Moutain Fund August 2006 Newsletter

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September 2006 The Mountain Fund Newsletter

The Back-to-School Issue

 

Greetings to all of our faithful readers. Welcome to the back to school issue of The Mountain Fund newsletter. Summer has been incredibly busy here at The Mountain Fund and we have another issue for you that is packed with information on our projects, successes and future plans.

 

Please welcome this month three new member agencies.

 

* The Maya Foundation

* Himalayan Outreach Foundation

* Tessa Marie Horan Memorial Fund

 

The Maya Foundation is run by Rene Voss whom I met this past spring in Nepal. The foundation is based out of the Netherlands and since 2004 has been working to improve the position of the weak within the Nepalese society, especially in the fields of education, health, economic independence, financial situation, equality and personal growth. The Maya Foundation is helping in Nepal by implementing a smoke-free kitchen program, a community garden project, beekeeping project, first aid project and a schoolyard playground project.

 

The Himalayan Outreach Foundation's head, Robin Cole is also someone I met last spring in Nepal. Robin is working to start a health care program, including a clinic, in the remote Tamang village of Thuman. This village is not far from the clinic operated by Karing for Kids and The Mountain Fund is working with both organizations to develop ways that the Himalayan Outreach Foundation and Karing for Kids can support each other in improving health care to this seldom visited part of Nepal.

 

Tessa Marie Horan was, by all accounts, a most extraordinary person. An artist, an outdoor explorer and ardent volunteer, she had an infectious personality that touched people from around the world. Tessa died in a tragic accident while working as a Peace Corp volunteer in Tsonga. In her memory and to promote the ideals she stood for a foundation was created by her family and friends. The Mountain Fund will now administer this fund for the family. We are honored to be a part of this foundation.

Back to school in Nepal

MtnFund Mountain Fund to help school in tiny village of Gerkhu gerkhu school

As I helped sort out the packing list for my own college age kids who are headed back to school I was struck by the contrast between the lives they lead, the schools and facilities available to them and the contrast with the school the children in the small village of Gerkhu in Nepal, will go back to.

 

For my kids, and I suspect this is true for most of us in the west, getting ready to go back to school means shopping for new clothes, trying to decide between a Windows laptop or an Apple Powerbook, of course making sure the Ipod has space for thousands more songs and some photographs from home and looking for a super-cool graphing calculator.

 

I recently visited the colleges where my children will spend the next nine months. Both are in Chicago, at different schools. I was impressed, perhaps an understatement, at the facilities these schools provide. Both dormitories, for instance, have a coffee bar and snack shop, hi-speed internet, laser print center and 24/7 security. My son's dormitory has a swimming pool on the roof and a state of the art health club. Both, of course, have several libraries and internet centers for research and study (or at least that's what their Dad hopes).

 

This past spring I made a visit to the home village of my good friend, and Karing for Kids founder, Gyanendra Ghale. His village, Gerkhu is a beautiful place on a hillside above Trisuli Bazaar and accessible by four-wheel drive vehicle. We had lunch with his parents and met nearly everyone living in this idllylic village. Idllyic unless you visit the school.

 

The only school for the hundred-some children living in and near Gerkhu sits in a beautiful location at the end of a field and perched on an overlook. It has, as we say in real estate, location, location, location. That is all it has, however. There is no electricity and hence no lighting. In the mornings and afternoon when the sun is low, reading is difficult in the sparse daylight. There is no library in Gerkhu, no reference books to help with studies, no place to sit and read or work on homework assignments.

 

There are no toilets at the school either. When the children of Gerkhu raise their hands and ask to be excused to visit the bathroom, they really mean visit the nearest bush. The women reading this newsletter may well appreciate how the girls attending this school tend to drop out at an early age due to the lack of this simple privacy.

 

Starting this fall, The Mountain Fund will begin the process of remodeling the school. We need volunteers and financial supporters for this project. The project work list includes:

 

* Plaster and paint both buildings inside and out

* Sand, stain and varnish all the chairs and desks

* Install solar lighting systems

* Construct toilet facilities

* Build a playground

* Build a library

 

The work will be done in phases beginning with fall 2006.

 

This fall we need volunteers to come with us to Gerkhu and begin the process. Our objective for fall 2006 is to determine the scope of the work the school will require, ascertain what tradesmen live in the village or nearby that could help with reconstruction and prepare a material list and budget for the project. If you are a builder, carpenter, electrician, solar expert, architect or a handyman please consider a volunteer trip to Nepal to help with this critical planning stage. Teachers are welcome as well to brainstorm with the local educators on ways to improve the quality of the education once the school is re-built.

