TREKKING ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD
(This article is dedicated to the Malaysians who have reached the summit of Mt Everest and have trekked in Nepal)
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| Street Scene in Kathmandu Nepal |
At the Nepal Scout Association HQ in Kathmandu. Participants
being welcomed and briefed on the climb of one of the mountains in the
Himalayas to be named after the founder of the Scout Movement,
Lord Robert Baden-Powell
In my Scout uniform with a guide, in front of the Nepal Scout Asso. HQ
Nepal is a Buddhist country - a Buddhist temple in Kathmandu
With a Sherpa guide in front of the Nepal Scout HQ
In the background, Baden-Powell Peak is one of the peaks in the Himalayan Mountain Range
named after the founder of the Scout Movement, the destination
of the Trekking Expedition by representatives of the Scout Associations from all over the world
1. Introduction
Nepal has for quite
sometime, been one of the destinations that I have on my travel agenda. It is not Mt.
Everest that was luring me but more of the exotic, rugged, mountainous
topography of the country. A number of friends who have visited it, spoke of
the breathtaking beauty, diverse ethnic and friendly people, the many challenging
treks that are found throughout the country. It is the treks in the scenic
environment that have attracted me for, trekking is one of the regular outdoor
activities that I do for my health wellbeing. The question is when to schedule
the trip. It was the scout
movement that paved the way. The World Organisation of Scout Movement
celebrates its centennial year in 2007 and one of the events of the celebration
is the naming of one of the peaks in Nepal after the founder of the
Movement– Baden- Powell. The event is organised by the Nepal Scouts Association
and all national associations all over the world were invited to participate, including
the Scouts Association of Malaysia (SAM).
2. Baden-Powell Peak (BPP) Ambassador
The Chief Scout
Commissioner of SAM, Dato’ Dr. Kamaruddin Kachar, on receiving the invitation
extended as early as May 2006, knowing that I would be interested in this sort
of activity, sent a copy of the invitation to me and invited me to be the
Malaysian ambassador for Baden–Powell Peak (BPP). The role of the ambassador is
to promote BPP to Malaysians. I agreed and
submitted the BPP Ambassador form in February 2007. In one of the columns in the form ‘Experience in
Climbing and Trekking’, I wrote ‘Had climbed Mt. Kinabalu
(4101m) a number of times and trekked in different destinations in Malaysia’. I then
proceeded to email mountaineering colleagues in Sabah
and Peninsular Malaysia inquiring if they were interested in participating in
the inaugural climb scheduled for September 2007. The response was lukewarm.
Initially, I was
indecisive as to my participation as it was indicated in the brochure that the
climb of the BPP` is a fairly demanding climb and so one had to be reasonably
fit, or known that you can get fit quickly. No experience is necessary;
however, one must be familiar with alpine environments and must understand the
risks that camping and climbing above the snow line pose’. I fell I am fit as I
regularly do my jogging, biking and swimming. I resolved to give a try and signed
to participate. I felt that I would give my best and if for some reason, I could
not proceed, then I should not go further.
3. Preparation and Equipments
The organizers, in
their announcement, provided a long list of clothing and equipments to
bring – kitbag, sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, daypack, boots, socks, camp
shoes, fleece top, down jacket, wind jacket, thermal underwear, day wear shirt,
trekking pants, wind pants, sunglasses, mittens/gloves, water bottle, head
torch, toiletries, towel, sun screen, moisturizer, camera, money pouch, snow
gaiters, trekking poles, ice axe, crampons, light harness, two locking
carabineers, two prussic, wind proof pants, waterproof leather boots. The first thing I
did was to check with the supplies that I have purchased over the years which
are being kept in the store. I have sleeping bag, gloves, daypack, jacket,
water bottles. The usual toiletries, shirts and camera were not a problem. A
few things such as snow gaiters, crampons, prussic were new and not heard of
before. Many items needed to be acquired.
A friend
recommended a mountaineering equipment shop in Petaling Jaya to source my
supplies. Looking at the prices, the items were expensive – a pair of carbon
walking poles were around RM600, crampon RM550, the waterproof leather boots
would cost me a fortune. I had a dilemma. These items were expensive and I might
only use them a couple of times in my life time. On inquiring, I was advised
that it was better to purchase or rent them in Kathmandu.
All participants
for the ascent of BPP were expected to be in Kathmandu
on September 3, 2007.
I explored and browsed the internet to see the various airlines that fly to the
Nepalese capital from Kuala Lumpur.
Two airlines emerged as the regular service provider for the Kuala
Lumpur-Kathmandu sector – Nepal Airways and Thai Airways International. I was
booked on the Thai International leaving KLIA on September 4, 2007 at 08.00 hrs for Kathmandu with a one–and half hours transit at the new Bangkok Airport. I left on the scheduled date,
inspite of the bomb incident in Kathmandu the
previous night as reported on the television. The plane landed at the Tribhuvan
International Airport Kathmandu at 12.45
noon. After settling the US $30 visa I was cleared of the
immigration formalities and here I was in Kathmandu.
