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Key Information:                
 
  • Date: October 2012 
  • Registration fee: £595.00   and Fundraising target: £3,500.00
 
Join The Music Therapy Trust  Nepal’s Team for this stunning 17 day trek to the base camp of the highest mountain in the World :  Everest. Our challenge takes you through the foothills of the Himalayas to the summit of Kala Pattar (5555M) which stands as a viewpoint of Mount Everest from base camp to peak. From here, we can enjoy spectacular views of the Khumbu glacier that guards mighty mountains. To join us and be part of this super trek through the highest mountain range in the world we require a non-refundable (can be counted towards sponsorship) £595.00 plus your commitment to raise a minimum of £3500. To put your name down to be one of the first to receive the 2012/13 brochure, please contact us giving your name and address.
 
Trip Overview: This Everest Base Camp Charity Challenge is a great lodge trek and one ofthe most beautiful trekking routes in the world. In addition to the stunning landscape, the route gives us an insight into the lives and culture of the legendary Sherpa people and demonstrations of their friendliness and amazing hospitality. The trek travels the heart of the Himalayan foothills to the exhilarating heights of Everest Base Camp. After arriving in Kathmandu and exploring the temples, shrines and bazaars, we take an exciting mountain flight to Lukla and trek up the Dudh Kosi Valley, surrounded by the soaring peaks of Thamserku and Kusum Kanguru. It’s a steep ascent to Namche Bazaar, capital of the Kumbu Sherpas, where we are again greeted by spectacular mountain vistas. A rest day here aids acclimatization and there are great optional walks to enjoy the area. We then follow the trail to famous Tengboche, located high on a ridge where a magnificent 360-degree panorama awaits. The views of Everest, the Lhotse-Nuptse Wall, Ama Dablam and Kantega dominate this peaceful and spiritual location – surely one of the most soothing and inspiring places in the world. While passing The Tengboche and other monasteries along the way the views of Everest get closer every day. This stunning trek visits both Everest base camp and Kala Pattar (5555m), a viewpoint recognised as the best vantage point to see Mount Everest which is a premier goal for many adventurous walkers in the Himalaya. After trekking to base camp and Kala Pattar we return at our leisurely pace back to Namche and Lukla for our return flight to Kathmandu.
 
The Detailed Itinerary is in Itinerary section below
 

What is included?
 
In addition to providing a substantial donation to the work of THE MUSIC THERAPY TRUST NEPAL (TMTTN) , the sponsor money you raise will cover:
 
·         Return flights from London to Kathmandu
 
·         Return flights from Kathmandu to Lukla, from where the trekking starts All airport transfers
·         Accommodation twin shared rooms with breakfast in Kathmandu
·         An experienced Guide and porters
·         Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner during the trekking
 
·         National park entry fees
 
·         Trekking permits
 
·         Local transport
 
·         Attraction entry fee

 


What is not included?
 

  • Personal travel insurance (which should cover trekking over 2500m, any sort of injuries, travel, personal possessions and medical)
  • Nepal entry visas and vaccinations
  • Local airport taxes
  • Any sort of drinks
  •  Any personal expenses such as drinks and gifts
  • Gratuities for guide and staffs who work hard to ensure a successful trip.
  •  Any other items not included above
 
When can I go?
 
 
Everest Challenge is being organize every year in September/October
 
Leaving London:   September/ October each year
 
Hiking starts: A day after arrival in Kathmandu Hiking ends: TBC
 
Leaving Nepal: TBC
 
Arriving London: TBC
 
Note: If you have your own group of 4 or more friends or colleagues and prefer to choose the dates, we can arrange a flexible schedule that suits you.
 
Guidelines for Clothing and Equipment
 
Clothing:
 
 
 
 
 
·
Thermal Base layer shirt x 2/ Thermal
 
·
Walking boots   and Trainers/approach shoes
 
underwear
 
·
Sun Hat/ Warm Hat/ Sunglasses
·
Waterproof jacket with hood/ Waterproof
 
 
 
 
·
Socks 3+ pairs (Walking and Casual)
 
trousers
 
·
Casual/T-shirts 3+
·
Warm Jacket (Down)
 
·
Trekking Pants and Underwear 3+
·
Winter/Thermal Gloves
 
·
Light fleece 1-2 / Thick fleece 1-2
 
 
 


 
Equipment:
 
·         Daypack/rucksack (min. 30 litres)
 
·         Sleeping bag (4/5 seasons)/ sleeping bag Sheet
 
·         water bottles/ Water purifying tablets (iodine based are best)
 
·         Towel – quick drying pack towel is recommended
 
·         Torch (and spare bulb and batteries)
 
·         Camera & accessories
 
·         A variety of dry bag/plastic bags
·            Trekking poles (highly recommended)
 
·            Washing/Shaving kit & toilet paper
 
·            Insect Repellent
 
·            Small personal First Aid kit
 
·            Anti-Bacterial Hand wash
 
·            Sun Cream & lip salve
 
·            Blister plasters   i.e. Camped
 
·            Passport size photos (2) for trekking permit


Additional clothing and Equipment Lists (considered as being useful on a walking holiday):
 
·
Penknife/small scissors
·
 
·
Moisturizing cream
·     Small mirror and Nail clippers
·
Wet wipes
·
Spare glasses/contact lenses
·
Snacks/Energy bars
·
Earplugs (against snorers)
·
Safety pins
·
Cold water Travel Wash
·
Padlock for your kitbag
·
Travel adaptor (highly recommended)
·
Small sewing/repair kit
 
 
 
Sleeping Bags and down jackets can be rented in Kathmandu. We can arrange these rental items for you inadvance. Rental fees for these would be paid locally in Kathmandu and are not included in the total cost. Accommodation: In Kathmandu we stay in a comfortable hotel. Throughout the trek we stay in basic tea-houseaccommodation. All rooms are on a twin share basis. Tea-houses have shared washing facilities.
 
