The Government of Nepal recently announced a new trekking route in the Ganesh Himal area and a peak nearby ,at Langtang valley, north of Kathmandu, to be named after the founder of International Scouts ,Lord Baden Powell. This was done to mark the centenary celebration of the International Scouts’ Movement. To mark the launching of the Lord Baden Powell Trek and Lord Baden Powell Peak, scouts from different parts of the world gathered in Nepal. They went on a trek along the Lord Baden Powell Trek and ascended the Lord Baden Powell Peak. Here we reproduce the details of the trek as recorded by Mark Mangles, an Australian scout leader. The journey commenced from Kakani on the 27th of August, 2007. There were, altogether, seventeen trekking members from Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Excerpts from a trekker’s diary : A Day to Day Account of the Lord Baden Powell Trek

27th August ’07– We left Kakani for Syabrubesi. The drive was interesting because the bus kept breaking down on the way. We reached Trishuli and had lunch there. It started raining heavily from there onwards. On the way we came to a part of the road which was flooded. We had to stop and wait for the water to recede. After resuming our journey, we came to a new landslide that had just happened .The driver had to make an alternate arrangement for us. He arranged another bus. We had to walk across the landslide to get to the bus. After driving for about twenty minutes, we came to another landslide. We had to traverse in the dark, as it was already evening. When we reached the other side, we got on to another bus (the third one since we started our journey!).This one was quite crowded .There were about fifty-six passengers in the bus. We reached Syabrubesi at around 10 o’clock at night. It was a difficult journey but quite an interesting one. I took it as a  part of an adventure!

28th August ’07– We started our trek from Syabrubesi at 8o’clock in the morning. The weather was fairly hot, almost everybody got sunburn. We walked from Syabrubesi to Gatlang. It was a very steep climb. We climbed the first half of the day and the second half, we followed the road. The second part of the trek was easier than the first half. We stayed in Gatlang that day. We put up our tents in the school ground and spent the night there. It started raining during the night and from then on it rained constantly for ten days.

29th August ’07– It was a lucky day for us. After walking for about an hour and a half, we came to a village which was having a full-moon celebration. We got to participate in the singing and dancing. It was a very interesting experience. We enjoyed it very much!
The day’s walk was pretty easy. We walked for about six hours and climbed an altitude of 3,400 m. It was a good day.  One of the Korean girls celebrated her sixteenth birthday. We had a bit of a celebration that night.

30th August ’07-We had a steady climb, a bit up and a bit down. We passed some rhododendron bushes. Just after lunch we climbed through the 4000 meters mark. We walked for six hours that day. We spent the night at a kharka, which was at the height of 4,247 m.

31st August ’07-We got up and had porridge for breakfast (my favourite!).Since it was still raining, the way was a bit dangerous. We had to walk on narrow trails that were quite wet and slippery. It was a bit dangerous because the trail was quite steep. We walked for five hours and covered a distance of 2.5 kilometers. We spent the night at a height of 4,300 m. As it did not cease raining , we had a wet night!

1st September ’07-We trekked over four peaks that day. The chief highlight was, we reached the highest mark on the trek, 4,728 m. It was a fairly long day. We walked for about ten and a half hours. Unfortunately we could not enjoy the scenery as the weather was cloudy. We camped at Sanjun kharka.

2nd September ’07– We left Sanjun kharka for Tatopani. It rained the whole day. The route was pretty interesting because we actually had to cross over Tibet and walk for about a kilometer and half. We crossed some interesting bridges. It was a long day walk. But Tatopani(2,600 m) was very welcome. At Tatopani we got the chance to wash ourselves and our clothes .In fact Tatopani offered us the first opportunity to dry our clothes. We swam in the hot baths. We actually had a very restful stay in Tatopani.

3rd September ’07– Spent a restful day in Tatopani. Good food, great people, great place to relax!

