THE FANTASTICAL KINGDOM OF LO | Guest Post by Persis Anklesaria

 

 

Persis Anklesaria, is a veteran South Col trekker, keen photographer and gifted writer. In this post she recounts her journey to the once forbidden kingdom of Mustang  - a fascinating part of the Himalayan rain shadow.

Wedged between the Himalayas and shuttered Tibet, lies an ancient Buddhist kingdom within the borders of Hindu Nepal. 

 

The kingdom of Lo.

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 In the year 1380, the warrior chieftain Ame Pal, gained control of the trade routes between India and Tibet, established a kingdom and built Lo Manthang --- a grand walled capital of palaces, monasteries and gompas.

 

Nothing much has changed since then.  Sheltered behind 26,000 ft. high peaks, the Lobas continue to live a centuries old existence, farming, raising livestock and preserving their ancient faith. Today, this domain of approximately 13 settlements is the last bastion of pure Tibetan culture, its monasteries the finest example of Buddhist art, and Ame Pal’s capital the best-preserved medieval fortification in the world.

 

Till the 1950’s the only route into Mustang was on horseback via treacherous passes. Now, a Chinese road extends from Lhasa to Kathmandu, daily flights bring in a gaggle of tourists.  Before a way of life disappears forever, eight Southcol Expedition trekkers including me, embark on a 7-day, 64km climb from Jomsom airstrip (9000 ft.), northwards to Lo Manthang (12,400ft.).  

 

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As the Tara Air, 16-seater lifts off, Pokhara’s lake and green fields slip away, melting into puffy clouds.   Within minutes the skies darken as we tunnel between the world’s two greatest mountain ranges at wingtip distance. The Annapurna Peak metamorphoses into her fabled fish tail, while across the aisle, the east face of Dhaulagiri, 26,000ft of dazzling beauty floats past the windows. Below us the light-speckled Kali Gandaki River, its plunging gorges, valleys and tributaries, bisect the terrain.  Half-an-hour later we are in Jomsom, a brown, barren, rocky desert.

 

Nepal Trekking | Open and Closed regions Autumn 2020

 

Important information for all those who plan to trek in Nepal this autumn - please see below what is open and closed.

Please note that this information is collected from October 5th to 10th 2020 and can change at any time. Nepal rules can also change - there is a proposal as on date to allow tourists only from mid November 2020 and not October 17th 2020 - it is yet to be confirmed by the Government.

Other rules like PCR negative test 24 hours before any other restrictions like rapid antigen test on arrival is to be followed.

1. Tsho Rolpa -> No trekking and outsiders are allowed

contact -> Naa view point hotel 9843813119 / 9840531500

2. Everest Region -> Allowed, required PCR Negative result report required of no longer than 72 hours

3. Manang / Tilicho -> not allowed

Contact -> Hotel Yak and Resturant (Manang)9841461082, Khangsarkang hotel 9843172015

4. Gosaikunda -> Allowed

Contact -> Deurali Hotel 9849434107, Hotel yak n nak In chandanbari : 9741203099

5. Mustang -> Not Allowed

Majestic mustang "hotel north pole" 981-3727397

6. Timbung Pokhari Trek-> Allowed

facebook page "Timbung Pokhari -Trek Divine" for more informatio

7. Sikles Trek-> Trekking and outsiders are not Allowed

Contact -> Namaste Guest House

8. Annapurna Base Camp Trek -> Not Allowed

Contact -> Real Chhomrong: 9846359659

9. Mardi Himal Trek -> Allowed

Contact -> Hotel Fishtail And Restaurant (High Camp) 9856014765, Hotel Green View And Restaurant 98065369

10. Dolpo Phoksundo Trek -> Trekking is Allowed with PCR Negative Report, documents from ward office and permit from NP

Contact -> Tashi Homestay, 9848304204 Tashi Lama, Ringmo

11. Mundhum Trail Trek -> Allowed

12. Panchpokhari Trek -> Allowed

Contact -> Resham Tamang 9741337147 Ngima chhiring Tamang 9843497149

13. Poonhill Trek -> Not Allowed

Contact -> Hotel Old Village Inn 9856047031, Kamala Lodge and Restaurant – 977-9846646349

14. Helambu, Ama Yangri -> Not Allowed from Tarkhegyang side

15. Langtang -> Allowed, required pcr report

Kangchenjunga North Base Camp Trek Pangpema | Route and Timings Part II

Jannu and Sobidonge at sunset from above Kangbachen

A South Col team trekked to Kangchenjunga North Base Camp Pangpema in November 2019.
For details of the first part of our journey do visit  https://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2019/12/kangchenjung-north-base-camp-pangpema.html
This is the second and final part.

