Community Project Travel

Positive Footprints

trent — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 15:03:00 GMT

12 people, 3 days and 1 school. A documentary about a community project trek deep into the Himalaya to help restore a school. World Nomads and community project travel partner World Expeditions have linked up together to demonstrate how a small number of people can make a big difference - and find adventure in all kinds of travel.

As many of you know, World Nomads sponsored me on this amazing trip to carry along my video equipment and document the whole experience. After many late nights and much love, this then is the result.

Footprints Documentary

If you enjoy it, please mark it as a favourite on YouTube because if it is seen enough times, I think World Nomads will do more of these.

Enjoy!

Trent
Sydney, Sept 2006.

Gallery: On the Trail

trent — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 11:40:00 GMT

Pics from the walk into Saramthali School

Gallery: At the Saramthali School

trent — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 10:20:00 GMT

Pics from the 4 days at the school

Gallery: Kathmandu

trent — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 10:16:00 GMT

A few pics from Kathmandu

Gallery: Everest Scenic Flight

trent — Fri, 2 Jun 2006 10:14:00 GMT

Shots from the window of Everest

Packing up & back to Kathmandu

trent — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:10:00 GMT

Not much to do today but pack up and wait for the bus to take us back to Kathmandu. Having never been on a group trip like this before, I was a bit apprehensive of whether it would be for me or not. I had half expected a group of people who needed everything done for them and were looking for a trip of luxury in a rugged environment. But what I found was very much the opposite, everyone put in at the school and the group was always willing to get their hands dirty.

Being here as an observor in part, it’s been great to watch the members of the group choose thius adventure as their holiday . It would have been easy for them to have taken a holiday sitting on the beach sipping pina coladas. To choose this trip is an admirable and I’m sure ultimately more rewarding and memorable option. The great thing about this group trip was that it was the only way that we could do it – as a group.

Apart from there being no teahouses to stay in and no clearly defined track to follow along the way it was only possible to get the work done at the school in a group of our size. So yes I would highly recommend a trip like this for those who generally feel adverse to travelling in a group situation. I never felt that I was part of a tourist group gawking at locals with cameras blazing which is something i had feared at the outset.

We arrive back in Kathmandu in the late afternoon, giving us the much needed hours to clean before dinner, included a 50cent cut-throat shave at the local barber. It’s been a fantastic trip and of my three trips to Nepal this one definitely stands out. Being away from the well worn routes of the Annapurnas and the Everest region has been a glance at a different side of Nepal.

Seeing the local villages and being involved (albeit briefly) with the Phalunga Khola village and the Saramthali school has given me a glimpse of Nepal that feels infinitely more genuine then the ‘coca-cola, pizza and crowded tea houses’ trekking I’ve experienced elsewhere. Even without the feeling of giving something to a local community the trek to the Saramathali school was an experience unrivalled in my travels.

I couldn't reccommend this experience enough.

Leaving the School

trent — Mon, 27 Mar 2006 22:09:00 GMT

After breakfast we take another tour of the school similar to the one we did when we arrived. The main building looks fantastic, there really is nothing like a coat of paint to transform a room. The locals are back in the pit working on the retaining wall, it’s probably about two days of work til completion. While it’s disappointing we couldn’t finish this crucial part of the job it’s nice to see that it’s going to finished all the same.

We pack our tents and dusty clothes and get ready to hit the track again. The principal and staff as well as some of the students and the locals have gathered to give us a send off. The English teacher gives a speech that wonderfully sums up the trip and leaves us all with a tear in the eye. The goodbyes take about half an hour as we farewell all the locals and kids they we’ve come to know over the last few days. Then it’s back on the track as we descend back down to the river.

It’s about a five hour walk mostly along the riverbank to the town of Betrawati where we camp for the night. Along the way we pass through several little farming villages all of which utilise the river in the most ingenious ways. There’s dozen of little manmade canals guiding the water into the houses or down onto fields. At one place the water has been harnessed to turn two large, smooth rocks for crushing maze. It’s a brilliant and an incredibly effective system. Walking through these villages is a bit like travelling back to another time. All the hand tools, the lack of electricity and modern machinery feels like another era. It’s probably the closet thing we’ve got to time travel.