 

The fall fact-finding trip won't be all work and no play. We'll trek the beautiful Langtang region to a high Tibetan village for six days. We'll see sites in Kathmandu including temples hundreds of years old. Then we'll spend several days in Gerkhu planning measuring and meeting with the villagers before heading back to Kathmandu to build our materials list and budget while touring the plumbing section, the painting section and the electrical section of the city. There is no Home Depot in Kathmandu. Instead there are streets where shops that specialize in supplying one of the building trades are located. Shopping for supplies is an adventure in it's own right.

 

The cost for this volunteer trip, exclusive of airfare is $900 per person, full board. All of the hotels, meals, guides, porters and transportation are included. $350 of this cost is a tax deductible contribution to start a fund to pay for the supplies need to reconstruct the school. If you'd like to join us and help as a volunteer, please e-mail mtnfund@mountainfund.org.

 

We will need volunteers for both spring and fall 2007 as well. The trip will be identical to the 2006 trip. If you want to start making plans for 2007, please e- mail treks@mountainfund.org. For airfare to Nepal visit our supporter Himalayan Treasures and Travels and ask for Sudesh. To make a financial contribution to help with the Gerkhu school, click on the picture in this article.

 

Together we will help the children of Gerkhu sing this little back to school song.

 

We will study hard and we'll make new friends,

 

There's so much to do 'till the school year ends,

 

We will read, write and spell

 

And do math very well.

Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center

mtnfund November Opening Planned in Kathmandu MF Nepal Office

Every year thousands of tourists come to Nepal to climb these and other peaks or to trek the Annapurna Circuit, Everest base camp trek, the Langtang trek or one of the more remote treks in Nepal.

 

Many tourists do not come with the intention of volunteering their time but find themselves moved and compelled to volunteer once they see the country and meet the people of Nepal.

 

 

Nepal is the poorest country in SE Asia.

 

* Average Income is $200 per year

* GDP per capita is $1500 per year

* 1/3 of Nepal is without clean water

* 85% have no access to health care

* 80% of Nepalis are farmers

* Life expectancy in Nepal is 60

* ½ of the population is illiterate (higher rates for women)

* 47% of the population is unemployed

 

Volunteering is a cost-effective way of providing a range of social and welfare services, but it is not cost-free. In order to flourish, volunteerism requires an effective infrastructure, both at the national and local level, to help mobilize support and match the volunteers to appropriate host organizations and tasks. Source: Volunteerism in Nepal – 2001 UN Report.

 

Volunteers to Nepal

 

* Contribute nearly 5% to the GDP of the country

* Volunteering helps in social integration, particularly for those who are excluded or marginalized

 

I am constantly asked on the trail, “What can I do, how do I volunteer to help here in Nepal?” People come to Nepal to trek but find they have a week left at the end of the trek and now, having seen this place, they feel they must do something before leaving.

 

To answer this question for many potential volunteers The Mountain Fund Volunteer Information Center, now under construction, is in a very high traffic location near tourist center of Kathmandu. The center will be staffed daily by Mountain Fund staff who will be able to direct volunteers to one of the thirteen Nepali organizations we work with. We will have daily presentations by local nonprofit partners on volunteer opportunities in Nepal and provide Internet access for volunteers and supporters. We'll also have daily showings of the BBC documentary Carrying the Burden, an important film on porters.

 

As you can see in the artist rendering of the inside, the walls are a photo gallery of all the places and projects The Mountain Fund and our in-country partners are working. We'll also have brochures from all 13 in-country projects.

 

One of the truly remarkable features of The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center is vending service that will run by a former porter, Kul Bahadur. Kul's Coffee and Tea service is destined to become the Starbucks of Kathmandu. Kul's is a remarkable story of survival, loss and caring assistance. Kul became quite ill at 18,000ft while working as a porter in the Everest region. He was sent down alone and later found in a state of collapse and brought to the Pheriche Aid Post. He spent nine days in a coma, and had both feet partially amputated due to frostbite. As a result of this amputation, he is unable to return to portering.

 

With the generous support of several individuals and organizations like IMEC, Kul was able to pay off his medical bills. Additionally, was able to move his wife and daughters to Kathmandu, thus reuniting his family He had been unable to trek home to visit with them as a result of his amputation.