4th September ’07-We left Tatopani for Nagthali. We walked for four hours. It was a reasonably short route. We got some sunshine during the day and so got the chance to enjoy some good views. The trek was uphill. As we passed through the Tamang Heritage route, we stopped at a Tamang village. We got to visit the gompas. The villagers were very friendly. We had a homestay that day.

5th September ’07-We left Nagthali and hit Thuman. It was downhill all the way. As it was raining, the trail was quite muddy and slippery. Sometimes during the day, the clouds shifted and we got to see some good views. It took two hours to walk from Nagthali to Thuman.
Thuman, a big Tamang village, has a medical centre and a school. We had two home stays at Thuman. The families that we got to stay with were very hospitable. They looked after us very well. We got to know a lot about Tamang culture from them. They do have a very rich culture.

6th September ’07– We left for Syabrubesi. The way was all up and down. We passed paddy and corn fields. We arrived at Syabrubesi at around 12o’clock.We had walked for four hours. It was good to be back in Syabrubesi. We had a small party that night as one of the trek members, a Singaporean, was going back. We had a good time!

“I found the trek quite adventurous and interesting because we had to trek under bad weather conditions. Although we could not enjoy the beautiful scenery that Nepal is so famous for,  it was still an interesting trek . We went to an area where normally people don’t go to. Being a new route, it was quite challenging for us. We reached a height of 4,700 meters which is fairly high for a trek It is a difficult trek and I wouldn’t recommend it to people who haven’t trekked before.” Mark Mangles

A Tribute to Lord Baden Powell and the Scouting Spirit

In the year 1907, a camp for young boys was organized by Robert Baden Powell, at Brownsea Island in England. Twenty boys spent twelve days divided into patrols, going on hikes, learning how to cook outdoors without utensils, learning patriotism and having a great time. This was the first scout’s camp. The success of this camp led to the formation of many more scout groups and camps. The year 2007 marks the centennial year of the scouts’ movement .In order to celebrate this momentous occasion, different programs has been organized by  scouts the world over.
The Government of Nepal, in order to mark the centenary celebrations, has announced a new trekking route in the Ganesh Himal area, and a peak nearby that falls under the Langtang valley region, after Lord Baden Powell, the founder of International Scouts. The new trekking route will be called Lord Baden Powell trek and the peak, known locally as Urkema Peak, as Lord Baden Powell Peak. This decision was taken to popularize trekking and climbing in the less frequented regions of Langtang and Ganesh Himal area among scout groups and young adventure sports enthusiasts.

A great number of scout groups visit Nepal every year. They come to this tiny Himalayan nation in search of ideal locations for outdoor activities like trekking, hiking, rafting, mountain climbing etc. The opening of the Lord Baden Powell Trail and the Lord Baden Powell Peak will obviously prove to be popular among these scout groups. It is also hoped that this decision will help promote tourism and boost the economy in the Langtang region and Ganesh Himal area.
The decision was also inspired by the location of the Nepal Scouts Camp in Kakani. Kakani, about an hour’s drive from Kathmandu lies on the way to Ganesh Himal. The location of Kakani is convenient to use as a set-off point for the 10-hour-journey towards the north–west, where the trekking tour in the Ganesh Himal area begins.

Lord Baden Powell Trek  
For a trip starting at the scout’s base in Kakani one can drive 117kms to Dunche, the headquarters of the Rasuwa district .The first night could be spent here, but if you are moving in your private vehicle you could make the drive all up to Gatlang. Starting your trek towards the north you can reach Sanjun Kharka, a large and beautiful kharka located near the Tibetan border. Going east from here, the trek leads to the hot springs of Tatopani and finally winds its way down to the village of Briddim (2,215m) , a large Tamang settlement .Continue to Goljung and Syabrubesi from where you can either drive back to Kathmandu or extend your trek to the Langtang region.