We arrive at Betrawati in the early afternoon and feels like we’re back to civilisation. There’s power and shops and even cold beer. The braver amongst us even submerse themselves in the cold river. I however have become attached to dirt and filth and have decided to hang onto it for another day. It’s been ten days since I showered or shaved and I’ve decided to leave that luxury for the opulence of my Kathmandu hotel room.

Tonight is a feast of all the best bits left over from the kitchen. Afterwards we enjoy a few beers by the river as we trade stories of misadventures in Nepalese school renovations. It's been a great trip and it's a bit sad it's all about to end.

Finishing the repairs

trent — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 22:07:00 GMT

We’re up and into it early this morning in a desperate attempt to make up time from yesterday’s unproductive afternoon. By the time we step back into the pit at 6:30am there’s already a dozen locals in there laying out the next cages. This interaction with the locals and working side by side with them has been a real highlight of the trip. Initially there was a curious unsureness to our working relationship. We weren’t sure of what we were doing and they weren’t sure what we could do but after three days we’re starting to feel like a well-oiled retaining wall building machine. It’s something I hadn’t expected to fit into so quickly. It’s a bit like a mini version of living in a community rather then just travelling through it. Despite the language barrier we still communicate and joke along through the day.

Now that all the loose rock has been cleared one of the joys is to find a good size rock beneath the soil. When one comes up everyone has a look and a nod of acknowledgement as if to say ‘yep, nice rock that one’. Smoko is other pastime that has transcended cultures. I’m not a smoker and I have no idea what it is we’re smoking but it’s great to sit around on the rocks passing the mystery cigarette around.

By mid morning we succumb to our time frame and realise we’re not going to complete the entire retaining wall. It’s disappointing but we have to be realistic and work out the best way to spend the little time we have left. We’ve completely laid the six foundation cages along the bottom and half the near layer on top. We figure if we can complete this layer thus leaving the top ones to go it’ll be a good way to having the wall done before monsoon hits. The locals are adamant they’ll complete the final section and our guide Rinzin will be returning in a month and will take a photo of the wall for us to proudly admire. The painting is almost done and the crew is putting together the finishing touches, fancy borders for the blackboards, the English and Nepalese alphabets and a roughly accurate map of the world.

By the end of the day the school looks completely different from the one we walked into four days ago. The rusty tin roof of the main building now sparkles bright blue and the classrooms and exterior walls are a clean, stark white. With the sun fading and the temperature dropping we have a game of cricket with our group and the locals. We get about an hour of play in before the inevitable ball down the mountain ends the game.

Tonight feels like the end of the trip even though it’s another two days til we get back to Kathmandu. After dinner we have a party in one of the ‘new’ classrooms. We’re taken through the basics of Nepalese dancing and learn the words to a popular Nepalese song, which seems to be something about a donkey and a monkey.

Falling behind

trent — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 22:03:00 GMT

Perhaps the biggest impact of our visit to the school is the way the locals have turned up to join the workforce. According to our guide it’s the fact we’ve come all this way that has drawn the locals into action. The school hasn’t had any repairs at all for the last twenty years and so it’s nice to think our presence here can help kick start the much needed maintenance. After all our visit is only a for a few days and the harsh environment here means the locals will be the ones who need to ensure the school is looked after.

Today in the pit there’s about 20 locals joining us from the village and the surrounding villages. Some of them have walked 2 hours up and down along the mountain ridge to be here to help. Many of them are women who carry immense loads of rocks in cane baskets strapped around their foreheads. Nepal is one of the few countries where statistically the men outlive the woman and it’s easy to see why. Along the way we’ve seen more woman then men in the fields dragging the ploughs or carrying the heavy loads up hills.

