A DOCUMENTARY EXPEDITION · THAME, KHUMBU, NEPAL
Climate Action Trek 2027
An ancient Himalayan village, a warming planet, and the generation that inherits both.
JUNE 9-22, 2027
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On August 16, 2024, a burst glacial lake sent 459,000 cubic metres of water and stone through Thame. In June 2027, scientists, a former NASA astronaut, a Buddhist lama, and twelve students walk there to face what it means.
THE FLOOD · BY THE NUMBERS
What happened in Thame?
It was Friday market day. Most of the village had walked down to Namche Bazaar. Those who stayed ran uphill and lived.
The flood also took the school, the medical clinic, and the hydroelectric plant. Millions of tons of stone now cover much of the village.
ANATOMY OF THE FLOOD · A TIMELINE
SOURCE: ICIMOD / NDRRMA · “THAME VALLEY GLACIAL LAKE OUTBURST FLOOD: CAUSES, IMPACTS, AND FUTURE RISKS” · KATHMANDU, 2025
THE SCIENCE OF WHAT'S COMING
Thame was not an anomaly. It was a preview.
Scientists are unequivocal. The high Himalaya contributes almost nothing to global emissions, yet its communities are absorbing some of the earliest and steepest costs. Data from ICIMOD, the region's leading climate research institution, tells a stark story.
25,000+
glacial lakes across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, many classified as potentially dangerous
3x
the region is warming nearly three times faster than the global average
65%
faster glacier mass loss in recent decades
1,000,000
people live within 10 km of a glacial lake
2050
the year ICIMOD projects “peak GLOF risk” for the region
90+
glacial lake outburst floods in Nepal in the past century
The lake that buried Thame was a small one. ICIMOD warns that lakes upstream of the village remain at elevated or high risk of bursting.
THAME GOMPA · FOUNDED IN THE 17TH CENTURY
Two hundred meters above the flood line, the monks watched it happen.
What was lost,
What survived.
THE VILLAGE
Twenty-five homes. The school. The clinic. The hydroelectric plant. In minutes, 135 people lost ground their families had held for generations.
THE MONASTERY
Thame Gompa is recognized as the historical gateway through which Tibetan Buddhism entered Nepal. Its head, Thame Thulku, was recognized in 2015 as the reincarnation of High Lama Nawang Tsering Dodub.
“Thame is not just a village in the mountains. It is a mirror held up to the world. What happened there will happen — is happening — everywhere glaciers touch human life. The question is whether anyone will be watching, and whether anyone will act.”
RICHARD F. SILBER · EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN TREKKING
THE EXPEDITION · JUNE 9–22, 2027
Eighteen people are walking to Thame.
Three of Nepal's leading scientists. A former NASA astronaut who has seen the Himalayan arc from orbit. A Buddhist lama. An Everest summiteer. A professional film crew. And twelve students, six American and six Nepali, who will carry what they see for the rest of their lives.
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THE ROUTE · KHUMBU, NEPAL
From Kathmandu to Thame
Tag 1: Ankunft in Kathmandu
11. Juni
Transfer vom internationalen Flughafen Tribhuvan zum Kathmandu Guest House. Erkunden Sie die Sehenswürdigkeiten und Klänge von Thamel, einem der lebendigsten Viertel von Kathmandu.
Tag 2: Tour Kathmandu
12. Juni
Wir stehen vor Sonnenaufgang auf, um am frühen Morgen Kathmandus heiligste Stätte, den Swayambhunath-Tempel, zu besuchen. Nach einer Führung durch das Tempelgelände genießen wir einen gemütlichen geführten Spaziergang durch Kathmandu und kehren zum Frühstück ins Kathmandu Guest House zurück. Nach dem Frühstück erkunden wir mit unserem privaten Reiseführer das historische Kathmandu. Anschließend fahren wir zum Nationalen Botanischen Garten Nepals mit Bäumen, Heilpflanzen und Sträuchern aus ganz Nepal. Rückkehr zum Kathmandu Guest House. Das Abendessen ist auf eigene Faust. Übernachtung in Kathmandu.
Tag 3: Überlandreise nach Phaplu
13. Juni
Am frühen Morgen besteigen wir unsere privaten Toyota Land Cruiser für unsere Überlandfahrt ins Khumbu. Nach einem langen Tag auf der Straße mit Zwischenstopps für kaltes Bier und Mittagessen erreichen wir das malerische Dorf Phaplu im Solukhumbu. Übernachtung in Phaplu.
Tag 7: Wanderung zum Namche Bazar – Erleben Sie das Dumji-Festival
17. Juni
Ein ganzer Tag voller Trekking, bei dem wir den tosenden Fluss Dudh Kosi auf Hängebrücken und durch Wälder aus Himalaya-Kiefern nach Monjo und zum Eingang des Sagarmartha-Parks überqueren und wieder überqueren. Wir wandern weiter den Dudh Kosi hinauf und entlang des Weges auf der Suche nach Pilzen. Dann über eine weitere Hängebrücke und den langen Hügel hinauf nach Namche Bazaar (11.200 Fuß/3.440 m). Wir werden gemeinsam mit den Dorfbewohnern von Namche das Dumji-Fest feiern. Übernachtung in Namche. 9,4 km
Tag 8: Akklimatisierungstag - Besuchen Sie Sagarmatha
18. Juni
An diesem Akklimatisierungstag wandern wir oberhalb von Namche und besuchen Sagarmatha Next in Syangboche. Sagarmatha Next ist ein wichtiges und kreatives Umweltprojekt des Himalayan Museum and Sustainability Park. Wir werden die Einrichtungen, die Kunstgalerie und das Gelände besichtigen und uns Videos über das Projekt und die Klimaforschung im Himalaya ansehen. Rückkehr nach Namche, wo das Dumji-Festival fortgesetzt wird und wo wir die Nacht verbringen.
Tag 9: Wanderung nach Tengboche – Klosterbesichtigung
19. Juni
Wanderung nach Tengboche (3.867 m) mit privatem Besuch des Tenboche-Klosters, Nachmittagsgebet und Puja-Zeremonie. Diese UNESCO-Welterbestätte liegt im Herzen des Sagarmatha-Nationalparks und bietet Ausblicke auf Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam und Thamserku. Übernachtung in Debouche. 9,6 km
Tag 10: Wanderung nach Dingboche
20. Juni
Von Deboche aus wandern wir nach Somare, wo wir am Zusammenfluss der Flüsse Dudh Koshi und Imja Khola zu Mittag essen. Anschließend setzen wir unsere Wanderung nach Dingboche (4.410 m) fort. Übernachtung in Dingboche. 10 km.
Tag 11: Akklimatisierungswanderung nach Nangharshang
21. Juni
Akklimatisierungstag. Nach dem Frühstück wandern wir oberhalb von Dingboche zum Nangkarshang Peak und haben bei gutem Wetter einen außergewöhnlichen Blick auf die drei höchsten Berge der Welt: Mt. Makalu (8.463 m), Lhotse (8.749 m), Cho Oyu (8.201 m) sowie Island Peak (6.189 m), Amadablam (6.812 m), Kangtega (6.782 m), Thamserku (6.623 m), Taboche (6.542 m), Cholatse (6.440 m) und den Imja-Gletscher. Übernachtung in Dingboche.
Tag 12: Wanderung zur Pyramide – Besichtigung des Forschungslabors
22. Juni
Wanderung nach Lobuche und zur italienischen Forschungspyramide . Der Weg führt in ein weites Grasland und dann weiter nach oben und über eine Brücke zum Dorf Thukla, wo wir zum Mittagessen anhalten. Nach dem Mittagessen wandern wir den steilen Pfad zum Memorial Park hinauf und weiter ins Dorf Lobuche. Wir gehen etwa 1,5 Kilometer außerhalb von Lobuche weiter zur Forschungsstation und Lodge der italienischen Pyramide (16.200 Fuß/4.930 m). Übernachtung in der Lodge des Forschungszentrums. 11,8 km/7,3 Meilen.