 

Kul's Coffee and Tea is the final step toward regaining the ability to work and support his family. Since he is no longer able to work as a porter, Kul's ambition is to save money and start his own small business to pay for his daughters education and support he and his wife. The Mountain Fund is creating that opportunity for Kul by setting him up in the coffee and tea vending business at our Visitor Center. We'll be helping Kul manage his money, learn basic bookkeeping and business principles so that he will be able to own and operate his own business.

 

If you'd like to help us and support the Volunteer Visitor Information Center and, at the same time, help Kul realize his dreams, please click here to make a donation. To learn more about Kul, visit I MEC.

The Mountain Fund Volunteer Visitor Center Support

Mountain Fund Charity Trek

Ultimate Andes 6 volunteers are off to Peru in September with Mountain Fund

Six volunteers from New Mexico and Alaska will depart the US for Peru on September 9th. We will visit Cusco, The Sacred Valley, Machu Pichuu and trek for seven days in the rarified high Andean air around Mt. Ausangate.

 

This is a charity trek organized by Mountain Fund through our Trek4Goo d program. Proceeds from the trek will be used to expand our micro-finance program for poor families in Cusco. "Aynikuy", in Quechua means to help each other or to cooperate. Aynikuy is also the name of The Mountain Fund's new micro- finance program in Peru.

 

The typical salary in Peru (if you can get a job) is about $150 per month. Families cannot live on so small an income so many families have started very small businesses as street vendors, small libraries, hardware shops, grocery shops, etc. These entrepreneurs do not have easy access to needed capital to purchase inventory, or to expand and improve their businesses. Banks ask for collateral which people do not have, or charge interest rates that are too high.

 

Street vendors and small family businesses are the intended recipients of our micro-loans. These are family businesses where the mother and children work together either to supplement the household income, or in many cases, this is the only income the family has. On nearly every street corner in Cusco there is a vendor with a cart selling soda, chips, nuts and fruit. Each day these vendors struggle to find funds to stock their carts so they have something to sell. The families typically have 3 or 4 children to support.

 

If you'd like to help us raise our goal of $5000 to create a permanent loan fund for this program there are several ways you can do that.

 

* Start your own fund raising page here .

* Make a contribution today here.

* Send this newsletter on to friends here

* Join us on this, or future treks here .

 

The Power of Group

Scott and Garth How To Move Mountains oksana

One of the founding ideals of The Mountain Fund is that cooperation,collaboration and communication gets things done. In all of our newsletters you will find articles that demonstrate what can happen when resources are garnered from several sources and brought to bear on an issue. The story of Oksana Polonskya is another example of the power of group and a heartwarming story of moving mountains.

 

A few years ago, The Anatoli Boukreev Memorial Fund sent Molly Loomis and Melis Coady to Kyrgyzstan as part of it's cultural exchange program. We also asked them to meet with Apline Fund founder Garth Willis and help us find a candidate for an exchange coming from Kyrgyzstan to the US. Our goal was to sponsor an outdoor leadership course for this candidate at the renowned National Outdoor Leadership School, or NOLS. We couldn't have imagined at the time that the pursuit of this dream would, in the end, involve five organizations working together to make it happen.

 

* Dan Mazur and Summitclimb.com donated airfare

* NOLS provided a scholarship

* The Alpine Fund arranged a visa and equipment

* The Boukreev Fund started the entire process

* The Mountain Fund brought all the pieces together

 

Because of the power of group, Oksana Polonskya is attending a NOLS course right now. Successes like this are only possible because we cooperate, we support each other and together create a synergy that exceeds what we can reach alone. A friend with a philosophical bent expressed it this way.

 

 

There's no direct relationship between the size of an organizational container and the amount of energy it holds (think of the sizable energy contained within the tiny container of an atom). Mountain Fund is a success insomuch as the amount of energy expressed by and available to its projects increases by virtue of their having stepped inside Mountain Fund's "container." Mountain Fund's size and success can be measured by whether it has become anything more than the sum of its parts.

 

Oksana's story will be told in two parts. In this month's newsletter we will share her story as provided to us by the Alpine Fund. Next month, we'll hear from Oksana herself on the experiences she has gained during her six-week course. In the end, Oksana will return to her home and to the Alpine Fund where she will lead treks for the many children living there who grew up just as she did.

 

The Beginning.

In the winter of 2001 the Alpine Fund held its first event by taking kids from the Voenna Antonovka Children’s home in Kyrgyzstan sledding in the mountains behind their home. It was the first time the kids had a chance to go to the mountains even though they woke up below them everyday. 40 kids piled into a bus meant for 20 and off we went. When we arrived to the first hills the kids piled out of the bus and ran up the first hill and slid down laughing and playing.

