The Reluctant Mountain Goat

I had envisioned cruising the Mediterranean in retirement; instead I stood in a plywood-walled room in the middle of Nepal, layering on clothing in the early morning darkness, my teeth clenched against the cold. I was a first-time trekker in the Himalayas. Had I known about leeches and monsoons, I might not have succumbed to my husband's skillful prodding to leave the comfort of a five-star resort in Kathmandu for a five-day trek in the Himalayas; but I would have missed an adventure I will never forget.

The Reluctant Mountain Goat explores the captivating beauty of Nepal and its gentle, resilient people. The journey begins with an unexpected invitation to an orphanage in Kathmandu that triggers other twists and turns taking us from palaces and kingdoms to Buddhist and Hindu temples and funeral pyres, and then to an unplanned trek in the Annapurna Mountain Range of the Himalayas. The story of my journey is told with humor as I face a standoff with my fears of trekking and with the delight of discovery as I explore a world unlike any I had ever experienced.

Photographs of historic places, many of which were severely damaged three-and-a-half years later by the 2015 Nepal earthquake, appear throughout the book. For those who would like to be more prepared for trekking than my husband and I were, I include recommendations for the times of year to trek, what to take with you, and what to buy or rent in Nepal.