महिला ट्रेकिङ गाइड तालिम: फिल्ड भिजिट

म ट्रेकिङ सार्है मन पराउने मान्छे। गोजीमा अलिकति पैसा होस् र एक-दुई जना सहयात्री, यो छोरी हिमालको काखमा रमाउने भएकाले साथी-भाइ माझ मलाई, “जिन्दगी छ त तेरो, कैले कहाँ पुग्छस् कहिले कहाँ” भनेर खिजाइहाल्छन्। सुन्दा मलाई रमाइलो लाग्छ र भन्छु “ आर्को पाली त पनि हिन् म गाइड बन्छु र मलाई स्पोनसर गरेस्”। मजाक-मजाक मा भनेको यो कुरा कुनै दिन साँचो होला भन्ने सोचेको पनि थिइन।

म विकासमुलक परियोजना तिर, समाजसेवा तिर, जलवायु परिवर्तन र विपत जोखिम न्युनिकरण कार्यक्षेत्र तिर ढल्केको मान्छे। मन मा केहि गरुङ भयो भने, मन सार्है नरमाइलो मान्यो भने, एक्लै हुने मन जागेर आयो भने, मेरो लागि उपचार भनेकै हिमाल हो। जब त्यो हिमाल देख्न पाउँछु, हिमालसंगै नजिक हुन्छु, मन तेत्तिकै खुशिले भरिदिन्छ र मनमा आनन्द आउँछ र मन शान्त हुन्छ। यही एकमात्र कारण हो जसले गर्दा मलाई हिड्ने जाँगर आउछ। अर्को भनेको चै काम नै हो! आब परियोजना तिर काम गर्दा कति घुम्नुपर्छ, सबैजना अबगत नै हुनुहुन्छ।

यति हुँदा हुँदै पनि कसरी कसरी म गाइड तालिम तिर आकर्षित भए। एकदिन म फेसबुकको न्युज फिड स्क्रोल गर्दै थिए, नेपाल माउन्टेन एकेडेमी; (संस्कृति, पर्यटन तथा नागरिक उड्यान मन्त्रालय; अन्तरगतको एक सरकारी संस्था) ले महिला सशक्तिकरणको उदेश्यले महिलालाई मात्र ट्रेकिङ गाइड को तालिम दिने सुचना प्रकासित गरेछ, त्यो पनि जम्मा रु: ५००० मा १ महिने कोर्स अनि अन्तिम मा गाइड लाइसेन्स। मलाई त खुवा पल्टियो। तालिममा धेरै कुरा सिक्न मिल्ने र विशेषत: महिला भएको हिसाबले बाटोमा परिआउन सक्ने समस्यालाई कसरी हल गर्ने भन्ने कुरा नि सिक्न मिल्ने भएर चै धेरै नै आकर्षित भए। आफिस मा ठगेर एकछिन छुट्टि लिएर साथी र म गयौं फारम भर्न। त्यहाँ एक जना सर हुनुहुँदो रहेछ, अध्यक्ष सर। सोचेका थियौँ सरकारी मा काम गर्ने ठुलाठाला पदका मान्छे भाउ खोज्छन् तर भइदियो के भने, सर त सारो मजाको हुनुहुदो रहेछ। निकै हौसला र मोटिभेट गर्ने र बोलाई पनि तेतिकै down to earth पाराको। उहाँले यति मजाले बुजाउनु भयो कि मेरो लागि साथी गइदिएको साथी पनि फारम भरु भरु भएर उसको बाबालाई सोधेर पर्सि पल्ट गएर भरेछ। दुई सोल्टिनी एकै ठाममा भयौँ, कुरो मिल्ने भएकाले निकै नै उत्साहित भयौँ।

म फेरी UNDP को intern र मेरो साथी WHO को! Project validation workshop को जिम्मा मलाई भएको भएर, म त डल्लै बिजि थिए। फेरी Interview जानु पर्ने थियो यहि तालिमको लागि। फेरी सरलाई ठगे अनि दुबैजाना गयौं। बेलुकी साथी नतिजा प्रिन्ट गर्दै लेराउछ र उसको नाम र मेरो नाम मा Pink कलर ले हाइलाइट गरेर सेता सेता दाँत देखाउदै मलाई च्याप्न आउछ। एकछिन खुसीले उफ्रेम् अपिसभित्रै। रमाइको भाको थियो।

