Dashain festival in Nepal

Photo: Dashain bamboo swing in Kanchenjunga region of Nepal

The end of September is a bad time of year to be a goat in Nepal. As the festival of Dashain approaches one of the typical sights in Kathmandu are the many buses coming into town with goats on the roof ready to be sold at the market for the festival celebrations! The longest and most important festival in Nepal called Dashain starts tomorrow on September 25th and then continues until October 7th.

As a traveller it is well worth visiting Nepal during Dashain as you will see the celebrations and rituals for one of the most important and auspicious festivals in the Nepali year (however please be aware that many government offices and companies will be closed too). There is much excitement and joy during the celebrations, you will notice the holiday atmosphere as most Nepali get time off work and will travel back to their villages for the festival. People are also in a good mood as government workers and many private companies pay a Dashain bonus often equivalent to an extra month pay!

Dashain commemorates the victories of the gods and goddesses over the demons. It symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil when on the tenth day of the festival Goddess Durga killed the demon Mahishasura. Goddess Durga is worshiped throughout the country as divine mother goddess. The festival of Dashain is also about forgiveness, kindness and respect. It is believed that if Durga is worshiped then good luck is likely to happen although if the goddess is angered then misfortunes are likely to take place….

Dashain is a long festival so it allows people the time to travel to be with friends and family. The tradition is to get a tika from an older person in your family. There are many pujas to worship god for peace and prosperity. Traditionally during the festival it is an opportunity to purchase new clothes for the family and many shops offer Dashain sales. There are celebrations throughout the period and many people enjoy flying kites and children in the villages ride on ferris wheels and swings built using bamboo, grass and wood.

During the festival there there is a variety of food eaten including sweets, fruits and meat. The most popular meat is not surprisingly goat! Of course meat is expensive and not many people can afford to eat meat regularly throughout the year so festival time is a special occasion for feasting.

Early October is also peak trekking season in Nepal so if you plan your trek during this month then you will see the celebrations of Dashain festival in the villages. If you are interested in visiting Nepal in 2015 for Dashain then this is will take place later than 2014, the first day is October 13th and tenth day is October 22nd.

Happy Dashain 2014 to everyone in Nepal!

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk 

Snow leopard in the Himalaya

Photo: snow leopard (credit: The Snow Leopard Trust)

I have never seen a snow leopard (Panthera uncial) in the wild however I have been lucky enough to see pug marks (i.e paw prints) and their scat in several places while trekking in the Himalaya. The first time I saw snow leopard pug marks was on the Ngozumpa glacier on the trail from Dragnag to Gokyo after crossing Cho La pass. A few years later I saw more prints on the trail to Advanced Base Camp on Tibet side of Mount Everest. I have also seen scat and pugmarks several times on the Mera Peak Expedition in Nepal.

While leading our Upper Dolpo to Jomsom trek in 2010 we met a trek group coming from the opposite direction and they told us they had seen a snow leopard only twenty minutes earlier, sadly by the time we arrived to this spot the elusive cat had moved on. While leading the Lunana Snowman in Bhutan we have seen evidence of snow leopard activity, I remember while at one camp some locals approached our group to ask if we had a medical kit as one of their horses had been attacked the previous night by a prowling snow leopard. We had several doctors in our group so they were happy to clean and dress the wound so hopefully the horse survived this close call.

On both Upper Dolpo and Lunana Snowman treks there are many blue sheep on the hill slopes above the valleys and these agile animals are prey for the snow leopards. Therefore if there are healthy blue sheep populations then usually there will be snow leopards in the area. Snow leopards also eat Himalayan tahr, goral, snow cocks, pika, marmots and sometimes livestock too.

The snow leopard has a distinctive long, thick grey coat with black and paler spots in the shape of roses all over the body and tail except the underside which is white. Their thick, warm fur keeps them protected from the wintry chill at high altitudes. Their tail is as long as the body and furs on the soles of their paws enable these cats to have traction on ice. Snow leopards prefer rugged country with cliffs, rocky outcrops and ridges although can be seen in highlands in alpine grasslands, juniper, birch and rhododendron scrub up to 5,600m. The snow leopard leads a solitary life and is nocturnal animal hunting mainly a night.

The snow leopard occupies a territory of 12 to 39 square kilometres and marks this area by scent markings and scrapings. Their mating takes place during the winter in February or March and a litter of four cubs would be born in June or July.