The welcome that I
received outside the airport was a mingling crowd with placards with names of
hotels, tour and trekking agencies. This was the marketing undertaken by
companies to get clients to their respective business outlets. Taxi drivers
were also soliciting to get passengers to their respective destinations. After finding the scouts that received us, together
with three scout representatives from Hong Kong, who were on the same flight
from Bangkok, we got the transport provided that took us to our accommodation –
Om Tara Guesthouse in Thamel. The Thamel area in Kathmandu
is the main centre for travellers to the country with many hotels, guesthouses,
money exchange outlets, shops and stalls, restaurant and supermarkets. It was
my base during my stay in Nepal.
4. Participants
At the Guesthouse
I was introduced to the other members of the participating team. Hong Kong was made up of three members – Ho Chin Peng,
who manages an outdoor school; Ken Leung, a policemen who devotes his time to
scouting and Wilson Cheung, a student. The Singapore participants were made up
of Wong Yew Heung, who manages a travel agency, Lester Leong, a researcher in
Information Technology and Lesley Teh, a student of the London School of
Economics who is back on the long summer vacation. All the participants, in my
assessment, were less than 30 years old except for Ken Leung from Hong Kong who is in the late 30s.
On checking into
the guesthouse, I had sought the advise of the more experienced mountaineering
colleagues from Hong Kong, Oh Chin Ping to
have a look at the trekking equipments that I have brought. As we were going
through the checklist, some of the scout colleagues from Hong
Kong and Singapore
had cynical smiles on their faces. I know I was inadequately equipped. As some
of the Hong Kong colleagues were also planning
to rent some of the equipments in Kathmandu I
decided to follow them.
At the Sherpa
Mountaineering Equipment Shop my list of rented equipments include sleeping
bag, down jacket, koflach shoes, crampon, ice axe, carabineers and harness. The
total rental value of the items was R2250 (around MR125) for the proposed
trekking period of ten days. The most expensive rental item was a double
layered waterproof shoes at MR40 for the period. Other equipments which I
decided to purchase were windproof pants (MR35) a pair of walking poles (MR35),
woolen gloves (MR15) head torch (MR15), snow gaiters (MR20). All the items were
fractions of the prices in Kuala
Lumpur. I also acquired another bag to accommodate the
additional equipments rented and purchased.
Surprisingly I had
a good night sleep as usually with a change of place, it might affect one’s
regular daily practice. I was relaxed and
was ready to take what comes.
5. Bus Ride to Shabru Bensi
We were joined by
four guides, headed by Phurwa Pasang Sherpa, when we departed for Syabru Bensi
by bus starting from the Nepalese Scout Association HQ, on the second day of
the trekking expedition (September 5), a distance of about 144km from
Kathmandu. Before the start of the bus ride to our destination, we were told
that we would go through two landslides. The extraordinary heavy showers of the
monsoon for the last few months have caused these landslides on the way and we
have to get our supplies and baggages across at these points.
There were other
challenges as we proceeded. It was raining heavily, the road was narrow
constructed precipitously on the flanks of the mountain range with deep river
gorges. The young driver did not help either with the speed.
We were initially
on the asphalt road, though narrow, for the first 72km going downhill from an
elevation of 1300m at the capital city to 540m at Trisuli Bazaar. For the next
50km to Dhunche the bus was going uphill passing through Betrawati (630m),
Ranche (1760m), Thare (1910m) and Ghunche (2030m) . It was between Ranche and
Thare that we came across the two landslides – the first one was not difficult
to get across and it was still daylight. The second stretch was a scary
experience as it was already dark. The walking strip was narrow across a
precipitous deep ravine. It took the group some 45 minutes to get across. It
was a harrowing experience for me and deep in my heart, my reaction was ‘why on
earth do I want to go through this hell’.
The 22km pebbly
road from Dhunche to Syabru Bensi was equally treacherous and narrow but going
downhill. We were finally in the village at an elevation of 1460m at 10.30 pm. The bus took 12 hours to cover a
distance of 144km. We were served rice, lentil soup, turnip vegetable for
dinner. I was getting exposed to the vegetarian food which is the staple of the
Nepalese who adhere to either the Hindu or Buddhist faith.
Saturday September
6, was a rest day. I took the opportunity to walk around the one row shop
houses in the village, inspite of the continuous drizzle. Syabru Bensi has developed to cater for the
trekking needs of the visitors. Hotels and guesthouses with such names as Lhasa, Tibet,
Potala dominate the scene and the names given to hotels and guesthouses, were
indicative of the ethnic community that own and live there. They are Nepalese
of the Tibetan ancestry known as Tamangs and profess the Buddhist religion. The
village is located in the District of Rusuwa, which borders Tibet. Other
shops were catering for grocery, tailoring and clothing needs of the village
community. The village also has a primary and secondary school with dormitary
facilities to provide accommodation for children coming from the remote
villages.
