Educated in the U.S. and Europe, Ani Christine Skarda received her Ph.D. in philosophy in 1982. Subsequently she held post-doctoral positions at UC Berkeley in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience between 1982-1989, and was a fellow in Cognitive Science at the Ecole Polytechnique (Paris) between 1986-88. In full time retreat since 1992, she is a student of H.H. Chetsang Rinpoche, the Drikung Kyabgon, and has lived in India since 1995 and lives in Darjeeling.

Ray was born in the USA. At a early age he developed a passion for both bicycling and travel. After traveling in North America, Central America and South America he found his way to Asia.

He has traveled and lived throughout the Himalaya since 1992. Ray has cycled more than 8000 miles (13,300 km) in the Himalaya on four different trips.

He is one of the few non-Tibetans to have completed the pilgrimages to Tsari, Lapchi and Kailash; the three most important pilgrimage sites in Tibet. He is most likely the only person to have done these three pilgrimages in Teva sandals.

He now makes his home in the Eastern Himalayan town of Darjeeling, India.

For more on Ray's travels in the Himalaya go to: