Welcome to the third edition of the Off the Wall
Newsletter.
This edition of our Newsletter
has as the main picture an image taken on the Limi Valley trek, Humla; crossing
the Sechi La 4530mts with Kui Lagna in the background, the penultimate day of
the trek back to Simikot. Picture by courtesy of Ian Gray… thanks Blue!
So we have come to the end of not
only another trekking season but also another year. Where does all the time go?
I first came to Nepal in 2002, at
a time when the insurgency was at its height.
The Royal Massacre of June 1st 2001 had happened and the
country was heading towards the over throwing of the centuries old Monarchy
after what was to be a decade long insurgency which ended in 2006. Since then
five governments have come and gone, two of them headed by the once outlawed
Maoist Party.
Nepal’s Election
On November 19th 2013 Nepal
held elections for a constitutional assembly, the second such election since
2006. The previous assembly was supposed to draft a constitution by 2008 but it
was bitterly divided and never finalized the task.
This year 12.1 million Nepalese
were eligible to vote for the 601 member Assembly from more than 16,000
candidates belonging to more than 100 political parties. A positive sign of
progress is that nearly 6,000 candidates were women.
However, tragically there was
always going to be some form of aggressive statements made and the run up to
the election was marred by a group of opposition parties, led by the breakaway
Maoist faction who called for a nationwide disruption to the voting system.
Both the fire fighters and bomb squad were kept busy, businesses were closed and
traffic kept off the road for eight days with a total shut down being kept on
the 19th November, the actual day of the elections. Security was
tightly maintained to ensure a peaceful process ensuring that the turnout was
better than expected.
Once voters had cast their votes their fingers were marked
with indelible ink so as to prevent manipulation of the results by double or
treble voting.
By the 4th December the final counting had been
completed. The National Congress party
gained a total of 91 seats, the United Marxist Leninist Party 84 seats and the
United Communist Party Nepal (Maoists)
54 seats other parties have representation in the region of 24 to 1 seats in
the Constitutional Assembly. Despite most people feeling that they will notice
little difference in the way Nepal is governed the stock market and consumers
have gained confidence believing this is another rung up the ‘stability’ ladder
and the index rose 700 points, a greater gain than had been witnessed over the
last 52 months.
Surely one of the biggest challenges on the agenda must be
to improve the position Nepal holds on the list of the most corrupt countries
in the world, standing at 116th with 31 points on a scale of 0 –
100.
Good News
How I would love to have the
copyright to this image but unfortunately that is not the case. However, there
is good news, it is reported that a ´genetic census´ of snow leopards in the
Kanchenjunga Conservation Area has revealed that the population of this
globally threatened species could be as high as 29.
Kamal Thapa, a snow leopard
expert, stated that out of the 19 snow leopards found, through genetic analysis
of fecal samples, 10 are males and 9 females.
Let’s hope they continue to
thrive as I ‘m sure we would all like to see them eventually come off the
endangered species list. For more information see the WWF website – snow
leopard.
Oh! Not again.
The path taken by the cyclone as it pushed back towards Nepal in
October 2013.
The cyclone that hit India in
late October produced a knock on effect in Nepal. The recently departed monsoon weather was
pushed back into Nepal and this produced three days of heavy rain at lower
levels with a lot of snow falling at higher altitudes. The poor weather affected
mainly the east of Nepal but heavy snow was recorded in the Everest region and
a mixture of rain and snow in Langtang. Many agencies had to quickly re-shuffle
itineraries because of the poor conditions at Lukla resulting in busy seasons
for the Annapurna Sanctuary and Langtang areas. Many lodges were fully booked
for several days.
The issue of weather change is
catching many people and groups out, both those who should know better and
those struggling to come to terms with climate change.
Most people were luck and escaped
with only a few additional days in Lukla but sadly three deaths were registered
near the Makalu Barun/Sagarmatha national park border in the upper Hunku
Valley. However, sixty people on Mera
Peak had a lucky escape when, despite weather warnings, they pushed on with ‘Oh
it never snows that much in October’. Over a meter and a half of snow fell in
three days of continuous storm resulting in one group being trapped in High
Camp and another group in Base Camp, neither groups being able to find the
correct line of descent.
Money Matters
Many of you might remember
funding your visits to Nepal using Travelers’ Cheques. Now these are of no
value and cannot be redeemed in Nepal. There are safe ATM machines but you must
firmly establish with your bank that you intend to use your debit card in Nepal
before travelling. 