Nepal has a similar
educational set up as in Malaysia
with children going through five years in the primary, five years in the
secondary, and two years in the upper secondary. Inspite of the efforts of the
government to provide educational facilities, illiteracy in the country is high.
One estimate has put 70 percent as the illiterary rate of the population. The
Sherpa guides that accompanied us have only primary education.
We were joined at
the hotel by other scout participants who have arrived earlier and were
conditioning for the ascend of BPP with trekking at the many trails around the
village. With this addition, the number of participants was 26 representing Australia (2), Hong Kong (3), Korea (8), Singapore (6), Taiwan (6) and Malaysia (1)
supported by 45 porters and guides. I was the sole representative of the
country and the oldest in the group, whose average age, in my estimate were in
the late 20.
6. Trekking in the Lantang National Park and the Surrounding Villages
Friday September 7
was the start of the trekking. BPP lies in
the Ganesh Himal area which is in the north-west of Kathmandu.
The renaming of Urkema
Peak, after the founder
of the World Scout Movement was part of the centennial celebration of the
Movement. It was an effort initiated by the National Commissioner of the Nepal
Scouts, Shree Ram Lamichhane, to make Nepal known to the 35 million scouts in
more than 200 countries all over the world and to make the country the trekking
destination, whilst at the same time, by stimulating tourism activities in the
area, uplift the economic wellbeing of the people who are mainly living below
the poverty line.
The climbing
itinerary of BPP was a seven day return trip starting at Syabru Bensi (1460m)
to Lama Hotel (2769m) Langtang Village (3330m), Kyangjin Gompa (3720m), High
Camp (4960m) and finally BPP (5822m).
The start was
scheduled at 7.30am.
However, many were ready much earlier. By 7am
the eight Koreans started the walk. I followed next. The Taiwanese,
Singaporeans and Hongkies trailed behind with the porters with their supplies. As
we crossed over the overhanging steel bridge that span the Langtang River
and observe the surrounding areas, the scenery was stunningly beautiful and
picturesque. These were the sights that soothe my achieving muscles as I trudge
through the treks during my sojourn to Nepal.
We were trekking along
the Lantang River going up and down. At a few places
it was treacherous because of the precipitous ravine. Because of the heavy
downpour for quite a few days and the hilly terrain, the ferocious raging
waters of the Laytang
River was frightening. At
a few points the River appears more like a waterfall, flowing through a steep
area. We were walking along a trek in a narrow valley bounded by steep
mountains on both sides of the trail. It was an awesome but yet picturesque.
Inspite of being overtaken by the younger participants and the porters, I was
walking at a slow pace and drinking lots of water as required in high altitude
climbing and after four hours of trekking we made the first stop at Namaste
Guesthouse and Restaurant at a place known as Landslide. It was so named to
commemorate a huge landslide that occurred in the 1850s. At this point, the
only participant that did not reach the point was a Korean who served as the
official photographer for the Korean team.
After a two hour
lunch break, the group proceeded on. The trail was getting steeper and dusk was
setting in with an overcast sky. My leg muscle was aching. The scheduled next
stop was a further steep climb to Lama Hotel. My concern was that if I proceeded,
the muscle pain might worsen and cause more problem. I decided not to proceed
further and put up a night in a lodging house on the trek that provided room
for trekkers. I requested the Sherpa guide that was accompanying me to proceed
ahead and inform the leading guide about my predicament and decision.
The lodging house
that I stayed was owned by a family with two young school going children aged
around seven and ten. A 82 year old grandfather of the children lived with the
family. I shared with him the bedroom. Surprisingly a printed menu in English
with the available dishes was shown to me. I ordered fried chowmein and milk
tea for dinner. It was a hefty serve of chowmein which was too much for me. I
shared the food with my bedroom mate.
I was provided
with a mattress and woollen blanket but no light. The head torch that I
invested in became useful during dinner and looking for the various items in my
backpack. I was in bed by eight and with the tired muscles I was having my
dream not long after that. I had a good rest facilitated by the woollen blanket
which provided the comfort against the chilling mountain temperatures.
A different guide
Bharat Rama Magar was assigned to me. He was at the lodge early and by nine we
proceeded on our return journey to Syabru Bensi. This was Saturday, September
8, my fourth day in Nepal.
Unlike the earlier guide, Bharat was more fluent in English and we were able to
communicate. It was a more leisurely, slow trek and Bharat reminded me to look
around the plants, insects and wildlife that abound this forest. Indeed. I was
actually trekking in one of Nepal National Parks–Langtang National Park (LNP).
