Blog
Here you’ll find our blog posts, listed by main category. To receive posts by email as they appear, sign up for updates here!
- Animals and Nature
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- COVID-19
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- Comedy
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- Earthquakes
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- Musa Newsletter
- Nepal
- News stories
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- Our friends
- Outdoor Medicine
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- Search and Rescue
- Sherpa culture
- Sherpas
- Specialized Cards
- The Good Trekker
- Tributes
- Wongchu Sherpa
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Our friend Dr. Jen: Optimism and True Moral Courage
This is a very sad time at Musa Masala. We have lost one of our members, our friend and an inspiration to us all. Dr. Jennifer Kurmaski Konopka was a powerhouse, a true energy source. Dr. Jen leaves behind a loving husband, brothers and sisters and her patients, who loved her. Jen was a pediatrician who had a thriving practice.
You don’t start an organization designed to help people and imagine these things happening. The greatest gift of Musa Masala has been meeting incredible individuals doing meaningful and wonderful things around the world. It is a people-affirming privilege to enjoy the company of caring, enthusiastic doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMT’s and mountain and trekking guides. I think Jen would say the same thing. She set such an example for me in every interaction we had, I will continue to think of her and let her actions lead me to be a better person.
A New Short Film: The Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital
Since Musa Masala started in the summer of 2016, we have been fundraising for the construction of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital in Khamding, Solukhumbu, Nepal. We have seen and camped on the land the hospital was to be built on, saw the buildings come up this past November and made a video to help promote the progress that had been made. Now there is a new short film, created by Lakpa Sherpa and the Himalayan Yokpu Foundation. This film, shot and produced by Sakar Shrestha, is a beautiful production.
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.
Ama Dablam: Olga Dobranowski's Solo Summit Success for the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital
All of us at Musa Masala are so excited to announce the successful completion by Olga Dobranowski of climbing Mt Ama Dablam in Nepal, solo and unassisted. After only spending a short time on the summit, Cycole Fani turned the conditions into a whiteout, so Olga stayed at camp 3 overnight then descended to Base Camp the following day in very poor weather conditions. She completed the climb in an astounding seven days, from Base Camp back to Base Camp.
Our Book is Here! Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya
It's here! Now available worldwide, Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya, is available online and at our website. We want to thank the whole group from the Wilderness Medical Society 2016 Mt Everest Base Camp Trek, Wongchhu Peak Promotion and the 2016 crew at Everest ER. This is where it all started and now we are so proud of this beautiful book, illustrated by Julie Ramirez.
We 'd also like to thank Christina at BookBaby, who guided us through this crazy process.
Equal Playing Field: The World's Highest Soccer Game, for Women's Equality and Empowerment
Here is one for you sports fans. Thirty-four women soccer players from twenty-four countries climb the highest mountain in Africa and play a soccer game. Then, as if that’s not enough, they travel to the lowest point on the planet along the Dead Sea in Jordan and do it again. Equal Playing Field, a new film premiering on May 18th in Los Angeles did just that to empower women and highlight the inequality in women’s sport. And to round it out, they set a couple of Guinness World records in the process.
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!!
"Call it Karma" with Geoff Browne in Tibet
In the spirit of true adventure travel, Musa is happy to bring you Geoff Browne, filmmaker and photographer. We interviewed Geoff about his ‘drop it all and go style’ that led to his acclaimed documentary, Call it Karma, a story about a Tibetan monk’s journey to save his monastery. We included the links to the trailer as well as the film at the end of the interview. Thanks, Geoff, for taking the time to chat with us and for sharing this great story. We also look forward to hearing more about your project in Nigeria.Tell us about the film 'Call it Karma." How did it come about?
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.
Himalaya Book Preview: Musa Masala Treks to Tengboche
Here we are with a quick wrap-up of the first book events for Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya. We printed some preview copies in Kathmandu and they all sold! We had to print additional copies to cover the orders we received at the preview launch. Read on to see highlights of each of the presentations and some of the fun places the book has already wound up!
Nepal: Inspiration for a New Beginning
Well, we are back from an amazing and incredibly productive visit to Nepal. Our preview of Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya, was absolutely incredible and the progress at the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital is inspiring. We want to step away from that for a moment to share an awesome post by our new friend, Nora Livingstone. Nora heard about Musa through our Kickstarter campaign and she is truly imbued with the Musa spirit! Please read on and enjoy this remarkable story about Nora’s time in Nepal and the founding of her Animal Experience International. Thanks Nora!
Musa Masala on Nepal National Television NTV News Live!
We have so much to share with everyone. Our Musa westside team just reconnected with Musa Kathmandu and we had an amazing time! The book launch preview for Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya was a resounding success. We will do separate posts on our additional previews in Namche Bazaar and Tengboche and Khamding. First off is Mike Ji’s interview on NTV Live, on Nepal National Television’s Live News Tonight. The one-on-one conversation features the telling of Musa as well as the background behind the book and the funding of the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital.
Our Musa Masala Kickstarter is LIVE!
Today we started our Kickstarter campaign for Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya!
Our reason for the Kickstarter is simple: to raise the funds needed to create our book and bring it to the public. Costs for the magic it takes to print and promote a book of this nature are considerable and once they are met through the Kickstarter, all proceeds will go directly to the Wongchhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital Fund. In other words, we need to raise this money to make that support happen.
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.
Book Trailer: "Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya"
Introducing Musa Masala: Mountain Girl of the Himalaya! Musa is here and we have created this short slide show to preview the first part of the book to you. In the coming weeks we will launch a Kickstarter campaign to cover the cost of production, printing, legal fees, advertising and the pre-launch events in Kathmandu and Namche Bazaar.Once these fees are covered, the remaining money from each book will go to the nonprofit fund for the Wonghhu Sherpa Memorial Hospital in Solukhumbu, Nepal.
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.
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.
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.