Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Virtual Trek

NOTE: The tour is now (February 6, 2026) complete up to Kongmedingma, the small outpost at 15,000 feet at the base of Mera Peak, Naulekh, and Peak 41. I worked out (I think) some glitches that plagued the first iteration of this tour. But, please let me know if you find additional errors. I will now start to add additional panoramas leading up the valley from Kongmedingma to the Amphu Laptsa pass and into the Khumbu. From there, my plan is to conjoin this tour with my older Virtual Mount Everest tour. Stay tuned!

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In November 2023 and December 2024, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel through remote, beautiful, culturally-rich sections of Nepal.

On the first trip, I was following parts of the Mundhum Trail from Tumlingtar through Bhojpur, up to Salpa Pokhari and Silichong Peak, and then on to Mahakulung, the heart of Kulung Rai culture.

That first trip was a reconnaissance and exploratory journey, seeing new places and trying to see if a bigger journey would be possible: following the Hunku Khola northward from Chheskam to the Amphu Laptsa pass, essentially taking the back way into the Khumbu Valley and on to Everest Basecamp.

It seemed possible, so I put together a more complete adventure the next year with my friend Sam Heughan.

In December 2024, we started in Chheskam and followed the "new" Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Trail up the Hunku to the windswept hamlet of Kongmedingma. There we joined a more substantial - but still completely empty and rustic - trail north through breathtaking Himalayan valleys to the semi-technical, 19,200 foot Amphu Laptsa. We crossed the pass on a beautiful day, dropping from there into the Chhukung Valley by Imjatse (Island Peak) and into the Khumbu. There, we joined the main Everest Basecamp trekking trail above Dingboche and continued to Basecamp.

It was an epic adventure in remote terrain, and one worth sharing in more than photos, more than words.

For the past year, I've worked on and off to put the two adventures together in a more immersive, digestible, experiential format. The result - which will grow and evolve over the coming weeks - is the Mahakulung Muddhi-Kongmedingma Virtual Trek below. I hope it will pull you into the majestic cultural and environmental tapestry of eastern Nepal where you can virtually experience the peoples, cultures, and scenery, learn something new, and perhaps plan your own adventure to this special place.

Enjoy, and as always, huge thanks and gratitude to the people of Mahakulung and dZi Foundation, without whom none of this would be possible. And, please read this blog post if you haven't already to get a bit more context before diving in. 

With best regards,