Starlink, Swing Bridges and Base Camps 🏔️
Hello friends,
October is here and I'm writing this with one eye on the packing list. In a few weeks, Andrew and I fly to Nepal to lead two treks back to back: Annapurna Base Camp at the end of October, then Everest Base Camp in early November. Excitement is peaking, and the people most involved are feeling it the strongest.
This month's newsletter is about two very different kinds of adventure. One is a gentle river walk close to home. The other is a satellite dish I pointed at the wrong half of the sky.
— Sharon ⭐️
🥾 ADVENTURE CORNER
Stories and tips from the trail to inspire your own journeys.
🌿 Off-Grid: Choosing Our Own Terms
Why I pointed a Starlink dish the wrong way, and what 206 megabits means in the bush
When the Starlink dish arrived at Shambhala, I made one fundamental mistake. I assumed the open sky to the north was what I needed but in the southern hemisphere, the dish has to face south. Standing on the clay terrace in the rain, figuring it out as I went, was a fair summary of the last two years.
For two years, connectivity was the bottleneck. I walked to high points to upload reels and parked on the roadside to publish blog posts. Now I have 206 megabits per second, which means Zoom calls that don't freeze and files that send in minutes. It means I can run Freewheeling Kiwi from a cabin at the tip of the Coromandel instead of from the margins.
This is also a story about what living on your own terms really takes: time, improvisation, and people who believe in what you're building.
🌊 The Waikato River Trails
A little adventure close to home
Not every adventure needs to be epic. The Waikato River Trails stretch 104 kilometres through native bush, farmland and hydroelectric history. I've ridden the whole trail and walked almost all of it, and one of my favourite stretches is between Arapuni Dam and Jones Landing.
On a still spring morning, towering cliffs mirror in the water, swans glide past with their cygnets, and kingfishers dart in and out of their nests. Add the Arapuni Swing Bridge, built in 1925 and hanging 54 metres above the power station, and you have a day out that doesn't need a long journey.
🏔️ NEPAL
We’re almost there!
The Himalayan season is about to begin, and the numbers are getting real.
Annapurna Base Camp (end of October): 12 trekkers, 6 porters and guides
Everest Base Camp (early November): 13 trekkers, 6 porters and guides
That's 38 people heading into the mountains across two treks and the base team at Himalayan Recreation looking after things. There's gear to check, final training walks to finish and plenty of nervous excitement. Thank you to everyone who's been part of the build-up with questions, messages and training photos.
As I mentioned last month, the Khumbu and Annapurna regions are unaffected by the August 26 disaster.
💛 NARAYAN: AN UPDATE
Narayan pictured at Everest Base Camp
There's no news on Narayan to share this month, and he remains missing.
Thank you to everyone who has already donated and sent messages of support. Every gift and kind word has meant so much to us, and it will mean just as much to his family.
While we're in Kathmandu, Andrew and I will meet with Narayan's family in person. We'll be sharing everyone's support from the Freewheeling Kiwi community with them.
If you'd like to give, the Give a Little fundraiser remains open.
👉 Support Narayan's family here
P.S. If you're new here, Narayan Baniya is a Nepali trekking guide and friend who went missing after the August 26 flood in Nepal. You can read about the disaster here Why Nepal Resilience Matters
🌱 Until Next Month
November’s Newsletter will be coming to you from high in the Himalayas!
I'll be sharing updates from the Nepal expeditions as connectivity allows. Expect fewer emails and more mountains for a few weeks.
If you're going to be out walking this month, I'd love to hear where. Reply and tell me about a favourite spot close to home.
Take good care,
— Sharon ⭐️
📬 Catch up on past newsletters below
When the Starlink dish arrived at Shambhala, I pointed it north instead of south. It took a rainy afternoon on the clay terrace to work that out, and 206 megabits per second to make it worth it. After two years of uploading from roadsides and hilltops, I'm finally connected from the bush.
This edition features the story behind going off-grid on our own terms, a gentle day out on the Waikato River Trails at Arapuni, and an update from Shambhala. We also count down to Nepal, where Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp treks are about to begin. There is also a short update on Narayan and a thank you to everyone who has supported his family.