Saturday, December 29, 2018

From Couch to Khumbu... Trekking with kids in the Himalaya!

Decision taken. We were headed for the high himal, the Everest Region, land of the Sherpa people in Nepal. Exciting! In the late '80's (and my early 20's) I had worked as a trip leader for groups of trekkers back in the early days of what flourished to become eco-tourism and had been through the valleys and towns of the region many times usually en route to Everest Base Camp. The last time though had been in 1998 on a vacation from Vietnam and that was before Nepal had been through its heart-wrenching civil war.

We were living in Kathmandu, with a normal schedule around school and activities, we don't actually spend that much time on the couch but one day we decided to up and off to the Khumbu! This time it was with our kids... the boys, ages 8 and 10, old enough to do the walking and appreciate where we were going... to see Everest and be among Sherpa friends to visit their culture... the lure of the yeti skull reported to be kept in the Sherpa village of Khumjung also helped fan the fire of enthusiasm. And the prospect of finding snow, that helped too! Enthusiasm... the main ingredient to having fun trekking with children; its not necessarily an easy ask, the anticipation is clouded by the hard work required at least in the phase of discussing it with 8 and 10yr olds... you need their buy-in for things to go smoothly! And if they insist on their latest 359 page book to bring along... just go with it!

Waiting for the flight to Lukla
Selecting a trek is about several things, not least of which is determining the level your kids and you are capable of... how many days, consideration of altitude, length of the trekking day, facilities en route and the possibilities of evacuation. The treks about the front ranges of the Annapurnas (Ghorepani/Ghandruk/Poon Hill for example) out of Pokhara are popular starter treks since they can range in duration from 3 -9 days. Langtang is also short, popular and close to Kathmandu, so is Helambu and the new Tamang Heritage trek.  Trekking in Khumbu is also popular, region of the Sherpa people with its monastery's and mountain history centred around Sagarmatha (Everest) which if lucky with the weather you can spot on your second day on trek. Flying to Lukla (possibly the world's most errr, interesting place to land) a bit of a thrill all on its own, you can also walk-in to Khumbu in 5-7 days. There are plenty of other treks to choose from so ask around and see what others have experienced.

Organizing the trek is the first step towards making it happen and can be done in different ways... when we went to the Annapurnas we booked with an agency in Pokhara to get a guide and porters... easy enough to do. Check the qualifications of your guide... at a minimum they need to have taken the 6 Week guides course (and have a license they can show you), know the area you're planning on going (preferably be from there) and speak enough English (if your Nepali is lacking). Experience needs to balance with your own... if you are an experienced mountain traveller then you may not need a hotshot guide... you need to be comfortable and confident with who ever goes with you and it isn't enough that they are good with your kids because if something were to happen and they didn't have training to find a solution... look what happened in the Annapurnas in October 2014.  On our Everest trip all we needed was a single porter, I knew the route well enough and have background and experience in mountain travel including at altitude, and so we got a young fella from Solu Khumbu through a Lukla hotel where I used to stay, he had a nice smile and was friendly and strong and knew where we were going, thats all that I required of him balanced with my own experience. When you book through an agency there is the added advantage of being assured that the guide will also have insurance and be properly equipped. Recently a Nepali friend, an experienced guide, had serious problems at altitude and had to be heli-evacuated... insurance is key.



Equipping yourselves properly comes next and proper footware probably the most important thing. Despite the plethora of trekking supply shops in Kathmandu to find children's trekking boots (below size 36) is a task. What works is sturdy trainers, if you can find them those with higher ankle tops are best. Shoes are important so getting this part right is critical, normally you size trekking boots a size bigger than normal (to accommodate thicker socks) but don't get carried away! A loose boot is asking for blister trouble. If you're of a mind to go trekking you'd do well to source trekking boots for little'uns outside of Nepal. Kids 6 years and up can carry their own back-pack... most want to. In it though are the bare necessities... a fleece jacket, a light water-proof jacket, their water bottle, sunglasses and hat and maybe a little snackage. Thats all they need to carry and importantly it has to be light because as a last resort, to get them over that final hill, you might need to carry it! Your back-pack needs the same as the kids, and a proper First Aid kit. Go light, if you need more, your porters will be walking with you and you can always get from him/her what you need during the day. Depending on the time of year the rest of the packing can be light as well. On our Annapurna trip we had 2 bags for the 4 of us for 5 days, this time we had 1 for 7 days. We went through everything and didn't have to do laundry! If you're taking a flight bags should weigh no more than 20kgs. I'm not going to publish a gear list here, there are tons on the internet to refer to but go light whatever you do, that old axiom of halving what you think you need to take when travelling... halve it again when you go trekking.. With children who are out of diapers, the only 'extras' are things to occupy them... (not including screen devices!), playing cards, travel chess, etc. With kids who are still in diapers... bon courage, beware of altitude with wee ones, their sleep needs, and of course mindful of the un-biodegradeability of disposable diapers and where you are going. My kids needed books so a Kindle or such-like would have reduced our collective weight considerably! A solar charger would not be a bad thing if you bring a reading tablet. Remember your porter carries your bag... so be kind!

Attitude and altitude

Attitude is everything on a trip to anywhere with kids. Nepali guides and porters are renown for encouraging and egging kids along, singing with them, and picking them up and carrying them if that is what is needed. Rest assured, on most of the common treks you absolutely don't have to walk further than you feel you need to on most given days, there is always a teahouse over the next hill, around the next bend. So don't stress about getting where you had a plan to get to... discuss with your guide/porter, see what they think. Often they will under-estimate... err on the side of caution and that is fine, they know what they are doing. Enjoy the early morning, the mid-morning, the lunch spot, the afternoon walk.... you get the drift... just enjoy where you are, value the place you have found yourself to be in... the high himal! 

Altitude is one of those things that can become a major pre-occupation and a trip-wrecker if you let it be one; your attitude about altitude is key. Yes altitude needs to be properly understood, yes it can be serious... all that means is for you to be prepared...so do the research ahead of time. Many of our fears are based in the unknown... so know about altitude. Understand that essentially you will trek so that you acclimatize well if you follow your guide's and guidebook's advice, do not short-cut to save time. If they say you need to spend a day acclimatizing then do so. Don't worry about the kids, but do keep an eye on them. Know signs and symptoms of altitude sickness, pulmonary and cerebral oedema but don't obsess. And don't panic because going down altitude (down hill) is always an option in night or day... and it is usually the cure all. When and if in doubt ask a trip leader, they usually have high competency and experience with altitude related problems and can offer advice, err on the side of caution always even if it means significant compromises to your trip. Never forget where you are, in the highest mountains in the world, subject to all the various challenges that come with high mountain travel.


Kids can be a challenge to have on such an adventure but you have friends along to help, so let them... and they sleep really well on trek! Let go of control, you're up in thin air, the best you can remember to do is breathe, smile and enjoy the sunshine. I love trekking with my son's. They love the connection to the natural world, to the Nepali people and to each other. A couple of years later we did the trek up to Lo Mantang in Mustang and after that attempted a small trekking peak in the Langtang region (picture above!)... as they grow they can do more and more! So much fun to watch them evolve!

Tuesday, October 16, 2018

55 Reflections: meanderings of a globalist

Yes, I just turned 55! Whew...


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1. The oldest person in the world died recently at 110yrs old, wow, so I'm half way there.

2. I'm 40 years younger than my Auntie Margaret who while 1 generation away from me is actually 2 generations older right? My eldest son is 43 years younger than me, he could also be my grandson.



3. I was born in 1963 as the jet engine was taking off (literally) for commercial passenger transportation. To emigrate to Canada in 1967 we had to fly from the UK via Gander, Newfoundland (bless) and then go through immigration at the Port of Montreal and then fly on to Edmonton in Alberta. (my Mum did this on her own with a mountain of baggage, 3kids under 4yrs old and my brother who was a very helpful 10yr old!) This year I flew from Singapore to London in one hop on the Dreamliner. Cool right? Yet it has to be said that jet travel hasn't changed much at all in terms of what it actually is. Sure it is more efficient in fuel consumption because planes are lighter and so they can fly higher, further, faster but they still burn fossil fuel in a turbine driven internal combustion engine. Thing is though they still transport us in a linear dimension from a to b over a continuum of time. Why is that I wonder? (hint: big oil)

4. All said, air travel is the miracle of our time imho, the way planes now fly at over 10,000m, at over 1000km/h, catching the jet stream, soaring over the poles... its all quite sick. Airports still suck... been to CDG in Paris or LHR or UIO (Quito) lately? Chinese airports like in Kunming… sheesh!  On the bright side there are airports like Changi in Singapore, the KLM terminal at Schipol and the new Indian airports which are beginning to help ease the pain, otherwise they are still like big bus stations and I'd still prefer teleportation from one couch to the next.

5. Music has gone wobbly, in the '60's it was fine, there were recognizable genres and some amazing innovations in Jazz, Hip Hop, Reggae, Rock n Roll, Punk,  etc... there has been a serious splintering a new genre every new album, electronic music has opened up a new esoteric (psychedelic) world and soon every band playing original songs will be its own genre if not already... does our understanding of 'what is genre' get wider or narrower?

6. Access to Music and music storage has changed incredibly in my lifetime from the radio, to vinyl records 45's, 78's, to 8 tracks, to cassettes to CD's, USB storage devices and now...  you can store your music on a cloud and still play it in your car... what’s the next thing?

7. Plastic has become the most evil thing on the planet, and it is really evil. Plastic came into common use in the 60's and every piece of plastic produced then and since then still occupies the planet... 8.3billion tonnes https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40654915. This is sick and it is now entering the food chain in a manner that will shout at us through our bodies and their illnesses. The consumption of fossil fuels is what will kill us and the planet.... oh yes, doncha know, plastic is made from oil and gas... google it.

8. My generation bears the blame for not waking up soon enough to the excesses and indulgences that we have enjoyed through our childhood and that have brought on the destruction of our ecosystem. We (and while we can blame corporations and Keynesian economics),we are culpable because we have ignored the warnings on global climate change passed down very clearly from the Earth Summit in Rio in 1990, 38 years ago. We have known things were going badly awry and we haven’t acted with nearly enough urgency not on an individual, collective, governmental (dare I say corporate?) or regional level to stop it. Government, big oil and corporate media share the same bed.

9. We figure we are the smartest beings on the planet, and yet we are the only species to engage in activities that are destroying it, Initially (the agricultural revolution) and later in the industrial revolution we didn’t really understand the science and anyway the population pressure didn’t really present our activities as much of a problem… now and for decades we have understood it and still we didn’t act, how smart is that?

10. Technological advances in the computerization (now the digitalization) of everything have been simply amazing, has it been a good thing? Or has it moved too fast? As we head into the kind of scary age of robotics I'm not very convinced we are ready for it.

11. Miniaturization has really taken hold, back in the day at my University the computer was in one big ventilated room, the work-stations, monitors and keyboards in another with cables connecting them all. It's a good thing everything has become smaller, carrying around a desk-top sized computer in your pocket is just not convenient. The question though is when miniaturization leads to skin and iris implants and the opportunity for constant monitoring of our everything… have we reached the moment to stop?

12. Unprotected sex is dangerous these days, has been for a while, though it hasn’t been like that forever. The sexual revolution of the 60’s and 70’s changed it all in the Western countries from whence I come. The condom, well its still the condom after all these years ‘bagging it’ is the same as it ever was. Flavours have changed, bumps, ribs and dots in various combinations but otherwise, a rubber is still a rubber. And still it is as disliked by men and women alike.

13. Being a man has never been harder, roles back in the day were well-defined (by other men) until women finally got involved, now the role definitions in many societies are changing forever, the process resulting in seeming unending social tumult as we roll from acceptance to rejection to acquiescence to what?... to embracing a more balanced understanding of our gender equality and living in peace and harmony? Really?

14. There are too many people on the planet, and the educated and wealthy few of them use up resources at a prodigious rate as well as create the waste that is choking the planet and retain the lion's share of the wealth. There is something deeply wrong and quite disturbing with this picture that has evolved during my tenure here on earth. The disparity of wealth continues to grow incredibly rapidly, no end in sight and no divine intervention to get the top 1% (or 10%) to realise that unless they spend and spend fast to support those down the line, we are all doomed. Whether you have an excess of $1Million or $100Million who needs excess?

15. Transportation remains pretty similar to what it was post steam turbine invention. Internal combustion engine, 2 or 4 or more wheels, close the door and broom broom... not very interesting. What happened to folding time on itself, teleportation, beam me up Scotty? Very, very unimpressed here.

16. Vaccines were heralded as amazing and who knows how many lives have been saved because of them, and now as well clinical treatments became better, and better understood and people are saved clinically. But things have become carried away and... its not clear how vaccines are good all the time and everywhere; from the debate about interfering in natural selection, the debate about their efficacy vs harms (autism, allergies), the debate as to whether they should be mandatory (shock/horror) and follow the 'protect the herd' formula. Is it black and white, or a murky shade of grey?

17. What to say about world peace? Politics have gone stupid-as. Seriously, led by the USA, the corporate takeover of politics or shall we just say the dominance of economic interest is very clear and 'people first' the underlying principle of any good governance... well you don't see it often. I had considered at one point of going into community level politics, but these days I am given pause when I see the nonsense that people engage in for their own self-aggrandizement or that of their business interests. It simply isn't worth the effort and the stress and grief. No wonder politicians are generally poorly equipped to govern, they are not the sharpest pencils in the box, the sharp pencils are running corporations that run the politicians.

18. Traffic patterns mirror society. Ever noticed that? How the traffic moves, how people react in their vehicles, the rules that are in place and how they are enforced are reflections of how a society functions, how well it is organized, how people treat each other, their levels of tolerance, etc. From Kabul to Kathmandu, Edmonton to Yangon I've been checking this out... blogworthy!

19. Taking off is more risky than landing.... a metaphor for life if ever there was one. How hard is it to bring about change? Get it off the ground? That is when all risk is taken on board? How many of us don't make changes because we don't like risk taking? And yet how many of us need to make the change happen? Landing... pishaw, how hard can that be when you have gravity on your side ;-)

20. We live in an era where a quick comeback can land you in a deep pile of doo-doo that you never expected.... people have a bit of a hard time taking a joke in these days of ultra-neo political correctness.

21. I'm single again! Single with kids and co-parenting. How does that feel? I don't know yet so new it is. More to follow but there is a lurking sense of liberty in there somewhere. Perhaps as I travel from East to West and back again this summer I'll feel it better. For now the transition isn't easy and finding the right place to be, the place that fits not an easy ask. For now it is a transition.

22. Back in the day, as a man, you could compliment a co-worker on her new hairstyle, or something she is wearing just as an off-the-cuff remark (and maybe even a wink)... these days, well, you gotta take care with that one... or youtoo could get the label... just sayin', the remarkable absence of men's voices from the #metoo discussion itself speaks volumes.

23. In just 3 generations (often only 2) we have forgotten how to grow food; how many people's parents grew some food of their own, how many don't grow their own food?

24. In just 2 generations (often only 1) we have forgotten how to cook our own food; how many people go out to eat at least once/day or buy pre-packed ready to cook meals (often re-heated in a microwave).

25. Food. Don't get me started... we have to recognize and realise and analyze and accept that the food we buy whether in the fresh market, in the super market or that we put on our plates is not what it used to be. Food has been adulterated, it has been tampered with genetically, it has been sprayed and messed about with and in ways we have no idea about. As I understand it, the manipulation of food production (glyphosate spraying, fertilizing, GMO, pesticiding, corporate farming, etc) is in the interest of producing enough to feed the world, when actually what we have is a distribution problem, is disingenuous. And we are poisoning ground-water sources and the oceans It smacks of corporate interest and is symptomatic of the takeover of yet another industry by the economically powerful and wrong-minded prioritization of commerce to serve profit not people. How did we let this happen? In 2 or 3 generations we have lost small holder farming, naturally organic growing and with it our food-connection to mother earth.

26. Travelling by plane is an economic privilege; some would argue it is a necessity because of where they live and for their work. But is it? Travelling by plane is also the single best way for an individual to deepen their carbon footprint and therein lies the conundrum, stepping into my footprinte would be a bit like falling into a rabbit hole, is that deep.

27. Where do I come from? Oh, you mean my Race? Ethnicity? Nationality? Identity? Residency? or do you mean did I just come from the pub? Please be specific, your question needs to reflect the intention, what information are you after, what is behind your enquiry. 

28. Where am I from? Having not lived in Canada now since 1997, have visited a few dozen or two times and still identify as Canadian and am a citizen as well as the UK from whence I sprung into the world. I am of Indian bloodline yetwas adopted early on and brought up by British parents. Where am I from? For my sons' that is another question, they have never had a sense of home identity, never lived in Canada or France where their Maman is from. Kasem at 11 has lived in 5 countries, where is he from? He is born in Malaysia but doesn't even have the right to citizenry there. The trendiness of being Third culture kids pales in comparison to this phenomenon that of ‘Multi-culture kids’ which is what mine are. Most importantly is this going to be a confusion as they grow into their years of establishing their identity or will they simply evolve into being global citizens of no fixed address and that will be okay?

29. Nothing is as it seems. Never forget this and you won't ever be disappointed.

30. People are not who you think they are, they are as complicated or as simple as you give them the perceptive space to be.

31. The vast majority of International schools are built on a business model. Be conscious of this all ye who are seeking one for your children. This is the lens to see them through when various quirks and twerks reveal that their prime motivation is to make money. Perhaps I am jaded, where my kids go to school in Yangon this has been clear, only skillful management can add the depth of quality to this equation without affecting the bottom line.

32. Once your kids turn 12 they pay adult fare to fly but on the majority of airlines still have to travel as unaccompanied minors with additional surcharges. There is something wrong with that. Either raise the age of paying an adult fare or get rid of the extra charges. The most important thing for an airline is weight, all their costs are fixed and it is with the weight that they play with their profit margin per flight. So how is it that a 30kg 12 yr old with hand baggage pays as much (or more if unaccompanied) as an 85kg adult with 23kgs of checked baggage and 7kgs of hand baggage? The whole air travel pricing system needs to rethink around who they are using as their profit centres.

33. $75 is today's price for 1 barrel (159L) of Brent Crude oil and the price is subject to global market forces which as we know affects the cost of petrol, of manufacturing and of goods... according to this article  https://interestingengineering.com/japanese-invention-converts-plastic-into-oil it takes 1kg of plastic to make 1L of crude oil, quick bit of math.... thats about $31/L. Some would argue that we need to reduce fossil fuel emissions not increase them but while we are ramping up and bringing down renewal clean energy costs, wouldn't this be the way forward? And who better positioned to bring this one in... than big oil. Government plays a role, for every barrel pulled from the ground one has to be made from Plastic... or you lose your exploitation rights. If you agree and if you have stocks in big oil? SPEAK UP, its the ultimate CSR, or remain part of the problem (see 48 below).

34. Speak up, the silent majority has to speak up. It isn't enough any longer to stay quiet in the corner nodding. If you see an injustice, say something, if you aren't actively involved and contributing to the solution... then you're part of the problem (see 49 below).

35 Balance is the key, at the individual level and on up through families and communities we have to find a balance everyone has yin and yang and yang has dominated for so long from left-brain oriented schooling to decisions based on economics (or politics!) not people... the state of the planet is the evidence, we bought into Keynesian economics and 'ran with the ball' and look where we are, loads of indulgent and wasteful prosperity but much more degrading, unsupportable, poverty. WE ARE OUT OF BALANCE.

36. Time for change
Men need to change up and accept women as equals. Salary disparities and unequal partnerships and everything in between need to be corrected. How long have we been talking about this? Weren't they burning bras in '66?  The shift has to come and it needs to come quickly, really frigging fast actually. You know I almost want to say, if you're over 50 and in a power position and you still think with your penis and don't know what I'm on about... step aside brother, you're done. Let us move on. 

37. WATCH the documentary: 'Occupy Love'

38. VOIP is amazing. Skype was the early-comer to voice over internet protocol (I know right ;-)) and I was as impressed then as I am now with all the copy cats... I mean free video telephony? Here in Myanmar people have gone from no access to telephony to deep penetration of smart phones with 4G in 4years... it is not clear yet how well this is going to go over in a society still very entrenched in tradition including how they communicate with each other and within communities. I have no doubt it will have far-reaching impacts both positive and negative.

39. WATCH Carl Sagan..

40. I need to recognize the patterns in my behaviour that do not serve me well or serve well those around me. I need to recognize them, identify the source of what causes them and change up in order to move on into a better place. We all have our shadow side, reconciling with it takes work. Do the work.

41. You need to love your work, or do you? Is it enough to love the fact that you have work? Is that where most people are at? For any reason besides loving it, they go to work and believe they are happy. Is it delusional to think you have to love your work because thats the premise I work off, why else would I spend 40+hours a week of my life engaged in something I didn't like to do?

42. What is clear to me these days is that having a job where the work day is more or less defined for you (a regular job) is akin to a luxury because why, because what could be easier than having someone prescribe when you should work, how long and even on what. For some a luxury, for others like a shackle. Hats off to entrepreneurs and the self-employed to innovators and inventors, you have to figure it out for yourself, lately I'm discovering this latter is much harder.

43. And then we have to wonder, about work and how we got to where we are in the world today... are we better off or worse when we have less time to spend with our families and friends or hanging out in nature. Pre-industrial revolution and still in many parts of the 'less industrialized' world, work is around food production and distribution (including selling and buying), then it became around manufacturing. The different work ethics that evolved apparently suits the culture, apparently. But it could be this isn't true and it could be that the tensions in our societies are rooted in the simple fact that people have to work too much to support their families. Middle class North America... can't survive without a double income? Japanese salaryman spends 16hrs a day including their commute. The poor work themselves to death, often literally.

45. Global circumstances at the time of writing are sadly grimmer than usual, actually I'd suggest that since what the Vietnamese call the American War we seem to be spiralling back into an era of chauvinistic nationalism for which World War II was fought and for which peace was won and institutions like the UN set up to prevent. What happened? And who let these idiots out of their cages (don't get me started)!

46. And then again, there is the notion (is it a Universal truth or a cop out...) that you shouldn't worry about that which you cannot change and its corollary that if you can change something then what have you got to worry about, go ahead and change it. The fact is that we are often in a position to change things or participate in a change movement... and then decide not to do so for any number of reasons; thing is, and you know who you are, some of those reasons are not very good ones.

47 Tied in to the above is the decision not to take in too much world media because of its negativity and its impact on our psyche and some people make the choice to ignore the world outside their particular bubble. But if we don't know about issues for example those around social justice, or around voting and we can be part of changing things for the better then how will they ever change if we don't know about them.... hmmm do we live in this world or don't we. Do we have a responsibility for seeing to it that a dictator who is undoing all the good work and ruining the environment for us all is unseated? Does voting mean we agree with the system and therefore we shouldn't vote?

48. If you're not part of the solution then you are part of the problem, just sayin'.

49. In matters of injustice if you remain silent then you are complicit in it. This is fact.

50. Have you discovered yet the 'Heart of Yoga' practice, discovered yet the beauty of the basic Tai Chi Chuan 24 movements, discovered how to move energy with the Qi Gong practice of the microcosmic orbit? You haven't? I invite you to please do so. Don't delay, find a conscious movement practice that works for you. Especially if you're over 50!

51. Did I mention finding balance yet?

52. Democracy doesn't work very well as we are seeing. 'Nuff said.

53. Did I mention balance in the context of managing our lives? It is all about balance, the framework I subscribe to is one where our body system can become out of balance, and needs realigning, rebalancing and recharging. We have to be able to flow otherwise we invite ill-ness (as opposed to well-ness) and dis-ease as opposed to ease. Which would you prefer... (please don't mind the following shameless advertisement).

54. I am at a bit of a loss turning 55 that many people of my age cruise along perhaps happy, perhaps thinking they are happy, perhaps not happy, perhaps not aware they are not happy, perhaps unhappy and unaware they can do something about it, perhaps unhappy and aware that they must do something about it but don't know what to do... whatever the case may be, the common element is that we want to be well. That is a human thing. Be well, visit my website and find out how... https://www.elementalwellness.life/

55. Don't ever, ever forget to breathe: https://imgur.com/gallery/DqK7H0S

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Trip Notes - Yala Peak attempt with kids... Langtang Valley, Nepal - March, 2015

This is a story of an attempt on Yala Peak in Langtang Valley, myself and my two sons gave this an effort only to be thwarted by unexpected snowfall, or should I say normal mountain weather!

The Langtang Valley suffered doubly during the earthquake of April 2015 in Nepal. The quake itself caused many buildings homes, trekking lodges, restaurants to collapse in this very popular trekking and climbing region. Langtang is a short drive from Kathmandu and in recent years its popularity has raised it up to a close third for trekking tourists behind Everest and the Annapurna regions creating prosperity but also a dependency on tourism for a previously very impoverished local population. The earthquake shook loose an enormous piece of Langtang Lirung a beautiful triangular shaped peak, visible from Kathmandu. This piece of rock and glacier fell from directly above Langtang Village with devastating consequences. 

Photo taken looking directly upwards from the former site of Langtang Village.

In March, 2015 my sons, ages 9 and 11 and I ventured to Langtang with the idea to climb Yala Peak, above and beyond Kyanjin Gompa, known as a Trekking peak for its non-technical and comparatively lower summit; at 5500m we considered it an attainable challenge. Knowing of the tragedy in the region and knowing they were struggling to recover I wanted to see for myself how things were going and in doing so support the people simply by being there, and proving that it was safe to return to Langtang and possible to trek there as many had before.

In these Trip Notes, not only our trip... but our journey is described.

Day 0 
Drive from Kathmandu to Syabru Besi... not for the faint of heart in the early stages if your driver decides to go via Kalanki and the main East/West highway (due to the insane traffic) and later as the road gets narrower and windier. Requires a competent driver, a 4X4 (especially if wet) and patience. Private car takes 4-6hrs, Bus 8hrs+

Arrival in Syabru Besi is a bit of a blessing. We spent the night here although if you are keen and arrive early enough then you can probably hit the trail right away.

Day 1 
Syabru besi to Riverside (Lama Hotel) 2480m 9hrs (upper route)

There are two routes to Riverside, the lower one is just re-opened having been rehabilitated since the earthquake. It follows the river from old Syabru Besi on the northern shore through the jungle thus is in the shade and is said to shave 3hours off the time of the upper route.