There are between 3,500 and 7,000 snow leopards living in the high mountains of Asia and over last two decades the population has declined by more than 20%. Sadly poachers have been targeting snow leopards for their pelts and also for internal organs which are prized in traditional Chinese medicine. At times herders hunt them because snow leopards sometimes eat their livestock. Tibetans are also traditionally known for wearing coats of tiger, leopard and snow leopard skins while displaying them during a traditional festivals. However in 2006 the Dalai Lama called on all of his followers to stop buying, selling and wearing wild animal skins as this was against Buddhist principles.

Although it is relatively unlikely in practice to see a snow leopard while trekking in the Himalaya, I like the idea that these wild cats are also roaming in the hills while I am in these remote areas. I have seen only one snow leopard on my travels and that was in Darjeeling zoo but I am hopeful one year I might catch a glimpse of this beautiful cat in its natural habitat.

If you would like to find out more about the snow leopard or to get involved with their conservation please take a look at Snow Leopard Conservancy website

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Is it possible to visit Nepal during the monsoon months from July to September?

Is it possible to visit Nepal during the monsoon months from July to September? This is a question we often get asked at The Mountain Company from people interested in visiting Nepal over European summer holidays. The short answer is yes it is certainly possible to travel in Nepal over the summer months however it is not the optimal time for a visit.

If you have the flexibility with your dates then I would recommend rescheduling to Spring (i.e March to May) or Autumn (i.e October to December). Of course some people do not have any other options with their holidays so my next suggestion would be to visit Ladakh as this Himalayan region's peak trekking season is over the summer months. Ladakh is located in far north of Indian in the Himalaya within the so called rain shadow as monsoonal rains do not tend to push this far into the mountains. If this is an option then I suggest you take a look at our Ladakh Sky Trail led by Almas Khan in late August, this trek is now guaranteed to run and there is currently availability.

If you are still keen to visit Nepal in summer months then it is worth explaining the challenges involved with travelling during the monsoon as well as several of the advantages of this time of year. The main drawback is the weather, it is likely to be rainy as these months are of course during the monsoon. This can cause issues for vehicle transport especially in the hills as there is often landslides blocking roads or if unpaved then the tracks will be muddy so there is always a high risk of your bus getting stuck in the mud!

If you plan to fly to start of the trek such as Lukla airport for Everest Base Camp then it is likely there will be delays if cloudy conditions as planes can only land with clear visibility on the runway. Trekking in the Himalaya during monsoon will be hot and humid at lower altitudes and also it is quite likely there will be leeches, snakes and other creepy crawlies around!

Photo: bus journey during the monsoon!

Having said this the main advantage of travelling in Nepal during monsoon is the lack of other tourists so the trails will be quiet compared to Spring and Autumn seasons. Also the higher valleys above 3,000m such as Lantang will be lush and green with many flowers so no doubt will be very beautiful. It is worth pointing it does not rain for the whole day during the monsoon however it is likely to be cloudy for most of the time with heavy rains for at least an hour or more per day.

There are also a number of interesting festivals in July and August such as Janai Purnima held at Gosainkund lakes below Laurebina La on the Langtang trek. The Gosainkunda Yatra festival is held each year when many Hindu devotees make a pilgrimage to Gosainkund lakes regarded as sacred to Lord Shiva. A dip in these lakes is believed to add considerably to pilgrim’s merit. Traditional faith healers called jhankris perform ritual dances to drumbeats throughout the night and day so it will certainly be a noisy and colourful event.

Photo: Gosainkund lakes

The word "Janai" means sacred thread and the word "Purnima" means full moon day. This year Janai Purnima will be held on full moon of Nepali month Shrawan or in western calendar on August 10, 2014. Janai Purnima, known as the Sacred Thread Festival, requires Hindu men to perform their annual change of Janai worn across the chest.

The mid-west regions of Mustang and Dolpo are often recommended for summer trekking in Nepal as these places tend to receive less precipitation in monsoon due to the rain shadow effect. However I do not think it is worthwhile as there can also be heavy rain, landslides and delays with flying in and out of Jomsom and Juphal airstrips. Also there is a far higher safety risk of flying in Nepal during monsoon months so I think best to avoid STOL flights.

