Project Yeti 2016:
Lending a Hand in Nepal

Quebec Rovers bring relief to earthquake-damaged area

By Patricia Dumais

On April 25, 2015, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 struck Nepal, killing nearly 9,000 persons and injured close to 22,000. Hundreds of thousands were made homeless, with entire villages flattened across many districts of the country. Many centuries-old buildings were destroyed including some in UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley. Geophysicists and other experts had warned for decades that Nepal was vulnerable to a deadly earthquake, because of its geology, urbanization and lack of earthquake-proof architecture.

Crossing a recently built steel bridge

Just prior to the earthquake, Scouts Canada and World Scout Foundation member Maggie Shaddick began the first steps in organizing a poverty relief effort for the area. After a fire in one of Nepal’s famous monasteries in 1989, she organized Scout Rover humanitarian expeditions in the Solukumba region between Kathmandu and Mount Everest base camp, to help with the reconstruction. The Rovers worked in collaboration with the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada that supports several projects like Kunde Hospital and Khumjung School, to improve the quality of life of the Sherpa people. The latest earthquake confirmed a pressing need to go back.

It took little to convince Douglas Leahey, Scout Leader with Westmount Park Scout Troup, to become the expedition leader of Project Yeti Nepal 2016, with the crew of eight Rovers and fellow Rover Advisor Virginia Elliott, Stoney Point Area Commissioner and 2nd Westmount Cub Pack Akela. Leahey was the driving force to turn the project into a reality, putting together the necessary elements to make the five-week humanitarian trip happen. Anthony van Voorst, Stoney Point Area Youth Commissioner, acted as communications coordinator for the expedition.

The group undertook a number of fund-raising efforts, including a spaghetti dinner, crowd funding, soliciting support from the community (MP Marc Garneau, MNA Jacques Chagnon, Westmount Rotary, the City of Westmount) and the sale of Yeti mascots, books and honey (Hillary was himself a beekeeper). Zeke O’Connor of the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada offered the mascot Yetis and his book Journey with the Sherpas, to help with the fundraising. The expedition received substantial donations from The World Scout Brotherhood Foundation, Messengers of Peace and Richard Hart of 3MACS.

(Douglas) Leahey was the driving force to turn the project into a reality, putting together the necessary elements to make the five-week humanitarian trip happen.

The Rover crew, young adults aged between 18 and 26, consisted of Parker English, Alexander Manolakos, Sabrina Manolakos, Erin Neil McRae, Ryan Paul Marcoux, Katherine Richard, Anthony Van Voorst and Amber Wyatt, from scouting groups in Ville St-Laurent, Greenfield Park, Montreal-West and Baie d’Urfé.

Advisors Virginia Elliott, Douglas Leahey and Rover Ryan Paul Marcoux recently shared details of Project Yeti Nepal 2016 with me.

Map courtesy of occasionalclimber.co.nz

Just getting there was half the adventure. On May 21, the group set out for Nepal with Qatar Airways (named best in the world in the 2009 and 2010 Skytrax Awards), via Philadelphia, Doha and Kathmandu, to eventually arrive at Lukla at 2860 m, in the Solukumba region of the Himalayas. Lukla’s Tenzing-Hillary Airport is one of the most dangerous in the world with its short airstrip perched on an angle on the edge of a mountain. Frequent high winds, cloud cover, and changing visibility often lead to delayed or cancelled flights. Only small Twin Otter type aircraft and helicopters can land here at Lukla, which is also, by the way, the departure point for expeditions to Mount Everest.

Once they arrived in the Himalayas, the group had to acclimatize to the high elevation to try and avoid altitude sickness that can occur when your body doesn’t get enough oxygen, causing symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, fatigue and in extreme cases, acute oedema which can be fatal. It happens most often when people not used to high altitudes go quickly from lower levels to 8000 ft (2,438 m) or higher.

Lukla’s Tenzing-Hillary Airport is one of the most dangerous in the world with its short airstrip perched on an angle on the edge of a mountain.

