Mail by Runner 151: Penpals from NZ to Nepal

When Trish joined our Everest70 trek in 2023, she didn’t just come home with memories—she came home with an idea.

Trish set up a pen pal exchange between her children's school in Wellington and Thame School in Nepal. Letters full of descriptions and drawings are hand-carried back and forth from the mountains, making each delivery a special occasion. Since 2023, hundreds of letters have been sent between Nepal and New Zealand, with many more to come.

Her son George has been writing to his pen pal from the start. In his latest letter, after learning that he and Trish will visit Thame in April 2026, he wrote:

“Dear Kungya, I’m coming to see you.”

This is the kind of connection our treks are designed to create—travelling responsibly, building friendships with local communities, and experiencing the region in a way that lasts well beyond the trip itself.

We are delighted by this growing connection between New Zealand students and students from Thame Village. We look forward to sharing more soon!