Sherpa
May is traditionally the ideal weather window month on Mt Everest—a short period when getting to the top is not impeded by jet streams or monsoon season. This year, COVID-19 has closed the mountain for climbing on the Nepali side, and only a select group of Chinese climbers are going from Tibet. We here at Musa Masala thought this would be a great time to talk with our friend Pem Dorjee Sherpa. Pem is instrumental for so many quality changes to his home village of Chyangba in Nepal. He is on the Board of Directors for the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation, which is constructing the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital. We will talk about that, but for now, let’s get the lowdown on how he and his wife, Moni, were married on the summit of Mt Everest on May 30th, 2005!
In the Shadows of Everest: Gaëtan LaMarre and the Khumbu Climbing Center
Gaëtan Lamarre is a documentary filmmaker from Canada. We at Musa Masala were lucky to get to interview him as he took his short film about the Khumbu Climbing Center, In the Shadows of Everest, around to film festivals. This film is just stunning. It captures the beauty of the Khumbu region and the village of Phortse in such detail. The story of how the center came about is fascinating. There is so much good stuff here. Read on then please watch the film at the link below and make a donation to the Alex Lowe Foundation. Enjoy!
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.
Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital Update
Let’s take a look at the progress on the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital! We will do a bigger update when we return from Nepal at the end of November.
We have some great photos to share that show the progress on the construction of the Wongcchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital! Lakpa Sherpa, Director of the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation, the non-profit organization coordinating the project, recently returned from the site and sent us this update.
Mount Everest World Record Holder Lhakpa Sherpa: An Interview
Alan Blassberg, director of the documentary "Goddess of the Sky" talks to us about his challenges in making a movie with Lhakpa Sherpa about her life and climbing. After his interview, read on for a Q&A with Lhakpa herself.Having just returned from her successful 9th ascent of Mt. Everest, Lhakpa discusses with us a new desire to be known in Nepal, where she was born. Big things are on the horizon as she looks to change from the Tibetian side and climb on the south side in Nepal next year.
Gyalpo Losar: How Sherpa People Celebrate the Tibetan New Year
Everyone at Musa Masala wishes you all a Happy Losar, the Tibetan New Year. This year, the year of the dog, starts on February 16th. Ang Diku Sherpa has written a great quick overview of Gyalpo Losar, the Sherpa celebration of the New Year. We are also celebrating the upcoming art show and sale at the Wilderness Medical Society’s Winter Conference in Lake Tahoe. On February 24th, Musa Masala will be showcasing amazing artists, writers and photographers who have all donated their work to fundraise for the Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital.
Remembering Wongchu Sherpa: My Father's Dream
Every father has their own dream for their children, but my father’s dreams were especially unique. My father, the late Mr. Wongchhu Sherpa, was born in a remote area of the Everest region, Tapting-1, Chyangba Village. He breathed his last breath at age 48 in December, 2015.
He was not only my father, but with the way he helped others, many saw him as their own godfather. Because his ideas were dynamic and progressive, he became iconic.
In the Footsteps of the Dhami: My Travels with Nepal Medical Project
This summer I traveled with Stanford University's Nepal Medical Project to lead a weeklong clinic and healthcare focused classes in Khamding, Nepal. It was the best experience of my life and taught me a lot about family, language, friendship and community.
I arrived into the Kathmandu airport the evening of June 16th. My plane stopped on what seemed to be the middle of the tarmac and we seemingly jaywalked our way across the runway to the brick terminal building. Before I had even cleared security I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw it was Ang Phula (minus the moustache he was sporting during the Everest Movie). Ang Phula led me outside and dawned a lea of marigolds, "phuls," around my neck. We then boarded the van and made our way through the crazy streets of Kathmandu.
An Interview with Chhiri Sherpa
Hi friends! Watch this awesome short on the Weatherport tent that was donated to Everest ER this season. It's narrated by Dr. Natasha Burley, one of three doctors who staffed the tent this 2016 season. Dr. Burley is an anesthesiologist from Scotland, a fine voiceover artist and an up-and-coming star in the high altitude football circuit. Beautiful filming gives a great feel for the environment at Mount Everest basecamp!
A Look Back on Guiding the WMS Team
It has been five years since I decided I wanted to become a trekking guide. My journey started by being a porter. Even though I have many connections in the trekking and tourism industry, I wanted to fulfill the role of a porter, to experience the life and the pain.
In the beginning, it was extremely hard. I had to carry a 30-kilogram load on my back with a rope that went around my forehead. However it was my first trek, and I felt excited and happy. I was going to be trekking to the Throng La Pass, the world's highest pass at 5416 meters!
Sherpa People: Tigers of the Himalaya
The Sherpa people live in the Khumbu region of Eastern Nepal, also called the Everest region, for it includes Mount Everest, the "Forehead in the Sky." At 8,848 meters, Everest is the world's tallest mountain.