Walking towards enlightenment as artistic practice in the Himalayas.

This article focuses on an experiential learning project that uses walking together as an artistic and pedagogical practice to explore concepts of place, nature, and enlightenment within the context of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal's Khumbu Valley. Two university artist-educators and a middle-school art teacher, along with their students, engaged in a three-week interdisciplinary expedition to Mount Everest Base Camp, using walking as a methodology to deepen ecological, cultural, spiritual, and artistic understanding. The project connects historical and contemporary walking art practices with place-based education, emphasizing movement, dialogue, and critical reflection on local histories, including Sherpa culture, Tibetan Buddhist spirituality, and ecological challenges. The middle-school teacher adapted these insights into a "Wild Art School" curriculum that encourages students to engage critically and creatively with their local environments through walking. Overall, the article presents walking as a holistic educational approach that fosters awareness, empathy, and imaginative inquiry into the relationships between art, spirituality, culture, and ecology.