Please get in touch with us at The Mountain Company if you would like any further information or advice about tours, treks or expeditions to Nepal.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk 

Trip Report for Upper Dolpo to Jomsom GHT trek in May 2014

Photo: approaching Chharka La

Our Upper Dolpo to Jomsom GHT group arrived back to Kathmandu a week ago having successfully completed the traverse from Juphal through Upper Dolpo to Jomsom in the Kali Gandaki valley. This trek visits a very remote region of Nepal and as a result requires detailed logistical planning and organisation. It is not possible to purchase much food in this area due to the poor harvests so most of our supplies have to be brought in from Kathmandu. The road head is five days walk south of Juphal so the crew and porters walked in with all of the group kit and food before our group arrived by flight to Juphal airport.

The other challenge for trekking in Upper Dolpo is selecting the right time of year in order to get good weather and conditions for crossing the high passes. We organised our first trek to Upper Dolpo as a recce in late April 2010, this trip went well and our group arrived to Jomsom however our second group in May 2012 was unable to cross Kang La to Shey due to too much snow. As a result of our abortive trek in 2012 we decided to make a number of changes to our organisation to increase our chances of making the traverse in future years. We decided to bring only porters to carry group gear and no (or only very few) ponies as these pack animals will not be able to walk through deep snow or icey trails.

Photo: pass to Shey

We also decided to charter a Twin Otter plane from Pokhara to Juphal rather than relying on schedule flights from Nepalganj further to the west. There are various issues with transiting via Nepalganj airport including an overall lack of aircraft in west of the country making this connection rather unreliable. If there is poor weather and delays then Pokhara is a far nicer place to stay with good hotels compared to the sticky, humid climate at Nepalganj.

As there is always some risk of delays with flights to STOL airstrips like Juphal due to bad weather etc we decided to add one more buffer day into the itinerary so there are now two buffer days to cover possible delays waiting for the flight to Juphal. There are also three rest days and one buffer day included within the trek itinerary. The other change we made from 2012 is to delay the start date by two weeks to May 8th in order to increase the chances of snow melt on the passes.

Photo: crossing Saldang La

For our Upper Dolpo trek in 2014 we had on board a strong team of leaders and crew with good knowledge of this region having trekked here on several previous occasions. Ade Summers was the western leader, Chandra Rai was our Nepali Sirdar and Saila Tamang was cook and all of them had joined our recce with me back in 2010. We also decided to recruit a guide from Dolpo region as having this local knowledge would be invaluable as well as helping to co-ordinate with local villagers and explaining more about the Dolpo-pa culture to the group.

Photo: inside Shey gompa

In fact as it turned out there was deep snow on Kang La again in 2014 however the guides found an alternative pass and successfully arrived to Shey on schedule on May 19th. I have included feedback below from one of the group, Martin, with his comments about this crux section of the trek: “When we couldn't cross the Kang La because of snow, having a dynamic and committed leader, as well as a guide with local knowledge, made all the difference in finding alternative routes through and making the trip a success.”

Our Upper Dolpo to Jomsom trek visits a remote region of Nepal and I gather our 2014 group only saw one other trekking group between Phoksumdo Lake and Jomsom. Instead of following Upper Dolpo Circuit we headed further north to an area very close to the Tibet border. This itinerary came out of our recce trek in 2010 where the plan was to traverse to Kali Gandaki valley however we had not finalise the route until we were on the ground and in the field. While on trek our cook Saila told us about the trail he followed several years back with Stan Armington (author of Lonely Planet guidebook to Nepal) so we decided to follow his advice and recommendations.

This remote trail heads north of Saldang village to Tora Sumna then south-east through Nisalgaon and Shimengaon villages and ending up to Tinjegaon. This trail follows the Panjyan river and is one of the most stunning beautiful valleys I have seen in Nepal with many blue sheep grazing on the slopes high above the valley floor (and no doubt snow leopards too). From our 2014 group Martin and Maria with extensive experience trekking in Himalaya and all around the world summed up their experience with Martin saying “The trip was culturally fascinating, very scenic, and remote” and Maria commenting that “the best part was the remoteness and variety of scenery.”

