Missing cyclist found alive and well in Nepal

A mysterious correspondent with the pen name Kathy Mandu has sent the following post for the blog.

Missing Tour de France cyclist was found alive and well yesterday in the foothills of the Himalaya in Nepal. Brain O’ Murchadha (pronounced OWURRAKOO), age 52, was found, still peddling away by passers-by who recognised him immediately as the missing competitor. Mr Murchadha was taken to Everest base camp where he was treated to some special Sherpa tea and took a well-earned rest.

The missing cyclist

When interviewed Mr O’Muchadha admitted he thought he had taken a wrong turn after Ballachuilish Bridge! He told reporters he had survived on scrambled black kite eggs, yak milk, large juicy caterpillars and sweet chestnuts (a favourite of the local bears who befriended him on his journey).

In recognition of his tremendous effort in reaching and surviving Nepal, the Tour committee has awarded Mr O’Murchadha with the red polka dot King of the Mountain jersey. His tricycle however has been banned from any future events as the wind-up mechanism is thought to give the rider an unfair advantage!!

Mr O’ Murchadha has now returned home to his delighted family and has resumed the painting and decorating, shopping, cooking, gardening, ………, ………., and whatever else is on his ‘to do’ list!!!!!!

Brain hopes however to return to Nepal one day!

Profile of Mahesh Kumar Sewa, Sardar

To successive parties of trekkers Mahesh is the Sardar, the charismatic figure whose extensive knowledge of the mountains ensures that treks are safe and enjoyable. The name ’sardar’ is Persian in origin and means commander; in Himalyan climbing tradition it is the title given to the leader of the sherpas and porters.

Mahesh with Jeff Frew

Mahesh is head of operations at Community Action Treks’ Kathmandu office. The job carries responsibility for all the logistical aspects of trek organisation, including getting people to and from airports and around the country, and also engaging and supervising the porters, cooks and sherpas for treks. It’s a job with great responsibility, a military-style operation, and perhaps it’s not surprising that Mahesh was born into an army family – his father was a Gurkha serjeant.

Born in east Nepal, Mahesh received his early education in Darjeeling, India, where he also met his wife. His father died suddenly when Mahesh was 17 and, with no-one to support his studies, he moved to Kathmandu where he became a student of commerce.

I used to study in the morning from 6 to 9 and then from 9.30 onwards I used to do a job as a teacher. In Nepal there are so many festivals – it’s known as the land of festivals – and so these days, and Saturdays and Sundays,  gave me much time to concentrate on my studies.

Now married and with two daughters to support, Mahesh left college to take up a job opportunity with a German company.

Nowadays most of the young generation in Germany understand English but then most of the old German people did not understand English and communication was a bit difficult. I had a very good friend of about the same age called Stefan Lein from Hannover. We were on a climbing trip to Yala Peak north of Kathmandu. He didn’t understand English and I didn’t understand German but as a human being we understood each other’s feelings. After we came back  he told me to study German. I couldn’t finance this myself so he sent me money and I was a pretty good student and soon I was fluent in German. Two years after, he and his father Günther came over to Nepal and they invited me to visit Germany. I went to Germany for a time and I learned more and more about Europe and about the cultures.

Mahesh with son Sudarshan, a business studies student and sherpa

Back in Nepal, Mahesh spent 10 years working for a German trekking company. However, he became dissatisfied with the commercial arrangement which meant that Nepalese staff did not share in the benefits they had worked so hard to create. Mahesh had been impressed with Doug Scott’s approach to the engagement of Nepali staff on climbing expeditions, based on co-operative principles which meant that there was a guaranteed income, rather than a dependence on tips. So he began to work with Community Action Treks and got involved with community development through the company’s charitable arm, Community Action Nepal.

Why I  became involved with Doug Scott was due to the charity. He doesn’t benefit for himself. Whatever he does is only for Nepal and the Nepalese. For almost 12 years I have been a part of Doug Scott’s company. And now of course my best friend – I call him my Scottish brother – Jeff is also a director and nowadays also Martin and Sheila West are also involved. I gives me immense pleasure that being Nepali I couldn’t do anything for my country - but to be a part of someone who is doing all for Nepal that gives me a very pleasant happiness in my life.

Mahesh's leadership style is quite laid-back

Mahesh quickly became very popular with our trekkers, not just because we recognised his extensive knowledge of the mountain communities, but also because of his sparky sense of fun and his interest in getting to know us individually. Almost as soon as we had arrived, he remembered our names. The young people in particular warmed to Mahesh, repeating his call to begin walking – OKAY DOKEY! The call became a catch-phrase when we were in Nepal and one imagines it will persist at home in Scotland, never failing to bring a smile to our faces and recalling happy memories of our wonderful trek.