We had to use the alternate upper trail that takes you up through terraced fields, into the pine forest and over the shoulder of the mountain. It is an 800m altitude gain to reach lunch in Khangjim (2235m) and then a further 250m before you start a long contour that weaves its way precariously along the southern side of the valley until it meets the river way down past Sherapgaon at Riverside. For a first day's walk I'll coin the phrase arduously beautiful. 

It is easy to see how the region was cut off after the earthquake with the lower trail closed due to multiple landslides, the upper one must have seemed impossible. We hear that survivors were trying to find a way out of the valley and it took some weeks before the trail to Riverside was rehabilitated. It is as beautiful as it is dangerous. Brave trail crew have made a way across very dicey landslides and the trail is high and narrow with amazing exposure. In one landslide, about 40m across, a huge tree hangs along the fall-line over a huge boulder under-cut by the trail itself looms. Steps have been built at great risk to the builders to make the way passable. Another particularly bad spot is where a 4m X 1m concrete slab is connected to a huge rock by re-bar. The slab is cracked along its length and there is no hand rail bolted to the rock. Used since the earthquake by all traffic including construction material laden ponies it will not last for long. The trail is high and a great adventurous moment early in the trip.

If you are starting from Syabru Besi and taking the high trail (which is no longer necessary) it is advised to stay the night in Sherpagaon to avoid an obscenely long and difficult first day of trekking trying to make it to Riverside. On the lower trail Riverside is easily reachable on Day 1. Riverside is a welcome stop, the lodge at the top (the original Lama Hotel) has a nice warm dining room and a really good hot shower. This was the last place we had the chance to eat chicken. The rest of the trip was vegetarian.


Day 2
Lama hotel to Thyangsyap 3200m 5hrs

The traditional walk from Lama Hotel calls for a stop in Langtang Village which is no longer possible. Eventually a lodge will be rebuilt above the village site but for now the choice is to stop in Thangsyap or continue to Mundu which is a full 1100m higher and beyond the recommended single-day altitude gain.

This is a lovely walk meandering up the left bank of the river. Huge primeval forest moss covered boulders and rhododendron ready to blossom. Many landslide crossings, some quite rough, and then again forest at times steeply upward always following the tumbling river on your right hand side. We had several sightings of equally curious langur monkey.




Ghoratabela 3030m is a traditional stopping place for lunch but has been totally destroyed by the earthquake and then the earthquake triggered rockfall. It is hard to see how anyone here survived and clearly it must have been a terrifying few minutes as the earth shook and then rocks and boulders rained down from a broken piece of the ridge visible high above, destroying everything.

We walked on to a small rebuilt hut near the abandoned National Park Check-post where a young woman was making lunch for passers-by. The tin roof of the hut needed securing and with strong wind gusts it banged up and down making everyone jump as they imagined what that fateful day must have been like with rocks raining down.

Up away from the river we came to Thyangsyap. It is a small comfortable location and three lodges are being rebuilt. After a 700m altitude gain we decided this would be our stopping place. To continue would be to gain more altitude and while most people continued to Mundu well beyond the Langtang landslide we decided to stay.

This little place was also destroyed not by rockfall but by first the earthquake and then the devastating wind blast from the Langtang slide. The force of this blast flattened huge trees and blasted others with black dust on the forested other side of the valley for 2km down stream and scattered debris (and body parts) 100's of metres up the valley side. Remember the photo below is from 1 year later.


In the absence of enough rooms we spent the night in the tent, comfortable cosy and warm, the boys first night in the mountains in a tent and highest so far at 3100m. 

Day 3
Thyangsyap to Kyanjin 3830m 6 hrs

The trail continues up the left side of the river the forest giving way to scrub and mounds of mossy peat on the benchlands high above the river itself. I am approaching the site of Langtang village with trepidation, already the reality of the enormity of the tragedy is apparent but now the non physical sense of it is coming. The physical is visible in the scar rising up the south face of Langtang Lirung scarred last April 25th by 1000's of tonnes of rock and ice as it fell from 3000m above. The earthquake shook hard and a huge piece of the mountain and glacier broke off directly above Langtang village. It strikes me that in English we don't have a word to describe an event of this size, it is indescribable... avalanche, rock fall, landslide..all totally inadequate describers...

The debris of homes and tea  houses destroyed or damaged on the western edge of the falling mountain starts an hour before the village area. People have salvaged valuable wood from family homes and you pass neatly piled timbers to one day be used for rebuilding. Everyone you meet on the trail talks about that day, about the family members they lost or their own near miss. There was a funeral that day in Langtang Village and people from up and down the valley had come to pay their last respects. Tourists excepted, people are engaged in restarting businesses or rebuilding. A few erstwhile foreigners are working on projects, a school (for what children?), homes (for which people), today building materials for 116 homes are to begin arriving by helicopter at enormous expense but there is no development plan and no people to rebuild, they are asking for more money to hire laborers. It appears they are mostly putting the cart before the horse which is the  beginning of a long discussion.

The majority of the village is completely buried in a white yellow rubble composed of rock and ice. It appears to be a huge terminal moraine with wood beams, broken concrete pillars, rebar and all sorts of debris sticking out in places. We tied Tibetan prayer flags between two rocks and the boys built some balancing rock towers, moments to reflect and remember the 260+ who perished... many of whom remain unfound. The village site is essentially a graveyard and all who pass through, at least the several trekkers and the locals I spoke with, sense the disturbing disquiet of wandering souls yet to find their final peace.

