Books & Videos on Nepal
Reading and watching our team recommends before a trip. Our guides are happy to talk about any of these on the trail.
Books
Mountains
Into Thin Air
A first-hand account of the 1996 Everest disaster, and the book most trekkers have read before Base Camp.
Mountains
Annapurna
The French expedition that made the first ascent of an 8,000 m peak in 1950, before Nepal had roads or maps.
Travel & nature
The Snow Leopard
A walk to Dolpo in search of the snow leopard, and a classic of Himalayan travel writing.
Biography
Tenzing: Hero of Everest
The life of Tenzing Norgay, from a Khumbu childhood to the summit in 1953.
Fiction
Arresting God in Kathmandu
Short stories about everyday life in modern Kathmandu, by a Nepali writer.
Fiction
Palpasa Café
A Nepali bestseller set during the civil war, about an artist and the country outside Kathmandu.
History
Forget Kathmandu
A readable history of modern Nepal, from the Shah kings to the royal massacre of 2001.
Memoir
Little Princes
A volunteer's story of reuniting trafficked children with their families. Good for anyone interested in volunteering in Nepal.
Films & documentaries
Feature film
Himalaya (Caravan)
A yak caravan crossing Dolpo, acted by local villagers. Nominated for an Oscar.
Documentary
Sherpa
The 2014 Everest season from the Sherpa guides' point of view.
Documentary
14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible
Nepali climber Nirmal Purja's push to climb all fourteen 8,000 m peaks in under seven months.
Feature film
Everest
A dramatisation of the 1996 disaster, filmed partly in the Khumbu.