I've been visiting Nepal for over 20 years, working in the mountains and building lasting relationships with the guides and porters who have supported me and the people I've taken there as part of Paul Poole Mountaineering. Over the years, many of these lads have become good friends, and Nepal has become a very special part of my life.

Nepal has given so much to me, and to many of you, over the years. Now some of the people who have made those experiences possible need our help.

Like so many of you, I've been watching with horror and heartbreak the catastrophic flooding in Nepal.

The photograph above was taken in November 2024, outside the teahouse we'd just stayed in overnight in Syabrubesi, at the start of the Langtang trek.

In just over six weeks, I was due to return there with a team.

The teahouse, and much of what was around it, no longer exists.

The guy in the white T-shirt is Bishnu, one of my local guides. He has been unable to contact some of his friends from that village. Thankfully, the porters in the photograph are safe.

I've travelled through this valley many times over the years, passing through the small villages below the border crossing. I've always been struck by its incredible scale, beauty and the warmth of the people who live there.

Nepal has given so much to me, and to many of you, over the years. I'm genuinely lost for words.

So what can I do?

I've now managed to contact all of the guides and porters we've worked with over the years, and thankfully they and their immediate families are safe.

But many of them have relatives, friends and colleagues who have lost their homes, possessions, money and livelihoods.

The devastation also extends far beyond the Langtang area. The rivers affected flow through large parts of Nepal and ultimately into India, with widespread destruction and loss of life along the way.

In many remote mountain villages, there are no banks and cash is still the only practical form of currency. When that home is swept away, families can lose everything they had.

I fly to Nepal in just over six weeks and will spend six weeks there running two treks.

I genuinely don't know how I can help everyone. None of us can.

After talking at length with my guides and porters in Nepal, we've come up with a simple plan.

My guides and porters have strong connections throughout the affected areas, they will collect the details of individual families who have lost their homes and belongings, find out what they need most and prioritise those in greatest need.

When I arrive in Kathmandu, I will work with them to buy the essential supplies.

These could include:

Rice and other staple foods

Warm clothing

️ Blankets and sleeping bags

Hygiene and household essentials

Other necessities needed to get families through the coming winter

We'll then distribute the supplies directly to the families identified by the guides and porters.

Even something as simple as a 25kg bag of rice costs around £10–£12 and can provide a family with a substantial amount of food.

We can't help everyone. But we can help someone.

I wish I could help everyone affected by this disaster. I can't.

Bishnu said something that really stuck with me:

“Even helping a few families through the winter would be a very meaningful gesture and will genuinely make a big difference.”

I couldn't agree more.

But if we can help a few families get through the coming winter, then we will have done something worthwhile.

That's what this appeal is about.

Just helping a number of real people, known to the Guides & Porters I have worked with and trust, to get through an incredibly difficult winter.

Every contribution will make a difference

£10 could buy a 25kg bag of rice.

£50 could provide a family with food and essential supplies for a long period.

There is no minimum donation. Every pound counts.

I'll keep the fundraising and distribution as transparent as possible, with updates showing how the money is being used and who we have been able to help, while respecting the privacy of the families involved.

If you've trekked in Nepal, climbed its mountains, met its people or simply fallen in love with the country, you'll know why this feels particularly important.

Nepal has given us some incredible experiences, friendships and memories.

Now it's our turn to give something back.

Thank you for reading, sharing and, if you are able to, donating.

Paul ❤️