Tag 17: Mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu
27. Juni
Von Phortse aus mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu und Transfer zurück zum Kathmandu Guest House. Festliches Abendessen in Kathmandu. Übernachtung.
Tag 17: Mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu
27. Juni
Von Phortse aus mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu und Transfer zurück zum Kathmandu Guest House. Festliches Abendessen in Kathmandu. Übernachtung.
Tag 17: Mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu
27. Juni
Von Phortse aus mit dem Hubschrauber nach Kathmandu und Transfer zurück zum Kathmandu Guest House. Festliches Abendessen in Kathmandu. Übernachtung.
Tag 18: Abreise aus Kathmandu nach Hause
28. Juni
Transfer vom Kathmandu Guest House zum internationalen Flughafen Tribhuvan für Ihren Rückflug nach Hause.
Tag 18: Abreise aus Kathmandu nach Hause
28. Juni
Transfer vom Kathmandu Guest House zum internationalen Flughafen Tribhuvan für Ihren Rückflug nach Hause.
Wichtige Informationen für Teilnehmer
Diese Informationen sollten viele Ihrer Fragen beantworten und sollen Ihnen bei der Vorbereitung Ihrer Expedition zum Everest-Basislager helfen. Zögern Sie vor allem nicht, uns zu kontaktieren, wenn Sie Fragen zu Ihrer Ausrüstung, Ihrem Training, Ihren Impfungen, Ihrer Reise oder Ihrer Trekking-Logistik haben. Meine Handynummer lautet +1-202-255-1191 und meine E-Mail-Adresse lautet rsilber@imt-nepal.com .
Wir freuen uns, dass Sie sich für International Mountain Trekking entschieden haben, um die spektakuläre Khumbu-Region im Sagarmatha-Nationalpark in Nepal zu erleben. Auf einer IMT-Wanderung haben Sie die Möglichkeit, Sherpa-Gemeinden zu besuchen, traditionelle Mahlzeiten mit Sherpa-Familien zu genießen, historische buddhistische Klöster zu besichtigen und sich mit den neuesten wissenschaftlichen Entdeckungen der Region auseinanderzusetzen, wie es andere Trekking-Unternehmen nicht bieten.
Die hier aufgeführten Informationen behandeln die Einzelheiten der Wanderung, einschließlich der Sicherheits- und COVID-19-Protokolle während Ihres Aufenthalts in Nepal. Wir haben gute Verbindungen zur nepalesischen Botschaft hier in Washington und stehen in regelmäßigem Kontakt mit ihnen, um die neuesten Informationen über die Bedingungen in Nepal und Reisen nach Nepal zu erhalten.
1) Reisevorbereitung und Reise
NEPAL ENTRY PROTOCOL: Nepal has returned to its pre-Covid policy of issuing tourist visas at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport. Therefore, you will obtain your 30-day tourist visa as you make your way through customs at Tribhuvan Airport. Here are the steps you will take upon entry to the airport:
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You will first enter a line to have your passport checked.
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Upon exiting this line, you will begin the process of getting your 30-day tourist visa. After exiting the first line, go to the right side of the immigration room to fill out a form for a 30-day tourist visa on one of several visa kiosk machines. The machines are not connected to a printer, so once you have completed the form, use your phone to take a photo of your completed application. You are staying at the Kathmandu Guest House Saat Ghumti Marg 16, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal Phone: +977 1-4700800
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When the form is completed, go to the payment counter on the opposite side of the entrance hall. Upon paying $50 dollars , you will receive a receipt for your visa payment. Present that receipt with your passport and boarding pass to the immigration booths at the front of the room and you will pass through immigration control.
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Upon passing immigration, go down one level to the baggage claim room. Grab a cart, collect your baggage at the baggage claim area and head down the corridor to the elevators. Take the elevator to ground level. You will be greeted for pickup outside of the airport’s main doors. Look for the IMT Banner or someone holding a sign with your name. Your escort will be among the line of other individuals waiting to greet arrivals. Namaste! Welcome to Nepal!
