Karma Geljen Sherpa was born in Sibuje Village in the eastern Everest Region of Nepal (called Solukhumbu) where he grew up working on a family farm. As a teenager, he began began working with expeditions as a porter at the age of 15 and then as a trekking guide. In his twenties, he was already guiding 8,000 meter peaks throughout Nepal, including Cho Oyu, Manaslu, Makalu, Everest, and the very difficult and dangerous Dhauligiri. Karma has also led most of the major treks in Nepal, including the Everest Base Camp trek, which he has guided over a dozen times.

Karma speaks English, and has certification through the Nepal Mountaineering Association. He is very knowledgeable when it comes to local culture and high elevation environments. His radiant personality and witty sense of humor are welcome additions to every trip he leads. Whether Karma is singing, dancing, or telling jokes, he is sure to entertain you when the going gets tough. Karma is also the cofounder of Karma Project, a nonprofit that provides funding for education and medical services in the Everest Region. Karma founded this nonprofit with his friend Glen Young, who will also be with us on the Mt. Everest Base Camp Trek. The friendship between this pair is infectious, and we are excited for you to have the opportunity to spend three weeks with this duo as you build your own friendships with the locals.

Who better to have as your guide for the Everest Base Camp Trek than a local who has not only guided the trek more than a dozen times, but also guided on Everest?We thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Karma, and we’re sure you will appreciate hearing his stories, experiencing his professionalism while hearing his deep belly laugh throughout our trip.

YExplore partners with Karma Project to make this trip possible. Karma Project is a non-profit organization that creates locally owned sustainable tourism companies to provide employment, education, medical services, and job training to people living in remote Himalayan villages.