My Stories

I’m a certified IFMGA, UIAGM, NNMGA mountain guide and an adventure photographer based in Nepal.  I have led expedition teams to 18 mountains in Nepal, including Everest, Lhotse and Manaslu. I am the first Everest summiteer from Thulung Rai community, and the first ever IFMGA guide from the Rai community, an indigenous community from eastern Nepal.

I was born and raised in the Himalayas of Nepal where I grew up seeing people climb and trek.

I have experience of working in the tourism and mountaineering sector for over 11 years starting as porter, trekking guide and finally to mountain guide. I have led different expeditions to mountains ranging from 6,000m to 8,000ers. I have worked as a photographer for various expeditions and for national and international documentary projects in the Himalayas, including the 2017 National Geographic’s “The Last Honey Hunter”. I guided the Nepal Army’s expedition team to Everest in 2022, as part of the Nepal Government’s Mountain Clean-up Campaign.

Mountaineering & climbing brought me to many summits and friends. But most importantly it introduced me to photography. While guiding, my clients used to ask me to take their photos. I had limited to no skills in photography in the beginning so, I had my own share of challenges. But I remember I would always put an extra effort to take the best photo I can, thinking these photos will be one of the best tools for them to recall their adventures. 

My actual photography journey started from 2014, when I got my first camera. One of my friends left his old camera with me and I knew to make the best out of it. In 2015, an earthquake hit Nepal with a magnitude of 7.8. I documented photo videos of people and communities on a relief project we initiated. The documentation gave me more confidence and in 2016, I got a chance to be part of “The Last Honey Hunter” film along with Renan Ozturk, National Geographic Photographer and a Filmmaker and my close friend Ben Ayers, Filmmaker and National Geographic writer. This was a big project for National Geographic, and my first chance to use professional equipment with professionals. I was hired as a guide to manage logistics, but I got a chance to use one of their spare cameras.  Ben and Renan loved my portraits, so I got a chance to work on various projects in later years with them which meant only improvement in my photography skills.