BAGGAGE: We recommend you use your daypack as a carry-on bag and that you check one rolling suitcase. When you arrive at the hotel, we will provide you with your own IMT duffel which you will use on the trek and is yours to take home. Please bring a few items of clothing in your carry-on day pack in the event your larger bag is delayed. Don’t forget your passport, cash and the medications you require during your travel. Please take a photograph of your passport with and store it in your phone to have a record of it in the event of loss. Please check your luggage from your departing airport all the way through to Kathmandu. We recommend the use of TSA-approved locks to secure your luggage so that they can be opened, if necessary, by airport security.
EXTRA MONEY: How much additional cash to bring is an individual decision. We suggest you have at least $800 to spend for gifts, tips for your guides and porters and any additional meals outside of the itinerary. In Kathmandu you can use your credit card and a debit card to obtain Nepali rupees. It is difficult to change money once the trek starts.
IMT’s TIP POLICY: We will collect a tip pool in U.S. currency and ask IMT’s clients to each contribute $300. We will collect this tip pool in Kathmandu and distribute it at the conclusion of the trip as a thank you gift to the dedicated guides and porters who you will get to know throughout the trek. You may also provide an additional tip to your guides, porters, drivers and hotel personnel if you so choose.
TRAVEL AND MEDICAL EVACUATION INSURANCE: IMT requires you to insure yourself if you experience a medical emergency during the trek. While optional, we also strongly recommend you purchase Trip Cancellation, Interruptions, and Medical Insurance option, so that you are covered if you must cancel your trip, cut it short, or require medical attention while traveling. Your current health insurance may not cover your health care needs while travelling internationally.
We encourage you to contact the Travel Insurance Center +1-866-979-6753, ext. 3648 and ask for Mark Reineke whom I have found to be responsive, thorough, and extremely professional. As an insurance broker, the Travel Insurance Center represent 23 different companies, and they offer a wide range of options to meet your needs. Let them know you are an IMT client as they are familiar with our insurance requirements.
IMMUNIZATION CHECKLIST: Please consult your physician or check the Center for Disease Control Website at www.cdc.gov. Consistent with the current CDC guidelines, you should ask you doctor whether you require the following inoculations:
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COVID-19 vaccination and booster vaccination.
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Tetanus-Diphtheria – You should already have. Do you need a booster?
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Polio -You should already have. Do you need a booster?
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MMR -You should already have. Do you need a booster?
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Meningitis – Recommended. Consult your physician.
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Hepatitis A – Recommended. Consult your physician.
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Hepatitis B – Recommended. Consult your physician.
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Typhoid – Recommended. The tablet form, Vivotif, is good for five years.
If you or your physician are uncertain, please check the Center for Disease Control Website at www.cdc.gov.
ALTITUDE PROTOCOL: The itinerary is carefully designed to include acclimation days in order for you to comfortably adjust to the increasing altitude on the trek. Our guides are trained to recognize and treat varying forms of altitude sickness.
RECOMMENDED MEDICATIONS:
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Antibiotic for upper respiratory problems (Zithromax Z-Pak)
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Antibiotic for GI problems (Cipro and/or Z-Pak)
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Diamox (acetazolamide) for acclimatization (125 mg tabs recommended, enough for a week)
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Sleep-aids for the first few days of jet lag
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Nifedipine (for pulmonary edema, the 30 mg time release x 2 tablets) and dexamethasone (for cerebral edema, 4 mg x 10 tablets)
RECOMMEND NON-PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS:
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Ibuprophen (enough to take 600 mg x 3x/day for the duration of the trek.
