I’m going to NEPAL in April!!!!
I am beyond excited to finally go to a country that has been
on my bucket list ever since I knew it existed (somewhere between 4th
and 6th grade when I found out that the tallest mountain in the
world, Everest, was in Nepal ). And, I’ll
be doing humanitarian work there… which means this trip is bringing together
all of my favorite things: traveling,
helping people, mountains, hiking, learning about different cultures, and
accomplishing goals (i.e.: a check off
on the bucket list).
The main reason why I am going is for humanitarian project
assisting the community with business development and renovating a school
house. The organization I’m going with
is SHe (Singular
Humanitarian Experience). Their mission
is two- fold: facilitate meaningful and
unforgettable opportunities for single LDS young professionals and their
friends to serve together anywhere in the world in sustainable humanitarian
development projects. Basically, SHe was formed by a group of Mid-Single LDS
friends that wanted to create more meaningful opportunities for other LDS
singles besides the ho-hum of dances and game nights. And I’m so glad they did! Not that I don’t enjoy a good game-night (bring
on the reverse charades, apples to apples, and scategories!) but I do enjoy
spending my time in more meaningful ways.
For this trip, SHe has partnered with CHOICE
Humanitarian. They’re a NGO that
specializes in village based sustainability projects in many different countries,
including Nepal. CHOICE’s website states,
“We
connect motivated villages to resources and tools that allow villagers to
change their lives. By building skills, capacities and leadership of the
villagers, entire communities can break the cycle of poverty. Communities
continue to move forward by defining objectives and leveraging connections.”
The village is located
in the Duradanda Region of Lamjung District which is North-East of Kathmandu,
near the Annapurna Mountains.
Which brings me to an added bonus of going all the way to
Nepal: Hiking the Annapurna Circuit. Now,
I have to admit that the Annapurna Circuit wasn’t on my bucket list, but hiking
to Everest Base Camp was. This desire
came about due to reading WAY too many books about climbing Mt. Everest, and
about mountain climbing expeditions in general, “Into Thin Air,” “Left for
Dead,” “Touching the Void,” to name a
few. I realized after hiking to the top
of Mt. Timpanogos (11,752 ft) that I didn’t really have the desire to go to the TOP of the mountains
(much less a 8,000+meter mountain) but that I enjoyed the hike…regardless of
the final destination. So, climbing Mt.
Everest was out… but hiking to Base Camp- that was more my style.
However, I never even knew about the Annapurna Circuit until
good friends of mine (shout out to Claire and Travis Staley) hiked it on their
tour of Asia a few years ago. Since
then, I learned many amazing things about the Trek and thus updated my bucket
list. I’m not taking Base Camp off completely,
but just adding Annapurna to it. Because
of the proximity of the humanitarian project, the length of time it takes to
complete either Annapurna or Base Camp (2 weeks or more) and the limited I can
take off from work… Annapurna wins this time around.
So, what is this trek?
In total, it’s a 145 mile semi-circle trail around the huge Annapurna
Mountains.
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapurna_Circuit
Annapurna I is the 10th highest mt. in the world
at 8,091 m (26,545 ft). In the mt. range
there are thirteen additional peaks
over 7,000 m (22,970 ft) and 16 more over 6,000 m (19,690 ft). The trek involves walking from village to
village along the trail and staying in family run teahouses. Additionally, it will be necessary to summit Thorong La Pass at 5,416 m (17,769 ft)
which is the highest point along the trail.
Photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorung_La
The area is equally
rich in culture and scenery. Again, do
to time and other constraints I won’t hike the entire trial… I’ll end in Jomsom
and fly out from there, which is about a 12 day trek if everything goes
smoothly with acclimatization. I haven’t
been able to find the exact mileage, but I’ll let you know when I’m done. This will easily be the longest backpacking
trip I’ve ever done.
This chart shows
the elevation gain in meters from each major village:
So there you have
it… my trip in a nutshell. I’ll be gone
for 5 weeks… April 5th to May 10th.
I’ve already sent
out a letter to some friends and family asking for donations to fund the trip.
I’m so grateful to those that have donated!!!!!
I couldn’t do this trip without you!!!!
If you would like to donate, you can do so through pay
pal. I have an account and the funds will be delivered directly to me.
Enter your email, my email (kamicia@gmail.com) and the amount you wish to donate.
If you don’t have a Pay-Pal account, you can create one – it is fast,
easy and free to create an account. Pay-Pal is a convenient and safe way to
transfer funds between bank accounts. The system stores your account
information and links it to your email address. I never know your account
number and you never know mine.
If you would prefer to send a donation through the mail, my address
is:
3335 Kendall Loop, Anchorage, AK 99507
About 60% of the cost of the humanitarian experience will go toward
providing materials for the community. The remaining 40% will be for my
in-country transportation, food, and lodging. I am hoping to raise $1500. None
of the cost will go toward SHe... they are a 100% volunteer program. For my
part, I am working extra shifts at work and have established a strict savings
plan to fund the airfare and any additional money I will need while there.
Thanks for reading.. I know that was a long one. And stay tuned for more!!
