Himalayan Climate & Science Institute

06/04/2022

Two years, the Nepali government sank millions into a publicity campaign called Visit Nepal 2020. Sherpa people across the Khumbu region took out loans to build new lodges. Then, the pandemic brought two back-to-back trekking seasons to a grinding halt, threatening to financially ruin people across the country.

On the HCSI Base Camp Trek, we passed by many of the barely used pre-COVID lodges. This year though, there was a hopeful sight for many Sherpa business owners: groups and groups of trekkers filing into the region, needing meals to eat and places to stay.

To read more about it, check out the link below:

With nearly all tourism in the region halted, Sherpa communities here face a precarious future.

05/12/2022

Aayas Joshi, the videographer on the HCSI EBC trek, has produced prints of his photos taken during our time in the Khumbu region. Wherever you are in the world, you can have the Himalayas with you, and at whatever price you decide! Check out the prints at his profile or at www.aayasdjoshi/prints-khumbu
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04/20/2022

Over the next two days, our trek will be reaching its climax: Everest Base Camp. The team will be out of contact, but they will have so much to share with you when they return to Kathmandu this weekend.

Join us this Sunday (4/24) at 11:30am EST for a debrief livestream with the HCSI team! We’ll discuss their firsthand experience with climate change in the Khumbu region. Learn about their favorite trek moments and join the conversation through the livestream chat! We hope to see you all there!
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Photos by

04/19/2022

Climate change and its long term effects can often be overlooked — until it is documented visually.

Today, while hiking over the Kongma La mountain pass, our team noticed a striking example of just how rapidly glaciers are melting in the Khumbu region: the disappearance of the Kongma glacier.

Because of climate change, the Kongma glacier can no longer provide water to communities and ecosystems downstream. It can no longer cool the region with its reflective ice or add to the range’s stunning scenery. But it will not be forgotten. You help guarantee that when you support our fight against climate change.

Historical photos are from "Khumbu Since 1950" by Alton Byers. Recent picture by Aayas Joshi. Seasonal variation in snowfall may also be present in the comparison.

04/17/2022

Today, during an acclimatization hike, our team stumbled upon a mysterious note...

Seems our trek’s mission has attracted a mysterious supporter!

Happy Easter/Passover from the high Himalayas! We hope you enjoy the view from 4,800m (15,700 ft) as much as we did.

04/16/2022

Phortse isn’t only the home of HCSI — it also happens to be the best place in the Khumbu region to watch wildlife!

After arriving yesterday, our team saw three of the most iconic Himalayan species:

- The Danphe (Nepal’s national bird)
- The Himalayan Tahr (a type of mountain goat)
- The Musk Deer (the world’s only fanged deer)

Also, scroll to the end for an extra picture of the Himalayan Griffon Vulture above the snowy peak of Thamserku!
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Photos by Aayas D. Joshi

04/14/2022

Last month, the skies of Khumbu were engulfed in thick black smoke.

This video, taken by HCSI Co-founder Sonamjs Sherpa on March 7th, 2022, shows a wildfire burning near Lukla village. In the remote forests of the world's highest mountains, fires are extremely difficult to control. This particular blaze took days to extinguish.

Due to climate change, fires like this one have become increasingly frequent and intense. These superheated burns remove the forest cover from entire hillsides, causing grave loss of resources for people and wildlife alike. With no trees left to hold the soil in place, the risk of landslides and floods is also dramatically increased.

The Lukla fire is emblematic of the complexity of the climate crisis in the Himalayas. While the higher mountains are melting, the lower foothills burn — making the fight against climate change an exceedingly challenging one.

04/13/2022

“This mountain was covered with snow when we were young. It was considered one of the most beautiful peaks here. Today, all of the glaciers it was known for have melted off.”

In only the first few days in Khumbu, our team has observed many visible effects of climate change. One of the most jarring is what has happened to Mt. Khumbila:

Khumbila (also Khumbu Yül-Lha or “God of Khumbu”) was once known for always being blanketed in snow. The mountain is the most sacred to local Sherpa communities, who say that it took only a few decades for the glaciers to completely disappear.

The recent lack of snow means that the mountain now absorbs more solar radiation, further increasing temperatures in the region – a dangerous positive feedback loop that is currently accelerating the climate crisis in the Himalayas.

Reduced snow cover has also encouraged more illegal climbing, upsetting locals in the nearby village of Khumjung. To date, the exact impact of the melting of Khumbila has not yet been quantified, highlighting the need for increased research and data collection in the Himalayas — a goal HCSI has been working to achieve.

As upsetting and grave as the story of Khumbila is, it is unfortunately only one example of how climate change continues to ravage the Himalayas. This crisis that irreversibly altered Mt. Khumbila puts the fate of the Khumbu region, its local communities, and many others, in dangerous uncertainty.
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Story by Aayas Dhoj Joshi.

04/12/2022

The trek has begun! After a safe landing in Lukla (photo 2), our team of trekkers passed through the Pasang Lhamu gate (1), they started making their way to the village of Phakding, where they stayed overnight. Check out highlights from their journey from Lukla to Phakding: the largest tree in Khumbu (Shorea robusta) (3), multiple suspension bridges over the glacially-fed Dudh Koshi river (4), and incredible views of Mt. Nupla Khang (6,861m/22,510ft) and Mt. Kusum Kanguru (6,367m/20,890ft) (5).

Images taken by and program director, Liam Torpy.

04/11/2022

Yesterday our team got to explore Kathmandu and all the amazing historical and cultural sights it has to offer. Our hikers got a private tour of Basantapur Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Temple (Monkey Temple), Patan Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, and Bouddhanath Stupa. Here, they got to learn all the significance of these Hindu and Buddhist sites and discover the beautiful culture of this city.

Images taken by Aayas Dhoj Joshi

04/09/2022

Our team has made it to Kathmandu! We are starting the expedition with a stay in Thamel, one of the city’s most vibrant neighborhoods. To get to Nepal, our team has had to travel by plane. To offset these carbon emissions, HCSI has taken part in the new Carbon Offset Programme by Qatar Airways in collaboration with the International Air Transport Association. The carbon credits purchased by HCSI give direct support to the Fatanpur Wind Farm in India that provides clean energy in the area.

With that said, carbon offsets are almost never as effective as real carbon reductions. As a core part of our mission, HCSI seeks to train local community members to conduct research in Nepal, so that Western scientists do not have to fly across the world to do it. To learn more about carbon offsets, their potential benefits and their challenges, check out the article below!

More than a third of Americans would pay extra to offset their flights’ CO2 emissions, a new National Geographic survey finds.