LNP is part of the national parks and wildlife reserves that exist in the
country, which cover an area of 1710 sq. km. LNP encloses the catchments of two
major rivers. The Trisuli and Sun Kosi – the former river serving as one of the
popular white water rafting destination – and several mountains exceeding 7000m
and BPP. With areas of varied climatic patterns from alpine to subtropical its
biodiversity is rich. It was brought to my attention by Bharat of the many bee hives
overhanging the steep rocky cliffs and the white faced monkeys that were
feeding on the trees. I noticed a few species of butterflies. It would have
been exciting to see the many others bigger faunal species reported to be
present which include pandas, muntjac, musk deer, black bear and serows.
I observed that
the Park is rich with oak, pine and bamboo. Asian pennywort (pegaga – Centella asiatica) was growing
everywhere. I picked its shoots and started munching away. I did the same with
Hibiscus shoots which grew in abundance. I informed Bharat that the pennywort
is widely used in traditional medicine by the people in the east and is
considered as a brain tonic and good for general health as it promotes blood
circulation. He started picking up the shoots and washing them and handing over
to me to eat. Marijuana was also seen growing widely. Bharat was aware it was a
drug and according to him, it is being consumed by the older members of the
Nepalese community.
Besides LNP, Nepal has eight
other national parks and four wildlife reserves. These protected and
conservation areas cover an area of 14600 sq. km representing the diversified
ecosystems in the country – from the tropical plains, the midland valleys to
mountainous regions. The country also has two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the
Everest National Park, whose main attraction is Mt. Everest and the beautiful impeyan
pheasant, the national bird; and Royal Chitwan National Park, in which a
significant number of one horned rhinoceros and the endangered species of the
Bengal tiger, Gangetic dolphin and Gharial crocodile can be found.
Bharat and I
discussed further the plan for trekking activities. He suggested that the towns
situated on the return trip to Kathmandu such
as Dhunche and Trisuli Bazaar offer trekking possibilities. Dhunche the
administrative capital of Rosuwa District, is the home of the Tamang. There is
a Tamang museum, depicting the culture and economic activities of this ethnic
group. The treks leading to the many small hamlets surrounding the town,
Trisuli Bazaar has a hydro electric power plant that we could visit and trails
along the Trisuli
River were also suitable
for the walks. I kept my opinion open and leaving the plan flexible and perhaps
deciding as we went along.
After a night rest
at Syabru Bensi, we were out of bed early to catch the scheduled bus departure
at 6.30 am. This was
Sunday, September 9. By the time I got on the bus, the 36 seats were occupied
and it was standing room only. There were also passengers on the roof of the
bus. While standing I was face to face with a gentleman who subsequently
introduced himself as Likpa, a teacher trained in Sociology. He was leading a group
representing different ethnic groups– Mongolian, Gurung, Tamang, Magars,
Sherpas for a filming assignment sanctioned by the Government, on the subject
revolving around overcoming ethnic discrimination. I noticed the beautiful
faces of the girls and handsome boys seated in the bus who were actors in the
film. They indicated that they were volunteers taking part in the film.
I was curious on
ethnic discrimination and started asking Likpa as to who discriminate who in
the country. I was not able to get the answers from him. However I posed these
questions to other Nepalese at the later stage of my stay in the country. There
were several categories of discrimination that were referred to – one category
is discrimination among the castes in an ethnic group; another aspect of
discrimination is the ethnic groups that dwell in urban environment as opposed
to those in rural. Some form of discrimination also exists on the basis of
economic status. This discrimination issue is not unique in Nepal but is
pervasive in many countries all over the world.
Among the members
of the filming entourage was another teacher, Bhakta, who attempted to speak to
me in Bahasa Malaysia
– sudah makan, mau pi mana, after I have introduced myself as a Malaysian. Bhakta
worked for a short stint in Penang among the
many Nepalese that took advantage of the working opportunities in Malaysia. I met
many in Nepal
who have either a relative, a friend, a classmate who work in our country.
Bhakta operates a guesthouse in Dhunche, managed by his wife and son and he
himself teaches at Rosuwa
Secondary School in the
town. He is active in the school scout movement. He brought me to visit his
school and meet the teachers.
In Dhunche, in which
the bus pulled up, two and half hours later, I checked in at the Langtang View
Hotel. It was a five storey outfit owned by a teacher, who has developed it
progressively over the years. Besides visiting the secondary school, I toured
the one row street town. Though the small hamlets that dotted the slopes of the
mountainous areas around Dhunche were beautiful, I felt lethargic about
walking. I spent time going through Lonely Planet travel guide on Nepal and from
the information I gathered, Pokhara was my option for the next trekking
destination. I decided not to have a break in Trisuli Bazaar but to proceed to
Pokhara and spent three days there and the remaining three days to get to know
the capital city, Kathmandu.
7. Trekking around Pokhara
After a night in
Dhurche and an uneventful night stay in Kathmandu,
Bharat and I were on our way to Pokhara. It was at 7am on September 11, my seventh day that we departed in an
express bus heading gently downhill for the Lake City
and the entry point of the many popular trekking destinations in Nepal. The bus
weaved itself on the 200km Kathmandu – Pokhara Privithi Highway
passing through beautiful country side and small towns of Dokhani, Mugling,
Dhumre, Damauli, Khairani and Gate. It was a seven hour drive covering a
distance of around 200km with two stops for breakfast and lunch.