November 16 2019 Ghunsa to Kangbachen 11.5 km
We left Ghunsa at 7.30 am on a cold morning with the temperatures well below zero Celsius. Ghunsa must be one of the coldest places in the Himalaya with an altitude of only 3415 metres primarily due to the limited sunshine hours just five and a half hours in November. The trail travelled north past the hospital and in around 45 minutes reached a log bench with prayer flags.  For most of the way the trail meandered through rhododendron forests which would be a riot of flowers in the spring season April - May. It then dropped to a landslide section in 15 minutes and then skirted the river. Looking up due east in about an hour and a half we could see the peak of Khabur above us. The trail then crossed a second landslide section in about 2 hours with a log bridge across a stream.

Kangchenjunga North Base Camp Pangpema Trek | Route and Timings Part I

A South Col Team trekked the North Pangpema Base Camp of Kangchenjunga in November 2019. The details of the trek with day wise itinerary and timings are below.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The start of both the north base camp trek and south base camp trek had rough jeepable roads for fair weather use. For our detailed post of these roads do visit  http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2019/12/kangchenjunga-trek-nepal-north-and.html
• Lodges are available on the trek but these are basic below Ghunsa and also have few beds. In case you are a large group (8-10 persons) during season time April and October  you may be better off camping. Above Ghunsa the quality of the lodges improve dramatically and is some of them you can get attached toilets. There are also many more lodges.
• Phone connectivity is there in some of the locations – only Nepal Telecom not Ncell.
• There is no wifi available on the route excepting at Ghunsa Hospital.
• The trekking numbers are also  low – from the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project records for 2019 I found that the spring season March to May 2019 had 202 trekkers while the autumn season September until 20^th November 2019 had 634 trekkers out of which October alone had 407 trekkers. In comparison the Everest route has around 45,000-50,000 trekkers in a year!
• The approach from Kathmandu is usually through Bhadrapur airport a 45 min flight and then a long drive from Bhadrapur to Taplejung. There is an airport at Suketar but the thrice a week Nepal Airlines flight is not very regular and is often cancelled.
• There has been a lot of changes in the routes mentioned in the guide books some due to landslides and some new trails being developed and the guide books need updation e.g. Lelep often mentioned as a night stop is not required to be visited any more there is a direct trail now to Sekathum so do not follow the guide books blindly.

Everest 2017 | Hillary Step Destroyed by Nepal Earthquake

Many of you must have read the news on social media and press reports that the ionic Hillary Step just below the summit of Everest on the south side is no more. Tim Mosedale while climbing Everest a few days ago reported this on his Facebook page and mentioned that this would probably be the result of the 2015 earthquake which rocked Nepal including the Everest region.

Jamie McGuinness of Project Himalaya posted a photograph of the step taken by him in 2008 and a comparison of the two photographs below clearly indicates the changes to the topography of the  Step.

The question remains that will be changes to the Step make it easier or more difficult to climb the last bit to Everest?

But let us go back to the climb of 1953 when Ed Hillary free climbed the Step for the first time and it was only then he was sure that the two of  them (Hillary and Tenzing) would make it to the top.

In the video interview below given by Hillary many years after the successful climb he recounts the climb of the Step on that memorable day May 29th 1953.

Mustang & Lo Manthang Trek | Peakfinder Screenshots

Evening Ghar Gompa

South Col Expeditions trekked to Mustang and Lo  Manthang for the second successive year. In 2015 the South Col team had just come out of the monasteries of Lo Manthang and entered a painters studio when the Nepal earthquake struck. This September 2016 there were no mishaps and the team made the trek without any problems.

