Granting the Wish to Walk

Greetings from Nepal.  I have embarked on our "pre-trip" to Nepal a few days early to spend some "adventure-time" with two of my sons.  We will enjoy exploring and trekking for a week and will then meet up with Kim Murray and Mike O'Hara in Kathmandu to begin the exciting process of planning for our surgery visit in November.

Should you be wondering what a trekk in Nepal might involve, our approximate itinerary is as follows:

31 May’2011: Fly Pokhara to Jomsom [15-20 minutes] and trek to Kagbeni [approx 04 hours walk]:
It will be a sunny and windy day and the temperature will be approx 20 – 28 degree Celsius.  On the way to Kagbeni they have to cross Kali Gandaki River via wooden bridge and Lubra River. Enroute you will pass through small village.

01 June’2011: Trek Kagbeni to Muktinath (3800m) – 03 hours:
Usually the weather and climate will be the same as Kagbeni. On the way we will pass through small villages called Khing and Jarkot and reach to Muktinath for overnight stay.

02 June’2011: Trek back visit Lubra village and Jomsom – 4 hoursAfter breakfast we descent to Lubra river. We are high above the river again and must cross two bigger side-valleys on the way downstream. Eventually we come to some fenced-in fields and a garden with apple trees, near Lubra’s village school.

After Lubra, the trail leads to the Kali Gandaki and we have to leap across the river Panga a couple of times! At the confluence of the two rivers we join the caravan of tourists going to Jomsom The climate will be similar to Muktinath and in the afternoon it will be a windy day.

03 June’2011: Trek to Tukche village (2590m): 3 hoursThe climate will be similar to Muktinath. On the way we will pass small village called Syang and then to Marpha which is very famous for Apple wine and there is big agriculture farm and this area is very famous for apple and then to Tukche village.

04 June’2011: Trek to Gasa (1080m) 5-6 hours:Day will be warmer but possibility of rainfall.  This day we have to cross Kali Gandaki river couple of times and we will reach Kalapani, from here we have to walk through pine forest and descent to Lete village and after crossing the river, level walk to through forest to Gasa village for overnight stay.

05 June’2011: Drive from Gasa by local jeep to Beni and to Pokhara:
Today after breakfast we will drive from Gasa by local jeep to Beni via tatopani and from Beni we will have a private transfer from to Pokhara. Total driving hours will be approx 06 hours. From Gasa to Beni off road and from Beni to Pokhara is black topped.

 

Once back in Kathmandu we will tour all relevant portions of the hospital, spend time with a representative from the Ministry of Health, meet several of our prospective patients, and most importantly, assess the environment in which we will be performing surgery this fall.

Look forward to reading many exciting observations and stories upcoming blogs after we return.  Stay tuned for photos as well.

Seth