 

One of the youth, a then 16 year old Oksana, instead of sliding down right away hiked higher up the mountain than anybody else. Oksana later showed the same determination and ability in the English classes the Alpine Fund gave at the orphanage and then became the first Alpine Fund intern when she left the orphanage that spring. Oksana continued learning English, eventually finding work as a receptionist at the ‘Alpinist’ Hotel in Bishkek and later as a translator for a construction company at the Coalition Military base in Kyrgyzstan. Oksana also developed a passion for hip-hop music and seemed to know everybody in town. From being a quiet girl from an orphanage she grew into a talented and successful young women.

 

The whole time that she was learning about the world around her she never forgot the mountains and continued to work with the Alpine Fund and helping the younger kids at the orphanage, she continued to lead trips for the Alpine Fund, including rock climbing lessons and trips to the high mountains outside of Bishkek. In June of this year she lead two groups from Voenna Antonovka to the Ak Sai glacier, a hard overnight trek that showed the youth glaciers, cliffs and high mountain peaks.

 

Now Oksana, with the support of the Mountain Fund will have a chance to receive real wilderness leadership training through taking a National Outdoor Leadership course in Wyoming in the summer of 2006. the course will give her the additional knowledge of leading treks, of developing programs, and will most importantly give her more confidence to provide leadership training to youth. The kids at the orphanage already look to Oksana as an example of success. When so many of the youth go on to leave very difficult lives Oksana proved that success is possible, and in many ways it is the mountains that showed that she can conquer any challenge through her steadfast determination.

 

Look for more news about the treks that Oksana will lead next year and we all want to thank the Mountain Fund, NOLS, Summitclimb and Dan Mazur for their support.

Garth Willis

Founder

The Alpine Fund.

 

Be sure to read the next newsletter and find out how the trip went for Oksana !

Learn more about the Alpine Fund and Oksana here.

Give a little bit

mtnfund 6 simple ways you can help support The Mountain Fund donate button

We hope as you read our newsletters you become inspired to reach out and help. There are some very simple things you can do right now, today, that will make a huge difference.

 

* Ask your friends to read our newsletter by sending them this link

* Start your very own fund raising page here

* Use the FREE Mountain Fund e- mail to spread our name

* Search the net and we receive a donation here

* Selling on Ebay? Use Ebay Giving Works

* Support our efforts at GiveMeaning.com

 

This newsletter has nearly 1000 readers and growing. It is the best way to stay informed about the work we do around the world. Share this news with others, let them know about what the organization that you support is doing.

 

Starting your own fund raising page is such a simple thing to do, it takes less than five minutes. You've probably donated to The Mountain Fund and you see how much your donation has made a difference in the lives of thousands of people. You are responsible for changing lives, perhaps for changing entire countries and ultimately improving your own life in the process. Create a fund raising page and offer the opportunity to five or six friends to be a part of this. It is an opportunity they will thank you for.

 

You use e-mail otherwise you wouldn't get this letter. Use our MountainFund.net free e-mail for your fund raising page and to tell your friends about The Mountain Fund. You'll be a real grassroots marketer for us.

 

You know you are going to search for something on the internet. Goodsearch, a part of Yahoo, will make a small donation every time you use their search engine. We are listed my our formal, corporate name The Global Mountain Fund and yep, that's us in Albuquerque, NM.

 

You know you need to unload some things on Ebay. Please consider Ebay Giving Works and donate $10 from your sale to us. It will probably make your item sell faster and for more money too.

 

Give Meaning is a new tool we are using to fund small projects. Often there are matching funds donated so anything you donate there could double in size automatically. You may think $5 doesn't matter, but it does, it matters a lot. That amount could end up being matched and doubled. Oh, while you are at it, see if your employer will match your contributions too.

 

That's it. Six painless and simple ways that you can read this newsletter and know that what we are doing is because of your support and help. You make this happen, this is your Mountain Fund.

You are the Mountain !

 

PS- If you have your own website or Blog. You can add a donate button like the one shown in this article and turn your web page into a fund raising machine for The Mountain Fund. write to donation@mountainfund.org for details.

 

Give a little bit

This Next Spotlights Mountain Fund

scott Executive Director Interviewed

Scott MacLennan, Mountain Fund Executive Director was interviewed recently by the staff of ThisNext. ThisNext is a new online magazine for "shopcasting." Just what is shopcasting? ThisNext believes that better buying means better living. Great products can help us do, be and experience the things that make us happy. Their goal is to help people discover great and deeply gratifying products.

