The Juniper Fund - for Nepal

I’m very proud to support @thejuniperfund. “The Juniper Fund supports and empowers families and communities impacted by the loss of Himalayan high-altitude workers.” (http://www.thejuniperfund.org/)

I’ve only been to Nepal once, but spending time in the Himalayas and with those incredible people leaves a mark on your soul. The Nepali people I met are people I will never forget. They are among the humblest, kindest, and most generous people I’ve ever encountered, and some of the strongest and most resilient people on the planet.

This has been an extraordinarily difficult year in Nepal. We’ve all seen the devastating avalanches and floods. Please consider supporting The Juniper Fund.

They recently held their 8th Annual Online Auction and reached 132% of their fundraising goal! I didn’t win much, but I did win this autographed copy of Into Thin Air and these beautiful prayer flags.

You’ll often find prayer flags strung along trails and mountain peaks throughout the Himalayas, Nepal, and Tibet. They are sacred banners believed to spread peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom through the wind.

Into Thin Air is probably the world’s most famous book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster. I first read it in 1997, shortly after it was published. I collect books by and about mountaineers and mountaineering, so this auction item was a natural choice for me. I bid on a few other books, but this is the one I won, and I’m very happy to have it in my collection.