Mahesh was a hit with our young people. Here receiving some treatment from Nicola Corbett

Interview with Mark (Trek 1)

Mark and Sharron on route to the Peace Pagoda

What was the journey to Nepal and back like? Were there any difficulties? The travelling was long and hard in terms of it was difficult to get any sleep. By the time we got Nepal we all just wanted to sleep. My best nights sleep was when we arrived in Kathmandu. The journey on the way back felt quicker, we had less stopover times in the airport- though the journey up the road from London seemed a bit long because we were nearly home

What was the high point of the trip, any special moments? The high point for me was making the extra day option of going to the highest point of 4,000 metres. I did it without any sleep the night before- I couldn’t sleep because of the altitude. The special moment was the first camp site, 800 school kids welcomed us, I’ll never forget it- it was a special moment

Have you met any new friends by going on the trip? I spent I lot of time with Harry and Brian because Harry and Amy already knew each other. I spent a lot of time talking to Dawn as well, again that was through the connection with Amy

What was the low point of the trip? Poverty, the poverty had the greatest impact on me. I couldn’t quite believe that people could live day to day in conditions like that. It was a life affirming experience, it makes you appreciate what you have here

Were there any embarrassing or funny moments you would like to tell us about? The night we spent at altitude I had a bit of a dodgy tummy. At 2am I had to run to the toilet, running around the campsite with my boots, my thermals and my head torch on trying to find the toilet. Looking back it makes me laugh-it wasn’t funny at the time though !

Local people who help us out with lunch on the trek

What were the local people like in Nepal? Very friendly, they always greet you with a smile. The stresses of what these people go through on a day to day basis, you wouldn’t believe- you have to see it to believe it

Would you do the trip all over again if you had the chance? It was the experience of a lifetime- the trek is the reason I would go back to Nepal, the scenery, the mountains- its all breathtaking. The flipside is the poverty and the living conditions- but that is the true Nepal, you have to see everything to appreciate it. I don’t know if I could see the flipside again

A girl dances for us at the first school we visit

What are your thoughts now you are back? I cant stop thinking about it, I have constantly been going onto websites looking at the schools, sponsoring the young people and I now appreciate my life more now- the truth is though that I think more about the people in Nepal. These people live in extreme conditions, simple things in my life like turning on a tap and having electricity- they cant have these things

Interview by Denny Ford

Kirsten McManus, one of our first veterans…participant on the first trek to Nepal

Kirsten introduces herself and explains to the apprentice-to-our-blogger the journey leading up to going to Nepal this October.

Kirsten McManus - that smile hasn't diminished one iota since she got back. We think she had a good time.

I’m Kirsten, the Consultation and Participation Officer for Who Cares? Scotland and I’ve been involved in the Nepal trip right from the very start. As soon as it was mentioned by Grant, I knew it was something I would really love being part of.

I’ve been working alongside David Dunne (currently chair of Who Cares? Scotland’s board of directors) for the past year, fundraising and preparing for the trek. We had to fundraise £4,000 to allow the two of us to go. It was really hard work but we made it. We had three days in Braehead shopping centre which raised a huge amount of money, we did bag-packing at Morrison’s supermarket in Largs and we did a sponsored walk up Ben Nevis. We also had supporters doing things for us such as a charity football match, a golf day and running a 10k – all a great help to our fundraising efforts. In the end, we raised £1,200 over our £4,000 target! At times we never thought we’d get there, never mind raise money over and above what we needed. David also received a grant from Drumchapel L.I.F.E which helped towards a lot of his medical supplies and a gym membership, that was a great help too.

My friends and family are still running in the opposite direction whenever I come near for fear of having to give me money or get involved in a fundraising event.

Kirsten and David on Ben Lomond

We did lots of hill-walking throughout the year to get our fitness levels up. We started small with Conic Hill, but soon moved on to some of the biggies like Ben Lomond, Beinn Narnain, Beinn Dubh and Ben Nevis.

Kirstens highs and lows of the trip

Highs
Getting to know new people and getting to spend quality time with them and others I already know very well
Making it to the optional bit when I thought I wasn’t going to manage it because of the altitude
Seeing how the young people dealt with the trip and how they tried to enjoy everything about it even though there were lots of emotions and no doubt some lows for them as well as us – illness, tiredness, sadness about the poverty..
The Everest flight – there was me thinking before I went “seen one mountain, you’ve seen them all”  — how wrong was I….
Kathmandu – I absolutely loved it
 
 
Lows
Young people walking for 2 hours there and 2 hours back to and from a school that has no windows or running water
The poverty throughout the whole country
The toilet tents
 
 

 
What the trip has meant to me
That I had no real idea how other people are living all over the world while I’m caught up in the trivialities of my own life
That you can live with very little and still smile – as William quite aptly said

“they’ve got nothing and seem happy, we’ve got everything and are pi**ed off most of the time”