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Imodium for diarrhea
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Pepto Bismol (tablets recommended)
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Throat lozenges
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Wet wipes
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Hand sanitizer
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Lip balm
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Broad spectrum sunscreen (SPF 30 or more)
CLOTHING, TREKKING GEAR, EYEWEAR: Please review the clothing and trekking equipment list on IMT’s website. For much of the trek you will be above tree line, potentially on snow. During the approach to Everest Base Camp, you will be exposed to higher rates of UV light and glare from ice sheets. Good eyewear is important, therefore, to both protect your eyes and to enhance your visual experience of the Khumbu. There are several different brands for you to consider. For those in need of prescription sport eyewear, we recommend contacting Opticus in Lyons, Colorado to either swap out prescription lenses in your frames or to purchase frames and prescription lenses from them.
COSTS INCLUDED IN TRIP FEE:
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Transfer upon arrival from airport
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Jeep travel or domestic flight subject to weather
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Hotel in Kathmandu for stated itinerary
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All permit fees
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Guides
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Porters
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Return helicopter flight including 20kg per person
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Breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day of the trek
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Emergency oxygen
COSTS NOT INCLUDED IN TRIP FEE:
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Flights from home to and from Kathmandu, travel expenses and hotels before or after the stated itinerary (we can assist you making reservations if you wish to extend your stay )
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Airport taxes, visas, and insurance policies (medical evacuation, trip interruption and cancellation)
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Personal gear, personal items and alcoholic beverages
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Tips for your guides and porters (see IMT’s Tip Policy)
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Costs incurred because of delays or events beyond the control of IMT
2) Einreiseprotokolle in Nepal
KATHMANDU ENTRY AND VISA: Your most important responsibility is to show up healthy and with your bags. You can obtain your tourist visa at Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport. We will update you if there are any changes in protocols for arrival. Remember to carry a ballpoint pen and some cash. After collecting your luggage, we will find you when you emerge outside. Please look for someone holding a sign with your name on it, or our International Mountain Trekking banner!
KATHMANDU HOTEL: You will be staying at the Kathmandu Guest House. This is a beautiful, historic, and perfectly situated hotel in the Thamel neighborhood of Kathmandu. Breakfast is included. You are responsible for all incidental charges to your room, including other meals, beverages, phone calls, and the like, and must clear these charges before we leave the hotel to start our trek.
PREPARING YOUR GEAR FOR THE TREK: While on the trek, you will leave your extra clothing and belongings in your rolling suitcase at the hotel in Kathmandu, including your street/travel items that will not be needed until you return to Kathmandu. You will transfer your trekking clothes and gear to the IMT-provided duffle which you will use on the trek. The maximum weight allowed on the helicopter is 15 kg (33 pounds) for your trekking duffle bag and 5 kg (11 pounds) for your trekking backpack. We will meet with each of you at the hotel to make sure you have all the right clothing and gear and to make sure you are not bringing unnecessary items and we will weigh your packed duffle!
PASSPORT SECURITY AND TRAVEL: We recommend you carry a photocopy of your passport on the trek (and take a photo with your phone so you have a backup). Please make sure you have the contact information for your travel agent or airline in case you need to email or call to make any changes. You may choose to leave your passport with your luggage at the Kathmandu Guest House.
FIXED-WING, GROUND AND HELICOPTER TRAVEL: We are traveling from Kathmandu to the Khumbu either by fixed-wing aircraft or by private Toyota Land Cruiser. Delays due to weather and/or road conditions may occur. At the conclusion of the trek, depending on your specific trek’s itinerary, you will return to Kathmandu by private helicopter or aircraft from Lukla.
END OF THE TRIP LOGISTICS: When we return to Kathmandu, we will transport you back to the Kathmandu Guest House. We will have room reservations for you. IMT will cover the cost of your room for that last night or nights and a celebratory dinner. When you are ready to depart the hotel for the airport, please let us and/or the hotel staff to arrange transportation for you. Hold onto a few hundred rupees for the airport so you can buy a drink in the departure lounge and for tips for the baggage porters at the airport.
