The mountains unite
My friend Jaume and I began our mountaineering journey more than 40 years ago, and as we climbed summits and discovered landscapes, we also forged a solid friendship that—now that we are grandparents—has become definitive, binding us as lifelong friends.
Later, as the years went by and the exuberance of youth settled, we discovered that the mountains could take us even further.
Through travels and ascents in mountain ranges around the world, we discovered different landscapes, different peoples, and, ultimately, we came to understand that there were different needs as well.
When, in 2025, we arrived in Nepal to explore the summit of Kangchenjunga, we were captivated by the warmth of its people. Any challenges we may have, lose importance when seeing the people’s smiles and seem insignificant in comparison to their needs. We like to sum up that journey through the Himalayas with the title “Mountains and Smiles.”
The mountains took shape in Kangchenjunga, of course, but reached their climax in Jannu—an impressive peak of nearly eight thousand meters that rises like an arrow in the heart of the Limbu people’s homeland (the first patient of “Jannu Ferides” belongs to this ethnic group and lives at the foot of this mountain). The silhouette of the summit, so captivating, was the starting point of this project. Despite the difficulty, we wanted to capture its shape and essence in the logo of “Jannu Ferides.”
And the smiles took shape in the countless people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds who welcomed us with open arms and always with joy throughout the expedition—whether in mountain huts, villages, or simply along the trails.
But the mountains bring us together in an even deeper way. We confirmed this when we added “Solidarity” to “Mountains and Smiles.”
The fundamental needs of the people of Nepal—and, by extension, of the whole world—called out to us, and we could not turn our backs. Beyond the debt I have incurred to nursing and wound care for all they have given me over nearly 45 years of professional practice, the time had come to give back to the mountains and, above all, to the people, for what they have also given us throughout all this time.
That is how “Jannu Ferides” was born: as the recognition that mountains unite mountaineers just as a rope connects two old climbing friends—and as a project that has brought together a multitude of people in a solidarity initiative focused on patients suffering from wounds in settings with limited or no resources; a project that seeks to add its grain of sand, as the Buddhists of Nepal say, to the alleviation of pain and to universal compassion.
This is the “Base Camp” of “Jannu Ferides”: a forty-year friendship, mountains, smiles… and solidarity.
Now, another long ascent. Our objective lies far ahead. We will reach the summit when as many people as possible—especially the most vulnerable—can receive proper wound care. The climb will be arduous but surely fascinating.
That is why we need all of you. Welcome to “Jannu Ferides.”!
Do you want to collaborate with us on this long climb? Together, we’ll make it.