These Peakfinder screen shots identify the mountains from different locations on the trek

Pokhara - from the south side of the Annapurnas

Jomsom View

Kagbeni entrance of Mustang

Yamdo La view above Shyanmochen

The view from the Choser Caves north of Lo Manthang

For more information and photographs on Mustang do visit

http://www.sujoydas.com/Nepal-Himalaya/Mustang-In-the-Land-of-Lo/i-LMNdRDz

http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part-i.html

http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html  

Nepal Himalaya - A Journey Through Time | Book Launch Kathmandu

It gives me great pleasure to inform you that my  new book Nepal Himalaya - A Journey Through Time with Text by Lisa Choegyal, Drawings by Paula Sengupta and a Foreword by Reinhold Messner will be launched in Kathmandu on Sunday September 18th 2016 at the  historic Dwarikas Hotel at 4 pm.
I would be delighted if some of you who are in Kathmandu could attend the launch. Lisa, Paula and I would be present. I would be making a short 20 minute presentation on the book.

Some of the recommendations of our book  are below:

‘Sympathetically capturing the majestic scenery and evolving lifestyles of Nepal's mountain landscape, I applaud Sujoy Das’ extraordinary images in this glorious celebration of its resilient inhabitants. Lisa Choegyal’s text and captions add context and a personal perspective of how tourism has contributed to the country that is so much part of my life.’

Sir Chris Bonington CVO CBE DL, British mountaineer, writer and philanthropist

‘I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the mountains of Nepal. Sujoy Das' arresting black and white images capture the essence of my country and its people. Moreover Lisa Choegyal, who has long been involved with conservation and tourism development in Nepal, vibrantly describes how the country that we hold so dear first opened its door to visitors.’

Dr Hemanta R Mishra, Nepali ecologist, wildlife biologist and conservation leader

‘This captivating book by Sujoy Das and Lisa Choegyal brought back memories of my fifty five years savouring the beautiful mountains and people of Nepal.’ 

Captain M.S. Kohli, Indian mountaineer and author

Some of the photographs from the book are below: 

Ama Dablam from Pangboche at dusk

The large mani wall above Namche Bazaar

The stupa at Bodhnath 

A monastery courtyard in Kagbeni

Mingma Chopel Gurung, a resident of Nar village

Annapurna II and Gangapurna from Ngawal on the Annapurna Circuit

The details of the book is given below:

NEPAL HIMALAYA 

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Photographs by Sujoy Das Text by Lisa Choegyal

Foreword by Reinhold Messner

Published by VAJRA BOOKS, Kathmandu, Nepal.

ISBN NO 978-9937-623-57-5

www.vajrabooks.com.np

Available at 

On Amazon India

 http://www.amazon.in/dp/993762357X  

On Amazon USA

https://amzn.com/993762357X

Nepal Himalaya | A Journey Through Time

Nepal Himalaya: A Journey Through Time is being published by Bidur Dangol of Vajra Books, Kathmandu. The photographs for this book have been shot by me while the text is by Lisa Choegyal. There is a short foreword by Reinhold Messner.  There are eleven line drawings by Paula Sengupta

The book should be on the shelves and on Amazon and other web sites by end of June 2016.

Here are some photographs  shot in Archana Press, New Delhi where the book is being printed. It gives you an idea of what to expect!

Nepal Earthquake | One Year After

Kaule village,  Nuwakot district,  May 2015

On 25^th April 2015 at around 11- 56 am, I was standing inside a “tankha” painter’s studio in Lo Manthang, the capital of Mustang district in the rain shadow of the Himalayas.  All of a sudden, I noticed that the bowls of paint in little cups were vibrating and this began to increase rapidly.  As I watched in amazement the colours began to spill onto the floor which was also shaking and we then realized it was an earthquake. We ran out onto the street and looking up I found the walls of a nearby building shaking dangerously. Each time I thought it was going to collapse it miraculously straightened up again. At that time I had no idea of the enormity of the disaster which was unfolding in Nepal.

We cut short our trek and started our long journey back to Pokhara. The story of that journey has been told in http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.com/2015/09/mustang-and-lo-manthang-itinerary-part.html 

The earthquake of 25th April 2015 was followed by a second major earthquake on 12^th May 2015 which further crippled Nepal. 

