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- May 18, 2022
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Buddhist scholar to co-lead Snowman trek this fall
We’re pleased to welcome Buddhist scholar and Bhutan expert, Ian Baker, to co-lead the Oct. 7th Snowman trek along with Deana Zabaldo. We’d like to introduce you to Ian here.
As much as we’re all drawn to the physical beauty and grandeur of the mountain places we visit, in some places it’s as much about the people that inhabit these incredible places. Such is the case with Bhutan, where cultural and religious tradition offer every bit as much intrigue and beauty as the majestic Himalayas of Bhutan. Both Ian and Deana’s insight into the culture of Bhutan will make this year’s Snowman Trek an experience of a lifetime to be sure.
Ian Baker holds advanced degrees in History and Anthropology and is the author of seven critically acclaimed books on Himalayan and Tibetan culture, including Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices, The Heart of the World, The Tibetan Art of Healing, Buddhas of the Celestial Gallery, and The Dalai Lama’s Secret Temple, a collaborative work with H.H. The Dalai Lama illuminating Tantric Buddhist yoga and meditation practices.
![P1010128](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=fd659b2e3a2f75a092e9118624fbbb93 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=d890e7bc7e6c17ef1bf320b23437e08b 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=97b7a1e9d8f2cb5dd57dca4d7bdb6efc 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=c4d0888054f6a2e66340840c84bc2fc3 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=7dfccb3b642c9fda5d96258764e92e12 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=34921b1d0e384d74d9634383fb9bd66e 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=cbda51f82c1d72dc8708a47f8def5b7b 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=8ac42f64fc2fba946ba9758572f3dfea 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=5cbed0ddd3caa2bc7d798157e15e4ae7 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=03efa0dc01b2af27898cf3ec21491db1 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/P1010128_2022-05-18-203954_fguf.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=f8995efb70a5fcbfc761a9c1fa6377f4 200w 167h)
Ian is an international fellow of The Explorers Club and was designated by National Geographic Society as one of seven “Explorers for the Millennium” for his field research in Tibet’s Tsangpo Gorge and his team’s discovery of a waterfall that had been the source of myth and geographic speculation for more than a century. He has designed and led educational tours in Tibet, Nepal, India, and Bhutan for Smithsonian Institution, National Geographic Expeditions, and the Victoria and Albert Museum and is an active board member of the International Society for Bhutan Studies.
![Adli wahid A87rz MJN E unsplash](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=ac015f3da9517ed0c28cea7b4161de66 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=33a09ea498a07d5d68b9009cb2aee0ae 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=0a3249bd1313a1bced6f9c9364beb0a3 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=461a40217efa1bdf0fad242aa2ff1704 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=7e80697bde226ecf67d8a5ad17c1205f 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=921942eaf7c1e4024c2b11ffb2eb5282 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=8a8f7b75bc7924e77ce9c7d2466541b4 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=a95cb9b21182f0ab937fa037564a6a46 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=f9afa70b8522810baaecc13f6fb26fa6 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=cb35c1e6fb2367d9b6e054364f44a3b7 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/adli-wahid-A87rz-MJN_E-unsplash.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=99b29d2d87ea3393bacf7b41aa152018 200w 167h)
![DSCN8543](https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1833&q=80&w=2200&s=21bf25027b74cce1e382d50cae500541 2200w 1833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1667&q=80&w=2000&s=2946166055b1a7f395d5430b57a2f77e 2000w 1667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1500&q=80&w=1800&s=2789aca7f3c367593458bae30eecb963 1800w 1500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1333&q=80&w=1600&s=4e4e8d9ce99a358913fb155119647a12 1600w 1333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1167&q=80&w=1400&s=4b9f7df36b58fe12a86dfa019179d545 1400w 1167h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1000&q=80&w=1200&s=9e6526c469eef9e40125b5df4247a97f 1200w 1000h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=833&q=80&w=1000&s=6a3ad29d9b16d2f1bd217c0f4ae84659 1000w 833h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=667&q=80&w=800&s=626d162cb1873a1f999491b44a122f5d 800w 667h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=500&q=80&w=600&s=d98df25049a60a550b983c13c747d1b6 600w 500h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=333&q=80&w=400&s=29abb2539ddaf8ea2e8f1f8ad4549eb5 400w 333h, https://mountain-madness.imgix.net/general-images/DSCN8543.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=167&q=80&w=200&s=56d11d891ac04a61e08773604757c296 200w 167h)
Who better to show you this amazing country than Ian and Deana, a country like no others in the world. Ancient and never colonized, Bhutan is bordered by China, Tibet and India, and is a constitutional monarchy. Traditional Buddhist values are the foundation of government, business and personal life. The philosophy of“Gross National Happiness” guides the government and the former King stated,“Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.” Bhutan is cautious in allowing growth and development and tourism is strictly limited to maintain the country’s pristine valleys and peaks of the Eastern Himalaya — we feel privileged to be able to show you this amazing place and hope you can join us in this mystical place.