Pokhara lies at an
elevation of 884m, about 400m lower than Kathmandu at 1300m and is considered
by many, the paradise of Nepal with a combination of pristine lakes, turbulent
rivers suitable for white water rafting, hill stations that visitors can have the
panoramic views of the valleys and the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges
and picturesque villages and many natural and cultural heritages such as
waterfalls, caves, temples and museums. It is
also in the proximity of some of the most popular trekking destinations
in Nepal
which include Annapurna Circuit, Annapurna Sanctuary, Namchase Trek, and Royal
Trek.
I checked in at
Base Camp Resort at the Lakeside of Pokhara close to Phewa Lake
and on the advise of a travel agent, who is a friend of Bharat, I decided to
trek along two routes –Naudanda–Kaskikot–Sarangkot and part of the Royal trek.
The latter was so named after Prince Charles of United Kingdom, who with his team
mates, trekked it in 1980.
We were driven by
taxi starting at around 8 am
to Naudanda, a 45 minute drive from Pokhara on Wednesday September 12. The walk
on the Naudanda-Sarangkot Trek was a gentle climb along a lateritic and rocky trail,
being accosted by school going children and villagers with ‘namaste’ (welcome),
passing through terraced farms grown with millet, vegetables, fruits and with
goats and buffalo grazing the pasture land. It was a pleasant walk with views
of the valleys to our right and mountains to our left, passing through the
villages of Simpali, Bhuyelbari, Durali, Baspani, Turipani and Sarangkot.
At Sarangkot we
scaled the steep hill up to the viewing tower with telecommunication gadgets. A
signage indicated that I was 1592m above sea level , some 700m higher than
Pokhara, from this strategic high
point we gazed down the vast Pokhara Valley
and the many lakes that dotted the surrounding. It was a beautiful sight. I was
informed by the guide that conducted me around the tower that on, a clear day
or early in the morning, one could see on the horizon to the north the silhouette
of Mt. Dhaulagiri (8168m), Annapurna 1
(8091m), Mt South Annapurna (7219m), Mt Himchuli (6444m) and Annapurna IV
(7555m).
In the tower, I bumped
into a group of officials from Central Bank of Nepal and one of them, on being
told that I was from Malaysia,
informed that he has visited Kuala
Lumpur and Terengganu. A small world. The subsequent
walk was a steep descend to get to the road that brought us back to Lakeside by six in the evening.
I was looking
forward to walk the Royal Trek on Thursday September 13. The number 13 proved
to be unlucky as it rained heavily that morning and it would be unsuitable and
uncomfortable to trek. I opted to visit the Pokhara Regional
Museum and the International Mountain Museum.
The Pokhara Regional Museum
displays the cultural and traditional heritage of the diverse ethnic groups in Nepal. Walking
in the streets of Kathmandu, Pokhara and travelling
in the buses to the various destinations, this diversity is apparent. One
observes the various hue and colours of the skin from dark to the light
Occidental complexion; the heights from short and stocky to the tall and
slender body; from the facial features from the yellow, narrow eyed Mongoloid
that we see in Kuala Lumpur to the sharp appearance similar to Hindi movie stars of Bollywood. The Nepalese are a
mixture of the Indo-Aryan people of India and the Tibeto–Burman of the Himalaya. The diverse ethnicity was also brought about by
the inter ethnic marriages over the years.
The people of Nepal are
reported to have come from 101 ethnic and caste groups but the more prominent
ones are the Sherpas, Thakalis, Tamangs, Tibetans, Rai, Limbu, Newars,
Gurungs, Magars, Bahuns and Chhetris and Tharus. The Sherpas are perhaps the
most well known as they are associated as guides to the many Everest expeditions
and other mountain expeditions. Tensing Norgay who was the first to climb the
highest mountain in the world with Edmund Hillary in May 1953, is a Sherpa.
Many of the guides that participated and led the scout group up BP Peak were Sherpas.
Phurwa Pasang the leader of the BP Peak Expedition is Sherpa. Lambabu, a senior
guide, assisting Phurwa is also a Sherpa.
Bharat who was
assigned to me on my trekking is a Magar. The Magars are the single largest
group that constitute the Gurkha Regiments. The Gurungs with the Magars also
work as Gurkha soldiers. The Gurkhas were well known for their bravery in wars
and armed conflicts. They served the British Army well during the struggle
against the Communist terrorists during the Emergency period prior to our
independence. They are still sorted for defence and security purposes in Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia.
