July 13, 2016
My friends -- photographer Sujoy Das and author Lisa Choegyal -- have spent a lifetime in Nepal. Nepal Himalaya: A Journey through Time captures their journey, combining Sujoy's beautiful black and white mountain images with a reflective essay by Lisa on how tourism first started in Nepal. The Foreword by famed mountaineer Reinhold Messner is included below.
A seasoned trekker and photographer, Sujoy Das (www.sujoydas.com) feels most at home in the high Himalaya. Founder of South Col Expeditions, he has introduced many trekkers to the magic of the Everest and Annapurna regions in Nepal, where he has been photographing for more than 25 years. His images and accompanying essays have featured in Washington Post, Insight Guides, Outdoor Journal, Outlook Traveller and many other publications. He has co-authored and photographed several books including Sikkim - A Travellers Guide and Lonely Planet Nepal for the Indian Traveller.
British-born Lisa Choegyal has made Kathmandu her home since the 1970s, deeply involved with Nepal tourism and conservation. Lisa worked for 25 years with Tiger Tops Nepal and the Tiger Mountain group, one of Asia’s foremost nature and adventure tourism pioneers. As a specialist consultant in pro-poor sustainable tourism, she works throughout the Asia Pacific region. Author and editor of several books including Kathmandu Valley Style, The Nepal Scene, Offerings from Nepal and South Asia titles of the Insight Guide series, and serves as a trustee on a number of social and conservation organizations. Since 2010, Lisa is New Zealand's Honorary Consul to Nepal.
Reinhold Messner is an Italian mountaineer, adventurer, explorer, and author of over 60 books.
He made the first ascent of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, along with Peter Habeler, and was the first climber to ascend all fourteen peaks over 8,000 meters (26,000 ft) above sea level, including Mount Everest. Below is his Foreword:
FOREWORD by Reinhold Messner
The country of Nepal has recently suffered greatly with both natural and man made disasters. This beautiful book with its stark and startling black and white images shows us the very essence of Nepal's mountains and Himalayan peoples, evoking the unparalleled scenery, resilience and charm of this extraordinary country. Sujoy Das has a long association with Nepal, leading many treks throughout the length and breadth of the country. The epilogue in memory of the terrible earthquakes of April and May 2015 is particularly poignant, and reminds us of the harsh realities of mountain life in this seismically active zone. Climate change has resulted in droughts, floods, and melting glaciers, and driven many of the younger population to abandon their hill villages to seek work overseas. Lisa Choegyal’s introduction and captions remind us how key tourism has been in bringing benefits to local communities since trekking first began in the mid-1960s. Even today, trekking and mountaineering are essential to help restore the economy after the earthquakes. Visitors to Nepal not only bring money to rebuild lives after the massive destruction of villages, but also bring hope that the world cares about Nepal’s plight. This book conveys the magic and beauty, and is an exciting new addition to the body of work inspired by the Nepal Himalaya. My respect for the schicksalsergeben (resigned to one’s fate) and strength of the Nepali people is infinite, but without our help and support their road to recovery will be much harder.
NEPAL HIMALAYA - A JOURNEY IN TIME
Published by VAJRA Books Kathmandu
pages 164 size 11.5 inches x 8.33 inches
Rs3,600.
It is also available on Amazon.com
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