Since the two earthquakes and the numerous aftershocks which have rocked this mountain kingdom, Nepal has been on the world map for the last one year.

 The images  and videos are by  now all too familiar – rubble and shattered homes and buildings, cars smashed by rocks, large chunks of the hillside falling away into dust and ashes  in a video, avalanches the size of large tidal waves sweeping up a camp, those familiar orange and blue shelters adorning the hillside shot by cameramen in  helicopters,  women trying to find their  belongings in the rocks and bricks which were once their homes, and police and  soldiers on their constant patrol trying to keep order in the world heritage monuments many of which are now lying in ruins.

Durbar Square Kathmandu soon after the earthquake

It is now the first anniversary of this calamity. What has happened in Nepal since then?

Very little really.

The earthquake in Nepal was followed an agitation by the Madhesi parties against the new constitution which resulted in a border blockade with India for six months and brought the country to its feet.

Fuel and cooking gas were being black marketed, costs of all essential commodities spiralled out of control, flights were not refuelled at Kathmandu airport, long lines of buses, cars and motor bikes stood daily outside fuel pumps which were dry and foreign countries like USA, UK, Australia issued advisory warnings against travelling to Nepal.

Haze and pollution over Kathmandu as seen from Swayambhunath, April 2016

 Further, Kathmandu the capital is in a shambles. Very high pollution levels accompanied by a haze which sits over the valley has affected the health of many. Wearing a face mask while walking on the street is now the norm rather than the exception.  The Nepal capital has been rated as the third most polluted city in the world. Along with this, electricity shortages to the tune of 12 to 14 hours per day have brought the city to its feet. And it does not look like the situation will improve in a hurry and neither does the Government have a plan in place to tackle these issues.

Roland Hunter of The Mountain Company at Everest Base Camp, September 2015 on a recce visit to assess the earthquake damage on the trekking trails to Everest

Tourists and trekkers who had planned to come for the autumn 2015 season put their plans on hold and Nepal tourism received another setback with virtually no business for two consecutive seasons.

The blockade was lifted in early 2016 but by then the damage was already done. However the trek agencies and hoteliers are optimistic that autumn 2016 will bring back the tourists if there is stability on the political front and not further agitation by the Madhesis.

But what of the reconstruction process?

One year later the Nepal Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is sitting with $4 billion dollars of aid to distribute to the people but due to the lack of proper infrastructure and systems for distribution these funds remain locked. In fact, after the Government announced relief schemes,  the number of those claiming to have lost their homes shot up from about 5.70 lac houses to around 7.70 lac houses and the NRA was called upon to  verify the data once more, further setting back the recovery timeline.

The villagers had also been promised Rs 2 lacs each to rebuild their homes in earthquake proof designs – none of this money has reached them either as no design has been approved by the Government. But in actual fact the cost of an earthquake proof house would be to the tune of Rs 5 lac at least so where will the rest of the money come from?

The prototype at Kaule almost completed

Various aid agencies have been rebuilding earthquake proof prototypes in different villages and have been applying to the DUDBC (Department of Urban Development and Building) for approval of the designs.

Building the roof of the prototype at Kaule

 As a part of South Col Nepal Earthquake Support we have supported the building of one such prototype (www.thekauleprototype.blogspot.com) with indigenous materials in Kaule village, Nuwakot district and have also submitted the design for approval.

Detailed drawings submitted to DUDBC for approval

As typical for most of the people in Nepal, the villagers wait in hope for their Rs 2 lacs each for re-building their homes. 

Until then as they say in Nepal, ke garne?

Butter lamps, Bodhnath, March 2016

The Kaule Prototype Project in Nuwakot District Nepal

As many of you know South Col Expeditions Earthquake Support  has been working with a dedicated team on building a prototype house in Kaule  village in Nuwakot district Nepal using eco friendly materials and local labour. The idea is to train the villagers in using local materials and techniques so that they can build their own houses in future.