3) Trekking-Logistik und Informationen
ACCLIMATIZATION AND HEALTH: We anticipate that you will not have difficulty with acclimatization. We have an itinerary and proven schedule which will enable you to acclimatize successfully. Based on peer-reviewed studies, we recommend 600 mg Ibuprofen prophylactically every 6 hours and staying well hydrated as a good overall strategy for handling the higher elevation. If you regularly drink coffee, stay on this routine. On the trek, you can also take Diamox (acetazolamide) if you desire, but we do not generally recommend it unless you are symptomatic for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Current protocol is 125mg in the morning and 125 mg in the evening, starting when you begin to experience symptoms. Taking the smallest possible dose is best to avoid potential side effects, such as dehydration and tingling in your extremities.
Personal hygiene is important, and we recommend that before meals, you wash your hands with soap and water followed by antibacterial hand sanitizer. We also recommend bringing wet wipes and body wipes which will be used in lieu of showers on parts of the trek. It would not be unusual for you to get a cold or some travelers’ diarrhea at some point on the trek. The combination of travel in a developing country along with new foods, other trekkers, mountain lodges etc. will increase the risk of you contracting a minor illness. Should this occur, the likelihood is that you will recover fully within a few days without having to take medications. Current protocol for persistent diarrhea (≥3x days) is to start taking Cipro, but if there is no improvement after 24 hours, then can start on Zithromycin (Z-Pak). The Z-Pak also works well for bronchial ailments, so make sure you have a course or two of Zithromycin.
FOOD & DRINKING WATER: All meals on the trek are provided. You should bring sufficient additional snack foods and energy bars that you know you will enjoy eating for the duration of the trek. You should also consider supplementing your fluid intake with one of the many energy and endurance powders, such as those available from Hammer Nutrition. There are small grocery stores nearby the Kathmandu Guest House that sell an array of snack foods. On the trek, bottled water is available for purchase, or you can use water purification tablets or other purification methods. Using water purification tablets, while discretionary, helps to reduce the amount of plastic bottles in the Khumbu.
MEDICAL SUPPORT: In case of any severe issues, we will call in a helicopter for evacuation to Kathmandu. It is important that you have your rescue insurance and personal health insurance information with you. There is also a small hospital in Lukla.
POWER AND INTERNET: All the tea-house lodges where we are staying now have solar power available for charging your phone (normally at a rate of a couple hundred rupees/hour). Internet scratch cards are available in Namche Bazaar which you can use for wi-fi access with your smart phone. You may want to bring a small solar power charger.
FAQ
WHAT IT TAKES
$80,000
to put this expedition on the trail.
Student travel and outfitting. The scientists' expedition costs. The permits, lodging, and logistics that move eighteen people through the Everest region. Documentary production is funded separately. Every gift pays for something you can point to.
Level | Amount | Description |
|---|---|---|
FRIEND OF THAME | $100-$500 | Joins the community of supporters making the expedition possible. |
TRAILBLAZER | $500 | Outfits one student with expedition gear: boots, pack, layers built for the Khumbu. |
KHUMBU TRAIL DAY | $1000 | One full day on the trail: lodging, meals, porters, and logistics for all eighteen. |
SCIENCE PARTNER | $2,500 | Underwrites the scientists whose knowledge shapes everything the students witness. |
STUDENT SPONSOR
$5,000
Fully sponsors one student: travel, permits, gear, and outfitting for the complete expedition. You are matched with your student and receive their field updates.
EVEREST PARTNER
$10,000
Sends a student pair, one American and one Nepali, the partnership at the heart of the expedition. Video dispatch from your students in the field. Premiere invitation.
SUMMIT CIRCLE
$15,000
Lead expedition underwriter. Private pre-broadcast screening, framed expedition photograph, prayer flags carried from Thame, and a personal briefing with the leadership team.
MOST DIRECT
The Thame Climate Action Trek 2027 is a project of the Himalayan Climate & Science Institute, a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, tax ID 85-0899793. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Volunteer time and in-kind donations are expected to match or exceed the $80,000 raised.
Want to be on this trail?
STUDENTS · FAMILIES · PARTNERS
Start with a conversation. Richard F. Silber, expedition leader, takes these calls himself.
rsilber@imtnepal.com
+1 202 255 1191
DOCUMENTARY & PRESS