Except for our building of memorials we passed through in silent respect, Zaki and I chanting the mantra Aum Mani Padme hum, Nima our Sherpa guide singing a Buddhist prayer for the Dead. It is a very moving experience and one, by their questions later in the day, the boys  were processing in a positive way.

The upper part of the village is damaged badly but not buried and it is here where there are some efforts at rebuilding underway. Last week, as if some unseen force is objecting to these efforts happening at this time, a helicopter delivering construction material crashed on take off, tipping over mysteriously. The pilot pulled out and no fatalities but the hull remains as a reminder.

Leaving the village site to the west the climb continues now affording glimpses of dorje lapka rising at the eastern end of the valley. The boys were keen to meet up with their school friends who were a day ahead of us and so we had a quick lunch in Mundu and continued.

The northern side of the valley is bench land and perfect for grazing yaks and dzos and highland ponies. Now at over 3500m Kasem strode off ahead on the clear trail and didn't stop for one and a half hours expecting Kyanjin gompa to appear over the next rise. When it didn't appear after two or three 'next rises' he collapsed in tears, quite spent. Finally, passing through boulder fields and over a new unscarred suspension bridge, the next rise revealed Kyanjin gompa!

Or next task to find where our friends were staying was achieved quickly and after an agonizing two hours they were reunited.

Day 4
Kyanjin gompa

Spent the day taking it easy. The boys played for hours in the tent or bounding around the boulders below the village with Alex and Nick, friends from Patan. I did all the laundry in freezing cold water. In the mid morning sun we all 3 had a wash in a single bucket of stove top warmed water. I read, wrote notes and passed the morning despite Marvyn's chomping at the bit to do something.

Great to sit in the high altitude Himalayan sunshine and back in its warmth. Kyanjin is rebuilding, lodges bring re-roofed and a sense of normality returning... except there are few tourists. In recent years Langtang had become a hugely popular trekking region and Kyanjin the jewel. Easy to access from Kathmandu and within 2 days waking you are in stunning mountain grandeur, 2 more days and will have climbed to 4500m had some glorious views and 3 days after that you'll be back in Kathmandu.

In a few weeks it will have been a year since the earthquake and while Kyanjin may recover, Langtang village  will take longer and the fear remains of more trouble to come. What hasn't helped at all has been the lethargy in Kathmandu and the preposterous time the government has taken to move through the reconstruction bill.

Day 5
Rest Day - Kyanjin

A day off, our friends left with a clatter at 7am. We headed up the mountain behind the village to acclimatise. Wasn't quite the day I had planned, to get us up high and stay out for a while.  We headed up towards the summit visible from the town and it did become steep as we zig zagged up hummocks of grazed grassland. The steepness started to freak out first Zaki and then Kasem as they realised one slip and it was quite a tumble, quite exposed but we were going uphill and it wasn't particularly tricky. Anyway we stopped short of the Summit and decided to head down ending up back in town only 2 hours since we left. To debrief we all wrote a paragraph each on our feelings before during and after the walk and then read them outloud and discussed a bit. Below is what i wrote. The rest of the day we did nothing. Later though we started the arrangements to help in a memorial marble slab prepared for placing in Langtang somewhere. So the day ended on a high note.

At the beginning I felt strong and ready for a good climb. For the first time my legs felt strong and it felt like I was adjusting nicely.

When Zaki started to complain my displeasure at what he was doing turned to anger as I looked at his face and his attitude which was all wrong. He was defiant and unpleasant seeming to have completely forgotten where he was and why he was here. I felt worried too that he would resent being 'made to come' and that he might not like me even though my intentions are to give him a great adventure.

As we climbed higher and it got steeper we could see the top not very far away and the boys started worrying about coming down and how 'one little slip' would be a bad fall. Again I felt worried that they would feel pushed into something they didn't want to do. Perhaps I am second guessing myself.

We came down having 'nearly made it' and if course the descent wasn't as bad as they thought it would be... and it was very fast.

As we turned for home I again was unhappy because it was still early, we hadn't gone very high, and I just didn't feel any sense of what adventure means coming. I don't think the boys have any idea how fortunate they are not to be in the sick pollution of Kathmandu with every day of the holiday the same, playing mindlessly on screens and writing about which friend they can play with. Instead their father has taken then on a great trip into the Himalaya to listen to nature reveal who the really are.

Kasem had knee cramps in the night but we all ended up with a pretty good rest before our trek to base camp tomorrow.

Day 6
Kyanjin to Yala Peak base camp 5hrs

Great walk, no complaints as the trail heads West up the valley and trends upwards only occasionally with steep switchbacks. Contouring along grazed hillsides the clear altitude gain is most noticeable on the snowy forested north side of the valley as we pass above the snowline but on the sunny south side there is no snow at all.

We stopped sheltering under some rocks for our first packed lunch and soon the trail turns North up a steep gulley opening up into rocky moraine. We all failed in fact to read a telling sign portending of what was to come; a massive herd of Himalayan Blue sheep were descending the hillside that mid-afternoon. Had we stopped to think why... we would have guessed at what awaited us. A last push up a ridge to find base camp unusually located on the ridge rather than in a more sheltered location. To the east rises Tsergo Ri and to the west the unclimbed Kansas Ri massif, to the north our objective Yala Peak!

