Winter in Himalayas, Nepal

It’s the middle of January and I’m smack bang in the middle of the European winter. You probably saw last week’s post about how Berlin suddenly transformed into a winter wonderland after the first, decent snowfall of the season Sadly, it melted all too quickly and the incessant drizzle that replaced it has got me wishing the snow would return! While I wait (not so) patiently, here’s a throwback to my greatest winter experience yet.

The lofty solitude of Nepal’s Kopra Ridge (3870 m) is where this photograph was taken three years ago in January 2012. After travelling through India, I embarked on an incredibly challenging 16-day trek through the Annapurna region of the Himalayas with World Expeditions on a quest to behold the colossal peak of Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest mountain in the world at 8,167 m (26,795 ft). On this particular morning, I awoke early with the sun (trekking at altitude is not so conducive to sleeping late), to find that the week-long blizzard that had settled comfortably over the ridge had miraculously cleared, giving way to the most extraordinary panorama I have ever witnessed. It may have been -25 ° C outside, but when standing on the roof of the world, feeling a little chilly is not what is remembered.

What is your greatest winter experience? Join the conversation below!