Photo: Panjyan valley

Photo: Tora Sumna

This group enjoyed excellent weather throughout most of the trek with only some precipitation in the afternoon at Chepka on first day trekking and later on after crossing of Sangda La pass when it started snowing on their arrival to camp. As mentioned earlier we carefully planned the start date of this trek in order to maximise our chances of success. On balance I think the dates we chose are optimal as by delaying later on into May there is a risk of more cloud delaying flights to Juphal and also more precipitation on the trek. We plan to keep the same dates for our Upper Dolpo trek in May 2015.

Photo: view from Muri La

I gather the flights from Jomsom via Pokhara to Kathmandu went with no delays and on evening of June 6th the group were eating steaks together at KToo steakhouse and having a celebratory beer (or two) in Sams bar. I would like to congratulate and say well done to the group for completing this trek along a section of The Great Himalaya Trail from Juphal to Jomsom.

Of course I would like to say a huge thanks to Ade Summers, Chandra Rai and Saila Tamang as well as our Sherpa guides, Bishu and Gopal, who all worked hard to make this trip a success. I have copied some comments received below from the group about the leaders and crew:

“Ade worked hard to make everything run well.” and “Excellent crew, Chandra and his team were endlessly helpful and I don't know where Saila got all the fresh vegetables from in such a remote area. The man is a magician....”.

And Harry's summary of the trip was as follows: "Trip met and exceeded my expectations. Before the trip I knew Upper Dolpo was special but its more than that. The cook and his assistants were exceptional. Ade is a top guy, faultless. Worse part of the trip was leaving Dolpo, the best part was viewing Shey Gompa for the first time (gave me goosebumps), The Dolpo pa. Every day was great!"

The Mountain Company is organising Upper Dolpo trek next year with same leadership including Ade Summers so please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

A recce trek around Kathmandu Valley in December 2012

This is a rather belated trip report for a recce trek I did back in December 2012 around the Kathmandu Valley Rim in Nepal. Over the years I had visited the viewpoints of Dhulikhel, Nagarkot and Namo Buddha located on the hills around Kathmandu however this time the plan was link these places together on a six day walk.

I was interested in doing Kathmandu Valley trek as several of our Sherpas guides had recommended this trail due to the variety of landscape, friendly villages and of course the Himalayan views. Also these areas are quiet with few trekkers as most people tend to leave quickly for the mountains and never get the opportunity to enjoy what is closer at hand in the Kathmandu valley.

Photo: terraced fields, ochre farmhouses and Himalayan views

The idea was to walk around Kathmandu Valley while staying at high quality hotels in order to set up a new trek for The Mountain Company. I also wanted to incorporate into the itinerary visits to religious and cultural places including World Heritage site of Changu Narayan; the Newari towns of Bhaktapur and Panauti; Namo Buddha monastery and Kali temple above Dhulikhel. In this blog I will discuss some of the highlights of this trek however if you are interested in the detailed day by day itinerary I suggest you read our TripDossier for Luxury Kathmandu Valley trek.

I walked this trek in December as this is one of the best months to do Kathmandu Valley trek with a high chance of clear mountain views. The weather is colder at night in December however as we stay in hotels this is less of a consideration especially as some of the hotels like Vajra Farmhouse in Nagarkot even have a cosy fire in the bedroom. Kathmandu Valley is a good choice for the winter months when it will be getting very cold higher up in the other trekking regions like Everest and Annapurna. Of course you can do this trek in Spring and Autumn although it would be best to avoid this trek from late May when the temperatures will be very hot and then over the summer months of July and August when it will be rainy during the monsoon.

Photo: near Nagarkot

An advantage of Kathmandu Valley Rim trek is the highest sleeping altitude is at Lakuri Bhanjang with an altitude of only 2,000m. To put this into context Lakuri Bhanjang is 800m lower than the airstrip at Lukla which is the starting point for the Everest Base Camp trek. Being lower in altitude means there is unlikely to be any issues with high altitude sickness and as mentioned above it will be less cold than other treks such as Everest Base Camp. The other advantage is there are no internal flights within this itinerary, an increasingly important consideration for many people these days given the poor safety record of the aviation sector in Nepal.

On the first day of the trek we left Kathmandu by car driving beyond Bhatkapur and was dropped off at Changu Narayan temple. This is a beautiful pagoda style temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is known as one of the oldest in Nepal. After a visit to the temple and museum we started the trek up to the popular hill resort of Nagarkot. The trail follows a ridge south of the Tilkot Reserved Forest with views down to Sankhu in north and Bhaktapur to the south. After several hours we joined the road winding up to Nagarkot and at this point you have the choice to walk off the road through fields or take transport up to Nagarkot.

