After completing the Great Himalaya Trail across Nepal there is another part of the adventure that is ongoing. And this blog, to be honest, an accountability post!

Over the past three months I’ve been turning the experience into three separate films: a 12.5 minute mountain film festival submission, a longer documentary about the trail, and a slow “walk across Nepal” film using most (if not all) footage from the trek itself.

Each project tells a different side of the Great Himalaya Trail experience, but they all came from the same place: trying to process and share what it felt like to spend months walking across Nepal through the Himalaya.

For anyone unfamiliar, the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) is a long-distance trekking route that crosses Nepal from east to west through remote mountain regions, villages and high Himalayan passes. It’s often considered one of the toughest and most rewarding long-distance hikes in the world.

For months, that trail became daily life for us. Wake up. Walk. Eat dal bhat. Repeat. Wet socks. Endless hills. Steep passes. Tea houses. Landslides. Laughing at how destroyed our legs felt by the end of the day. Then one day in Hilsa, that was it. Or at least the walking part was!

Now I get to sit down a lot (not always recommended!) and continue the adventure through filmmaking.

Film 1: A short for mountain film festival submissions

The first project is a 12.5 minute short film that I just submitted to the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. I also plan to submit it to Kendal Mountain Film Festival in the UK, and a couple of other mountain and adventure film festivals.

The process has been equal parts exciting and terrifying. Mike and I have watched the Banff Mountain Film Festival for 20+ years, always catching their World Tour. It would be an absolutely crazy life dream for the film to be selected.

Realistically I think there is about a one in four chance…

Also making something creative feels quite different from posting photos online or writing a trail report. A film carries emotion, pacing, judgement, style and personality. At some point I had to stop endlessly tweaking things at midnight, export the final version, and put it into Film Freeway for submissions. I will find out at the end of September whether it is selected in Banff or not.

Film 2: A Great Himalaya Trail overview for YouTube (coming Fall 2026)

The second project is a longer documentary-style film about the Great Himalaya Trail itself.

I’ve been interviewing hikers who completed the route many years before we did, and hearing those stories has been one of the most interesting parts of the entire process.

Some describe trekking through valleys before roads existed. Others talk about navigating with rough maps and handwritten notes. A few stories make our modern experience sound incredibly comfortable by comparison.

But what stands out most is how deeply Nepal stayed with people years later.

Everyone seems to carry part of the trail with them long after they leave. I feel lucky to have spent time interviewing these people and look forward to sharing more later this year.

Film 3: A slow “Walk Across Nepal” film for YouTube (coming end of 2026)

Last but not least, by the end of 2026 I’m hoping to release a long-form immersive film built entirely from footage from the adventure, so viewers can virtually walk across Nepal with us.

No fast-cut editing.
No dramatic YouTube energy.
No constant narration.

Just the trail as we saw it.

The sound of rivers.
Mule bells passing.
Rain on tin roofs.
Prayer flags flapping above the trail.

Part of me is making this film because I genuinely miss being there. Also what a waste to have captured so much footage while walking! It has to be good for something right?

I also think a lot of people are craving slower experiences, especially online. Maybe it’ll become one of those videos playing in a doctor’s waiting room, or something people across Nepal can watch to see corners of their own country, or something informative in a long winded way.

What the Great Himalaya Trail taught me about creativity

Making these films has been messy, frustrating, fun and one massive learning curve.

I’ve learned how difficult editing really is. Learned how important audio becomes in the outdoors. Learned that hard drives are like little gold bars you handle with the utmost respect.

But I’ve also had the chance to relive some incredible memories from the trek:

• Featuring Ang Tshering Lama, Mingma Tamang, Pasang and Som Waiba – our fearless and wonderful support to make it east to west from Angs Himalayan Adventures.
• The intense greens of the terraces fed by monsoon rain.
• Silliness and dancing and singing, who knows where the energy came from!

Mostly though, I’ve learned that just like the trail, you just need to start. Make mistakes. Improve as you go. And you “kill your darlings” as they say in video editing. Gosh that was tough to cut out some of the most wonderful people and interviews and scenes for the overall benefit of the short film.

None of these projects will be perfect. But they’re real. And I have come a long way from the Great Divide Trail one I made in 2024, so it’s nice to see that progress.

Sh*t that reminds me, maybe I should get a little microphone for the Via Alpina Red! No idea what may come out of this summer’s adventure but it won’t be ready until 2027 ha!