A Story of Karma: Finding Love and Truth in the Lost Valley of the Himalaya

A deeply personal travel memoir that combines alpine adventure, family connections, and spiritual encounters in two very different worlds: a Himalayan village and Vancouver, Canada.

In 2012, Michael Schauch and his wife, Chantal, undertook an expedition deep in the Himalaya of northern Nepal, into a remote valley that had been closed off to outsiders for decades. They led a team of artists (a photographer, a musician, and a painter), with the objective of capturing a moment in time through their unique lenses. As a mountaineering fanatic, Michael had a second (and less conspicuous) goal to climb an unknown mountain he had only identified through a photograph. What unfolded in the mountains forced him to question his values and his own identity, and eventually resulted in meeting a little girl, which was the most profound encounter of his life. Little did either know that from that moment they would completely change the trajectory of each other’s life.

A Story of Karma recounts this journey, and the years that follow as Karma (the little girl), and Michael and Chantal grow their lives together amidst the confusing dichotomies and backdrop of Karma’s 17th-century Himalayan village; the impoverished and polluted Kathmandu; and the modern world of Vancouver, Canada.

Specifications

• Format: Paperback
• Dimensions: 364 pages, 13.97 x 1.91 x 21.59 cm
• Published: Sept. 29 2020
• Publisher: Rocky Mountain Books
• Language: English
• Item weight: 364 g

About the Author

Michael Schauch is a mountaineer, entrepreneur, and storyteller who lives to explore remote places around the world and to share the depth and beauty of human connection he discovers along the way. With early success as an entrepreneur at age 15, and over 20 years of global financial investment experience, Schauch brings his business acumen and altruistic heart to help lead and support local and international mentorship, fundraising, and educational initiatives. These include the education of girls and student mentorship in Nepal, outdoor youth leadership for those facing barriers to access nature, and holistic Indigenous leadership development in BC. Schauch holds an MBA from Queen?s University and is a member of The Explorers Club. He and Chantal make their basecamp in Squamish, British Columbia.