The International Mountain Museum
contains displays in three areas related to mountains – the ethnic groups that
live around mountains, the biodiversity of the mountain ecosystems and the
mountaineering activities. The section on mountaineering activities takes the
biggest floor space in this sprawling building, constructed on a six hectare
site. It exhibits the equipments, clothes and photos of legendary mountaineers
who have successfully reached the summit of all the fourteen peaks whose height
exceeded 8000m –Annapurna 1 (1950), Everest (1953), Nanga Parbat (1953), K2
(1954), Cho Oyu (1954), Makalu (1955), Kanchenjunga (1955), Lhotse (1956), Gasher
Brum II (1956), Manaslu (1956), Broad Peak (1957), Gasher Brum I (1958),
Dhaulagiri ( 1960) and Shisha Pangma (1964). The Museum also pays tribute and
recognize the contribution of women in mountaineering by displaying the
pictures of Ms. Junke Tabei, a Japanese who first reached the peak of Everest.
The three days was
definitely too short a period to be in Pokhara for it has so much to see.
Besides the popular short and medium scale treks, there were many places to see
which include the waterfalls, caves, temples, cultural villages and the many
beautiful lakes that dotted the valley.
We left Pokhara by
the express bus at 7.30am
on Friday, September 14 on a return trip to Kathmandu
and, based on the earlier trip, the bus was scheduled to be in Kathmandu at 2.00pm.
It was not to be. As we approached the capital city at about 22km to the city,
vehicular traffic was at a stand hill. The bus was caught in a massive jam as
the trucks, buses, vans and cars could not move as the highway was blocked by a
large log that was laid by the villagers at this highway stretch as a protest.
The protest was for a fatal accident involving the death of two children of
electrocution the previous day and the village community was blaming the
government and demanding compensation for the mishap.
After three hours
of waiting, with words going around that the negotiation was going to be
prolonged, we had the option of walking across the other side and catching a
vehicle to get us to Kathmandu or continue to
sit down in the bus and possibly sleeping in it. We opted to trudge our feet.
It proved to be a tiring affair as the distance of the vehicular jam was long
and the walk was uphill. The walk was three hours before we finally scrambled
into a sardine packed bus that slowly but surely found its way to Kathmandu. I was hilarious to get a room at Kathmandu
Guest House; has a warm shower to soothe my aching muscles and slipped under the
blanket to rest my battered aging body. Under the circumstances, the rest and
sleep was such a pleasureable thing.
8. Kathmandu and its Tourist Attractions
I decided to spend
two days (September 15 and 16) to get some feeling of the pulse of the capital
city. Kathmandu lies at an elevation of around
1300m in an extensive valley stretching 25km from east to west and 20km from
north to south. It carries a population estimated at 1.7 million and
demographic growth is rapid, which is stretching the available resources –
land, water, fuel, education and health facilities. The major economic activity
are tourism related – the many shops and stores marketing and renting
mountaineering and trekking equipments and clothing, currency exchange,
supermarkets, guest houses and hotels, restaurants and eating outlets,
entertainment and massage joints.
Visitors are
attracted to Nepal for its scenery of high mountains, deep valleys, raging
turbulent rivers which offer diversified outdoor activities from
mountaineering, trekking, white water rafting, mountain biking, horse riding,
rock climbing etc; friendly people of diverse ethnicity with unique cultural
practices from the dress code to the music and dances; the relatively in
expensive cost of living and most of all, the free, relax and happy atmosphere
that is pervasive in the society. An oft-quoted saying by a Nepalese youth in
that ‘ we may be poor but we are not miserable. When it comes to laughter we
have got the highest Gross National Product of country – HAPPINESS’.
Nepal is considered the
mecca and paradise for mountaineering and trekking ever since the exploratory
mountaineering expeditions that were initiated by Europeans in the 1950s and
the successful climb of the high peaks in Himalaya
in the 1960s. The recognition of the potential appeal of mountaineering and
trekking led to the establishment of agencies promoting the outdoors and their
regulation.
Mountaineering is
synonymous with the Himalaya, which in
Sanskrit, means ‘abode of snows’ and Nepal. Eight peaks in this Mountain
Range exceed 8,000m in height with Everest the highest among them at 8848m. It
was these high peaks that seduce the mountaineers from Europe
to travel to Nepal
conquer them. Many failed but slowly and surely one by one the summits-Annapurna.
Everest, K2, Kanchengjunga, Lhotse,
Makalu, Cho Oyu,
Dhaulagiri were successfully scaled by
determined mountaineers.
People often wonder
why individuals desire to climb high mountains. I too have been asked as to why
I want to climb Mt. Kinabalu and the mountains in Nepal. The
quote often mentioned in publications, attributed to George Mallory, a
Himalayan mountaineer ‘Because it is there’ is an appropriate response to this
query.
In recent years,
interest in mountaineering has caught up with us. This year two members of an
expedition led by Dato’ Khalid Yunus of Persatuan Pengembara Malaysia,
successfully reached the summit of Everest. A few years earlier two other
Malaysians have also achieved the challenging feat.