Photo: walking to Nagarkot

It is worth pointing out for our Luxury Kathmandu Valley Rim trek we send a private car or minibus with driver to transport your luggage to the next hotel on the itinerary. It is possible on most days of this trek to get picked up by the vehicle at several places along the trail if you prefer not to walk the whole way to the hotel. Your guide will brief you each evening on the distances and timings for the next day’s walk and also the options for vehicle pick-up along the way. This was one of the reasons that Kathmandu Valley Rim trek is a good objective for families with children or people with a lower fitness level.

In Nagarkot we stay at Vajra’s Nagarkot Farmhouse, the main building with restaurant is a renovated old Newari house and the mountain views from here are superb from Mount Manaslu to distant Mount Everest in the east.

Photo: view from near Nagarkot

On the second day we followed the trail through forest up to the main Nagarkot bazaar and beyond to the view tower. We were lucky to have a cloudless day and as we walked along the path to Rohini Bhanjang we could see the mountains of Gauri Shankar, Menlungtse, Everest, Numbur and Karyolung far to the east. It is worth mentioning that Mount Everest is very distant from Nagarkot however through binoculars the familiar black summit is certainly visible. At Vajra Farmhouse I purchased a poster “Profile of the Himalayas from Nagarkot, Kakani and Pokhara”, I would recommend getting a copy too as this helps identify the names of the mountains visible from the main viewpoints of the Kathmandu valley.

Photo: farmhouse seen from Kathmandu Valley Rim trek

The walk from Nagarkot to Dhulikel is one of the longer days on our Luxury Kathmandu Valley Rim trek itinerary and we arrived to Dhulikhel town late afternoon. Most groups will be picked up by the support vehicle in the town for the short drive to Dwarikas’ Resort in Dhulikhel. This place is simply superb and has so many wonderful touches as one would expect from Dwarikas. In fact several of our private groups have requested to extend their trek to include two nights at Dwarikas Resort rather than just one as included in our standard itinerary. Dwarikas is expensive however if you have the budget then it would be well worth considering staying one of two extra nights at this property.

Photo: view from Dhulikhel

The third day is from Dhulikhel to Namo Buddha where our groups stay at the wonderful Namo Buddha Resort. I have stayed at this property a number of times and it is one of my favourite places in the Kathmandu valley. The accommodation is in private cottages in their beautiful grounds filled with lush vegetation and flowers. The resort is close to Thrangu Tashi Yangtse Monastery located at the sacred pilgrimage site of Namo Buddha, if you like you can walk up in the afternoon to have a look around this monastery.

Photo: view from Namo Buddha Resort

Photo: private cottage at Namo Buddha Resort

Photo: monastery at Namo Buddha

On the fourth day is the walk to the lovely village of Baltali and I remember when we arrived we met a group of woman in high spirits on their way to a festival while singing and dancing. Baltali is a traditional village and is very scenic with large terraced fields and ochre painted houses, this area is known for growing oranges and in December you will see the fruits ready for harvest. I was not surprised when Baltali was recently included as one of Lonely Planet’s Top Five“World’s best multi-day treks…without high altitude”. We stayed at the Baltali Village Resort located on top of a hill overlooking the village.

Photo: festival in Baltali village

Photo: view from Baltali Village Resort

On the fifth day we walked from Baltali to the main road head at Khopasi village where we picked up our vehicle for the short drive to Panauti. This is a Newari town with many temples including Indreswor one of the oldest in Nepal. This is a fascinating town to walk around although the temples are in a poorer condition than the better known Newari town of Bhaktapur. 

Photo: Indreswor temple in Panauti

After lunch we continued our drive along a road climbing up towards Lakuri Bhanjang. We stay at the wonderfully situated Summit Village Lodge (operated by same company that runs lodges as used in our Everest Luxury Lodge trek). The whole of Kathmandu is spread out far below and the Himalayan views can be seen rising to the north above the city. We were lucky to see a deep orange sunset in the sky that evening.

