Articles, Stories, Resources & More
Here you’ll find our blog post series, listed by main category. To receive posts by email as they appear, sign up for updates here!
- Animals and Nature
- Art and books
- Athletes
- COVID-19
- Climbing and Trekking
- Climbing clinic
- Climbing competitions and Events
- Comedy
- Dental camps
- Earthquakes
- Expert Interviews
- HRA
- Health and Medical
- Hospital
- Mount Everest
- Musa Masala
- Musa Newsletter
- Nepal
- News stories
- Nonprofits
- Our friends
- Outdoor Medicine
- Scholarships
- Search and Rescue
- Sherpas
- Specialized Cards
- The Good Trekker
- Tributes
- Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital
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Musa in Ireland
In September I had the privilege of speaking about Musa Masala, the Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital and the Suri Primary School Project at the Nepal Conference Ireland. I was delighted to tell the Ambassador and other esteemed guests about the projects I am involved in. A massive thank you to Shakya Deepesh and everyone on the Nepal Ireland committee for giving me this platform to speak at and attend some fantastic events this year.
Trekking in Nepal: A Gentleman's Guide on What to Bring
The Good Trekker welcomes one of the great trekkers, Brendan Barrett, to Musa Masala. Brendan was on the WMS fundraising trek via Pikey Peak to the site of the Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital in November, 2016. For an example of Brendan's fearless trekking style, he introduced himself as a medical malpractice lawyer to his fellow Trekkers, most of whom were doctors! He made few friends but quite an impression. We have been waiting eagerly for this post and we hope you like it. It's full of important information, priceless hygenine tips and his own unique view of the world. Sit back and have a good read before packing those bags.
Benefits of Volunteering in Nepal: A Personal Experience — Part 2
We are so happy to welcome Mike Demas back to Musa Masala with part two of his amazing adventure with All Hands Volunteers. Mike's story of building the new school by hand alongside fellow volunteers and the village craftsmen is so inspiring. He shows just what you can accomplish when you step outside of your comfort zone and walk into a new world.
We are firm believers in the power of small, significant projects that a local community wants and will benefit from. Sometimes a little help can help help a community for generations.
Bees, Bamboo and Marigolds: Global Race 4 Good
Linda Cruse, the author of Marmalade and Machine Guns: One Woman's Quest to Help Disaster-Stricken Communities Back On their Feet, has created an amazing platform for change in the world. Global Race 4 Good is a brilliant mesh of young energy and good business sense. Linda has goes into communities in need, lives with them and then asks and studies to find the key to make each individual community thrive. It's no wonder Sir Richard Branson said, “Linda makes the impossible possible."
Musa Masala Goes to Breckenridge: The 2017 WMS Conference
Dr. Jennifer Konokpa sent us this post about the Summer WMS conference, where Musa Masala had a fundraising table for the Wongchu Sherpa Memorial Hospital. We had a very successful time helping the fund, and we had fun. One of the highlights for us was hearing Luis Benitez, an inspiring Everest summitter, speak. We made sure he got a Musa shirt for his fine effort!
Rebuilding Suri Primary School after Nepal's 2015 Earthquake
Binod Shakya shares his experience in working on reconstruction of Suri Primary School. Binod is a freelance tour guide who became a translator and volunteer in different parts of rural Nepal after the devastating earthquake hit the country in the spring of 2015.
Gosaikunda Lake Trek: A Short and Sweet Getaway
One of our hopes at Musa Masala is to help introduce people to the fun of trekking in Nepal. not only is this a beautiful country with many different environments to travel through, but culturally, Nepal is a wonder for exposing trekkers to the many different religions, tribes and cultural groups throughout the country. Lakpa Sherpa, along with Musa writer Ang Diku Sherpa and our friends Nwang Phuri Sherpa and Binu Rumdali Rai, took a quick break from their busy lives in Kathmandu to enjoy the trek around Gosaikunda Lake in Langtang National Park. Here is Lakpa's post on their short and sweet trek.
The Nepal Relief Fund: Part I
One of our hopes at Musa Masala is to help introduce people to the fun of trekking in Nepal. not only is this a beautiful country with many different environments to travel through, but culturally, Nepal is a wonder for exposing trekkers to the many different religions, tribes and cultural groups throughout the country. Lakpa Sherpa, along with Musa writer Ang Diku Sherpa and our friends Nwang Phuri Sherpa and Binu Rumdali Rai, took a quick break from their busy lives in Kathmandu to enjoy the trek around Gosaikunda Lake in Langtang National Park. Here is Lakpa's post on their short and sweet trek.
The Musa Masala Store is Now Open!