We’ve developed a good system in the pit of breaking up and clearly away the rocks. While one picks away, two others clear with shovels that have rope tied to the end so effectively one is pushing the shovel under the rocks while the other is pulling them clear. It’s a good system and it’ s amazing what we’ve been able to do thus far. While we still dream of the effectiveness of a bobcat or a bulldozer for an hour or two, we are starting to see the inroads we’re making.

In the afternoon I have a moment of weakness and need a break. It’s a mix of dehydration, exhaustion and dirt in the lungs that cause me to be fine one moment and dizzy and vomiting the next. While I’m on my back soaking in the fluids, our group starts dropping like flies. The toll of the last day and half starts setting in. In hindsight we probably went out too hard for work that we’re not physically used too. By three in the afternoon work in the pit has grinded to a halt.

A handful of locals keep going while the others who live far away head off for the long journey home. It’s an afternoon that makes me wonder whether we’ll get this wall built in time. We have only one full day left and still half of the cages to fill. It’s an early dinner and an early night tonight. The incredible welcome of two days ago seems a distant memory now and we all need a long night of rest to right for tomorrow.

First day in the pit

trent — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:02:00 GMT

It’s a nice change this morning to wake up and not have to pack everything away. After the standard porridge breakfast we break up into groups for the day. There’s the retaining wall group of six (which includes myself), the painting group of four and the final two working on the window shutters.

As the painters and would-be carpenters retreat to the comforts of the cool classrooms the rest of us hit the retaining wall that we quickly nickname ‘the pit’. The first task in the pit is to clear away the collapsed rocks so we can start rebuilding at the base. This is no easy task as we create a chain to carry the rocks up to the top of the pit and add them to the pile. After the first hour we covered in dust and already developing the first signs of ‘pit cough’.

Most of the day is spent clearing away the rocks and layering the foundations. Whereas the last retaining wall was just rocks piled on top of each other with soil as cement, the new improved retaining wall will be made up of rocks piled into metal wire cages stacked on top of each other. The section of the wall we’re repairing will be made up of 24 cages, six long by 4 high. By the end of the first day we’ve cleared half fallen rocks and put down 2 cages.

It’s physically the hardest day I’ve ever worked.

Many of the rocks required two people to lift and even then it’s a struggle. The pit is always covered in a lingering dust cloud that even with makeshift masks seems to settle in our lungs. I end the day with a newfound respect for retaining walls. I’ve started noticing other retaining walls in the village. Whereas previously I wouldn’t have given them a second glance I know can’t help admiring them, their form and structure, the nice use of pebbling between the boulders.

After a day of such back breaking labour we cap it off with the closest thing we could find to a cold beer in the afternoon sun – Nepalese moonshine at the local tavern. The tavern is really just a house in the village where the family distil a potent mix of potatoe-based alcohol. It’s doesn’t quite quench the thirst like a cold beer but it takes the edge off the aching muscles and proves a fitting end to a hard day.

Arrival at the School

trent — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 22:01:00 GMT

We head back up to a small school where we have lunch. By now the news of our imminent arrival at the school is big news in the local villages as about 50 or 60 locals turn out to greet us over lunch. We continue after lunch through a series of small villages nestled on the upper banks of the river. We still pull a crowd for our novelty value as the local kids happily escort us along the way. The word has spread about our group and everyone seems keen to have to a look.

By the time the school is in view we’ve collected a sizable entourage of locals. We take a final break just a few kilometres from the school which we can see in the distance on the edge of the ridge. We’re all excited and still a little unsure of what to expect as head off for the final stretch.

A few hundred metres out we hear the blaring of horns approaching. A small band of welcome committee has come out to meet us and walk with us the last few hundred metres. The principle of the school is the first to meet us. He introduces himself and hangs a flower wreath around our necks and welcomes us to his school. A group of about 50 people including the band surrounds us for the last bit of narrow track into the school. The people from the village of Phalungu Khola line the entrance to the school as the band kicks it up a notch for our official arrival. It’s completely overwhelming as we walk down the steps into the main courtyard of the school.