I am associated
with another Malaysian mountaineering group led by Tan Sri Chan Choong Tak
whose members have successfully trekked up Kilimanjaro in Africa
and attempted Aconcagua, the highest mountain
in South America. Among us, a few are eyeing
mountains in the Himalaya. I look forward to
see a mountaineering buddy successfully conquering one of these 8000m peaks.
It was the
mountaineers that actually provided to initial spark to the trekking activity.
As the activity becomes popular more and more of the previously off-limit areas
were opened up. The newly opened up destinations include the upper Mustang, upper
Dolpo, Manaslu, Himla and the Kanchengjunga Base Camp. The Langtang and Helambu
Treks that we were trekking were also of recent development and being promoted.
The naming of one of the peaks in this mountain region is part of the promotion
to popularize the Trek.
There are
countless treks in Nepal
but the popular and frequently visited ones include the Everest Base Camp,
Helambu, Langtang and Jomsom, The Annapurna Circuit and Annapurna Sanctuary.
The trek to
Everest Base Camp is a three week affair, the first part of which is a
challenging walk, taking a trekker to a maximum elevation of 5545m, through
Sherpa country. The Base Camp offers, spectacular views of Everest, thus its
popularity. The Helambu Trek takes a shorter period, seven days to a height of
not more than 3500m and again through potato growing farms of the Sherpas,
whose women are renowned for their beauty. The Annapurna Circuit is perhaps the
longest as it takes a full three weeks encircling the Annapurna Range.
The Annapurna Sanctuary is a six day trekking, taking climbers to an elevation
of 3000m.
Nepal is just not
mountaineering and trekking but offers many other challenging recreational
activities such as mountain biking and rafting and kayaking. The country has an
equally tremendous opportunity for biking with its many mountain tracks located
in diverse terrain. Even within the Kathmandu Valley, in the vicinity of the
capital city, there is a vast network of tracks, trails and back roads that
provide the optional transportation means to get to see its many temples, stupas
and the old architectural structures that dotted all over the Valley. The
oft-beaten tracks that have been identified include the Scar Road, a 70km route and the
Dhulikhel, a three day circuit in the Kathmandu Valley;
a four day return trip of the Kodari-Tibetan border ride; the Rajpath Track;
the Hetanda–Narayangat Track; and the many tracks along the numerous lakes,
rivers and hills around Pokhara.
The many raging
rivers that I saw in my travel in Nepal remind me of the white-water
rafting days in Sabah, where Padas and Kiulu
and to a lesser extent Kadamaian are popular destinations for this outdoor
activity. The rivers of Sabah however are not as challenging compared to those
in Nepal, which not only, reach the level of Grade 6, the most difficult and
hazardous grade by international standard but also the duration of the activity
which can last for days. Rafting and kayaking is another outdoor activity that
a visitor can indulge in. The Karnali River is a seven day odyssey on the
longest river in Nepal through both huge and narrow constricted rapids; Sun
Kosi River, a nine day relatively, relaxing rafting; Trisuli River, which is on the Kathmandu –
Pokhara Highway and because of its accessibility, is overused; Kali Gandaki,
considered a holy river, requires a rafter to spend 8 -10 days in the water; Bhote
Kosi, being the steepest river for rafting, should be attempted with very
experienced guides using good safety equipment; Mansyangdi River, an equally
challenging river to raft on, also requires good guides with adequate safety
measures. The list of rivers suitable for rafting and kayaking goes on.
Nepal is also rich with
its legacies of temples, statues, shrines and towers associated with the
population’s Hindu, Buddhist and Tantric roots. The Durbar Squares in Kathmandu
and its sister towns of Patan and Bhaktapur are dotted with these structures,
which are also dominant features in the villages in the Kathmandu Valley,
Porkhara and other outlying towns like Gorkha. To make many of these structure
enticing, the wood carving include erotic scenes. The underlying reasons for
these erotic work of art are unclear.
I spent one
morning to tour the Durbar Square
in Kathmandu. The many structure that are
found are temples (Bhagwati, Krishna, Shiva, Shiva-Parwati, Vishnu, Taleju etc)
with a few shrines (Ashok Binayak), statues and towers.Hanumanm Dhoka (old
Royal palace) is the most dominant building. It was a busy Saturday morning
(September 15) with many selling their products from vegetables, fruits, fried
nuts of various types, handcrafts and postcards. There was also a religious
gathering, with young girls accompanied by their mothers organized within the
compound of the Square. It coincided with Teej Festival, a celebration where
ladies beautifully dressed, pray for a continued blissful married life.
The other
consideration that can attract visitors to a country is its cuisine. On a
number of occasions on our expedition, at lunches and dinners, we were served
with a plate with compartments containing rice, lentils, vegetables and bowl of
soup. The vegetarian diet is common and the staple among the people, in
accordance with the religious teaching. However meat are served particularly
chicken and buffalo (buff meat in the
language used there).
