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A BACKPACKER'S ENCOUNTER IN NEPAL

 
csy everest


ABOUT THE SPEAKER : CHENG SEK YU

A age 66, Cheng is a happy retiree living in Penang.  Backpacking is one of his many interests.

He was already a backpacker during his student years when he enjoyed hitch-hiking trips from Johore to Penang and later from London to continental Europe.

At the peak of his career, extensive global travel became his routine duty in the export promotion of "Made-in-Malaysia" products.

In recent years,Cheng made several backpacking trips to western China including Tibet, Xinjiang and Sichuan.  For more about the speaker's backpacking expedition .... click Go >>

ABOUT THE SLIDE PRESENTATION

In his latest adventure, the speaker ventured into Everest region in Nepal on solo trekking on the mountainous trails.  He enjoyed himself along the route to the highest mountain in the world for 16 days.  Whilst roaming the ancient town of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal after his return from his trekking expedition, he narrowly escaped a tragedy when a devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the town on 25 April 2015.

The slide presentation leads you from the time the speaker arrived at Kathmandu, trekking up the breathtaking scenic Mt Everest trails, the Nepal ancient town, the  earthquake experience and his return by the RMAF rescue flight.

Date:

20 June 2015 (Saturday)

 
Time:

3.00pm - 5.00pm

 
Venue:

Caring Society Complex, Jalan Utama, Penang

 
Organized by:

PENANG BACKPACKERS GROUP 
Email: backpacking@hainan.com.my
Tel: 227 4906    Fax: 227 4905
Attention:  Mr Jee Say Hai (A Chartered Secretary by profession, he is a keen outdoor enthusiast covering scuba diving, hiking, cycling and backpacking

 
Speaker:

Mr Cheng Sek Yu

 
Moderator:
Mr Ang Gi Moh (He studied in Japan, worked in Japanese working enviroment, was the President of Malaysian-Japanese Society.  He travelled and backpacked widely in Japan, Europe, China and South-east Asia)
 

 

A selection of some slides during the presentation
climbers hillary

 

breakfast village

 

713 yak  snow

 

711 nepal square  nepal earthquake

 

csy guide  
csy bank
The Slide Presentation on 20 June 2015 acknowledged a total contribution of RM8,000.00. Although this is a small amount, the thought of cross border financial and moral support to a victim of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal is very meaningful. The full amount was remitted to the victim Mr Lochan, the Speaker's guide, on 23 June 2015.  Photo (top) he walked out of the bank after cashing the remittance; (left) a beaming Lochan posing with an acknowledgement of 220,000 Nepalese Rupee with his name and amount written.


THE EVEREST WONDERLAND AND THE NEVER-REST NEPAL 
 A Brief Write-up On Slide Presentation

1. Introduction
 
The speaker was in Nepal from 7th to 28th April, 2015, all in 22 days including 16 days of solo trekking with a guide / porter in Everest region, plus 5 days in Kathmandu where he encountered a magnitude 7.9 earthquake, but fortunately he was unhurt and eventually safely returned home by RMAF rescue flight.
 
Nepal is located on the southern edge of the Himalayas, sandwiched between India and the Tibetan plateau. Eight out of the fourteen mountains which stand above 8,000m on earth are within Nepal's border, and four out of the eight are in Everest / Khumbu region

There are two peak seasons for Everest trekking :  Spring (April/May ) and Autumn (Oct/Nov).  Summer is monsoon season with rainy days. Winter is cold and some of the mountain lodges are not open for business.

April is usually sunny days, clear sky, and colorful flora in full bloom along the trail. It is also a busy month for Everest climbers who use the same trail up to EBC.


2. The Everest Wonderland
 
In Nepal, few roads extend deeply into remote mountains and valleys, the only way to truly visit the Everest / Khumbu region is to trek on foot, scaling up from an elevation of 2800M ( Lukla ) to 5545M ( Kala Patthar ).

Along the EBC trek, dubbed by some as "the steps to heaven", the terrain changes from tropical jungle below the tree line, to glaciated peaks above the snow line, in slightly more than 50 km of trekking ( one way ).

Having trekked up to the alpine terrains, the speaker felt truly humbled at the sight of panoramic vista of towering peaks and deep valleys . Once up 5,000m and beyond, the stunning views of ice falls and glaciers, plus the turbulent weather changes, filled his soul with a sense of awed.

With an extensive network of well-developed stone and dirt trails meandering along river valleys, across mountain passes, through friendly villages, past idyllic guest-houses, colorful terraced fields, Rhododendron forests, fleets of yaks / mules, and long suspension bridges, the Khumbu region captures both the heart and the imagination of the speaker. 

Moreover, Tibetan Buddhist tradition, as displayed in gombas, stupas, mani stones, prayers wheels / flags, and the unreserved friendliness of the Sherpa people, are additional vivid attractions, many of these picture-perfect images were reproduced in this presentation.

Everest trekking, with the heady mix of natural wonderland, fascinating lifestyle and awesome people, all cumulated to be one of a lifetime adventure worth sharing with like-minded friends.
 
3. The Never-rest Nepal

The speaker returned to Kathmandu on 24th April, after 16 days of Everest trekking. He was chauffeured for city sightseeing the following day. 

On the way out from Kathmandu Durbar Square, an UNESCO's  World Heritage site, a deep rumbling sound from afar was heard, followed by sudden strong wind bellowing down from nowhere.

He was thrown out of balance and fell by a vertical shake from ground under. By the time he stood up again, it was dust all over the horizon. Sensing a major earthquake has hit, he rushed towards a vacant plot of land not far away where he, along with hundreds of locals, continued to feel more tremors from aftershocks the next few hours thereafter.

Merely within minutes prior to the earthquake, he captured some precious images of Kathmandu Durba Square which had suffered devastating damages. More images of people and scenes on Kathmandu's streets and airport were captured after the quake.

Fearing more aftershocks, he spent a night at an open space outdoor with hundreds of locals, and another night at chaotic airport terminal before safely flying home in a RMAF rescue flight with 110 other Malaysians.

Sadly, the aftermaths  of the earthquake and tremors from 200+ aftershocks is far from over. 
 
Domestic and international rescue efforts have proven too slow in reaching needy victims in remote villages, which are days of walking away from Kathmandu.

Some villages were completely wiped out whilst others saw most houses collapsed. Temporary shelters are being subject to challenges posed by  imminent monsoon season.

Landslide triggered by tremors from aftershocks is likely to get worse when loosened earth might be washed down by heavy monsoon rain. Shortages of food, water and medical care could be lingering nightmares for most villagers.

The overall tourism in Nepal has suffered a big blow by the earthquake. Trekking business has come to an abrupt halt, hundreds of trekking related guides, porters and lodge employees have been rendered jobless indefinitely.

Given that tourism dollars go directly to benefit remote villagers, booking a trekking trip in Nepal against all odds is indeed the best way to help relieve hardships for many who make a living on mountain trails.