Raised in Khari Khola, Sonam entered Nepal's trekking industry just as newly opened regions were pulling adventure travel further into the country's remote valleys.
Sixteen years across trek operations, logistics and management — rising to General Manager while covering ground across Everest, Annapurna, Mustang, Dolpo, Langtang, Tibet and Bhutan.
Alongside tourism, Sonam served as President for Smile For Hope Foundation, an NGO supporting children affected through education and healthcare.
After roughly eighteen years of apprenticeship, Sonam registered Nord Extreme Himalaya (P) Ltd. — built around personalised trekking, small groups and responsible tourism.
Of all the terrain he'd covered, Sonam chose to build a dedicated brand around one region: Upper and Lower Mustang, the Tiji Festival, jeep tours, and luxury camping.
Sonam went on to hold leadership roles beyond his own company, including General Secretary of TAAN and President of both the Sherpa Tourism Entrepreneur Association and the Nepal Nationalist Indigenous Tourism Federation.
“Learn the ground first. Then build something worth walking on it for.”
Thirty years in Nepal's trekking industry, a decade building one company around one region — Mustang Trekking is still rooted in the same red-cliffed valley Sonam chose to make his own.
— MUSTANG TREKKING, A NORD EXTREME HIMALAYA BRAND