The upto date  details of this project can be found at  http://thekauleprototype.blogspot.in

Some recent photographs of the work going on in the village is below:

Rebuilding the Villages of Kaule and Bhangeri - III

The Kaule Prototype

April - May 2015 

Recce visit 

In May 2015 Sujoy Das, and Sharan Lal, both from Kolkata, visited Kaule and Bhangeri - villages in Nuwakot District and home to South Col’s friends, porters and guides – Santaman, Shyam, Sushil – among others. 

In this trip, corrugated Zinc Sheets donated by the trekking community from South Col Expeditions and Sujoy’s friends and contacts were distributed among the villagers. The sheets provided temporary relief to the villagers and has seen them through the monsoon season.

A report filed by Sujoy on the May 2015 recce visit can be found here: http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/05/nepal-earthquake-support-report-on.html and another one here: http://sujoyrdas.blogspot.in/2015/06/nepal-earthquake-rebuilding-villages.html 

June 2015

Design of a House

On their return from Kaule and Bhangeri, realizing the need for design intervention, Sharan Lal set up a small group of email friends and worked on a design of a prototype house with the intention of helping the villages to re-construct their village in a an appropriate manner. The design would seek to resist inappropriate construction materials and technologies - like Reinforced Concrete – that threaten to obliterate the invaluable vernacular building traditions and community wisdom that the villages of Kaule and Bhangeri possess, and have take generations to acquire, nurture, and preserve.  

The draft concept design (video) developed with this brief after the May 2015 recce visit can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggYpcH0APXk

July 2015

Prototype for re-construction 
The draft design received a good response, and we decided to:

a. build a prototype for a house in Kaule that is built using traditional building materials and techniques, and caters to requirements of a seismically secure structure as per the Nepal Building Codes. 

b. Conduct a Training Workshop for the villages' masons, carpenters, and other artisans to empower them with necessary skills for making the prototype, and by extension their own houses in the future under our guidance.

September 26 – Oct 5, 2015

Pre-training recce and village survey 

A pre-training recce trip was carried out in September 2015 – soon after the monsoon - when the villages of Kaule and Bhangeri were observed more closely, and some basic measurements. Apart from this, the villagers were photographed, and their basic family data studied. A report on the September trip can be viewed here: http://thekauleprototype.blogspot.in/

October 26 – November 3 ,2015

Skills training

A six day hands-on training and workshop for the villages of Kaule and Bhangeri is planned from Oct 26 onwards in the Kaule School compound. The training aims to make villagers aware of the properties of traditional materials and techniques used in construction - bamboo, stone, mud, and timber - and to empower them to use these in ways that would make their structures seismically less vulnerable. 

December 2015 Onwards

Construction of the Prototype

The prototype for a typical house will be constructed by the villagers under our supervision over a period of 2-3 months. The exact dates for these are yet to be finalized depending on availability of funds and resources for the same.

2016

Reconstruction and rehabilitation of Kaule and Bhangeri

The lessons learnt in the construction of the prototype will be used to prepare a detailed plan for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the villages of Kaule and Bhangeri.  The plan includes incorporation of concepts like Community Forestry, Solar Micro grids for electricity generation, ulitisation of Boi-mass for energy and long-term, sustainable income generation schemes utilizing the natural and tourism potential of the villages. A consortium of professionals will be formed as an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) to take this stage forward. A report on the Prototype process and village planning and design is being prepared by Sharan and the same will be presented to an international agency for funding support. 

The Kaule Protoype Team

The people who have been working on the project till now are:

 Ashish Sharan Lal, Architect, Alleya and Associates, Kolkata, India 

Team leader

 Sujoy Das, South Col Expeditions, Kolkata, India

Group mentor

Santaman Tamang, Tour operator, Kaule, Nepal

Village Representative and Local Support

Ajmal Shoban, Retired edical professional, Virginia, U.S.A. 

Donor Representative

Hanif Barma, Finance Professional, London UK  

Donor Representative

  

Archana Hande, Artist, Mumbai, India

Photographic documentation, Administration and Accounts 

Vivek Rawal, Architect, Ahmedabad, india

Technical Mentor and resource person

Areen Attari, Architect, Mumbai, India

Training and Workshop resource person  Manu Narendran, Engineer, Ahmedabad  Training and Workshop resource person

 

Pradeep Humagain, Electrical Engineer, Gham Power, Kathmandu Nepal