 

Great shopcast lists can be about activities (like climbing or cooking) or things (like fashion or food). They can even be about lifestyles (like being green). Shopcast lists and picks are tagged and searchable on ThisNext for easy discovery by other people.

 

When you make a shopcast list, you are letting the world know what you think is great and worth spending hard-earned money to buy. You are answering the question "What do you use?" for people who share your interests and POV. People who like your taste can then find and track your personal shopcasts or they can follow the collective wisdom of crowds to discover what the community recommends.

 

ThisNext is a Los Angeles-based, venture-funded Web 2.0 company committed to improving the overall quality of the Internet shopping experience by offering a platform for personal product recommendations and discovery.

 

Click on their logo to see what they have posted about The Mountain Fund.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS !

MtnFund 100 friends of Mountain Fund make it happen vote button

About 24 hours ago we posted a new project at fund raising web site we had not previously used. The site, Give Meaning, requires that in order to make a project "live" on their site you must first show public support of it by garnering 100 votes.

 

I am proud to say that our newsletter readers and friends of Mountain Fund really came through for us. In near record time we had the 100 votes and our project is live on the Give Meaning Site and receiving donations.

 

We actually have two projects on this site, the first one was started by a friend who contacted us with a very worthwhile effort and wanted our support as a recognized non-profit, to raise a little money and educate a boy living in Nepal. We agreed to lend our name to the project and wound up loaning our staff as well. It's a wild story and worth reading.

 

Yubaraj Khakada is a 14 year old boy living in Kathmandu. He parks motorcycles for a living in the busy Thamel area of town. This past May Yahoo's "HOT ZONE" reporter, Kevin Sites, wrote a story about Yubjaraj's life. A group of Americans read the story and started a movement to help Yubaraj return to school. In the Hot Zone story Yubaraj told Sites he wanted to be back in school, but as the oldest boy in his family, he needed to work to support the family.

 

The group, headed by Christine Egger, who is also a Mountain Fund Grant Writer, started a blog to raise money for Yubaraj's school costs. When we first spoke with Christine, the group wasn't certain where Yubaraj was or if he was still working parking motorcycles. The Mountain Fund's key staff person in Kathmandu, Puskar Gurung, was asked to see if he could locate the boy.

 

Puksar found Yubaraj just as he and the other boys who parked motorcyles in this part of Thamel were being arrested by the police. There had been several motorcyle thefts in the area recently so, the police assumed that the parking boys were somehow involved.

 

Puksar went to the police station and negotiated Yubaraj's release. Through Puskar we now have a line of communication with the boy establish. The two are planning a trip to his home village to discuss the matter of returning to school with the family.

 

Please read Christine's Blog about this boy and the incredible series of incidents, circumstances and accidents that are making the dream of one 14-year old street boy in Kathmandu a reality.

Volunteer's Point of View

Anna Pettigrew porter by anna

When asked to write about my experience in Nepal, I thought it would be an easy task to undertake. But when faced with a blank sheet of paper the reality was somewhat different. Trying to cram in all the wonders of one of the world most beautiful countries is a mammoth task.

 

After graduating and leaving the snug cocoon of The Edinburgh College of Art, where I had studied photography for 4 years, I attempted to plant some roots from where I could build up my photography. However, they never took hold, and it became apparent that they were not meant to. Instead, my photography was going to take me places. First stop, Nepal.

 

Nepal was somewhere I had always longed to travel to. So when I got the opportunity through The Mountain Fund, I jumped at the chance. My main goal with going was to do photography work for the fund, where my job would be to document the efforts and progress the Mountain Fund and its partner organisations were making.

 

The news in the papers and on the internet was sparse but what was available didn’t look good for my prospects of going to Nepal. Over the winter months of 2005-2006 the situation in the country had worsened, threats of strikes where being announced, and the situation was looking more and more vulnerable. Yet, to the horror of some family members, I still got onboard the plane bound for the Himalayas.

 

Up until I landed in Kathmandu, I wasn’t aware of the curfew the city was under. The confusion buzzed about the airport terminal among the passengers, and no one knew quite what was happening, or how we would get to our hotels. The Opposition Party of Nepal had announced a nation wide strike, which had seen the whole country grind to a halt. The King had then responded with a curfew and a ‘shoot on sight’ order, which in toll meant the Nepalese were denied access out into the city, and as a result where house bound. Fortunately tourist busses where still allowed to operate, so a trekking guide company at the airport greeted me with warm welcomes despite the uneasy situation. Driving through the city was like entering a ghost town. The otherwise heaving and busy city of Kathmandu was deserted and only glimpses could be caught of locals peering through half closed shutters to see what vehicle was defying the curfew.