Lord Baden Powell Peak
Locally known as Urkema Peak, Lord Baden Powell Peak stands at an elevation of 5,718m.This mushroom shaped mountain situated in the Langtang region offers a perfect alternative to Imja Tse or Island Peak in the Khumbu region. On the way from Langtang to Kyangjin you will see a perfectly shaped snowy peak, which is situated slightly south of Naya Kanga(5844m) seen from the south-west, Urkema peak almost looks like Ama Dablam which is situated in the Everest region. However from the south-east the summit appears like a snowy cone, with a perfect ridge to be climbed on its southeast side. It is surrounded by majestic peaks such as Langtang II, Langtang Lirung, Dorje Lakpa and Xixapangma in Tibet.
The best base for the climb is the village of  Kyangjin(3,900m), which is a good place to acclimatize. Surrounded by majestic peaks such as Langtang Lirung ,Naya Kanga and Dorje Lakpa , Kyangjin is about 2.5 hours walk from Langtang village (3,480m).Once you get there it is best to take it easy , drink plenty of fluids and rest. You can visit Nepal’s first cheese factory, which was set up with Swiss technical assistance in1965, and is now government run.
A good peak to acclimatize for the climb is Tserko Ri(4,984m).It is situated like an island just north of Kyangjin, and is regarded as one of the most rewarding day trips. From Kyangjin it takes about 3-4 hours. Just follow the upper trail out of the village across the river and climb up the ridge to your left. From the top, which is awash with color due to the prayer flags, you can see Kyangjin Peak and Kyimoshung, with Langtang Lirung towering above them. To the north-east you will see the Yala Glacier and Yala Peak. Across the main valley, Naya Kanga dominates the scenery, with Urkema Peak peeping up behind its south-west ridge.

The Launch of Lord Baden Powell Trek and Lord Baden Powell Peak
To mark the launch of the Lord Baden Powell trek  and Lord Baden Powell Peak, scouts from different countries like Australia , Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore gathered in Nepal in the last week of August 2007 to go on a trek along the Lord Beden Powell route and finally ascend the Lord Baden Powell peak.
On 25th August the scouts were taken to Kakani where they were oriented and briefed about the proposed trek and climb. After spending two nights in Kakakni the group headed for the trek on  27th August. The trekking route covered Syabrubesi, Gatlang, Tatopani, Nagthali, Thuman, Rasuwa Gadi and finally returned to Syabrubesi. The group took eleven days to complete the trek. The trek ended on 6th September’07.
For the ascent of Lord Baden Powell Peak, the group set up their base camp at Kyangjin Gompa.   The high camp was at 4,996 m. After spending a night at the high camp, the group started the actual climb to the peak on 12th September’07 at 5am.  There were twenty-six members from Australia, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Nepal. Only fifteen climbers could make it to the summit. The first climber to reach the summit was Mark Mangles, a scout leader from Australia. It was amomentous occasion for scouts the world over, as a scout had conquered a virgin peak named after the founder of the scout movement, Lord Baden Powell. A visibly delighted Mark Mangles shared his experiences with Suman Pandey, President of Explore Himalyas after he returned to Kathmandu. Here we reproduce an account of the ascent to Lord Baden Powell Peak, as told by Mark Mangles.

Ascent to Baden Powell Peak
Kyangjin Gompa (3,900 m) served as our base camp. The route from the base camp to high camp is fairly steep .From Kyangjin, we headed back towards Langtang. There’s a bridge across the river. After we crossed the bridge we headed west .Then we came to a trekking trail which  is just opposite a village called Singdam (situated between Kyangjin and Langtang). This little trek goes up through a rhododendron forest. We followed the rhododendron bushes and crossed the river. We headed in a westerly direction up to the mountain and moved towards the south. We followed a ridge line all the way. There are two big cairns at 4135m.From the cairns we continued straight up heading towards the big, black triangular peak until we reached the top of the ridge at 4430m.We kept to the left of the rocky peak- the path follows a dried river bed and for the last two kilometers followed a very rocky and steep slope. Then we reached the high camp after climbing for four to five hours. It sure was an uphill climb!

The high camp at 4,996 m, took around four to five hours to reach from Kyangjin. The place where we set up our high camp is a good open ground .There is no vegetation .It is a large rocky area but with fresh water flowing through it. It is right below the snowline and right above the timber line. It is fairly flat. I found this unusual as most high camps are in slopes. But it was good as we could put up our tents easily and spend a comfortable night. The view from the high camp is fantastic. To the north, you have a magnificent view of Langtang Lirung, Langshisa Ri and Xixapangma in Tibet. To the south, the impressive south face of Naya Kanga (5844m)  towers above. Since the camp area is totally flat, we could put up our tents easily. We passed the night at the high camp.

On 12th Sept., we woke up at 3:30 AM. We had our breakfast and got ready for our climb at 5o’clock.All twenty- five of us started the ascent together .This posed a bit of a problem as some of the quicker people got held up  by having to wait for the slower or inexperienced ones. In our group there were some people who had done a lot of climbing and some who had never climbed a mountain before. So there were some delays caused by this. I think it would have been better if there were less people. A group of ten would be ideal, I think.

We made it to the summit in one day. The first part of our ascent was the climb at the glacier. The glacier was very icy and very steep. So we needed a fixed rope for that. There were four sherpas leading the way and they fixed the rope for us. Altogether there were six fixed ropes .Three more sherpas helped the climbers.  I think they did an excellent job. After the glacier we had to climb up a bit of a ice fall. It was fairly steep and nearly vertical at about eighty degrees.  Then we had to walk a bit. We came across another steep peak which was about sixty degrees. So we needed another rope up. We came around another peak before reaching the main peak. We climbed that up and we had a fixed rope at the main peak. A lot of time was spent on waiting for the fixed ropes

I was the first person to make it to the summit. I reached the summit at around 12 o’clock. After half an hour, a Taiwanese climber joined me. He was soon followed by three more Taiwanese guys. After them, seven Koreans joined us at the summit. I stayed at the summit for about an hour. As it was starting to get too crowded, I left for the high camp. At the summit there’s room enough for just around eight people. I descended alone and reached the camp at 3 o’clock. It took me around two hours to climb down to the high camp. As I made my way down, I passed the rest of the climbers. The last climber to make it to the summit was a Nepali climber, Naresh Maharjan. He made it to the summit around the same time I reached the high camp.
As I had reached the high camp quite early, I decided to return to the base camp (Kyangjin Gompa), with a porter.  Later on, I got to know that the last climber had reached the high camp at around 7:30 PM. The rest of the group decided to spend the night at the high camp. They arrived at the base camp, Kyangjin Gompa, the next day at 11o’clock.

I found the climb very interesting. I had done a bit of climbing in New Zealand and Australia and compared to that, this climb was a bit standard. From the climbing perspective, this climb probably makes it to the PD+ grade( climbing grade).But I would suggest that too many would not  trek  in one go. It is best if the group size is small, around ten people. If it’s a large group a lot of time is wasted in getting organized.

It makes me very proud to be the first person to conquer the peak, especially one named after a famous scout. That the Nepal Government has named this peak after Lord Baden Powell is a matter of great honor for us scouts. Lord Baden Powell has done a lot of good throughout the world, so it’s great to have a peak named after him. I think it’s a good challenge for scouts to come out here, especially to climb a peak named after the founder of the scouts’ movement. I think Baden Powell Peak offers a good challenge to the scouts. I would suggest them to come out here and climb it. I would surely encourage the scouts in Australia to do it. I think it is a worthwhile activity .I will surely return and do it again!

