Category: Nepal

After Marpha we had a long walk down through the Kali Gandaki valley to the village of Ghasa. For most of this walk we managed to avoid the road. From Ghasa to Tatopani the stupidity of the road became too much for me… so out came the camera as I filmed some of what I was seeing and shared my thoughts. This road was becoming a powerful metaphor for all the bad decision making in the world that ignores the obvious power of nature and benefits of working in harmony with local environments and wisdom of local people.

What direction do we want to go in? Do we want to be connected with, and working with nature. Or do we want to continue with the belief that we can dominate nature? The age of cheap oil has given us a false sense of our power, and it has fostered both laziness and greed.

Yesterday we walked to Jomson and then today a short walk to Marpha. What a contrast already to the first part of our trek up the Marshyangdi Valley to Manang and then over Thurong La pass. We saw signs of road building, but nothing like we encountered as we walked down from Muktinath into the Kali Gandaki Valley. Tractors pulling trailers carrying local people, motorbikes … not a lot as yet, but enough to disturb the peace and solitude of walking.

In Marpha Village we met with Mr Bhakti Hirachan.  We walked above Marpha to a spot with a commanding view of the village and Kali Gandaki river, where we stopped for a while.  He talked about the issues they’re faced with, as well as the positive things they are doing. While they are observing changes with climate, the biggest issue at present is the development of the road. Mr Bhakti has been opposed to the road and still is. He believes it will create more environmental problems.  I agree with him.

I offered to write my reflections for him, which included the following:

Of far greater importance than the road in the Annapurna region is the need for reafforestation. If I consider the needs for:

1)      environmental protection

2)      sustainable fuel supplies

3)      water resources protection

4)      natural beauty protection

5)      sustainable local economies

6)      social well-being

then I find far more reasons to be funding reafforestation rather than road building.  All of the above matter hugely in developing resilient communities in the face of climate change and other issues.

Marpha Village is a beautiful place, and has a very strong community.

“We have a very powerful women’s group called the Mothers’ Group and also a Youth Group who have been instrumental in promoting and implementing environmental management practices. The Mothers’ Group has been crucial in promoting planting of deforested areas, waste management and safe drinking water. The Youth group has been the effective voice in encouraging young people to be actively involved in the community work, preserving the environment and culture.” Mr. Bhakti Hirachan

They have worked as a community to protect their unique environment. How they cope with the challenges and changes that the road brings remains to be seen.

Karma and I barely slept. The altitude and cold, dry air were affecting my breathing and I was concerned about Lena. Karma was worrying about Lena all through the night. About 4.10am I had Karma outside my door. We went and checked on Lena. She was feeling OK, no more headaches or vomiting. The decision was to get up and go.

I can barely put in words the challenge of this day. The long, slow, 1000m climb to Thorong La Pass (over 5400m); the sense of relief and emotion when we reached the top; the sheer guts and determination from Lena; the incredible strength of Ali, who at 13 years old has to be one of the youngest foreigners ever to do this crossing … who Karma originally didn’t believe could do it when he heard her age, but he did believe when he saw what good walkers both girls are. And for me, an end to any doubt I had about my ability to do this at 48 years old and completing something I had originally been drawn to 24 years ago.

This day literally became the high point of the journey for me. At 4500m altitude, in the middle of the Himilayas I met a straight talking Nepali/Tibetan man, Michung Gurung, owner of the Thorong Base Camp Lodge and Manang farmer. I had been told about this person by Bhim, the ACAP ranger in Manang. But it had been a long, hard day, and I was feeling the cold and altitude as well as needing to be with the girls, particularly with Lena who had a bit of a headache (a high altitude effect). While the girls went to bed I noticed this man outside my room, lighting a small fire and beginning a small ceremony for the Gods. This was Michung Gurung, the lodge owner and person Bhim had told me I should talk to. This man spoke good English and had plenty to say. After all the challenges of the last two months, after the incredible challenges since we began trekking… here I was high in the Himalayas talking to a man who was worth listening to. We went into his living quarters, next to my room. It was dark, but there was just enough light from the battery powered fluorescent light to film. I filmed about 8 minutes of interview at 4500m. This is a voice that many people need to hear … a straight talking man who says that the hope for the world lies in people putting an end to greed, an end to spending money on weapons and wars. If we turned this money to reafforestation everywhere then we might have a chance of restoring ecological balance and health to the world and of turning things around. The big problem, says Michung Gurung, is that there is too much talking in the world and not enough doing. His view is that we need to put money and resources into the hands of the doers who can provide real leadership for positive change.

A good day! Ali had slept well and no more diarrhoea or nose bleeds! We were all able to appreciate the stunning mountain scenery here and also meet and film interviews with some local people. Bhim, the ACAP conservation officer was very good. He accompanied us down to some local fields where we filmed people at work and briefly interviewed a local farmer.

“Right now he is saying he is working in the farm, he’s spending his life on the farm and he’s saying that he’s seeing the glacier of Gangapurna Lake is decreasing year by year but he has not any concern whether the glacier is decreasing or increasing, nothing for him. He is a typical farmer. There are many farmers like this living in this village. He’s not well educated and he’s concerned with his living only, not for environment, not for other things.”

We then walked over to Gangapurna lake. This lake has formed over the last 20 years or so from the melting of the Gangapurna glacier.

After lunch we met with Sonam Chhiring Ghale and Sonam Chhiring Gurung, both farmers and lodge owners. These are both smart farmers, who talked about more erratic rainfall patterns over the last 20 years, which have resulted in an irrigation scheme supported by ACAP. Big issues are declining snow levels and loss of forest cover. They can’t control the loss of snow and the melting of the Gangapurna glacier but there is potential to manage forest cover. However this requires support to introduce fencing to control animals that presently free-range and to protect trees that are planted.

“When I was 10 or 12 years old the lake near the Gangapurna Glacier was very small, the glacier was a massive chunk of ice. But now everything is gone. The lake has enlarged massively. The receding of the glacier is progressing leaving the bare rocks behind.” Sonam Gurung

“Of course we understand that the entire earth is warming up. We know from what we have observed from Kathmandu. The increase in traffic has resulted in the formation of the smog in the atmosphere. When we were small the atmosphere of Pokhara was smog free, but just within a span of 10-12 years we see the change. The same polluted air will travel to the high mountain places. The dark smokes that we see coming here in the evening is that very smog from low land. It is this polluted air of the lowland that has melted the snow. We need to plant the trees and see how we can protect our environment. That’s what we need to do.” Sonam Ghale