 

I had never met the group of people I was going to spend the next month with before arriving in Nepal. Scot MacLennan, his son Max and their friend Holly were waiting for me at our hotel. Also Scots friends Gyanendra and Puskar came to meet us. And to my great relief, once we got together it became apparent we would get on just fine. Due to the strike and curfew, my group and I spent days confined within our hotels walls. We had to wait for an opportunity to get out of Kathmandu, and up in to the mountains where we would embark upon our first trek to Langtang and Kyanjin Gompa. There was not much to do cooped up in our hotel. So whilst riots where happening out side, I spent my days photographing the empty hotel. But after weighing up the situation for some days, we packed up our gear one morning and headed up the bumpy road to Syabru Bensi before the curfew kicked in at 8 am.

 

The drive up was fantastic. I hadn’t imagined what life out side the city would be like, so I was overwhelmed with completely new sights and views. The many knocks and hits I received in the car from the colossal road holes were worth it. Not only do you pass some of the most spectacularly colourful towns with names like Trisuli Bazaar, but because of the height gain you also get a great geological perspective of the country. Every hour or so, the landscape and colours change dramatically. Firstly you travel through forests, then out into intense orange farm land, over rivers where bright green rise fields lie, and then at last you reach a height where only white mountain tops and bright blue sky’s are visible.

 

After spending the night in The Bhudda Hotel in Syabru Bensi, we started our trek and headed up the trail towards Lama Hotel. The path was steep, but offered excellent views of the Langtang Khola River, and thanks to our guide Surendra I was lucky enough to see Himalayan Tahr (a mountain goat) as well as Langur monkeys. One thing that affected me deeply on this trip was seeing how many porters were carrying far to heavy loads. Just before reaching Land Slide Lodge we came across a young porter sitting by the side of the path visibly exhausted by the heavy pack he was carrying, so Scot and our guide took some of his goods to ease his load. The porter wasn’t aware of the wages he was being paid, and as it turned out, when his employers/trekkers were confronted by us, we found they were under paying him. It is in no possible way fair to underpay, and then over load your porter. They are good people, trying to make a living, and I find it truly grotesque that westerners have the nerve to literally rob this people out of what is, at the end of the day, a few extra dollars or the equivalent of a cup of coffee in a café back home. Shame on them. In the nicest possible way, trekkers need to be informed about the consequences of their own actions. If they can afford the air ticket to come over and trek, they can afford to pay their employees fairly.

 

Our trek continued its planed route up the path, but my outlook had broadened, and I was beginning to feel disillusioned with my reasons for being in Nepal. Could my photography be of any benefit to the people of Nepal?

 

Much later on in my journey I did realize I could influence things in a positive way. Every westerner I met I told about porter’s fair rights. I explained to them it was their responsibility to ensure the porters well being when trekking with them. And all around me I met good response. Back home in Scotland the issue popped up again, and I was glad se the decisions some trekkers where making, such as taking an extra porter, and using a fair trekking organization such as EWN in Pokhara.

 

The Langtang trip was a marvellous experience, and to have seen at first hand how hard, but beautiful life is high up in the Himalayas has had a profound effect on me.

Where ever I went on in Nepal I was greeted with the utmost kindness. Even in a time like that, were the country was in turmoil, the Nepalese people were warm and smiling, and in this friendly fashion my trip continued. I spent a wonderful week in Pokhara with Empowering Women of Nepal, otherwise known as the Chetri sisters, who run a women-lead guide education centre for young Nepalese women. I was able to help out there, by teaching English, and helping in their office. I value the experience given to me by the sisters, and was happy to offer my services to their fine cause.

 

Going to Nepal and not knowing a single sole was not the hard part of my journey, it was returning home. For weeks after arriving back I felt the weight of everyday life attempting to hold me down, and make me fit back into its speedy routine. But I have resisted, and despite the danger of sounding horribly cliché, my experience in Nepal changed my outlook on life. I have become more mindful, and instead of questioning everything I do with a critical attitude, I have become more accepting of myself, and of others. Before setting of to Nepal I had a predisposed knowledge that there was something in Asia that mesmerized and enchanted people, something so strong that people almost always return back for more. What that addictive feeling is exactly I am still uncertain off, all I know is that I’ve been captivated by it to, and now I long for more.

