Adventure and Fun

Mountain Stories – Guides Tell the Tale Themselves; Dipesh Rokaha

We present you mountain stories from the experience of the guides themselves, today we get to know Dipesh Rokaha more with these Q&As.

Mountain Stories – Guides Tell the Tale Themselves; Dipesh Rokaha

Dipesh Rokaha the young, energetic cycling plus trekking guide is another jewel of Ace the Himalaya. Starting his work as a porter for few treks, Dipesh was successful in making a spot for himself in the highly demanded guides list within a short span of time.

His energy, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, cheekiness and his sense of humor definitely impresses the clients on the trail. Oh well, how can we miss talking about his hairstyles too?

When asked about one such adventure he definitely looks up to in future, he said “sounds surreal, but I really want to be on the top of the world, i.e. go on an expedition to Mt. Everest. I want to feel that feeling of reaching the highest point on earth and look at the world beneath. This is on top of my bucket list but since the expedition is quite expensive, I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it up there.”

While having some conversations with Dipesh, we managed to ask him few questions regarding his work experience, memories throughout the trail, and many more. Let us see what he has to share with us.

What is a normal day like for you on a trek? “A day in the life of a guide”.

Like any other guides in the trail, I wake up at around 6 in the morning, freshen up and go straight to meet my clients at around 7:30 for breakfast. We have a short briefing session for the day and then we head on to the trail at around 8:30 in the morning.

The next is lots of walking, lots of resting along the way, lots of pictures, lots of things to talk about, exhilarating sceneries and lots of laughter. I make sure I am available for each and every clients of mine. I help them click pictures, provide the essentials, help them carry their backpacks if unwell, remind them to drink enough water and so on.

The best parts of trekking days must be sharing stories, cracking jokes and simply enjoying every part of the day. In the evening upon reaching the guesthouses, I do the main briefing for the next day once again followed by dinner and a good night sleep.

That’s how my day as a guide looks like in the mountains.

Dipesh Rokaha on the trail
Dipesh on the trail

What is your favorite trekking route?

Sounds quite common, but my favorite trekking area also happens to be the Everest region. Nothing in this world can match up to the view and the sceneries that the Everest region has to offer. The mighty Himalayas, the gorgeous Gokyo valley, and the up close view from Kala Patthar, everything is simply mesmerizing.

No other trails can ever beat the beauty and the challenges of the Everest region. The trails are quite tough but it is those challenges and the zeal that makes it even more exciting. On top of that the uniqueness of the Sherpa culture appeals everyone who visits the area.

Dipesh Rokaha at EBC
Dipesh Rokaha at Everest Base Camp

Thus, my favorite trekking route is the Everest Base Camp with Gokyo valley route. I recommend all the trekkers to once be a part of this trip.

What has been the most challenging moment for you as a guide?

During the trek to Everest Base Camp, one of my clients fell terribly ill at Lobuche. He had shortness of breath due to the increasing altitude. The irony is that this happened around 9 pm at night. I panicked because nothing as such had ever come across before.

However, I managed to think wisely, arranged for a piggy back ride by one of the porters and carried him down to Pheriche. It took us two hours to reach Pheriche from where he was rescued in a helicopter. He was taken to Kathmandu for further treatment.

This is by far one of the most challenging and scary moments throughout my working experience.

What is it like working for Ace?

Ace the Himalaya is the company that brought me up till where I am today. I started working at a very young age, in my teens to be more precise. At first I worked as a porter for few months and then as a guide since last 4-5 years. I am not bragging because I work here, but Ace is definitely one of the best trekking and tour companies in Nepal.

The facilities, the management team, the operation team, everything about Ace is on point. I have enjoyed every trek I have guided from the company and I must say the communication, the co-operation and the encouragement from the management team is satisfactory. So I must say, it’s a good experience working at Ace.

Dipesh Rokaha with clients
Dipesh Rokaha with clients

What do you like the most about guiding?

The best part about my job is that I get to meet a new bunch of energetic people all the time, spend quality moments, share great memories and be friends for lifetime. Meeting new people, talking to them, sharing ideas, culture, beliefs is what intrigues me the most. I love traveling myself, expanding my photography skills and interest plus I get paid for it too. Who wouldn’t want a job like that? So, I feel I’m lucky to be a part of this field and hence enjoy every part of guiding.

Dipesh Rokaha on the trail with happy clients
Dipesh Rokaha on the trail with happy clients

What is your most impressive climb?

Like I already told you, one thing that always fascinated me is the mountains. So I aimed for an expedition to Island Peak and the journey is worth remembering. The climb was very dangerous and equally challenging. Walking on crampons is not an easy thing to do. At every footsteps I took, I only thought of returning back. I could hear my heartbeat in my mouth but as soon as I reached up there on the top of the peak, I couldn’t believe what I actually saw.

There aren’t words to describe how heavenly I felt. The view was simply enthralling and every hard work had paid off. The mountains beneath made me feel rejuvenated and equally energetic. One thing is that I was obsessed with the view and the other was that I was extremely proud of myself for completing the whole expedition.

Dipesh Rokaha walking on the snow
Dipesh Rokaha walking on the snow

This is by far the most impressive climb I have made till date.

Did the Earthquake affect your work?

Yes it did affect my work till certain extent. The booked trips started getting cancelled and the trekkers were all afraid to come to an earthquake devastated country. There were no regular trips till 4 to 5 months after the earthquake. The pace of the treks and trips reduced to minimum to almost none for few months.

After 4-5 months, very few trips started getting booked. But, it took almost 2 to 3 years to make people believe that Nepal is safe to travel to. And looking at the speed now, the trips are running very smoothly and satisfactorily.

Tell us about your family and home.

Well I am originally from Gorkha, born and brought up there till late teens. I started living in Kathmandu after that and since then I have been living here all by myself. I do visit my hometown time and again and my family is happy that I got into this business and am earning a living at such a young age.

Dipesh Rokaha candid picture
Getting Clicked

This is what Dipesh had to share with us about his working experience, his love for his work, his personal memories and his mountain stories. Ace the Himalaya highly appreciates his contribution in making the company bigger by being part of the team. We wish him more success in days to come.

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