Photo: Summit Village Lodge at Lakuri Bhanjang

Photo: sunset from Summit Village Lodge at Lakuri Bhanjang

On the sixth day we walked downhill to Bhaktapur where we stayed at Hotel Heritage located only a short walk from Durbar Square. This is one of three Durbar Squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. If you are visiting Kathmandu it is well worth staying in Bhaktapur for a night or two as after mid afternoon the places is much quieter when the tour groups go back to their hotels in Kathmandu.

Photo: Nyatapola temple in Bhaktapur

Since I walked this trail in December 2012 we have now had five groups successfully complete this trek and we have received very positive feedback as copied below:

“I only have good feedback for you regarding the tour. Everything worked out very well for us. The length of the tour was just nice, not too short and not too long. The sights and scenery we got to see were awesome. I was also impressed with the hotels/resorts we stayed in. I must mention Lakpa Sherpa who was an amazing guide. He really took good care of us. Overall I'm very pleased I joined the tour and I have to say I had a really wonderful time. I have and will be recommending The Mountain Company to my friends who are interested in making a trip to Nepal. Thank you!” June Koh (Malaysia)

“Yes we got back safely having had a really good trip, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was what we wanted - a 'walking holiday'. We loved walking through the villages etc. and staying at contrasting places. The weather was wonderful and of course the views were amazing. We never met any other 'walkers' which was a real bonus. We think that this a suitable holiday/trek for reasonably fit people of our age group (Late 60's). I hope that this feedback is of use to you, and we would recommend this trip to others.” Keir and Ruth Woodward (UK)

If you are interested in joining our Luxury Kathmandu Valley trek on one of our fixed dates departures or on a private trip then please get in touch with us. It is worth pointing out we can tailor this itinerary if you would like to stay in different hotels or prefer to spend a few extra nights along the way.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Trip report for Mera Peak (Nepal) led by Steve Stout in April 2014

Photo: team photo in front of Mount Kyshar (Steve Stout)

Our Mera Peak Expedition in April 2014 was led by Steve Stout and we had seven climbers in the group coming from UK, Australia and India.  The Sirdar for the group was Domi Sherpa and the cook was Saila Tamang. 

The group arrived as planned to Kathmandu on April 12th and after checking into Hotel Tibet met up with Steve. It is worth pointing we made a change to our Mera Peak itinerary for 2014 by extending the trip by an additional night at Hotel Tibet at the start so there is now a full day in Kathmandu on the second day. On past expeditions we only had one night in Kathmandu so it was always a rush for the leader to brief the group, check everyone’s equipment, purchase any additional gear and weigh bags etc before starting the trek. I gather the extra day was appreciated by the group and everyone felt well prepared and organised for the flight to Lukla on 14th and the trek on to Puiyan for their first night camping.

Photo: mountaineering training at Khare (Steve Stout)

There are two seasons to climb Mera Peak: Spring and Autumn. In previous years we have always filled our Autumn expedition however we tend to get less demand for the Spring trip, in fact we have only organised one Spring expedition to Mera Peak before. We are frequently asked by people making enquiries about climbing Mera Peak whether Spring or Autumn season has better weather with higher summit success rate. On balance after taking into account various factors I think on average you have similar chance to summit in both seasons....

November is normally slightly colder with shorter days [take a look at our November 2013 Trip Report] whereas in April there is possibly a higher chance of a low pressure bringing a period of precipitation. Having said that one can get poor weather and conditions also in Autumn season too [take a look at our Trip Report for Mera Peak November 2011]. Overall these days I believe the weather in the Himalaya is becoming less predictable and it is certainly possible to get a cyclonic storm at any time of the year.

Traditionally after the first week of October one should get fine weather as the monsoonal influence diminishes and high pressure moves in over the Himalaya… although this did not happen on our Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek in October 2013! [take a lookat our Trip Report for Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek in October 2013]. Therefore the bottom line is if you are going on expedition to the Himalaya there is always an element of luck however statistically you have a pretty good chance to summit Mera Peak in both April and November!

Photo: jumping on Mera La with Everest behind! (Steve Stout)

For our expedition this April the weather was fine and settled for the trek into Mera Peak Base Camp. However after reviewing the forecast there was precipitation predicted for their summit day on April 27th so Steve made the decision to move directly from Khare to High Camp in order to beat the storm! This strategy paid off and four members of the group successfully climbed to the summit of Mera Peak.