 

Anna is now a member of The Mountain Fund advisory board and planning a return trip to Nepal this fall. The photograph used in this article is one of hers. If you'd like to experience Nepal with The Mountain Fund check the schedule of upcoming trips listed in this newsletter or write to Trek@MountainFund.org for more information.

See the rest of Anna's story on our Volunteer Blog

Trek 4 Good -- Charity Treks

Mtnfund Post A Trek--- or, Go On a Trek! service treks image

Trek 4 Good is a way for you to market your charity trek to the world. Post your charity trek for FREE on the Trek 4 Good website

. For trekkers and travelers: Trek 4 Good is your passport to the best treks in the world and to participate in a truly meaningful way to improve the lives of the people you will meet and the environments they live in.

 

Newly Listed Service Treks:

 

Tamang Lands - Langtang and Kyanjin Gompa

The Mountain fund is reserving space now for service treks in Nepal for October/November 2006 and April/March 2007. For November 2006 we have two service treks, one fourteen day trek to the beautiful Langtang valley and the Tibetan village of Kyanjin Gompa. This trek will also spend one day sightseeing in Kathmandu and two days at the Karing for Kids clinic in Goljung. Alternatively we can spend our service time working at the school in Gerkhu as described above in this newsletter. Either way, the full cost is only $900 for a FULL BOARD TRIP ! includes in country lodging, meals, transportation, guides, porters and nearly everything else you'll need. Bring your own hiking boots!

 

Ghorepani - Poon Hill

Part of the Annapurna Circuit this 14 day trip affords time in the lakeside village of Pokhara and views of the magnificent Annapurna range. We'll spend some time helping Nepali girls to learn English at a home for rescued girls in Pokhara and site-see in Kathmandu as well. As is the case with the Langtang trek, nearly every thing you need is included, just bring your boots. Price just $900 FULL BOARD

 

Both trips are partially tax deductible and you will receive a tax deductible receipt for part of the cost of the trip. Have a great trek, see Kathmandu, visit Tamang and Tibetan villages, relax by Fewa Lake at Pokhara and help the people of Nepal too. What more could you want. write to mtnfund@mountainfund.org for all the details.

 

Trekking differs from a "hike" in that trekking is a cultural experience. While on the trail not only are you experiencing fantastic views of awesome scenery, but you are interacting with porters, meeting people from around the world who have come to hike in the mountains, as well as meeting the indigenous people who live there .

E-mail us right away to reserve a place on these treks. Trek@mountainfund.org

Trek4Good

We Represent!

scott We are your passport to global mountain access. blue man

We represent you to countries around the world where you love to hike and climb.

 

You love to climb, hike, camp and travel the world. So do we. I imagine the places you love to go are some of the same places that we love as well. Just about anywhere in the Andes is spectacular, isn't it? The giant Himalayan peaks glistening in the sun just about takes your breath away, don't they. It's really mind-boggling to look at them and realize the summits are at 747 jumbo-jet height. I personally have not been to the Tien Shan but looks like a true mountain heaven on earth.

 

Have you ever considered, ever imagined a day when you cannot visit the Andes, Himalayas or Tien Shan? Pretty hard to even consider that and bring it to the level of real for me. How about you?

 

We are guests, visitors and seeing these great mountains by the largesse of the countries where they are located. We were not born with an inalienable right to go there. Unless we behave ourselves and unless we are seen by our host countries as good stewards, we could find ourselves asked to leave.

 

Consider for a moment what has taken place in Peru over the past few years. The Inka Trail now requires advance reservations and there is a limit on the number of people each day that are allowed to step foot on this ancient path to the Gate of the Sun. Huarscaran has recently adopted some potentially severe restrictions on tourism. Thankfully, organizations like the American Alpine Club are working with Peru to soften those restrictions.

 

Peru is a wonderful country and it's people and natural resources reflect that wonder. But we've loved it to death. Peru is concerned about it's natural resources and the impact of tourism on those resources. We (tourists from all countries) spent $913 million loving Peru in 1999. It's our love of Peru that has caused the government to be alarmed at the rate the Inka trail is becoming used, perhaps over-used is the better term. So the government has stepped in and regulated the Inka Trail. Same for Huarscaran National Park.

 

Could we live to see the Khumbu area of Nepal require reservations? Or the volcanos in Mexico with limits on the number of climbers per day? Perhaps, its not unthinkable. All of the mountain regions we love suffer from the fact that we do. They are all at risk from our visits and hence, our ability to visit is at risk too.

 

Ke garne? or What to do? in Nepali. We must make a real effort to be good guests in our host countries. If you had a dinner guest over who tracked mud on your carpet, drank all your best wine, broke a couple of dishes, insulted your other guests and then left without so much as offering any help to clear the table, would you invite them back? Probably not.

