Sharing the beauty of Nepal with the world.

Koru Mountains Trekking and Expeditions was founded in 2015 by Nepal-born Phurenje Sherpa and his longtime Kiwi friend, Joe Rush.

Phurenje grew up in a well-respected sherpa family in the small mountain village of Khari Khola in the Solukhumbu Valley. He began his career as a climbing guide, helping international mountaineers on expeditions up the most famous and challenging Himalayan peaks.

Later, Phurenje started a new life with his family in the South Island of New Zealand. There he met Joe, a New Zealand police officer and keen outdoorsman with years of experience tramping, climbing, mountain biking, and ski touring. Together, they created Koru Mountains, to share the beauty of Nepal with visitors from New Zealand and around the world.

In Maori design, the koru symbol – an unfurling spiral – can represent new life, new beginnings, personal growth, and a return to the place of origin.

Koru Mountains represents the love of Phurenje for his homeland, the bond he has forged between New Zealand and Nepal, and most of all, his pride in returning to share their homeland with visitors.

Every Koru Mountains expedition is the start of a new adventure. Discover the beauty that awaits at the roof of the world.

At Koru Mountains, our main object is to support the sherpa communities in the Solukhumbu Valley.

We work closely with our large family and friend network in Nepal to employ local staff and support locally-owned businesses. All money raised from our treks goes directly to local families, so your client dollars directly benefit Nepalese communities.

We also support the Himalayan Trust in their mission to empower communities and reduce poverty in the Everest region of Nepal.