तालिम सुरु हुने दिन भयो, स्थान: नेपाल पर्यटन बोर्ड बिहान ६:३० देखी। पहिलो दिन बिहान जाँदा चिया र कुकिज थियो र तेसपछि क्लास सुरु भयो। सरहरु पनि खतरा-खतरा expert हुनुहुदो रैछ। कोही national geographic hero, कोहि धेरै परियोजनामा जलवायु परिवर्तन र विपत् न्युनिकरण मा काम गेरका, कोहि त्रि.वि. का प्रोफेसर, कोहि खतरा हिमाल चड्ने, बाफ्रे बाफ्.. मन त खतरा खुशी भयो। ब्रेकमा फेरी बिहानको नास्ता थियो। सोचे, पहिलो दिन भएर पो हो कि! तर यो क्रम दिनहुँ थियो। नास्ता पनि फेरी फेरी। अरे वाह! बिहान म केहि नखाइ अफिस जानेलाई खुवा भयो। १० बजेसम्म क्लास अनि लाग्यो छोरी फेरी पुल्चोक। धेरै चिज सिकियो। मलाई नेपालको कतिपय कुरा थाहा थिएन र टुरिजमको बारे त टु पनि थाहा रहेनछ। तर मलाई घुम्नु-डुल्नु मन पर्ने हुनाले सबै कुरो छिट्टै मानसपटल ले टिप्यो। म्याप को अरु प्रयोग नजान्ने “म” ले, कम्पास चलाउन नि सिके र म्याप पनि। एकजना साथी ले GIS सिकाएर गुण लगाएको थियो, त्यो पनि काम लाग्यो। अझै धेरै सिक्ने क्रम त जारी नै छ। 

तालिमको दोश्रो हप्तामा हामी फिल्ड भिजिटलाई हिनेम्, जेठको १३-१९, घोरेपानि-पुनहिल। हामी ३० जना प्रसिक्षार्थी, ४ जना खतराको सरहरु र ६ जना सपोरटर दाई-दिदिहरु यात्राका लागि जेठ १३, आइतबारका दिन पर्यटन बोर्डबाट हिडेम्। बाटोमा दामी रमाइलो भयो। हल्ला पार्टिहरु लास्टमा जम्मा भयौं र गीत गाएर बसै थर्कायौं र कतिपय त निदाउन नि सकेनन्। “साइलादाइ” बन्दै र्याप गाको त मेरो नामै साइलादाई रह्यो। मेरो नाम “साहरा मिश्र” प्राय: लाई थाहा छैन तर “साइलादाइ” भनेर फेमस भए। राम्रो हो, माया पाउनु त!

फिल्डको यात्रा फेदी देखी सुरु भयो। करिब ४५ मिनेटको नाक ठाडो उकालो हिनेर तल्लो धम्पुसमा दामी होटेलमा बास बसेम्। होटेल छिरेको ३० घन्टा नबित्दै फेरी क्लास सुरु हुने थियो! आफु त्यो दिन ग्रुप –ए! हामी ५ जना थियौं लिड गर्नुपर्ने र रुम को व्यवस्था, ब्रिफिङ, क्लास मिलाउने, चिया-नास्ता बन्दोबस्त, सब गर्नु थियो त्यसैले क्लासमा त झुपु-झुपु भएयो। त्यो दिन ब्यागमा सामान कसरी हाल्ने र मिलाउने भन्ने सिकाउनु भयो र ग्रुपमा कसरी हिड्ने लिड लिने भन्ने कुरा भयो। झुपु-झुपु भएपनि सिक्न चै सिके। दोश्रो दिन ग्रुप-बी को पालो भएकोले बेलुकीनै उनिहरुले आफ्नो काम सुरु गरे, बिहान ६:३० बजे उठ्ने सन्देसका साथ। घरमा ७ बजे उठेर ८ बजे अफिस हिड्ने मलाई हिडाइको थकानले सारो पारेर उठ्न पो सकुला नि नाई भन्ने लागिराथ्यो। तर हाम्रो “ब्रो जोन” याङ्जि ले बिहान बिहान ५ बजे चार्जर लिन आको निउमा उठाइ छोड्यो। अब के निन्द्रा लाग्थ्यो। एकछिन बात मारेम् र रेडि भएर ७ बज्न १० मिनेट अघि नास्ता खान गएम्।

हाम्रो यस तालिममा विभिन्न क्षेत्रका साथिहरु हुनुहुन्छ। ४ जना त म्याराथन मा भाग लिएर जितेका पनि। अहो! कति कुद्ने हुन्। मिरा राई जस्तै छन् सबै। धम्पुस बाट अब लानद्रुकको यात्रा थियो, जम्मा १६ किमि! उकेलो ओरालो र तेर्सो। यस दिनको ग्रुप लिडरमध्ये एक जना बर्दिया को चेली हुनुहुन्थ्यो, सम्भवत: तराई क्षेत्रबाट आएकी पहिलो महिला ट्रेकिङ गाइड र उहाँ चरामा काम गर्नुहुने हुदाोरहेछ, बि.सि.एन् मा, उहाँको छेउ-छेउ पर्दा चरा देखीयो भने, यो फल्ना चरा त्यो फल्ना चरा भनि नाम भन्नुहुन्थ्यो, एकछिन सम्झेको थिए, तर आहिले त बिर्सिपनि सके, चराको नाम! आफु त हल्ला पार्टि र दहि चिउरे, जो सँग नि मिल्यो, हल्ला गर्यो हिन्यो। अन्त छन् साइलादाई फेमस!

उमेरले नेटो काटे पनि अनुहारले दिदैन, त्यसैले पनि होला, बहिनीहरुले पनि दिदि नभनेका! ठिकै छ। राम्ररी लान्द्रुक पुगेम। १५ मिनेटमै क्लास फेरी। हैट! म त निदाए एकछिन क्लासमै। बसाई रमाइलो भयो। थाकेर होला सायद सुतेपछि एकैपल्ट भोलि बिहान भयो। ६ बजेसम्म त सुतें तर। यस दिनको यात्रा थियो घान्द्रुक गाँउ। मलाई मन पर्ने गाँउ। म पैले पनि घान्द्रुक-धम्पुस, घोरेपानि-पुनहिल गइसकेको भएर बाटो थाहा थियो र हिड्न पनि गार्हो भएन। पैले थाहा नभएको कुरा “लान्द्रुक भनेको लामो रुख र घान्द्रुक भनेको घना रुख” थाहा भयो। मसँगै हिन्नु हुने हाम्रो सपोर्टर दाजुबाट प्राप्त जानकारी हो यो। करिब ४ घन्टामा हामी हाम्रो गन्तव्यमा पुगेम्।

म सुरुमा ५ वर्ष अघि घान्द्रुक गाँउ पुगेको थिए। त्यस बेलाको सम्झनाले मन सार्है पिरोल्यो र आशु नि खस्न थाले। कता कता मनमा नरमाइलो नि भयो। २ वर्ष अघि पनि पुनहिल जान लाई पुगेको गाँउ हो। वरिपरि हेर्यो वातावरण पहिलेको जस्तो थिएन। गाँउमा धेरै बाटो बनेछन् र बाटोले पर्यावरणको धेरै विनास भएछ। क्लिउ सम्म चल्ने गाडी आहिले गाँउको मुखमै रहेछ। ५ वर्ष पहिलेको घान्द्रुक, २ वर्ष अघिको घान्द्रुक र अहिलेको घान्द्रुक..... मलाई मौन बनायो। खुशि छु, गाँउमा बाटो आयो तर साथसाथै वातावरण मासिएको देख्दा खीन्न पनि। त्यस दिन घान्द्रुक गाँउ सबै घुमियो, साथिहरुले त गुरुङ भेषमा फोटो नि खीचेछन्, चिटिक्क परेर!

म र मेरो यु.एन को साथी भोलिपल्ट काठमाडौ फर्कनु पर्ने भएकाले हामीले अनुमति लिएर भोलि पल्ट बिहान काठमाडौंकालागि रवाना भयौँ। दुवैजनाले धेरै साथीहरुको माया पाएर होला बिदा लिदा धेरैको मन निरास भयो र हामीलाई नरमाइलो नि लाग्यो। तर फेरी पर्सी सोमबार देखि क्लास भैहाल्छ नि अनि भेटुला भन्दै मुस्कान लिदै हामी दुई साथी फर्क्यौं। यो तालिमको यात्रा मा धेरै कुरा सिक्ने र माया मिल्ने आशा छ र अन्त्यमा महिला गाइडको लाइसेन्स पनि। यसलाई मैले राम्रो उपलब्धि मानेको छ र भविष्यमा के छ के छ, जे भएपनि आफुलाई तयार पार्न लागिपरेको छु।

Mardi Expedition: Adventure with Peace

Mardi Himal Expedition

Words are not enough to share the adventure and the ecstasy I had felt from my last trek to Mardi. For a job holder, it is always hard to arrange the holidays but since I am making the trend since last 7 years to go somewhere out on my birthday and easy to get holidays for the birthdays, I managed to get the holidays and this year it had been Mardi.

To be honest, it was not so-so good in a sense that I was accompanied by a couple. So next time, I am planning to go solo if I find no friends. Anyway, headed to Pokhara @ 7 AM hoping if we could reach Pokhara early in order to make it to Dhampus the same day. The luck was taken away by the highway jam. It took us more than 8 hours to reach Pokhara that day leading us to miss the last sumo to Dhampus. Therefore, we headed to Damside to my favorite hotel at Pokhara: Hotel KC. I like this hotel as it is economical and very nice.

way to Pothana

Next day, we headed to Harichowk to get a sumo to Dhampus but the Sumo was going only at 11 AM. Wandering around Hari Chowk, having some breakfast was worthy to kill the waiting time. It took us nearly one and half hours to reach Dhampus and from there the real adventure started.

Note: if your tank gets full, be ready to go behind the bushes! Not applicable to the Foreigners: D

Traveling through the small tiny stone paved way amidst the woods with the fog was absolutely amazing. Staying behind for snapping the pics was not a good idea to me as the sound of something walking in the woods totally freaked me. I literally got pale and frightened and started yelling at my friends and ran in fright. A little further, my friends were waiting and found it was just a dog. However, even so, how would I know the dog would not bite me? That was scary.

Pitam Deurali

SunaKhari

Walked past Pothana. It was already 2 PM and about to rain when we reached Pitam Deurali. But we wanted to reach to Forest Camp that day. Since the team was good at walking, we were motivated that we could reach in about 4 hours. Dreaming to reach Forest Camp sooner, we tighten our shoelaces and started walking. We walked and walked. Up and Down, hill and valley.

This is just to say. It was all the way straight UP! It was getting darker and also started raining. I was about to cry for the reason that I never had walked after evening ANYWHERE. And imagine, it was dark, raining and no distant lights as well to say we are near to forest camp. At 7:20 PM, we finally made it. We reached Forest Camp, 2550M, and all the panic turned into happiness. It was a super tiring day. So, after having the hot daal bhaat, I slept a sound sleep, keeping in mind that there are more uphill to walk.

Forest Camp

Next day, we were determined to go to High camp. We left forest camp at 8 AM and the journey started uphill. I wanted to see the Rhododendrons blooming but the Climate Change has changed the patterns and seasons for the native species. Anyway, so the walk continued. It is good that ACAP has kept the blue and white sign all the way long and the direction signs so that no one gets lost. All the signs were horizontal but at one place the sign was vertical, indicating it is 90 degree up the way that you need to walk.

Low Camp

Finally, the trail led us to Low camp, 2970M where we stayed for a tea break. Badal Dada was about 2 hours walk from there. I was frustrated along the way for the reason that weather was not nice and I thought I will not be able to see the mountains. However, one of the trespassers told me the weather had been blissful in the morning and the mountains are at least visible in the morning. Better to have something than nothing kept my willingness alive and we reached Badal Dada around noon. I did not see the beautiful scenery of the mountains from far as it was snapped in the pictures by others where Badal Dada seems to be sitting happily in the lap of the mountain. We rested at Badal Dada for a while and then started walking towards High Camp, our destination for the day.

High Camp: Poor Visibility

The weather got chilly and foggy. Visibility was very poor. Maybe of 5m distance. At about 1:45 PM, we reached at High Camp and sheltered in. Minutes after we got the room, a blizzard approached. Mardi Base Camp was a NO NO thought. The blizzard continued for more than one and half hours and stayed put, taking the scarf of clouds away and bestowing the best view of Mount Fishtail, Mardi, HimChuli and Annapurna Ranges. My heart started racing. I love mountains so much that even after dying I want to be buried near mountains. I have told my family about this as well so they let me trek for my happiness.

It was freezing but I did not miss any opportunity to see the horses grazing, hot tea, hailstones, cold breeze, the crows flying, clouds going away, people having fun and taking pictures. I am thankful that I got to pee very late at night. It was around 2AM and I saw the stars twinkling so bright and moon shining so brightly and so close. The mountains were white and it was the definition of purity and serenity to me. I wanted to stay there for a bit but it was freezing cold. It was very amazing. I really was at peace. This is why I go trekking. Mountains keep me at peace. When I’m loaded, when I feel burdened, when I am low, mountains are the sources to revitalize me. This is the reason why I trek.

Since the blizzard took away all the doubts for the next day, we started walking towards the Mardi View Point, 4300M at 5 AM in the morning. It was cold and dark. Obvious scenario. I did not have the head torch but the mobile torch was also worthy. No gloves and holding the mobile had turned my hands blue and numb. The way up was steep up and narrow. I literally crawled at many places to make sure I was walking safely. If you miss your step, your life is at stake. One of the guides, the last night of that morning, was telling stories to people that one girl had died while taking a selfie as she missteps on the way. 

Fishtail and Mardi

It took us approximately 3 and half hours to reach the Viewpoint, 4300M. It was freezing there. A lot of people had already reached there; mostly couples and the group of friends. Watching them, seeing them having fun was another fun. I was very close to the mountains. And just the down route was the route to ABC. A lot of Heli were coming and going and were very close. Heli is the only way of food transport to these places. The same day, we headed back to Sidhing Village, 1900M to make our journey back to Kathmandu.

It never is cozy walking down. We left High Camp 3700M at 10:30 AM and reached Low camp at around 12:00PM where we stopped to have the noodle soup. One bowl of noodle soup was NRs 250 and I even could not finish the bowl for my appetite was gone due to too much of walk. It was a hard walk as we needed to come down from 4300M to 1900 M on the same day. Legs were freaking shaky and there is no sign of human but the woods and birds chirping. I did not enjoy that bit because of the tiredness. I was concerned about reaching Sidhing Village and rest. Well at 2PM, we reached Sidhing village and stayed at a nice hotel. I drank wild in order to have a good sleep. The next day, I was fresh and my legs were not hurting as well. Bestowed the blessings :D.

View Point

Sidhing Village has the facility of transport in a Pick Up Van. If you are lucky, you will get a cabin or else you ought to travel riding on the hood. I think the hotel owner liked me for I was funny the other night saying “M O M O momo. मोमो माने भैँसिको मासु”! I even commented on his about to drop jeans. Well, the good thing about alcohol is, you do not hide what you want to say. So, the story connects here as the hotel owner called me and offered to go in the cabin in another vehicle and introduced me to the driver of that vehicle. Lucky thing.

It took NRs 500 each to reach to Hari Chowk from Sidhing and about 2 hours. We departed from Pokhara at 12 PM and luckily it was 5:30 PM when we arrived in Kathmandu. Getting a micro to go home after 6 is a very difficult thing for the residents of Godawari and I happened to be one of them. I called my brother and got a lift to go home and the journey ended.

Trek Itinerary

Day 1: KTM to Pokhara

Day 2: Dam Side to Hari Chowk to Dhampus to Forest Camp

Day 3: Forest Camp to Low Camp to Badal Dada to High Camp

Day 4: High Camp to View Point to Low Camp to Sidhing

Day 5: Sidhing to HariChowk to Pokhara to Kathmandu