REPORT | Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge 2012

History

Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge started in 2011 bringing cyclists together for a cause. Two teenagers, Maxim Jones from UK and Shishang Lama from Nepal, took the challenge to raise money for SAMATA School and OCCED orphanage in Kathmandu by cycling around the city. The challenge successfully took place in July 2011 with around Rs. 450 000 raised and distributed to SAMATA School and OCCED. The event was conducted by CHAIN bikes along with support from other organisations and 35 other riders who joined the event.

Concept

The route is a Kora, an auspicious clockwise circumambulation around Kathmandu. Traditionally Kora is performed by making a walking circumambulation around a temple, stupa , or other sacred site. In accordance with Buddhist tradition and belief, Kora is always performed in a clock-wise direction.

For the Kora Cycling Challenge, the riders gather to start the challenge and ride along the agreed route (the route is GPS'ed and online). Participation is free. For each kilometre they ride they request people around them to contribute a small amount. Entire donation is voluntary. People can also pledge online and name the rider they are supporting. It is not about winning, but rather something to rejoice about at the end of the challenge.

Kathmandu Kora 2012

Following the success of first ever Kora Cycling Challenge last year, Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge 2012 took place on Saturday, July 21st. The event, organised by socialtours, Talent Inc. and Save the Children, brought together around 300 riders from Nepal and abroad for the 50 kilometre challenge around Kathmandu valley to raise awareness and money per kilometre biked for a worthy cause. The flag-off from Patan was quite a spectacle in itself, with the convoy of bikers along the trail certainly gathering a lot of attention during the whole day.

Money raised this this time around goes to upgrading birthing facilities in Rukum, one of the most remote districts in Nepal. Every year, a completely unacceptable 25,000 newborns and children in Nepal die due to bad birthing facilities. Working with Save the Children and the EVERYONE campaign (www.everyone.org) under the slogan “No Child Born to Die” the idea is simple: We need to save everyone. Rukum has some of the poorest conditions of birthing care in Nepal and is often neglected when it comes to social development. With the initiative and the money raised we will assist the process to make changes to the better in Rukum, and act as a trigger to eventually making the lives of people better in remote districts outside Kathmandu.

This year's event gathered support from over 20 corporate companies. With almost 200% of the initial target of Rs. 500,000 raised, the Kathmandu KORA Cycling Challenge successfully put forward the statement of "No Child Born To Die".

Kora Cycling Challenge 2012 from Chakraby on Vimeo.

Way forward

The amount raised by the 2012 event will be channelled to District Health Office Rukum through Save the Children partner organisation, Rukumeli Samaj Development Centre, to buy equipments such as mattresses for birthing beds, torch lights, stainless scissors, etc. In Kathmandu, the money will be channelled via Karma Foundation through a zero leakage mechanism (no administrative costs). In the coming months we will be reporting back via social media and email how the money raised will be used and when the equipment will be delivered to Rukum.

Considering the social development possible through programs like this, we plan to give this initiative continuity in the coming years with the same concept of raising funds based on the challenge of riding. Preparations for next year's KORA to ride again for another fantastic cause are already well on their way. The date is set for Saturday, July 20th, 2013. So mark your calendars! 

The exact cause for the 2013 event is yet to be decided. The money contributed by people who pledge for this event goes transparently and without leakage to the intended beneficiaries. To ensure this we have an established foundation channelling the money and conducting the monitoring.

Being an off-season event (July, monsoon), this event is for the whole community and a chance to be involved in doing something good. Public can make a positive contribution towards change to better. The past events clearly showed how a popular sport like cycling can be used as a means to raise awareness and funds for social inequalities that exist in Nepal.

For the Kathmandu Kora Cycling Challenge community page on facebooka visit www.facebook.com/kathmandu.kora.

For the next year's event details visit www.facebook.com/events/479594385402772.

For more information, please contact:

Raj Gyawali

socialtours | nepal

Tridevi Marg, Thamel

Kathmandu, PO Box 1663 Nepal

Tel: +977 1 4412508

Email: kora@socialtours.com

Getting in touch with mother nature – A mud bath for the start of rice planting season in Nepal

Going Ropain

When rice cultivation begins every monsoon in Nepal, farmlands become playgrounds. This was definitely the case last weekend at Bajrabarahi, in the southern outskirts of Kathmandu Valley, where locals, tourists and school children alike played wild with mud at Ropain – The Rice Planting Festival organised to educate about monsoon rice plantation in Nepal.

June 29th is the 15th day of the Nepali month Ashad and the first official day of the rice planting season. The day is one of celebration for the farmers of Nepal. Rice is the most important cereal crop in the country. Many people in Nepal devote their lives to cultivating rice to survive and during the planting season the fields are busy from dawn till dusk. Extra hands are always welcome. 

