Head Sherpa, Chhapte Sherpa and guide Mingmar
The wake-up call of tea and biscuits
Porters and staff in Namche Bazaar
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WHO WE AREMountain Odyssey is owned and operated by veteran expedition climber and guide Dave McNally. Dave moved to Jackson, Wyoming in 1974 and upon his first glimpse of the Grand Tetons knew he was going to become a climber. Jackson became his base camp and in 1988 expedition experience came with an invitation to join the Wyoming Centennial Everest Expedition as climber and expedition artist. Discovering a passion for the high mountains he began organizing climbing trips around the world, including Alaska, South America, Tibet, Pakistan and Nepal. Highlights of his expedition years include: Everest, Kangchenjunga, Gasherbrum II, Shisha Pangma, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, Numbur and many more. Through his travels he made life-long friends among many of the Sherpa people of Nepal and, together with them, founded Mountain Odyssey.
Dave is a former Exum Guide and Ski Patrol Director at Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole and a member of the American Mountain Guides Association. For many years he was also owner and head instructor of Rocky Mountain Martial Arts teaching Isshin Ryu Karate. He is a professional artist currently exhibiting his work in galleries in Jackson, Wyoming and Whitefish, Montana. See Dave's current Himalayan paintings here. Our Mountain Odyssey sirdar (head Sherpa) is Phurba Sherpa and our cook and cook's assistant are Narayan Gurung and Gopal Gurung. |
You cannot stay on the summit forever. You have to come down again…So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. There is an art to finding one’s direction in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can still know.” |