We are super excited about our store opening. We hope you find some things you like and will help support our fundraising for the hospital and our continuing efforts for equality and education in Nepal. If you purchase a shirt, post a photo of you sporting it on Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter and tag Musa Masala so we can like and share it. Jam Jam!
Top Reasons to Consider the Pikey Peak Trek
Ang Dawa Sherpa returns with another great post, this time on the lesser traveled Pikey Peak Trek. For those looking for a different view of Nepal, We highly recommend this outstanding visit to the Solukhumbu. Thanks, Ang Dawa, for guiding us to an another amazing part of Nepal. Dhanyabad.
Tourism in Nepal is famous for climbing, but trekking especially draws large crowds every year. The Everest, Annapurna and Langtang regions are the most popular, but there are many other treks that are opening up that are less crowded and just as spectacular.
The Help Nepal Appeal: An Interview with Jody Dontje
On April 25th 2015 Nepal was hit by a catastrophic earthquake from which it is still recovering. We at Musa Masala want to take a moment to think of everyone effected by the earthquake and its aftermath. The work continues and we send our admiration to the strong and beautiful people of Nepal. Your courage is an inspiration to all of us.Speaking of inspiration, The Help Nepal Appeal creator, Jody Dontje, is a true inspiration and a role model for people young and old. She started her project after the quake and has been a energy source, lighting others up everywhere she goes since. She stepped up when she saw a need that she could fulfill.
Myths About Altitude Illness Debunked
Welcome to part two of our altitude tips post for our Good Trekker series! This time Dr. Yak tramples over some of the most common myths of traveling to high altitude.
If you are trekking in Nepal this spring, make sure to stop by for the daily altitude lecture given at the HRA clinics in Manang and Pheriche. Cards are also available at Everest ER at base camp. You may not only learn something, but you may be able to help others from getting sick.
Introducing the 2017 Nepalese Women's Kanchenjunga Expedition
Mountaineering is an adventurous game. Three Nepali women have already carved their names into its history. They have created names for themselves separately, and now once again they will join together to climb the world's third highest mountain, Kanchenjunga (8569m). They are calling their climb, "Three Women, Three on Top." With their climb they will promote women's climbing in Nepal and spread the message of climate change in the Himalayas.
Altitude Illness: Tips to Stay Healthy
Welcome back to the Good Trekker Series. We're pleased to introduce our newest expert, Dr Yak! No one knows about living at high altitude like a yak and this yak has all the answers. We are also introducing our new Altitude Tip cards. A version of the card will be distributed to all three clinics this spring run by the Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) in the villages of Manang in the Annapurna region and Pheriche on the Everest trek. They will also be available at Everest ER at Mt Everest base camp. Make sure you visit these hard working doctors at the clinics and ask for your Musa Masala Attitude Tips card!
Nepal's 2015 Earthquake and Goli Village
An earthquake seemed overdue in the Kathmandu region. That’s what my friend and colleague Dawa Chhiri Sherpa and I were discussing the morning of April 25th, 2015. We were planning out our week in Kathmandu before we were due to fly back to Lukla for the Everest base camp trek. I had just returned from Island Peak at 20,305ft and felt ready for a break before heading back into the mountains.
The Wongchu Sherpa Trust Girls Hostel Project #BOAW2017
In Nepal, girls are in the back of the line when it comes to education. Often because girls are sent off in arranged marriages at a young age parents do not consider it financially sensible to send their daughters to school when they will leave the home during their teenage years. So they work at home until marriage. This creates a society of women who are unable to move forward and who do not see the opportunities education can give them.
The 1-Year Anniversary of Wongchu Sherpa's Passing
In Sherpa culture one year after the passing of a loved one a Gongjo puja is organized. In memory of my late father Wongchu Sherpa we will have a ceremony every December 30th for the next three years. We have started a national level volleyball competition to be held at this time as well. For the first year we organized a local tournament. Next year we will expand to a district level and in three years to a national level competition.
Second Chances for Nepali Street Dogs: Sneha's Care Foundation
No one wants to spend their whole life on the streets without love, care, food or clothing. Not only do all people deserve a better life than this, but animals do, too. The stray dogs of Katmandu cannot help themselves, so we must give them love, care and affection.
Brigitte Muir: From Summiting Everest to Empowering Women in Nepal
Nepal is among the least developed countries in the world, with nearly 40 percent of the total population living beneath the poverty line. This situation is made more complex by significant gender, caste, ethnic and geographic disparities. However, by improving literacy, we can help families develop a better life.
In a world dwarfed by Chomolungma, Goddess Mother of the Snows, it is the warmth of good people that lights up hearts.x