Hundreds of school kids make a tunnel for us and adore us with wreaths and gifts. It feels like the sort of reception one would receive after returning victoriously from battle. By the time we enter the school hall we’re covered in flowers and completely stunned by the welcome. We had expected a small gathering of the pupils but the welcome we receive was a surreal and unforgettable moment. The trip would have been worth it for this amazing moment alone. The festivities continue through out the afternoon as the band plays on and the local dancers put on a show. We’re encouraged to join in and quickly distinguishing ourselves as a nation of bad dancers. But it doesn’t matter as we can’t do anything wrong today.

After the couple of hours of festivities we have a tour of the school and more importantly the work that needs doing. Firstly and most importantly is repairing a retaining wall that recently collapsed. The section is about six metres wide and about four metres high. The reason this is the most important job is because when the monsoon comes the soil will be washed away and undermine the foundations of the main school building. The school also needs a fresh coat of paint both inside and out and on the roof. The main building is made up of eight separate classrooms and as well as painting they need repairs to the window shutters and new blackboards. That we night we’re still marvelling at the welcome we received while being slightly daunted the enormity of the job at hand.

The welcome was such an incredible moment we all feel indebted to get the job done in the next three days.

Down into the valley

trent — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 21:58:00 GMT

We wake again to stunning views before heading down towards the valley. We’ve stopped following the high ridge now and today will make our way down to the valley and up the other side. With the sun beating down we start the descent and drop rapidly for the first few hours. It was nice to go down for a while but this novelty quickly gives way to jarring knees. It wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t have to go all the way back up again later in the day.

The porters continue to take all terrain easily in their stride without breaking a sweat. Which is admirable but also a little frustrating when we try and gauge what lies ahead. Any question concerning the next part of the track is always answered with a nonchalant ‘little bit up’ or ‘little but down’. This is basis of the ‘Nepalese flat’ pattern which we’ve been on since day one. By lunch we’ve descended down almost to the river, which is beautiful, inviting and freezing. As much as I would love to cleanse the thick layer of dirt I’ve been accumulating over the last four days it’s too cold to bear.

Lunch is an impressive smorgasbord of meat and veg with tea and cold drinks. All the meals thus far have been well beyond my expectations. I expected the first day or so to be good but as we continued I thought the standard might drop as the heavy cans and luxury items are eaten up but it’s continued to be great. There is however something about camping and walking all day that seems to make all food taste good. Even the chucky curries eaten by fading candlelight are a delight and always good for debate over the mysterious meat (goat? buffalo?)

We climb back up the eastern side of the river through the now more numerous little farming villages. The sun is starting to set as we reach the small village of Patikharka. It’s a beautiful spot on a large plateau surrounded by the snow capped peaks to the north and dropping away steeply to the valley to the south.

There’s a local school nearby which for most of the group is what we expected the Saramthali School to be like. It’s a small single room building with a thatch roof and looks like the sort of building that we might be within our capabilities to renovate. The highlight of the night at this campsite is one of the local kids who takes an interest in photography. I gave him my digital SLR camera and after 30 seconds of instructions he’s off taking portraits of his friends and family (as you can see in the photos on this journal). I’m amazed at how quickly he masters the zooming and playback.

Dinner tonight is full of expectations for tomorrow and the arrival at the school. We’ve been concentrating so much on blisters, sore backs and knees that the school and the whole purpose of the trip has been in the background these last couple of days.

Breath-taking vistas

trent — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 14:42:00 GMT

All items of clothing were called into use last night in an effort to keep warm and cosy. As a result most of the porters and guides have long left by the time I pack everything back into my pack.

Like every morning thus far it’s another breathtaking view that’s revealed from behind the clouds of yesterday afternoon. This time it’s a natural amphitheatre of snow capped mountains heading off into Tibet. With the mountain views constantly improving we start to be more selective with photos and harder to impress. What we though were great Himalayan peaks on day one would now barely register a glance.

After a few hundred metres along the track we meet our first Yak. Apparently they only live above 3500 metres which is a good indication of how far we’ve climbed already. We take photos of the Yak from a safe distance before continuing to climb higher up the range.

