Seldom does one come across a storyteller that simply enraptures any who would hear his chronicles. A storyteller steeped in the euphoria of life; his stories brimming with joy and admiration of every single droplet of water, every ray of sun, every breeze, every smile that is bequeath upon him by his fellow journeymen passing by. These storytellers, rare as they may be, are the lifeblood of society. It is by living vicariously and in awe of the tales of these spirits that society is inspired to return to their more natural inclinations. The very embodiment of this free spirit, travel-savvy journeyman is LaMa.
Travelling to me is life, it is addiction, trekking, while I’m amongst the mountains I am truly alive. It is when I'm amongst nature, exploring, travelling is when I am filled with the zeal and fire for life,” exclaims LaMa. Founder of LaMa Walks, Himalayan Medics and a social media celebrity on the likes of Instagram and Tik Tok, Lama lives life to the fullest. “The funny thing is that no one in my family is involved professionally in trekking or mountaineering, I’m the first to ever venture into this field!” LaMa informs.
He started off as a British Gurkha, training day and night in the hopes of joining the select elite. However his hopes and life came crashing down around him as he failed to qualify. “I was depressed, I shut myself in my room for months on end to get over the heartbreak of not getting selected, after which I took up a job at a call-centre here in the city,” LaMa informs. Rest assured, for the jocund and fun-loving character LaMa is, a call centre job was simply not his calling. “The call centre job really put things into perspective for me, I despised the job and was at the point where I would do anything besides that. And that is how I was introduced to the guide/ travel world.” Lama adds.
After the experience, LaMa joined up a travel company that organised rafting trips and helped out in carrying equipment for the company. “I fell for the travel world, I got addicted to this feeling and never looked back. It was my first ever guided trip, a trip for the students of Gyanodaya for a short trip and camping there. Being a guide it is a bit embarrassing but it was the first time I had seen tents, the sight of which got me excited as if I were a little child, at that exact moment I knew this is what I was meant to do,” he affirms.
His first ever commercial trip came in 2012, one of his friends, Elizabeth Baker, called him up to lead her on a 1-1 trek to Poon Hill and hence began the journey of LaMa into the commercial guide world. Speaking of this very trip he says, “I shall forever remain grateful to Elizabeth, she trusted me and was very easy going which made the trek smooth sailing.” And he’s never looked back; Since then LaMa has moved on to establishing his own ventures in LaMa Walks and Himalayan Medics.
“I’ve always wanted to start my own venture into the trekking world. When the opportunity finally manifested itself, I found myself confused on what to name my foray into commercial guided trekking. I put up a post on my socials asking this very question and got a range of answers from the “Adventure Kid Next Door” to “Lama Travels” the latter made me sound like a transportation company!” he jests. Just then, an old Danish client of LaMa’s hits him up and asks him to wait a day for her to think of something. She returns with ‘LaMa Walks’.
“Perfection, a truly beautiful title to encapsulate all that I am and all that my journey is. Simply me walking sums up this beautiful phase of my life and, hence, my company is called LaMa walks,” he shares.
LaMa Walks, conducts private treks to groups in the nations most popular trekking tracks ranging from the Annapurna Base Camp to the Everest Base Camp and a plethora more tracks in between. With LaMa Walks, LaMa looks to break the norm. It is not just another trekking agency, rather it is a personalised experience that panders to every aspect of the trekking journey. From mental and physical preparedness to medical preparedness, LaMa makes it a point that his clients are fully prepared before they undertake the behemoth task ahead of them. “Before hiring from LaMa walks, before trekking with me, possible adventurists must be ready for a commitment - a commitment to the program and a commitment to fully ready themselves. I make it clear that these are the things we require from them because the high altitude is an unforgiving place. We must be ready to face anything at any time.”
This, for LaMa, is where his other venture, Himalayan Medics, comes in. “Himlayan Medics is the venture that runs parallel to LaMa Walks. The vocational training, the first aid methods all we teach through Himalayan Medics. It is absolutely important that people learn how to save their own lives and possibly their mates' lives if it comes down to it.”
Having been exposed to a wide range of ideas, people and news from around the world through his job, LaMa has always been ahead of the curve. “I’ve been on the social media game since day one. Due to my occupation, I’ve been given the opportunity to learn and experience things that the normal person wouldn’t. Hence, through social media, I share these invaluable experiences to the people. May it be pictures or routes from my treks or and how to tie knots on TikTok and blogs, I share the knowledge I gain and enjoy doing so!” LaMa affirms.
When asked why his Instagram feed was fully black and white, for such a colourful life that he leads, with a big laugh he says, “It’s because I want my viewers to experience the photos that I put up in their own colours. I want them to imagine as vibrant colours as they can! It’s their canvas, and can be whatever they want!”
@lamawalks Reply to @kismat481 regarding treks around Annapurna #trekkinginnepal #annapurna #annapurnaregion #poonhilltreknepal #ABCtrek #marditrek ♬ original sound - Lama
“Imagine the scene: you’ve just finished a grueling trek up a base camp and have returned back to the valley; you're sweaty muddy and find yourself with your clients in a pub; the fist hit of the chilled fresh beer, it’s stupendous; it tastes of accomplishment. To me it's the best feeling in the world. To me this is my calling, the best job I could have asked for,” exclaims LaMa.
“For the coming days and months, I plan to see where LaMa Walks and Himalayan Medics take me. I also want to summit Everest if I’m ever given the chance. I’m not a destination oriented person. I’m a journeyman, living in the moment, enjoying every second of the journey, living my life one step at a time,” he concludes.
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