The weather has been unsettled all day, high cloud which could bring snow would scuttle our aspirations. Otherwise the plan is to bed early then up in the wee hours to try and knock it off and be back in camp by 1pm so we can have dinner in Kyanjin. Let's see what comes.

Day 7
Snowed in, descent to Kyanjin

Today started at bedtime the night before... when it started snowing around 7pm. Us boys were snug in our sleeping bags in my faithful MEC tent, the last gift my mother bought me 16 years ago. Pellets of snow pelted the tent with varying frequency accumulating rapidly. And then a flash of light followed by a peal of thunder that geeky like it was directly above our heads and we knew we were in for a storm. We were not to be disappointed as the thunder and lightening continued abating and returning, the calms between storms gave opportunity to knock the tent free of snow.


Kasem slept almost immediately, Zaki after an hour or so. I slept fitfully worrying about a lightning strike, already our Summit bid abandoned with thoughts turning now to the descent. Concerns ranged from route finding amidst the blowing and drifting snow to avalanche hazard on the steep traverses.



Sleep came hourly and morning too quickly, the zip had also broken on my my sleeping bag so was hard to tell what woke me, the lightening, the snow on the tent or the cold seam along my back and legs.



Nima our guide passed by at 5:30 to knock snow off the tent to wake us and we conferenced briefly. Given the continued snowfall and accumulation which could only have been greater higher up, poor visibility and the biting cold we decided the best course of action was to descend.... fast, before the was more accumulation.



The lads brought us tea in bed and then began the necessarily meticulous dressing process so that the boys were dressed for the weather and all possibilities; double socks with plastic bag foot liners, double trousers wind proof, heat tech under shirt, turtle neck, fleece, down vest, wind breaker, neck warmer, toque and gloves, sunglasses.... and boots. Backpacks only contained water and fibre fill jacket, spare gloves and dry socks.



I had to stuff the sleeping bags and get the hardware (crampons, harness, carabineers) separated in case of need. And dress myself. Finally we were done, the lads brought us noodle soup in the middle of it all and they packed up the rest of the gear. It took an hour and we were ready to go.



Just before leaving I spotted some figures about 300m on the trail below and both Nima and I saw them moving. Perhaps a group coming up or rescuers? Hard to know but we know we saw them at that time.. But then we never saw them again leading us to speculate perhaps it had been a family of yetis! What else?

Our two porters were laden, one with a dokho (basket) seemingly precariously top heavy, both loads at least 25kg. They had good runners on but any footwear would quickly become snow bound. It was going to be a slow careful descent. Nima positioned himself between the porters leading the way, close enough to grab the dhoko of one if he fell and  shepherding Zaki. Kasem was ahead of me following close enough to grab his back-pack strap should he stumble. 


In good weather the time to descend 500m should take 2.5 hours. We left at 8am with strong winds, blowing snow and visibility at about 30m. Despite the concerns mentioned I wasn't worried, Nima inspired confidence and I was no stranger to back country predicaments...the main difference was instead of having clients to care for I had my two brave young sons in my care. The boys were in good form, a bit scared in a sort of healthy way, I mean the plans had changed rapidly with the weather and we were in a 'bit of a spot' so to not have been scared would have been unnatural. Had we thought about those sheep the day before, heading down to safety... we might not have gone up in the first place!

We began the descent, steeply down from base camp, picking out the path first through invisible switchbacks covered in snow and then a jumbled boulder field. The wind at first was coming down the mountain slopes, blowing snow on top of us, this shifted as we got lower so that it was coming out of the west and so every time we rounded a corner of the east sloping side of a hill we would be blasted by snow. On one of these, where the wind had built up the snow into a 1m snow drift, Kasem said ‘Daddy this is getting pretty extreme!’.

We stopped after an hour and a half at the lunch rocks which were our target and we almost missed them in the driving snow, at one point not sure whether to take the higher route or the lower. But our porter Sonam got it right, he was in the lead most of the time and like a yak seemed to be able to smell the trail. Fortunately the lads had been up to Base Camp the day before to pre-position supplies so this trip back was their 4th time on the same trail in 36hrs. We had a short break now relieved with the knowledge that we were nearly 1/2 way back although with some of the trickier terrain still ahead it was getting warmer and the wind was less threatening. With two lightweight little boys along… it was a bit of a question at times whether they would stay on the hillside!

Down, down, down… we crossed a section with flowing water that was already melting, we had expected it to be glassy with ice so that was a relief, and then lower still, now out of the clouds and snow we were able to cross two small rivers without incident, also a relief since they could have been swollen with melt-water…. The sun came out for the last 40mins of the walk into Kyanjin and with the snow cover the temperature soared as we peeled off the layers. It was very nice to arrive back in Kyanjin, we had only left 28hrs before and it looked completely different covered in a white blanket of snow.


Grateful for our uneventful return, hot chocolate at the Dorje Bakery and a hot rum toddy for Daddyoh were highly called for… and a snowball fight and snow man building competition in the afternoon rounded off the day! 

Footnote:
Therein ends the tale. We were very lucky to be able to heli out of Kyanjin, the boy's mother had chartered a chopper also to support the transport of a memorial stone which is now installed in the Valley. Helicoptering out of a Himalayan valley is a short and very sweet way to exit (especially to avoid hammering the knees!) with amazing views and to gain a serious realization of where you have been and what you have done but also of how amazing it is that people live where they do.