From Lukla the Rover crew made their way to Thame, in a sacred valley that is the traditional trade route with Tibet and very popular with trekkers. The village of sixty some houses was heavily damaged in the recent earthquake but most homes had since been rebuilt or restored. In fact, many of the more touristic areas were rebuilt first as tourism is a principal source of income for the country. The group’s base was a teahouse with comfortable but basic lodgings. Options like showers, WiFi and cell phone charging were extra – a main source of income to the businesses. Central heating is non-existent with only the central room in the lodge warmed by a yak-dung stove. By day the temperature was a comfortable 23 to 25˚C, but by night it often plunged below the freezing point. They were given mummy-style sleeping bags and down parkas for their comfort. “I did not shower for a month but you can do a lot with just a bowl of hot water”, confided Virginia, “we dressed in layers and retired to bed early to keep warm at night.”

A typical meal

The Rover crew was accompanied by three guides, eleven porters and a cook keeping them well fed although food choices were sometimes quite limited – mainly rice, pasta, lentils (dahl), eggs and freshly baked bread. There would be some meat, usually chicken, in the high-carb diet suited to the 3,840 m altitude. World Expeditions, an ethically and environmentally responsible company coordinated the expedition staff and did an excellent job adapting their services to accommodate the unique nature of the Rovers’ humanitarian journey.

The Quebec Rovers found the inhabitants of the mountain regions to be a gentle-hearted and contented people despite their harsh living conditions. Evidence of the traditional Buddhist religion was everywhere in monasteries, mani stones, prayer wheels and household shrines. Rover Ryan Marcoux, a student in psychology, was fascinated by the religion and culture of the area, in particular the animal symbolism in both Hinduism and Buddhism. Village elders and monasteries have an important influence over social matters in Nepal and it is necessary to gain their trust when embarking on projects there. Unfortunately, like in many isolated communities around the world, there are limited opportunities for young people and many leave to find a better life elsewhere.

The Quebec Rovers found the inhabitants of the mountain regions to be a gentle-hearted and contented people despite their harsh living conditions.

A jukjeu calf

Traditional homes are two-level, with farm animals below and the family living above. There is a common area that includes the kitchen. Latrines are the norm and provide necessary fertilizer for the soil that is farmed. Most common of the farm animals are chickens (Nepalis love eggs), yaks and jukjeu, a cow/yak cross, found in the lower altitudes.

The initial plan was for the Rovers to attend the 50th anniversary celebration in Kunde, where doctors and support staff who had contributed to the hospital since its founding by Hillary gathered from Canada, New Zealand and the U.S. The group would then help with repair efforts at the Kunde Hospital and the Tengboche Monastery, as well as do conservation and restoration work of alpine eco-systems in Sagarmatha National Park. Nepalese Rovers were to assist them for some of the projects.

Explained Douglas, “We were all keen on helping rebuild the hospital, but when we arrived there were no hard hats or steel-toed boots available, which compromised our safety. Moving heavy objects like stones was also an issue. So we were re-assigned to lighter jobs like cleaning and painting, which was fine with us.”

So they wound up painting a small clinic in Thame funded by the Kunde Hospital fund, a community centre and a monastery in Thame, as well as installing new computer equipment in a computer centre at the Khumjung School. They undertook reforestation work in Sagarmatha National Park, planting 4,000 tree seedlings, including juniper and pine, as well as rhododendron bushes.

For lack of the technologies we take for granted, like TVs and computers, the Rovers spent much of their free time playing cards, reading books, playing hacky sack with their porters or getting to know the locals. With no central heating and days that sometimes began at 5:30 am the Rovers would often find themselves retiring early.

One of the many religious shrines

While there, the Rovers had the opportunity to meet many of the residents of the communities they visited – the doctor in charge of Kunde hospital, the Romboche and other monks at the various monasteries, teachers and students at the school, and staff of the Bijuli Hydro Electric Company for whom they planted trees where new installations had disturbed the soil. It was interesting meeting the few tourists still trekking through as the monsoons heralded the end of the season. They also got to trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

The group is very keen on repeating the experience and would like to return every three years or so. They believe that working in cooperation with people brings far more positive results for all concerned than simply sending money.

Douglas Leahey was recently presented the Medal of Merit in recognition of his continued commitment to Scouting, as well as organizing this latest Nepal expedition.

Public talk on Project Yeti 2016

Virginia Elliott will give a public talk on the expedition on Wednesday, November 2 at 2 pm at the Westmount Public Library. The event is free and open to all but tickets are necessary and available at the main circulation desk.

Visit the Project Yeti 2016 Facebook page.

Images: courtesy of Westmount Park Scout Troup
Map courtesy of occasionalclimber.co.nz