Reflection from the Trail: Thorong La Pass

Standing at 17,769 feet on Thorong La Pass, the wind biting and thin, I felt both completely exhausted and entirely alive. The final push to the top was one of the hardest physical and mental challenges I’ve ever faced. Every breath felt like pulling air through a straw. My legs moved more from determination than energy. But step by step, I climbed.

The world narrowed to breath and snow, rock and resolve.

And then, the summit. Prayer flags snapped in the wind. Fellow trekkers exchanged tired, exhilarated smiles. The whole Annapurna range unfolded in a sweeping panorama behind me—and I cried. Not from pain or even pride, but from release. From realizing just how far I had come, and not just in miles.

Crossing Thorong La wasn’t just a physical accomplishment. It felt like a crossing into a new version of myself—someone stronger, quieter, more certain.

The pass taught me that we are always more capable than we think. That the climb is never just external. And that sometimes, the most sacred part of the journey is earned in the hardest stretch.