Thronging devotees to Hindu sacred shrine Pashupatinath on Mahashivratri

An ancient grandiose palace of Forbidden Kingdom- Mustang

A far-flung hamlet on the Nepalese mid-hills on the Langtang Trial

A traditional way of farming in Nepal. Oxen plough the fields and farmers sow the seeds

Lonely planet says, “Most beautiful place in Kathmandu but missed by many”- Garden of Dreams

Expression of nature itself- Pokhara, a paradise on Earth

Sacred land- Lumbini where Gautam Buddha was born

Celebrating Indra Jatra to please the “God of Rain Indra” at Kathmandu Durbar Square

A wonderful ridge to summit- Tsergo Ri- Langtang Region, Nepal

Tyangboche Monastery aginst the back drop of Mt. Ama Dablam- Everest Region, Nepal

Sherpa women harvesting their staple food in the Himalayan Region of Nepal

View ubiquitously available while trekking in Nepal

Mr. and Mrs. Vestergaard through our  exclusive country partner Kipling Travel spent three weeks with Explore Himalaya during their trekking expeditions to Samari and Langtang. The Danish couple arrived Nepal on April 17, 2012. They trekked for 16 days in the mid-hills of Samari and in the well-known trekking region Langtang. The trek covered holy Kyanjin Gompa, Gosainkunda and Sundarijal.

Prior to the trek, the couple had one free day at Kathmandu. Kathmandu is an ancient city which offers maximum historical, cultural and religious heritage sites despite of  hustles and bustles. A free day in Kathmandu has a tight schedule if the visitors wanted to visit all the UNESCO heritage sites. However, wondering in the streets of typical Thamel could be beneficial to have instant correct perception on the valued sites to visit on this Himalayan nation.

The long trekking trial began at Samari. Covering the mesmerizing views via Changtang and Ghore tabela couple trekked to Langtang land. Around Langtang, there are several beautiful places to visit. Langtang National Park, Kyanjin Gompa, Sing Gompa and Gosainkunda are the major attractions in the region. The couple made their presence to all these sites during the trek. Heading south east the couple arrived at Sundarijal at the last day of their trek.

After, the celebrated vacation in the Langtang region, the couple decided for one more free day at Kathmandu. They explored around the remaining sites in the valley. They enjoyed the entire stay in Nepal to the fullest. They had several experiences during the tour. They had cultural and historical encounters in the city, while they met the rawness in nature in the remote Himalayas.

With beautiful memories and felicitating us with pleasing smiles on their faces, Explore Himalaya escorted them to the airport for their departure on May 6, 2012.

Nepal with its lofty peaks, raging rivers, lush jungles and diverse cultures is one of the most frequented adventure travel destinations in the world.  The country offers an amazing experience not only for tourists, but for filming groups as well. Nepal’s uncomplicated & straightforward  filming rules  has made it a chosen destination for many international   film and television production companies. In recent months we have seen Nepal featured on popular adventure travel reality shows on TV like 'Perfect Couple’ on Channel [V] & on Fox History & Traveller channel.
A Danish filming crew from Eyeworks, a TV production company  from Denmark were in Nepal recently to shoot for an adventure reality show with five Danish participants (all girls). They shot in Kathmandu, Samari, and Lantang Region. The logistic for the filming crew was handled by Explore Himalaya.

Jens Balling

Jens Balling, a member of the filming crew shared his experiences with us after returning to Kathmandu.
Here’s what he had to say:
“We came here in Nepal to do a TV production for Eyeworks in Denmark. We are doing eight episodes about five Danish girls and their experiences in Nepal. We have been travelling in Nepal learning about the culture and lifestyle of the people which is quite different from that of the Danish.
We visited Kathmandu and went to Children’s Home just outside Kathmandu. Then we were in Samari. We trekked up to the Langtang Valley. In the beginning the weather was really bad, but it improved later on. The shooting ended with the girls’ summit of Tsergo Ri which will be the final episode.

 The reaction of the local people towards us has been very positive. Sometimes we met with a few challenges, but it’s always like that when two different cultures meet.  On the whole it was a good experience and all the people we met were really helpful and positive.
I am really, really pleased with the services provided by Explore Himalaya. We could not have done it without the help of people like Suman, Samir and all the people who helped us. It was a good experience and definitely we would like to come again.”

Jens Balling shares his experiences

Danish Filming Crew

(Pics: Explore Himalaya)

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