This season several clients have experienced difficulties
withdrawing cash using this method. I would strongly suggest that you at least
carry sufficient cash to see you through the first few days in Kathmandu,
sterling is accepted but not Bank of Scotland notes. Those trekkers who visited Nepal
this last season benefited for a good exchange rate that fluctuated around the
158/- rupees to the pound mark. The exchange rate on the 16th
December was 160/- to the sterling pound.
This season several clients have experienced difficulties
withdrawing cash using this method. I would strongly suggest that you at least
carry sufficient cash to see you through the first few days in Kathmandu,
sterling is accepted but not Bank of Scotland notes. Those trekkers who visited Nepal
this last season benefited for a good exchange rate that fluctuated around the
158/- rupees to the pound mark. The exchange rate on the 16th
December was 160/- to the sterling pound.
Free Climbing Peaks
Taking advantage of the ‘peak
fee’ being waivered in certain areas and new peaks being opened Guy Wilson, Neil
Warren and Dave Chapman (pictured below) arrived in Nepal with their sights set
on making the first ascent of Chandi Himal 6091m situated in northern Humla
right on the Chinese Nepal border. Flying into Simikot the team faced a long 5
day walk into base camp. After spending two weeks acclimatizing the stage was
set, but not the weather. Heavy snow fell and the team was defeated by the last
hurdle, a crumbling rock tower which was the final summit of their expedition. Chandi
Himal pictured below. 
The On-going Road Scheme
The work is continuing albeit a
bit behind schedule. As can be seen in the pictures great improvements are
being made, this section of road above is situated on the route to the airport
from Thamel, a journey that I guess you have all made in the past and will
again make hopefully in the future.
I’m sure on your next visit you
will, as I do, get lost as many of the old and familiar land marks and creators
in the roads have disappeared! The second picture is looking north past the
Teaching Hospital both images were taken late afternoon when the volume of
traffic normally clogs everything up.
The Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival (KiMFF) 2013
Again KiMFF 2013 was a great success.
Dave Breashears seen in the image
was the chief guest and is pictured here with Basanta Thapa the Festival
chairperson.
This edition’s ‘Column of Interest’
Many of you will no doubt have
been ‘propositioned’ by a Ghandarva musician playing a Sarangi (violin type)
instrument in Thamel and beyond, these people are the occupational caste of
musicians. Historically their role in society was to relay information of
social and news value and other things they saw in their travels from isolated
place to place across mountain regions of Nepal. Ghandarvas
were the only means of addressing and fulfilling the right to provide news access
and information to the ‘high’ caste and the wealthy Nepali people of that time.
A Sarangi, is a long necked instrument made from a single piece of
hollowed-out wood. It is double chambered instrument; the lower opening is
covered up with dried sheep-skin upon which the bridge rests, while the upper
chamber is left open. The neck is fretless, and the strings are tuned with
the kunti. The original strings were made out of sheep intestine,
similar to the use of catgut in violins.
Although
the musical skills of the Ghandarvas are dying out a ‘school’ in Batulechaur,
Pokhara, is now one of the major venues where a few old hands are schooling the
young ones in the rich culture of the rich Ghandarva and Sarangi Music.
Although the Ghandarvas are still seen in tourist centres playing music and
trying to sell their Sarangi you do still find them hopping on a bus from
Pokhara only to jump off again a few miles down the road, hopefully a few
rupees richer!
Obituary
It is with great sadness that I
have to report the untimely death of a good friend of mine, Mike Kells from
Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
Mike was not a climber or
mountaineer, although he loved the Lakeland fells and took the opportunities as
they arrived to wander around with his camera.
Mike was a great photographer and
one of the first in the area to take up digital photography. It was with his
guiding hand that I was converted to the new technology.
Mike was a loving and very
supportive husband, father, grandfather and to me a great friend who will be
sadly missed by all who ever came into contact with him.
Our thoughts and condolences go
to his wife Emily, daughters Dawn and Michelle and grandson, Noah.
And so ..
With the year now at an end we would like to wish you all a healthy
and prosperous New Year and leave you with some images of places visited by
friends over the last season. Many thanks to, amongst others: - Ian and Lynda
Gray, Guy Wilson, Neil Warren and Dave Chapman, Gray and Pat Grayrigge-Surgen
and Steve Goodwin and Phil Blanchard for permission to use their photographs.
Best wishes to all,
For a full display of these images please refer to the Newsletter on our website under 'Downloads'
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