To the top of Thorung-La Pass... SUCCESS!  Highest pass in the world.

Awakening at 3 am to depart Thorung Phedi, we trekked through the dark up to High Camp for breakfast. The weather outside was minus 2 degrees at High Camp although the skies were clear and dense with stars.  The Milky Way swishes across the sky at 16,000 feet without any competing light pollution- a sight I hope can be preserved for everyone to see once.  Fortified with breakfast, we headed out as the sun came up to climb to the pass.  We achieved Thorung-La Pass at 9:15 am.. 5,416 meters (just shy of 18,000 feet).  Tylin (age 12), Micayla (age 10), Jared (age 9) and Jessica (age 6) climbed steadily and summated in great spirits after 6 hours of climbing. Popy-Don (grandfather) and parents Greg and Tracy completed our multigenerational group. Negotiating a controlled fall down the other side, we were rewarded with a view of Dhaulagiri (the third largest mountain in the world). For our trivial pursuit buffs... What is the second highest world peak? (Hint: the top five peaks are all in Nepal except this one...)

Special thanks to our guides and porters who accompanied us during this trek.  Their support and comradeship made this a richer and more memorable experience.  Our guide, Tendi: calm and competent leader, great on-the-spot cook and not-so-good yak whisperer, multilingual (six languages), teacher of meditation and cultural educator. Kame; always present and reliable as our group sweep, Popy-Don’s guardian angel and always willing to catch puppies to pet, tease yaks, and help tie stray shoelaces. Karma: our steady pacesetter and whom without we would not have been on time for meals and might not have eaten, the best tea procurer in all of Nepal and always patient walking alongside Micayla and Jared leading our sizable group.  Dawa: boundless stamina and energy with a smile at the end of every day,  the pied-piper of kids, expert Frisbee player and willing to learn new card games,  always a smile when hugged or tackled by the kids.  Pemba: strong, consistant and always looking to help his fellows as well as us,  quick to engage the kids (with one young child at home, I think he got a taste of the years to come!) and a secret card ace- he schooled everyone!  Dorche: an ultimate Frisbee natural,  not so good at cards but always willing to try a new game, always smiling with an easy laugh even after the longer trek days and helped set the record for the most number of people squished on one plastic chair without breaking!

Yongest Team On Top the Thorung pass 5416 m.(Highest pass of the world)
Team on the Thorung Pass
Pemba and Jassica On top Thorong pass
Mr. Jared Stiler (9 years old)	Ms. Micayla Stiler (10 years old)
Ms. Jassica Stiler ( 6 Years old)	Ms. Tylin Stiler (12 Years old)
Mr. Don Cooper
Dr. Tracy and Dr. Greg