The group set off from High Camp at 2am in two groups of three and summitted at 07.15am and then it took about an hour to get back down to High Camp. After a second breakfast the group headed down to Base Camp arriving in the early afternoon. I gather throughout the day the weather and visibility were perfect with crystal clear views of Everest and the other 8,000m peaks. Aidan sums up his experience by saying "it was tougher than anticipated but the summit was well worth it!".

Photo: group on summit day (Aidan Tyers)

Photo: summit shot! with Makalu behind (Aidan Tyers)

On the walk out to Lukla the weather changed and this caused flights to be cancelled at Lukla with many groups backing up while waiting for their flight back to Kathmandu. Our group also had to wait a few days however as they arrived to Lukla two days early than original itinerary in the end everybody got out on time or earlier than expected.

I would like to thank Steve and Domi for their leadership of this group and the rest of the Nepalese crew who as ever worked exceptionally hard to ensure the success of this expedition. Congratulations and well done to the whole group who all made personal altitude records. I have copied below some feedback received so far from the climbers:

“Really well organised from start to finish. Roland provides an exceptionally professional service whilst still being very personable. The team on the ground were great too, Tulsi was always prompt and ready to collect us from airports/hotels etc. as well as being a really nice guy! Steve, Domi, Sona and Dorgy were all really professional and I felt like I was in good hands that I could trust if anything were to go wrong.” Aidan Tyers (UK)

“I could not believe the quality and the taste of the food high up on the mountains. The cooking crew did a brilliant job - we always looked forward to our food with delight. It was mind-blowing!  Steve is a gem of a person - always looking out for us, foreseeing problems before they arise and preventing them. I cannot imagine this trip without his guidance and cheerfulness.” Gargi Shah (India)

Our next expedition to Mera Peak will be in November 2014 and the leader is Almas Khan, please get in touch soon if you would like to join this group.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Tsechu (religious festivals) in Bhutan with dates for 2014

If you are planning a visit to Bhutan it is well worth considering coming during one of the tsechu (religious festivals) held annually at most dzongs and monasteries throughout the country.  The largest teschus are in Paro and Thimphu and during these dates hotels will usually get booked up so it is best to plan your trip well in advance.

Photo: mask dance at Paro Tsechu

The colourful religious dances of the tsechu festivals commemorate Guru Rinpoche responsible for bringing Buddhism to Bhutan. Many of the dances were started by Shabdrung, a Tibetan Buddhist lama, who unified Bhutan in 1634. The dances are performed by monks as well as lay people and will bring blessings to the onlookers as well as instructing them about the Buddhist Dharma.

The Bhutanese people attend tsechus to gain merit and to reduce the chance of misfortune in their lives. At the same time tsechus are large social gatherings and in more remote areas it is a chance for people to get together as a community with everyone dressed in their finest clothing and jewellery. During most tsechus a fair is set up outside the dzong with gambling, fortune telling and shops.

Photo: Cham dance at Paro Tsechu

A tsechu typically lasts for three or four days. The dates of the tsechues will vary at different dzongs throughout Bhutan and also year to year however always take place around 10th day of the month in the Bhutanese calendar. The highlight of the festival is the sacred Cham Dances where the dancers are masked taking on the wrathful and compassionate deities, heroes and demons. During the festival there are also clowns (known as atsaras) who mimic the dancers and harass the onlookers for donations to the dzong.

On the last day of the festival a large religious painting (known as a thondrol) depicting Guru Rinpoche will be unfurled in front of onlookers. The thondrol will be only seen before dawn and by sunrise it is rolled up until next year’s tsechu. It is believed that everyone who views the thondrol will have all of their sins cleansed and washed away.

Photo: thongdrol at Thimphu tsechu

For your information I have listed the main Bhutan festival dates for 2014 below:

March 6th to 10th:  Punakha Tsechu

April 11th to 15th: Paro Tsechu

September 28th to October 2nd: Thimphu Drubchen

October 1st to 3rd: Wangdue Tsechu

October 3rd to 5th: Thimphu Tsechu

October 3rd to 5th: Gasa Tsechu

November 28th to December 1st: Mongar Tsechu

November 29th to December 2nd: Trashigang Tsechu

December 30th to January 1st: Trongsa Tsechu

The Mountain Company organises several different tours of Bhutan where you will have opportunity to visit one of these tsechu festivals, please get in touch if you are interested in joining one of our groups.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk