Anapurna Hike

Old news... but I never managed to post pictures from the 7 day hike I did with Whitney, Anna, Hayley, Sophie, Hes, Emi, Malaika, Laura and Malin in Nepal.

Here are a couple favorites. We hiked in the Anapurna mountain range- a 4 day hike up to base camp at 4,130 meters and then a 3 day hike out. We did it in two groups- meeting up with eachother at night or on opposite days, leaving messages for each other along the way. The scenery was amazing- the path we were on took us through local villages where we would stay in tea houses at night.
Passing local women with their loads. Photo by Hayley Segal

We carried our own packs the entire 7 days- nothing compared to how much these women carry on their backs for their daily lives!

The hike started with a massive incline up a never ending flight of stone stairs. (litterally- we would be walking up and down these stone stairs for the next 7 days) Through the city of Chomrung alone we hiked over 1,000 stairs!

Hiking up the stairs to Jinua. Photo by Hayley Segal


We met this little girl at the top of the the first flight of stairs, where we were bribeing Anna to continue on the hike.

As we were walking, the Annapurna range continued to open itself up, giving us enitrely different perspectives on the individual peaks that we werent able to see from Pokhara.

Fishtail from Sinuwa


Anapurna 2 view our 2nd morning

I was suprised by how green it was- and just struck by the beuty of the country side, walking among the rice paddies, crossing bridges over the Modi Kola, etc.

Rice fields. Photo by Hayley Segal

Flowers
Flowers 2
The paths were often poorly marked, and we would come to crossroads having no idea where to go. Even though we were in the off season, plenty of hikers wre till going through - and the little kids were often our best source of directions. This little girl stopped playing with her stick long enough to look at us, shout "jinu" wave her hand in one direction, and then promptly went back to playing.

photo by Hayley Segal

One of the highlights of the trip was making it to Jinu on day 3- after a LONG hike on a flight of stairs in the sun. WE met up with the rest of the girls their and stopped long enough to enjoy the natural hotsprings!! (we even stayed there on the way back- just so we could hit the hot springs again)
The Hot springs were amazing! On the 3rd and 4th day of the hike, i think we all started to feel it a bit. 4,130 meters is signigigant, and we struggled with the altitude a little, as well as the strain of walking 7+ hours a day while carrying a 30 pound pack!

Anna and I so excited to finally be at Himalaya! Photo by Anna White

Here Hayley and I stop at MBC- the last stop before making it to Anapurna Base Camp.

photo by Malin Strand

About halfway through day 4 we made it up to base camp in time for an indepth photo shoot.

Me at base camp
Team "Less Extreme"- Anna White, Whitney Hansen , Hayley Segal, Anna Bruno, Malin Strand
All of us- Emi Earle, Hester Hilbink, Malaika Davies, Anna White, Laura Clayton, Whitney Hansesn, Hayley Segal, Sophie Hoskins, Malin Strand, Anna Bruno. Thats right- 10 girls made it to and from ABC by ourselves- in record time, and had a blast!

We stayed at Basecamp for just under 24 hours, enough for a full sunset and sunrise- both of which were incredible. The energy of the place, and the serenity of being up in the mountains was incredible. Anapurna Base Camp is unique in that is completley surrounded, 360 degrees by the Anapurna Mountain range. You are in the ultimate bowl- it was one of the most impressionable plaves i have ever been.

Up at the top of Basecamp were hundreds and hundreds of prayer flags- brought by hikers and locals from allover the world. WE were gutted that we hadn't thought to bring our own, so took hundreds of pictures of them instead. Here are a few of my favorites.

Hayley gets a facefull of prayer flags








Hiking back was just as eventful- we walked out of basecamp to find the fields in flames. IT was intimidating walking through the smoke- especially as we were all wearing highly flamable clothing!
The nice thing about this trek was that it had a lot of options for how you wanted to go. We all started together at Phedi, and the original plan was to all finish together at Naya Pul. After Base camp however, we all ended up splitting off- with Hes and Malaika being ridiculously hardcore and taking a longer route out to Tadopani-(part of the poon hill trek) ironically coming out at the same hotsprings where Anton, Will and I put in above Beni for our Kali Gandaki mission. They had an amazing time, and said the views were spectacular.

Anna, Soph, Laura and Emi ended at Nayapul as well but they ended up taking a slightly different route than Whit, Hayley, Malin and I . Here are the girls having lunch in Chomrong- one of the bigger cities we passed, nestled in a valley with a spectacular view of the mountain range. It was one of our favorite places we stayed.

photo from Anna White

After a bus ride on the roof of a bus- typical Nepali style- we all met back up in Pokhara in time for dinner.

Those 7 days were some of my favorite in Nepal, and they gave me a feel for the country different from my experience on the countrys rivers.

roof riding. Photo by Malin Strand.

for a map of where we were trekking- click here!
http://nikonnut.tripod.com/lightbox/trek-route/trek-map.jpg

More Killington Antics

Its been busy up here in Vermont. I still can't believe that its the end of March. Springtime is in full force up here. We've had alternatley freezing cold days with 60 degree days- bright sunshine mixed with the rain that is eating the rest of the snow up here, turning the once frozen ground into mud, turning the snow into run-off, flooding the rivers and creeks in the area.

In other words- its kayak season, and I don't have a kayak or people to paddle with. Boo. I did in fact just purchase a new playboat from a friend- a cherry red Project 45 that I will pick up in a few weeks. Other than that, not much has been happening on the paddling front- besides some vague plans for the following two months to be detailed in my next blog post.

Despite not paddling, i've managed to get some good quality time in on the hill. Spring is fun up at Killington- practically every weekend hosts some sort of event. In the past month Killington has hosted the US snowboarding grand prix and a spring loaded pipe/slopestyle/rail jam comp. Next weekend is the Annual Bear Mountain Mogul challenge- which should also be tons of fun.

The grand prix was a qualifier of sorts for the Olympics, meaning that several of snowboardings best were on hand competeing in the Half pipe and in the park for slopestyle. I was fortunate enough to get to go and watch the womens competition from the bottom of the pipe.

Spectators watch as the women take their first runs

I was struck by how young the majority of the competitors were- and how talented they were. Its amazing to watch someone who really knows how to utilize the halfpipe- not to mention their acrobatic abilities. Both Gretchen Bleiler and Kelly Clark threw down huge runs for the ladies, coming in first and second, respectively.

Here is video of Gretchen Bleiler on her first run down the pipe.





I had all the more respect for the women as I have spent a good portion of this season on my snowboard in the "baby park" located on the Timberline trail at Killington. I've been pushing myself more- starting to not only go off the jumps, but try for some rotation as well. I landed my first successful 360' last week!!! (And crashed on at least 6 others. ) Ive also started hitting some smaller and medium sized boxes, but i will admit to being too much of a wimp to hit the rails. I even went in the half pipe for the first time this past week- on telemark skis and on a snowboard- The only way I can describe my experience is that I was completely disoriented.


Gretchen hikes the pipe for her next run

The pipe has 20 foot walls, and once you drop in, they are all you can see. You need to work to ride up along the walls- yet- at the same time they pull you into them. I rode through a couple of times, trying to feel out the timing, and figure out how to ride up the walls and transition off them- and was left with an entirely new respect for these athletes.

A competitor airs out on a practice run

Riding in the park can be a lot of fun- it has completely changed the way i view the terrain and features of the mountain, inside and outside the park. Ive started riding more creatively, and having fun on a snowboard for the first time in ages. I had a mini photoshoot with some friends in two of the bigger parks at Killington- the dreammaker park and the stash. We had a great day- and tons of fun. Here are some of my favorite shots.

Rodney hits a tree-stall in The Stash

Sliding down a barrel

Barrel - with a few altercations


Dream Maker- Second Jump

Thats about all for now- updates on my summer and upcomming return to water sports soon- i swear!

Well, i've been informed by a precious few that they do actually still check my blog- which means that i have been sorely lacking in updates these past few months. Its astounding, really, how fast time goes, how quickly one gets established into a pattern of daily life.


Since arriving back in the states in December, i have moved up to Killington, VT where i am working in a ski shop. It was a pretty whirlwind tour- I flew into JFK on December 22nd, promptly drove up to Long Island to have bagels and lox with the jewish grandmother, drove down to Swarthmore for a Hannukah party (on Christmas Eve), celebrated Christmas with my dads family, and then drove up to Vermont on the 26th of December to be at my first day of work on the 27th.


I wish i could blame my lack of blogging on this whirlwind adventure- but somehow it is already three months later!


Its been pretty bizarre to have a "real job", as much as working retail and setting up rental skis can be considered as such. Im working 40+ hours a week in the shop- but still managing to get at least 2-3 days a week on the hill. ( I think im just over 30 days on snow this year- not bad considering.... some of my friends here have 100+!)

I will admit to being pretty slack on the photography front- busy at work, cold hands, etc... here are a few scenic shots from this winter.

Sunset driving home

Icicles

Snow covered field

Skiing here felt "fake" at first- especially after all my time kayaking on rather remote rivers, and hiking in the mountains of Nepal. The mountains here in vermont don't quite compare to the Himalayas, and to ski with chairlifts and so many other people around feels like an amusment park for grown-ups. It took some time to get used to how confined I feel up here- pretty much all the time, even when skiing. Im hoping to get out and do some more back-country skiing this spring- maybe a trip to Tuckermans Gorge in New Hampshire- to get a different feel for the sport. It has been a good winter up here snowwise, and i feel pretty lucky to be able to take a break from work and get out on the hill- even if it is just for a few hours.

Retail can be exhausting, in that you must always be polite, upbeat and friendly- even when you have worked a 12 hour day, are tired, and wish that the person trying on the coat you zipped 13 times that day would either buy the jacket or leave the store. It isn't unlike guideing a raft or a kayak trip in that you become a public persona. Every job i have ever had has dealt heavily with customer satisfaction and service- never a bad thing, but it can be a relief to walk away at the end of the day. With retail, you don't necessarily recieve the same rewards as when you are coaching. We have had a few customers that have purchased goods- and come back to experss their satisfaction with the product, or our advice. At the end of the day, if someone walks away happy with their purchase, i suppose it is a success. However, i miss the fun of seeing someone progress that i had with coaching.

I've met a few fun people up here- and fortunatley for me, i enjoy everyone i work with. We have a pretty good crew going- and generally tend to hang out together after work as well. That said, my social circle here feels pretty small at times. In reality, i know a handfull of people reasonably well. I suppose it was the same in Uganda and Nepal, but becuase the situation was so much smaller, those few people felt like a much bigger network. Getting used to the cold up here was a whole other challenge- i feel like i am constantly overdressed!

Some of the highlights of this season so far for me were being able to see my cousins-
Hannah, Sophie and Max. The three of them are gifted skiers, and compete for Mount Snow and Waterville Valley in freestyle (moguls), slopestyle and big air. In short, they huck themselves off jumps and down mogul courses- trying to go as big and as fast as they can. Its been a lot of fun to get to see them on and off the slopes.

Sophie charges down the freestyle course

Sophie with a Huge Spread

Sophie with her friends

and showing me how to do a "Daffy"

Sophie had an awesome weekend, placing 3rd overall in her last championship weekend. Its been nice to be able to witness what they are up to.

And of course, America has its other perks- like the internet and soymilk! Thats about all for now- ill be sure and update sooner with my plans to get back to paddling, not to mention some Ugandan/Nepali updates.

cheers!

thoughts of nepal

Its been ages since i've sat down to do a blog post. To be honest, im not even sure if anyone still checks this.

I sat down tonight in part to rehash some of the emotions and sentiments i had during the Himalayan River Girls trip in Nepal. One of the Kiwi girls recently sent around a constructive criticism form with the hope of strengthening the program for subsequent years, and the feedback form got me thinking about the trip from a different point of view.

I haven't thought much about the Nepal trip in the past two months- my computer is old, and it has been a struggle to edit and upload most of my photos. More than that, the kiwi ladies returned to New Zealand, the Swedish ladies to Sweden, and Whitney to California. With everyone who was a part of the trip so spread out, its been difficult to relive the experience of 14+ days in close contact with all these girls.

I think its no secret that many of us involved with Inka's program were dissatisfied with how a lot of things played out. A large part of the trip was taken up with hours of our discussion- over what was going on, how we felt about it, and why we felt that way. Im disapointed to admit that the majority of our feelings and discussions had negative tones.

One of the biggest overall problems with program, we felt, was a general lack of communication. On pretty much everything. From the very beginning, the information put out about the trip was spotty and inconsistent. We had several groups of people from all over the world, with different skills and expectations, both for their role on the trip, and what the trip was designed to accomplish.

I went into the trip having had limited contact with Inka herself. Most of my information had come from Sophie- the organizer on the kiwi team. My understanding of the trip- and my role in it, was that i was coming along on a 10 day river trip, (if not a 5 week long program) to help train and coach these girls in kayak and raft guide skills, helping to prepare them for jobs in the whitewater industry of Nepal.

At one point, it even sounded as though I would be guiding one of the rafts down the river. While I never expected monetary compensation, I was shocked when I arrived in Nepal, met Inka, and discovered that to be a part of the trip would cost me $500 US. That is equivalent to $50 USD a day. For a river trip- that felt ridiculous. Will, Anton and I had just run missions where we paid around $5 USD a day, at the most, including food and transportation. The cost was upsetting, not because of the amount of money, but because the majority of the cost of the trip was going as profit to equator rafting- not benefiting the girls or the program in any way.

This discovery, and Inka's refusal to discuss it, or acknowledge or our dissatisfaction with the setup contributed in a large part (at least for me personally) to the negative tone I felt throughout the trip.

To be fair- I was the only participant who didn't know about the cost ahead of time. Due to a late sign up, the email detailing the costs of the program was never sent to me. However, the other girls were under the impression that the money covered the cost of the 5 week training program, which it did not.

The other big mis-communication was with regard to our roles on the river. I, and the majority of the Kiwis were under the impression that we were coming along on the trip to coach these girls. I was therefor expecting a training program (loose, albeit ) to be in place, or something outlining sets of skills we wanted the girls to learn. In reality, our role on the Sun Kosi trip ended up being one of moral support- we were there to support and encourage the girls as they embarked on the first stage of their five week training program. Instead of going along as coaches, we were paying a full (over) cost of a commercial, 10 day rafting trip, and going as commercial customers.

However- we were not given safety boaters, or adequate equipment. We were to act as our own safety boaters, and serve as safety for the rafts. Despite this, we never sat down as a group to discuss our own skill levels- who was comfortable in a kayak in grade 3 moving water, who could preform rescues, and who was likely to swim. We never even got a chance to sit down and meet everyone on the trip until day 4 or 5. The entire trip became a time crunch-changing the focus from teaching Nepali women to running a commercial trip down a river as fast as possible.

This general miscommuntication and lack of communication continued throughout the trip- resulting in more than one issue of compromised safety.

In the end, there was a lot about the trip that i think the majority of us felt could have been improved upon. However- at the end of the day, it was all about what did the girls take out of it? And they absolutely each took something away from the experience. It might not have been the river skills we wanted them to, but they all gained confidence and experience and a new perspective on what their future could be, as well as a new understanding of what they are capable of. To introduce 10 young women to a water sport and have them come away from it so unanimously positive is wonderful.

IT is important to remember that this was the first year for this program, and while it was more than a little rough around the edges, ther eis a huge amount of potential within the program. It will ulitmatley be up to the girls themselves, as well as Inka to continue the project, and to continue to improve upon it so ensure that the girls take away as much as possible.