Musa Masala’s 2026 Half-Year Newsletter
2026 has already been a very busy and successful. We are just going to run down the highlights for you.
Climbers to India!
Musa sponsored a team to compete in the TATA Steel Climbing Competition in India. Five climbers made the trip, organized by Sulav Rai. Here’s who went: Tenzing Khando, Sajan Lama, Arnavman Sherchan, and Rajan Bhattaraii. The purpose was to get an education in cultural exchange, learn about the challenges of competing away from home and your support system, see the different climbing routes, and make new friends. Musa Masala sponsors these international climbing opportunities so not only do the climbers see what is happening in a different climbing community, but they get to make connections, share their experiences, and teach about what they learned when they return to Nepal.
The climbing team for the TATA Steel Competition
Rusha Pradhan earns her Wilderness First Responder Certification
Musa sponsored Rusha Pradhan, one of Nepal’s top indoor climbers, a co-owner of Kathmandu Sport Climbing Center, and a trekking guide. Rusha took the course with our friends at Himalayan Medics. It is a very intensive course, but it’s so important for climbing and trekking guides to learn some of the basics of wilderness medicine. The skills she learned will always be there now as she takes groups into the remote Nepal wilderness and at the climbing gym.
Rusha with Ang Diku Sherpa
Rusha Pradham
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The Musa team goes to exhibit at the Wilderness Medical Society’s Winter Conference
Held at Lake Tahoe, this is the premier gathering for wilderness medicine practitioners. Musa Masala hosted an exhibitor’s table. We generated a lot of enthusiasm with Julie Ramirez and her mobile art studio and had good talks with Danacea Vo of Cyberlixir on cybersecurity for travelers. Making new friends and sharing our story was a big highlight, followed by nightly jam sessions where everyone was invited to join in. It was a terrific conference and chance for the Musas to hang out together for a few days.
Musa team with Dr. Tony Islas and Dr. Sanjeev Bhandari at the WMS conference in Lake Tahoe
Musa sponsors Nepal’s top women climbers to compete in Indonesia
National Indoor Climbing Champion, Swastika Chaudhary, and third place finisher, Manisha Budha Magar, traveled all the way to Indonesia to compete at the Sea Climbing Boulder Competition. Sea Climbing is the top series of bouldering competitions in the Pacific. The challenge of competing far from home is a daunting one. The holds and routes at this level are just not available in Nepal, so if a climber wants to compete internationally, they need to train at these gyms in order to be competitive. In keeping with Musa Masala’s ask of these athletes, Swastika and Manisha held a climbing clinic upon their return to Kathmandu to help other climbers in their climbing journey.
Swastika and Manisha
Luckme Tamang, our 2024 Charlie Noxon Scholarship recipient, attends safety course
As he continues her pursuit towards IFMGA license, Luckme attended an avalanche safety course in India. Musa is always proud to work with Luckme and to help sponsor her costs on this trip.
Luckme Tamang
Swastika Chaudhary competes in China!
Musa Masala was excited to sponsor Nepal’s champion climber to compete in two competitions and train for a month in China. Swastika entered two world qualifiers, one in bouldering and the other in lead. Along with Tin Tin Rai and Ronak Upreti the climbers experienced the thrill of a top level competition and the eye opening level of competition and complexity of today’s indoor climbing world. Being able to help support Swastika’s journey helps to open the door for all of Nepal’s climbers, showing them the opportunities that are out there as well as how to navigate the challenging routes at this top level of competition.
Swastika and Tin Tin and Ronak in China
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Tenzi Sherpa summits Mt Everest
One of the greatest members of our team, Tenzi Sherpa, summited Mt. Everest in May. Tenzi was working with AGA Adventures. We have been fortunate to sponsor Tenzi for his Wilderness First Responder Course with Initiative Outdoor and his mountaineering and climbing courses. Congratulations to Tenzi on this summit at such a young age.
Tenzi Sherpa on the Summit of Mt. Everest
Everest ER and the Himalayan Rescue Association
Our climbing and trekking coordinator, Phula Sherpa, stopped by Everest ER, the medical tent run by our partners at the Himalayan Rescue Association, on his summit attempt at Mt. Everest. Phula presented the doctors with a banner of Julie Ramirez’s illustration of Everest ER from our book, Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya.
In the Everest ER Clinic, Dr. Sammy and Dr. Prince with the Musa banner
Fura Diki Sherpa sets a speed record on Mt Lhotse
A great friend of Musa, Fura Diki Sherpa has joined us at all of our climbing competitions and is such a force of helpfulness to others on the scene. We were able to help sponsor her speed record on Mt. Lhotse, where she went from base camp to the summit and back to base in 21 hours!
Fur Diki Sherpa on the summit of Mt. Lhotse
The Musa Masala Dental Camp
Our fifth free dental camp was held at the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital in June. We sponsored six dentists from Kathmandu, put together again by Dr. Anumesh Dhal. We will have much more to share about this in the future.
The dental camp team at the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital
Mount Denali climb
In honor and remembrance of our friend and Musa team member, Dr. Jennifer Konopka, four women — Lisa and Bergan Rust, Paige Baugher, and Petra LeBaron-Botts — traveled to Mt. Denali in Alaska to climb to the summit with her ice axe. From Portland Mountain Rescue, and the Hood River Crag Rats, two premier Search and Rescue organizations, climbers Paige and Petra summited, carrying Jen’s axe with them. Musa Masala was proud to sponsor this climb.
The Mt. Denali Team
Musa Masala Scholarship Program
There will be much more coming forth on this, but just before we started putting this newsletter together, we entered a new student into nursing school in Kathmandu. We welcome Aksha onto the Musa team as a recipient of the Gary McLean scholarship. Gary we think would be so happy to see Aksha get this chance to have a professional career where she helps herself, her family, and her community. She has agreed to work at the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital after graduation.
Our Gary McLean Scholarship recipient, Aksha, with Phula Sherpa and Ang Diku Sherpa
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Thank you from our team. Jam Jam to the next half of 2026!!
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