By lunch the blisters and altitude are starting to kick in as we rug up for a quick kip. The air is a lot cooler now and you soon become cold after stopping a few minutes. Which isn’t good when the track is so steep and we’re constantly sweating. After lunch we reach the snowline which is something we hadn’t expected. Soon we’re up to our knees in fresh snow as the odd step gives way to small crevasses.

It’s a beautiful section of the trek but also one of the hardest and uncomfortable as it’s impossible to keep snow from slipping in the top of boots. We arrive at camp exhausted at the end of the hardest day so far. Again our campsite is atop an exposed ridge in the midst of heavy cloud.

We end the day with a game of Nepalese cricket with the porters which like most games Nepalese cricket ends with the ball s rolling over the edge.

Climbing climbing

trent — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 14:41:00 GMT

The view as we climb out of the tent is amazing.

Where there was nothing but cloud yesterday afternoon now stands the entire Ganesh himal range against a clear blue sky. Breakfast is a very civilised porridge and cup of tea in the dinning tent before we begin climbing on the narrow track. Our guide Rinzin points out a distant spot on the ridge above which is to be our campsite at the end of the day. It looks more than a days walk but then looking back down to where we came from seems more then a few hours.

We spend the morning climbing into the Rhododendron forests. By lunch we’ve climbed over 500 metres towards the alpine ridge. After lunch the track became stepper still until finally levelling out for the last hour or so before camp. Having done two other treks in Nepal the main difference doing this trek is the remoteness.

Unlike the Annapurna region we don’t pass any other westerners or tea houses along the way and the locals seem to be much less accustom to encountering westerners then other parts of Nepal, like the three local farmers we meet at lunch today. They happily stood nearby and smoked their pipes content just to watch us go about our business.

The campsite tonight is high on an expose ridge with patches of snow nearby. We arrive in a thick cloud but like yesterday expect this to clear in the morning for another postcard like view.

The temperature again drops rapidly when the sun goes and tonight it seem especially cold as the wind constantly streams in from the valley. While it adds an unnecessary chill, the wind does at least drown out most of the communal tent snoring.

It’s a shivering night of readjusting my sleeping bag and adding layers for warmth.

Getting started

trent — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 16:05:00 GMT

After a 6am wake up call our group packs up the bus and we start our trip to the Saramthali school in the village of Phalungu Khola.

The purpose of our trip is to trek to the school and together with the locals help restore and repair parts of the school. We plan to spend four days at the school focusing our attention on the vital repairs such as rebuilding a collapsed retaining wall and also hopefully been able to paint and restore the classrooms.

The school is vital part of the local community and has slowly fallen into a state of disrepair over the last twenty years. We head north out of Kathmandu valley towards the Ganesh Himal just west of the Langtang region. As with most bus trips in Nepal a journey of a just a couple of 100 kilometres can take all day.

The roads are steep, narrow and mostly unpaved when you leave the valley but passing the oncoming traffic and overtaking on the bends always keep it entertaining. By mid afternoon we arrive at the small town of Ramche the starting point for our trek. We’re expecting to meet a handful of porters and guides but instead are greeted by a group of about 60 people included our porters and their extended families. Children run around vying for photographs as the porters load up the heavy bags.

After a last minute attempt at some futile stretching we start on the track. It’s only about 2 hours to our first campsite but it’s almost all up hill which we’re informed is a good indication of what’s to come. Along the way we’re accompanied by groups of children from the nearby villages. One young girl of about eight years, darts beside us up the steep incline all the while with her younger sister on her back.

We arrive at the camp to find all the tents already set up by the porters who arrived much earlier. It’s amazing the way they bound along the steep track with their heavy loads as if they were strolling along the beach. The temperature drops rapidly as the mist rolls in and the sun drops.

Over dinner we discover the school has over 200 students. We’d all imagined it would be a little single building in the hills with a handful of kids. As we turn in for the night and the snoring kicks in, we realise that we don’t really know what to expect from the school, we all have ideas of what to expect but already these seem to be very different – we’ll wait and see.