In Thamel, the
tourist part of the city, the availability of food to meet the taste of the
clients is very wide Indian, Tibetan, Chinese, Italian, Western and Thai. My favorite
restaurant, Yak Restaurant, serves a wide range of dishes on its menu. A
glimpse at it provides the type of dishes that appear to be popular. The house specialty
dishes listed were barbecue chicken, spaghetti meal sauce, cheese tomato pizza,
mushroom cheese pizza and Nepali
vegetables set. Among the soup to go along include French onion,
vegetable, sweet corn and chicken mushroom. The Indian dishes have the various
types of nan bread, curries (mutton, chicken, fish, buff and vegetable), dal
and chicken preparations. The Tibetan dishes have gyacok soup (an exotic soup
made up of assorted meats, vegetables, tofu, vermicelli, mushroom, egg usually
serve during religions festival), buff (soup, potato, momo). The deserts, soft
and hot drinks come along in the menu.
On the
entertainment side Kathmandu has its bars and
dance outfits and massage joints/clinics offering the whole range of therapy
–ayurvedic, shiatsu, Thai reflexology, acupressure. Quite a few of these joints
appear to be a façade for other operations. I ventured into a real joint from
its name – The Real Therapy and Beauty Point – and had an invigorating
ayurvedic massage with vigorous rubbing of the muscles and twisting of the
limbs by a young male masseuse.
The challenging
outdoor activities undertaken in scenic montane and rivervine background,
friendly people rich in religious and cultural legacies in a relaxing and free
spirit atmosphere with accommodation and food at reasonable costs, have
attracted droves of tourists from all nooks and corners of the world – Australia,
Belgium, Canada, China, France, Japan, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Finland, Sweden,
Ireland, Germany, USA, England, Iran, Israel, Russia, Denmark, Romania, Korea,
Pakistan and as far as Brazil. Even Malaysians are going in increasing numbers.
9. Concluding Remarks
Back to the scout
activity on the BPP Expedition, I was in constant touch with the Nepalese
National Scout Commissioner, Shree Ram Lamichhane, getting the progress report
of the climb. On a call on the morning of Sunday September 16, the last day of
my stay in Nepal,
I was informed that there would be a get together at the National Scouts Headquarters
of all the participants of the Expedition at 4.00pm. At this gathering, the Commissioner officially
announced the names of the scouts and guides who have successfully scale the
summit. Fourteen scouts and seven guides managed to get to the peak. Among the
scout contingent the successful ones include from Australia (1), Singapore (3
including one female), Korea
(7 including two female) and Taiwan
(3). I congratulated the winners and also the Scout Commissioner for having
successfully organized the expedition in conjunction with the centennial
celebration of the Scout Movement.
Shree Ram
Lamichhane admitted on his passion with scouting. He has served in different
capacities at the district and regional levels before his elevation to the
National Commissioner, four years ago. Since his tenure he has elevated the
scout movement in Nepal
to a higher level of achievement with an increase in membership to 30,000, the
establishment of an International Training Centre for Scouts at Kakani. The
successful BPP Expedition adds another feather to his cap.
As I departed on
Thai Airways International for Kuala
Lumpur via Bangkok
I purposely chose to be seated on the left side of the plane as this would provide
the opportunity for me to have a glimpse of the mountain, Everest. I thought
this would be an appropriate way to say ‘namaste’ (goodbye / farewell) to Nepal. It was
not to be as it was a cloudy day. Perhaps, Everest could read what was in my
mind – Nepal
is imbedded in my mind and this is not my last trip. Hashim will definitely return
to the country.
Though my original
purpose was carrying the Malaysian flag in the international scout group to
climb BPP, the trip turned out to be a journey of discovery of another Asian
country which has long association with us.
Nepal and Malaysia have
long legacies associated with culture, religion. But for an outdoor person, its
mountaineering, trekking mountain biking, rafting and kayaking on the turbulent
rivers in its rugged picturesque countryside would be the persistent call to
visit this outdoor adventure mecca again inspite of many challenges of road
blockade, many landslides and rough and precipitous roads I shall be, in the language
of the tourism industry, a repeated visitor to the country.
10. Reference
a. M.
Amin, D Willets, B. Tetley. Journey Through Nepal. Camerapix
Publishers
International, Nairobi,
Kenya .
1997
b. Camerapix.
Spectrum Guide to Nepal.
Prakash Book Depot, New
Delhi,
India.
2000.
c. S.
Razzetti , V. Saunders. Trekking and Climbing in Nepal.
Timeless
Books, New Delhi,
India.
2003.
d.
Finlay, R. Everest, T. Wheeler. Nepal – Lonely Planet Travel
Survival
Kit. Lonely Planet Publications. Hawthorn Australia.
1996.
_______________________________________
This article was written soon after my return from the trip. However it was not
published in any publication. It has remained as a file stored as an item
in the computer. I do not know what actually sparked me to publish this
unique experience of mine and share with readers of my blog. Here it is and
happy reading. Posted on June 24, 2013.
