Langtang Leadership Expedition Nepal

"If you want to train for big mountain endeavors, spend time in big mountains." --Jimmy Chin

INTRODUCTION:

The Basics:

Who: This course is for adults (18+) seeking to advance leadership and culture building skills. People need to be in excellent shape with the capacity for hiking many hours per day carrying a 30-40 lbs. backpack.

What: This is an adventure-based, experiential, professional-growth course using the framework of empowering leadership.

Where: This expedition begins in Kathmandu, Nepal and travels to the majestic Langtang Region of the Himalayas. It concludes in Kathmandu.

When: March 16-April 1, 2023

Cost: $2,999 (Early bird rate until December 31, 2022). $3,199 per person after December 31. Price includes meals on trek, lodging, travel insurance, and transportation within Nepal. (Excludes 5 meals in Kathmandu, international airfare, Nepali visa, tips for Nepali guides and porters, and souvenirs.) For those that would like to climb Yala Peak, there is an additional $250 to cover the cost of permits and base camp costs for the climb.

Guides and instructors:

Lead American Instructor: Les Zollbrecht, holds a master’s degree in leadership. Les has served the past 9 years as Director of Big Lake Youth Camp and previously directed Mountain Leadership Institute, where among numerous other expeditions in the US, he lead four Himalayan expeditions to 18-20,000' peaks in Nepal.

Lead Nepali Trekking Guide: Jagat Lama, directs Independent Trekking Guides. Jagat has guided hundreds, if not thousands, of people through Nepal. He has dedicated his life to the people of his home community of Kumari, where he has helped build a women's skill center, elementary school, clinic, and coffee farm.

Day-02: Drive from Kathmandu to Kumari

Load our gear in 4wd trucks and drive to Kumari. Here we will visit the ancestral home of Jagat Lama, our lead Nepali trekking guide. We will tour the Kumari project consisting of a women's skills center, medical clinic, school, and coffee farm.

Day-03: Drive from Kumari to Syabrubensi 1466m., 6 hrs by Jeep.

Day 04: Syabrubensi - Gatlang, 2240m (7.5 miles)

Today we hike to the Tamang village of Gatlang. After having our breakfast, we leave behind Syabrubesi and experience awesome views of the Himalayas including the Ganesh Himal. We will end in the beautiful and historic village of Gatlang.

Day 09: Timure - Bridim, 2230m (6 miles estimate)

On this day, we make our way to the Tibetan-influenced Buddhist village of Bridim situated in the foothills of the Himalayas. There are numerous monasteries nearby to see as well as ancient stone houses.

Day-10: Bridim – Langtang 3430m – 6 hrs. (15.7 miles)

We make our way to the bustling village of Langtang. This is a really special place boasting a local cheese factory and an incredible view of Mount Langtang Lirung.

Day-11: Langtang – Kyanjin Gompa 3830m – 2hrs. (6 miles)

We will enjoy the breathtaking Himalayas as we make our way to the famous meditation temple known as Kyanjin Gompa. We will have great views of Yala peak, Langtang Himalayas, Dorjelakpa, Nayakang, and Ganjala peaks.

Day-12: Kyanjin (optional climb day for Yala Peak)

For those signed up to climb Yala Peak, we will hike up to base camp (6 hours) and tent camp for the night.

Day 13: Kyanjin (optional summit day for Yala Peak climb)

Early morning summit bid of 18,044ft Yala Peak and descent to Kyanjin.

Day 14: Kyanjin – Lama Hotel – 4 hrs. (6.8 miles)

Today we will follow the stream back to the Lama Hotel.

Day-15: Lama Hotel – Syabru Bensi– 5 hrs. (7 miles)

It is the last day of the trek. We descend through the beautiful valleys to spend the night in Syabru Bensi.

Day-16: Today is the final day of our trek as we conclude the Tamang Heritage Trek and return towards the capital city of Kathmandu by regular public bus or private Jeep and stay overnight at the Tibet Guest House.

Expeditionary Leadership

Expeditionary Leadership is a philosophy of team empowerment. It is has been presented to corporate teams, churches, and hospital leadership teams. It hinges on the simple premise that people either use fear or love to motivate others. When fear is used as the currency for leadership, a bullying, shame-filled culture is created. Instead, when the leader seeks to equip and empower those around him/her (love), followers become leaders that, in turn, build more leaders. In other words, embracing a culture of leadership abundance allows all to grow synergistically. Unfortunately, all of us have experienced shame-filled leadership and it takes time to reset and relearn healthy leadership habits. On this course, we will teach and discuss daily concepts that build this model of leadership. We will also spend time sharing our personal stories. Our ultimate goal will be to build an empowering community that will provide a model for how we can more effectively lead back home.

“Les truly provided my management team with an on-the-edge-of-the-chair experience about his expeditions and the difficult leadership and communication challenges that had to be overcome. His message was timely, relevant, and thought provoking as we lead our team through this complicated business environment and focus on individual accountability.” --Steven Stapp, CEO, Unitus Credit Union