Local Nepalese children greet us on our drive to Parvati Kund

Ever since becoming an avid hiker in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during my high school years, it has been my dream to hike in Nepal. The magnificence of Nepal's mountains and the mystique of the country are legendary making it a Mecca that many yearn to visit. In the intervening years between my high school graduation and finishing medical school, my thoughts often turned to traveling to this "Shangri La" lying almost perfectly halfway around the world from my Chicago home.

During the end of March and early April of 2001 I had the good fortune of combining my medical training, as a second year family medicine resident, with this long held ambition by being one of four doctors who hiked into the seldom trekked north-central area of Nepal bringing medical care and supplies to two remote villages. Our trek lasting two weeks was supported by six cooking staff, forty-one porters, and five medical assistants from Kathmandu. During this fortnight of many very memorable experiences our medical team that saw over 900 patients, partook in two helicopter rescues, and walked through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

What follows are excerpts from my written and photographic journal from the trek.