 

By the same token, we cannot travel to these countries and take the best of what they have to offer, insult their people by under-paying them, use their mountains as our private playgrounds for glory and leave our trash behind without expecting a few raised eyebrows if not outright resentment.

 

It is all well and good to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars each and every year keeping climbing areas accessible here in the US. But let's examine what are we doing outside of our own backyard. We all love to take the skills learned at the local crags and traipse off to Peru, Central Asia and Nepal to apply them on really big problems. But, how do we justify the ardent defense of our backyards, then expect to go play in someone else's backyard for free?

 

We can be good stewards and good dinner guests. We can help the people of the countries we play in. Organizations like The Mountain Fund help to represent outdoor enthusiasts and the outdoor industry in a positive light in the countries where we work. We have active projects in Peru, Nepal, India and Central Asia. We hope to expand to other areas in the coming years.

 

The Mountain Fund is supporting the people of these countries with health clinics, education, rescue homes for girls, environmental projects, support of porters basic human rights and more. Our representation of you, your representation of yourself through the work of The Mountain Fund, will help to ensure that these countries see as the good dinner guest and invite us back time and time again.

 

We Represent. We Represent YOU.

Porter's Hut Grand Opening

from IPPG Machermo Hut Opens This Fall febippgmachermo

At 4410m, Machermo is ideally situated to provide a much needed rescue service, a dormitory and a kitchen for porters plying the upper reaches of the Gokyo valley and the passes leading into it (Renzo La 5600m and Cho La 5420m). The rescue service is also available to trekkers.

 

International Porter Protection Group and Dr. Jim Duff have been working for several years to construct a much needed shelter for porters in this popular trekking area. It is now ready for opening, and Doug Scott and Ian Wall of CAN (Community Action Nepal - who built it) and Jim Duff will be at a Machermo ceremony around 10th October. Of course you are all invited! Machermo has been a great success saving many lives each season, and when the porter dormitory is finally open porters will be much better provided for. So much so that the local Sherpas have asked (via Ian Wall - IPPG-UK rep and CAN trustee) to build another similar shelter at Gorak Shep below Kala Pattar.

Need Back to School Supplies?

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Every little donation really helps. Here is a great FREE way that you can donate just by making your regular purchases.

 

Online shopping for your office supplies is quick and easy. Get all your back to school supplies and help The Mountain Fund.

 

Back-to-School Destinations at iGive.com: TEXTBOOKS: Abebooks.com (3.2% Donation*) Alibris.com (2.8% Donation*) Barnes & Noble.com (2% Donation*) Half.com (2% Donation*) TextbookX.com (2% Donation) BACKPACKS & APPAREL: eBags.com (4.8% Donation) JCPenney.com (1.6% Donation*) Gap.com (1.6% Donation) Journeys Shoes (2.8% Donation) Kohls.com (1.6% Donation) LandsEnd.com (2.8% Donation*) OldNavy.com (1.6% Donation) PUMA.com (3.6% Donation) Target.com (1.2% Donation*) SCHOOL SUPPLIES & TECHNOLOGY: Apple Store for Education (0.4% Donation) BestBuy.com (1.2% Donation*) Buy.com (1.2% Donation*) CircuitCity.com (1.2% Donation*) Dell Home Systems (1.6% Donation) HP Home Store (1.2% Donation) OfficeDepot.com (2% Donation*) OfficeMax.com (1.6% Donation*) Overstock.com (2.4% Donation*) Staples.com (2.4% Donation*) EDUCATIONAL ITEMS: Broderbund.com (6% Donation*) Highlights for Children (3.6% Donation*) S&S Worldwide (4% Donation) Scholastic Store (2% Donation)

 

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Our newsletter sponsor: SummitClimb

 

The Mountain Fund newsletter is provided with the generous support of SummitClimb.com.

 

Summitclimb's Mission: To efficiently explore the Himalaya with old and new friends from around the world; giving back to the region while encouraging the community of climbers, trekkers, and mountain lovers everywhere

 

We know SummitClimb leader Dan Mazur and we are personally aware of all the charity work he does in the countries where SummitClimb travels. SummitClimb is a true example of what it means to give back. Read more about the good works of our newsletter sponsor at the SummitClimb Charity Pages. http://www.summitclimb.com/

 

 

 

 

Contact Information

email: mtnfund@mountainfund.org

phone: 800-743-1929

web: http://www.mountainfund.org