That my hair can still look good after a night in a sleeping bag

Paul’s highs and lows of the trip

Highs 
 
Meeting people from a different culture
Being the furthest East I’ve ever been in my life
Sleeping outdoors
Meeting a Buddhist Monk for the first time
Going to Chitti Tilla School and seeing the poverty was a low however meeting the children and knowing hopefully next year I’ll be going back to install running water and new toilet facilities was a high
Getting to the optional optional peak
Spending time with, and getting to know Wullie
Mahesh
 
Lows
 
The poverty that surrounded us daily
The blister on my left heel
Going down the way after such an awesome climb up the way
Getting on the plane to come home
Cold pasta on the coldest night of the trip
 
 
What the trip has meant to me
 
The trip was a very humbling experience – back home it’s easy to get frustrated and irritated at times with things in my own life, however this has shown me that people can live happily with very little and I’ll take more time and patience now I’m home to let every day frustrations wash over me a bit more…
 
How very precious water is and although I try to be conscious of it just now I’ll just never ever leave the tap on when I’m doing my teeth ever again!

Janice’s thoughts from Nepal

At the Boudhanath Stupa

Nepal is ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world but to me it is one of the richest….as Dolly Parton said in her song Coat of Many Colours…..”although we didn’t have much money, we were rich as we could be”…meaning that that you can get by on very little as long as you have everything that is important to you around you. Nepal is a very vibrant beautiful country. 85% is made up of its mountains and you feel like you are on top of the world when you are there….that’s because you are!

Highpoints on the trek were when Mahesh (one of the trek leaders) taught us ‘Resham Firiri’, our trekking song on day 3 of the trek. This is one of the famous folk songs from the mountains of Nepal….”Trek like a donkey, climb like a monkey……”  It it such a beautiful tune and it kept our spirits up that day as it was the hardest day by far – a 10 hour day uphill all the way…ouch….but we all made it so well done everyone!

Soritta shading under a tree

The low point for me has got to be when I fell ill. I’d developed a fever on the 3rd night of the trek when we were camped at Bhara Pokhari (3050m) and i could not keep warm. Luckily Soritta, our nurse, was there to help me get better and help me down the ridge the next day….AND the day after that! Also thanks to the sherpas who carried my day sack down the mountains too…i’m not sure how i would have coped without them…

Nepal, it’s people and it’s mountains, will always have a special place in my heart, and i am sure it will not be the last time i will set foot on its soil.

Janice Burgess

Dawn Parker’s highs and lows of the trek

High points …….    

* the support from others during the trek
* porridge in the morning ( I may be in a minority on this one)
*  the hugs from wullie and Harry…. they both just seemed to know when    these were needed
* The haggling – I love a bargain
* The friendship and humour
* feeling cosy in my sleeping bag knowing its Baltic outside
* Knowing we could fund a  clean water system for school children
 

Low points …….  

* the poverty
* seeing children with very little still able to enjoy life- very humbling
* sherpas passing by us with excruciatingly heavy loads

* feeling that I can and have to do much more to help and knowing that this alone wont be enough 

* the toilet tents
 
Scary points …… taking a taxi in Kathmandu
 
What have I learned about myself? ……
That I’m much more resourceful than I gave myself credit for ,and that I can eek a huge amount of uses from one small basin of water -  i.e. washing myself, washing my hair ,washing my clothes….. its all about the sequence
 
I’m not quite sure why yet but I’m certain I’ll never be quite the same again.

Adapting to life back home

Back home and despite the pleasures of warm baths and soft beds our minds and hearts still run to Nepal, and sometimes always will. It was an amazing experience to share with such great folks and the young people were a credit and rose to the challenges superbly.

Adapting back is difficult. Hard to explain fully to others and no doubt we are all trying to make this a beginning not an end.

Angus Skinner

Fife group leaves for trek 2

As members of trek 2 prepare to leave a frosty Scotland on Monday morning, the blogger has received material from Who Cares Scotland’s Steve Griffin about fund-raising activities undertaken by the Fife team.

Fife Group: Caleb Abercrombie, Jordan Todd, Niall Grattan, Heather Hattan and Steve Griffin

Steve explained that one popular event was a pamper night organised by Heather Hattan, one of the trek team, with papmper skills provided by Lesley Houghton, a respite care manager in Fife.

We felt that as showers and the like may be few and far between when we are in Nepal we’d best make the most of what we’ve got at the moment and have spa baths, foot spas, foot massages and facemasks before setting off on this epic journey.

Niall and Jordan treated to a foot spa

Steve also told the blogger about the generosity of Niall’s and Jordan’s friends also living in residential care in Fife who collected and donated pocket money to support the trek fund. Steve said:

What a wonderful generous act by these youngsters!

Jordan and Niall with wallets of pocket money donated by their friends