On Saturday June 30th, two buses full of excited rice-planters-to-be, were driven out of the bustling Kathmandu to the lush green rice fields of the beautiful local village, Bajrabarahi, to be greeted with welcoming locals. With colourfully dressed local women hands full of rice stalks and men digging up mud the paddy was already in full swing. After a short demonstration how to plant the stalks no more than two at a time, placing them deep enough into the mud to make them stick upright the group was ready to get down and dirty with hands-on planting, digging barefoot into the soggy soft earth. The soil easily reaching knee-high, it is quite easy to lose your balance and stumble in the mud before anyone got a chance to push you in anyway! 

A bunch of novices at work it seemed, amidst the locals, but everyone seemed to enjoy learning the new skill. Hope the locals didn't need to replant too many of the patches planted by the novices... 

A wooden plough pulled by oxen and driven by human is still used in farming in Nepal. It is all handwork!For the locals in the village it might have even been strange to comprehend how anyone could not have planted rice before. For the Nepalis in the group it brought back memories from childhood. For the tourists it opened up a whole new experience – maybe some had played with mud before, but not many, if any, had done it on a paddy field in a small local village of Nepal.

And when work turned into play, there was no telling who was who, covered in mud from head to toe. After a typical Newari snack and a drink or two of the local rice beer filled up with new energy, some real mud wrestling also took place.

All in all, what a healthy, therapeutic, fun experience – a free mud bath treatment for everyone! Makes anyone regain some youthful enthusiasm.

On the next day, Sunday July 1st, it was the turn for about 80 children and some 20 accompanying adults from John Dewey School in Kathmandu to have the time of their life playing in the mud in Bajrabahani. Together with Powerful Hands, socialtours organised this educational Ropain programme to educate the school children about rice planting. See for more photos here. 

Going Newari

The Ropain Festival was not just to plant rice and play in the mud, but also to immerse oneself in another tradition – that of the cuisine of the original Kathmandu Valley inhabitants, the Newars. The meal, eaten by hand consisted of several different dishes each with a symbolic significance. Different dishes are placed in a circle around the beaten rice, staple rice flakes, to represent and honour different sets of deities depending on the festival.

At meals, festivals and gatherings, Newars sit on long mats in rows. Typically, the sitting arrangement is hierarchical with the eldest sitting at the top and the youngest at the end. The dessert, a simple delicacy of yoghurt (dahi) mixed with the beaten rice (chewra) and some sugar is believed to give good luck consumed on the rice planting day. Simple but delicious!

Going home with a memory that will last

Although it was not raining at all, there was already enough water and mud to get totally immersed, in both muddy and engaged way. A day like this is only a little peak in the real lives of the locals and one can only imagine how the work goes on on their paddy fields day in day out for the weeks to come. The event may have been more about learning rice planting for some, more about playing in the mud for others, but it surely was fun for everyone, and couldn’t really get more local or bring the mother nature any closer – For people in the Western world, rice on their plate comes from far away – now having planted your own rice, just imagine if by harvesting time (end November - mid December) the very rice you planted ends up on your plate!

We at socialtours would like to thank you all who participated in this event to remember for a long time to come. We were told by the locals of the village that apparently our “work in the mud” was indeed very useful, stomping the field ready for the them to go on planting.. While some of us are still washing off the mud, here are some priceless photos to remember the day by. The adage of “a picture is worth a thousand words” seems more than applicable here. Let the photos tell the story further: http://www.demotix.com/photo/1310940/play-mud-bajrabarahi-rice-planting-festival-kathmandu

Last but not least, a big thank you goes for the locals of the village who let us into their lives – even if it was just for a day.

Socialtours mentioned in SALT – the Dutch magazine for active and adventurous way of life.

The increasinly popular and one of a kind Dutch magazine SALT - for people with active, adventurous and responsible lifestyle – recently covered a story about the mother of all trails, The Great Himalaya Trail. 

Socialtours is proud to be mentioned as one of the local tour operators to book your trek with.

Our thanks go to the whole SALT team – who believe sustainable lifestyle is above all fun and a journey to discover themselves. SALT stands for authenticity, small-scale, humour, people and environment. We think alike!

Our special thanks also go to the editor Ard Krikke, who wrote this article. Ard himself is a devoted cyclist and windsurfer who recently also made his childhood dream of skating the 200km “Elfstedentocht”, Eleven cities tour, on natural ice come true. We are impressed! And we want more SALT!

With the permission from Ard Krikke and the SALT magazine, the following is a translation and partly a summary of the original article that you can read in full here (in Dutch).

THE GREAT HIMALAYA TRAIL - 4500 km on the top of the world

With the official opening of the first stretch (1700km) of the Great Himalaya Trail (4500km) a dream has come true for many adventurers. For the first time in history it is possible to trek right across Nepal by foot. Walking on the top of the world along the highest peaks also the remote mountain dwellers now have hope of some income thanks to travellers passing by. In the meantime China, Pakistan, Bhutan and India are all working hard to complete their parts of “the mother of all trails”.

Nepal is no doubt one of the most well-known outdoor countries in the world. For years already Mount Everest and Annapurna regions have had the magical appeal on adventurers seeking to get a glimpse of the highest peaks of the world. Since the successful summit of Mount Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953, it has been the holy grail of the Himalayas. The rest of the stretched country does not get so many visitors, and some 1.8 million poor mountain dwellers get hardly any profit from tourism. With the Great Himalaya Trail a traveller will not only learn about these unique, remote areas but will provide the people living in these remote areas a chance for an income - the last being the most important reason for the existence of the trail.

The trail is a result of joining the forces of different people - among whom a Dutch organisation SNV. This non-profit organisation worked closely together with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to develop the route that would join together all the Himalayan countries. Not a small task as hardly any information about the route existed. Previously only very few people succeeded to walk across the whole length of the Himalayas and even fewer succeeded to tell their story. It used to be the local traders who walked across the region with their yaks or mules in endless search of the ideal route  over the “Abode of Snow”, the Himalayas.

Until recent times there have been a few of those adventurers who “recreationally” trekked the whole route and brought back with them pieces of information about the rugged mountain range. But it was the Australian, Robin Boustead (mountain guide and travel journalist) who in 2009 with his wife Judy Smith and a few friends and with help of GPS accurately mapped the Nepalese part of the Himalayas. Robin: “It was an enormous task but I saw the potential of this route. That's why I wanted to find a high alpine route that is feasible for the “normal” trekkers.” He succeeded in this – all his findings are recorded in the book The Great Himalaya Trail.

The 10 sections

Although the Great Himalaya Trail is now only accessible through Nepal, the route will eventually be extended through all the Himalayan countries to reach a total length of 4500km. China, Pakistan, Bhutan and India are all busy mapping their parts of the trail.

The Nepalese part runs from Api-Saipal in the far west to Kanchenjunga in the east of the country. On the way one will pass by the highest mountain peaks on our planet - of which eight are over 8000 meters high - as well as the most remote villages in the world. The route is well known for its diversity in landscapes, flora and fauna, people and cultures - from snow leopards to red pandas, from subtropical jungles to frail ecosystems at extreme heights and from Sherpas to Shamanists and ancient Bon Buddhism.

As very few people will have the chance to trek the whole 1700km requiring some six months to do in a relaxed pace, the Nepalese part of the trail has been divided into 10 different, manageable sections. Furthermore, each of these sections can be further divided into smaller parts ranging anything from 10 days to a few weeks of trekking.

The choice is also between the upper trail - the highest and also the hardest parts going up to 6000 meters, or the lower trail - reaching heights of no more than 2000 meters. The lower trail is more suitable for getting to know the villages. This way the Great Himalaya Trail caters for all adventurous minds. Hiring a guide is nevertheless always advised as the route is not marked.

Do it yourself

If  attempting to do the trail on your own, you should count on a lot of preparation time. Start with getting yourself a Nepal Trekking and the Great Himalaya Trail guide (trailblazer-guides.com) with extensive information on the different areas and possibilities. However, as the route really still is in its baby shoes, unexpected things are likely to happen. The first challenge is the numerous permits necessary to enter and cross the different areas. Next to this you will need to find guides and porters who want to go with you. All this time and effort can be saved by booking your trek with an organisation, such as Pema Treks (www.pematrek.com/) and socialtours (www.socialtours.com).

Due to extreme heights, the rugged terrain in the isolated regions is a challenge even for experienced mountain trekkers. This does not mean, however, that those who never wore trekking shoes might as well forget it. The route varies so much that there are always areas and sections of it to fit everyone's condition and experience. Some parts can even be done by mountain bike!

Extensive information, including lots of photos and descriptions on each section, trail do's and dont's, maps, guides, local and international organisations with whom you can plan your trek and the latest news about the status of the trail can be found on http://www.thegreathimalayatrail.org/.

Read more about the 10 sections: http://www.thegreathimalayatrail.org/trail-sections/

Lebenshilfe and socialtours making Nepal open to all - also those with intellectual disabilities

An exceptional holiday to Nepal opened doors for a group of Germans with intellectual disabilities.

For their 25th anniversary, Lebenshilfe, a German non-profit organisation, wanted to do something really special – bring a group of Germans - some with intellectual disability  - to Nepal!
Through support from socialtours, Lebenshilfe made this possible in March 2012 when a group of 13 Germans set foot on Nepal's soil to explore what the country has to offer and to meet the Nepalis.

The tour provided an experience of a lifetime, not only to the Germans, but also for the Nepalis. Lebenshilfe and socialtours partner organisation in Nepal, PATAN CBR, gave also an opportunity for disabled Nepalis and their families to travel into and explore another part of their own country.

The tour certainly inspired all involved and proved that Nepal is not out of bounds for those with intellectual disability and a sense of adventure. Nepal is open to everyone disabled or not - all one needs is to bring the desire for a new and rewarding experience.

As one of the guys in the group, Arthur Golz, summed it up: “The Himalayas is simply too beautiful to show only to those not disabled.”

To read the full article (in German) please click here (copyright of Zeitungshaus Bauer).


For more information on the partner organisations, please visit their websites:
Lebenshilfe
Patan Community Based Rehabilitation Organization (Patan CBR)

WALK with MONKS | day trip

Trip Report | Raj Gyawali

Something that has been on the cards and worked for over two years now, the first ever WALK with MONKS trip from socialtours finally took off on 04 Apr 2012. This blog post is trying to record this momentous trip while its still fresh in my mind.

Just about a month ago, I got in touch, totally out of coincidence, with Ang Losang, as he was leading a meditation trip in Nagarkot. I talked to him about my intense desire to put together a trip that focuses on Buddhism in practice, and showcases the different types of practice that exist in Nepal, all throughout the upper belt of the Himalayas. All this I wanted to achieve in a trip that is a walk through Boudha, led by a Buddhist Lama. He was immediately interested and told me so.

Born in 1971, Ven Gen Losang La hails from the Everest Region in eastern Nepal. He became a monk at the age of nine at Kopan Monastery under Lama Zopa Rinpoche and was fully ordained by the HH Dalai Lama in India. He has completed studies in all divisions of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy. He has taken intensive translation trainings in India on Buddhist philosophy and has travelled to various countries giving teachings. For three years, he was also headmaster of Kopan Gompa in Kathmandu. Currently he is writing books and conducting research on holy places in Nepal.

We did not have to wait long. The disability trip from Lebenshilfe Waltrop in Dortmund - already an epic trip for us, was fully in progress and it had several open days in Kathmandu out of which, one was reserved for Kopan Monastery. Ang Losang agreed, and we had a trip.

The day started out pretty normal. Delays in traffic, a longish toilet break (effects of staying too long in Nepal) meant that we only arrived around 1015 am to the monastery. Losang took us immediately into the main gompa where some mattresses had been set out, and we immediately got into a philosophy session with him. He was simple, funny, practical, and very eloquent in his explanations. He talked about the need to live in the fun side of the world, to have to learn how to switch channels in ones head, from sad to happy, to learn to be able to stay calm, and let the distractions pass us by, to not get too deep into materialism (even though its necessary to some degree). Then he debated with some of the participants a little, on reincarnation, on simplicity. After this we did a small meditation session to learn how to calm the muddy waters of our minds, which is required to be able to have a clear surface on which we can see ourselves and then start to clean ourselves.

After this and a little spare time to walk around the Kopan Monastery, it was time to start the 45 minute walk to Boudha. Phurba Sherpa, the trek leader, had turned up with his family, and also with other members of the trek team - Tarke, Dawa and Pasang - who was also with his family. We all meandered through agricultural fields, and suburban roads while Losang explained the significance of the Kopan area, and different participants debated and learnt more about Buddhism from him.

We stopped over at a Sherpa house for some tea, some cold drinks and the traditional Khaptche, the deep fried bread that is special in Sherpa culture. This was fantastic, as this would be one of the only times anyone gets that sort of hospitality in a local house.

Later we walked the streets and its narrow lanes in Boudha till we came to Boudha Stupa, where we went straight to the monastery where losang conducted a prayer session, where we prayed as one - in English - to all sentient beings in the planet, and for their betterment through our lighting a lamp, that is meant to give light above suffering. We listened to monks chanting, and sat in the calmness that is a monastery.

Later Losang left to go back, as he had to go prepare for his trip to Lumbini the next day, while we spent some more time wandering in the beauty of Boudhanath Stupa.

What a beautiful and fulfilling day! This trip has got to a wonderful start.

Enjoy the pictures!

Getting a class on Buddhist Philosophy


Getting the Khadas blessed!


Group picture at Kopan Monastery


The walk to Boudha starts!


This does not look like Kathmandu


Walking through paddy fields


Michael playing for a bit with kids


Continuing the discussion on philosophy


Walking in a largely Sherpa neighbourhood


On a stopover for tea at a Sherpa house, chance to pose with Losang


Nepali paper production - all handcrafted


Street food - yummy bio maize - freshly roasted!


At the Gompa in Boudha - lighting lamps


reading of prayers to all sentient beings


Dirk decides to meditate a bit while other roam Boudha


Boudha - one of the largest Stupas in Asia.