Food: Breakfast each morning will be at our accommodation. Lunches will be en-route in tea-houses andevening meals will be at our night’s stop. Variety in menus at this altitude is limited, but we attempt to offer a mix of typical Nepalese fare and dishes with an international influence.
 
Mobile phones: -Do work in Nepal. Although in some of the areas you are trekking there may be no signal. Ifyou have not used your mobile outside the UK before you will have to contact your operator to enable international calls. Please ensure your phone is set for roaming if you are taking a mobile. Please note that it is expensive to phone both to and out of a mobile when abroad. We do not however encourage mobile phone use whilst walking on any of our trips – out of courtesy to other clients and trekkers please use your mobile phone discreetly.
 
Tipping: - Tipping is at your discretion, and we must stress that tips do not form part of the wages of your guideand trek crew, However, Nepalese people are as a rule incredibly cheerful and friendly and nothing ever seems too much trouble for them. Your guide and trek crew will be no exception and as a tip is the accepted form of saying ‘thank you’ if you have received good service, a tip at the end of your trek will be greatly appreciated. Vaccinations and medical precautions: - We always recommend visiting your doctor for a check-up beforetravelling. Your doctor will also have access to the most up to date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to visit. We ask you to complete the attached medical form.
 
First Aid: - You should always carry your own small, personal first aid kit. This should consist of the following: ageneral antibiotic, throat lozenges, painkillers, plasters (Band-Aids), blister treatment, insect repellent (DEET), rehydration salts, antiseptic cream, altitude sickness (Diamox), diarrhoea treatment (e.g. Imodium), etc.
 
How to Register:Fill in the attached registration form and send it to OKMT with thenon-refundable deposit of £595. Please see the form for details. Once we receive your registration form and deposit we will contact you for a briefing and presentations about the Challenge and ideas for fundraising. The deposit will be held by a UK registered Charity, the UK arm of The Music Therapy Trust Nepal.
 
A bit more about Nepal:The Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People of Republic of China and by the Republic of India to the South, East, and West. With an area of 1471818 Square Kilometers (56827 square miles) and population of about 30 million, Nepal is the world’s 93rd largest Country by land mass and the 41st most populated country. Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. Nepal has rich geography; the mountainous north has eight of the world’s fourteen tallest mountains, including the highest point on the Earth, the Mountain Everest Called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20000 ft.(6069m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized.
 
Religions: - By some measures, Hinduism is practiced by a larger Majority of People in Nepal. Buddhism though a minority faith in the country is linked historically with Nepal as the birthplace of the Buddha. Many Nepali do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions. Several other minor religions are also practiced but Nepal has never suffered from religious conflict.
 
Geography and climate of Nepal: Nepal is roughly trapezoidal in shape, 800 kilometres (497miles) long and 200 kilometers (124miles) wide with an area of 147181 square kilometres (56827square miles). The southern lowland plains or Terai bordering to India are part of the northern rim of the indo-gangetic plains.They were formed and are feed by three major Himalayan rivers: The Kosi, The Narayani, and the Karnali as well as smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This region has subtropical to tropical climate. The (called shiwalik or churia Range) marks the limit of the Gangetic plain; however several broad, low valleys called inner Tarai lie north of these foothills. Reaching 1500 to 3000 meters (4921ft – 9843ft) is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and hills alternating to the north of this range. Population density is high in Valleys but notably less above 2000 meters and very low above 2500meters where snow  falls in winter.
 
The Mountain Region situated in the Great Himalayan Range makes up the northern part of Nepal. It contains the highest elevations in the world including the 8850 meters high Mount Everst (sagarmatha in Nepali) on the border with China. Seven other of the world’s 8000 meter peaks are in Nepal or on its border with china, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Chanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, and Manaslu,
 
Nepal has five seasons: Monsoon, Autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in the winter and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns. In a land once thickly forested, deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
 
Who is The Trek For?
 
THE MUSIC THERAPY TRUST NEPAL (TMTTN)  
 
The Music Therapy Trust Nepal (Registered Charity No 864) was set up in 2010 by Dr Margaret Lobo, Founder and Director of The Otakar Kraus Music Trust UK. OKMT continues to support TMTTN and is organising this Trek on their behalf. The aim of TMTTN is to introduce the first clinical music therapy to Nepal and it is already improving awareness of disability, and changing the lives of hundreds of children and adults who are marginalised due to communication difficulties, disability or poverty. It now wants to bring music therapy to hundreds more children and young people, and your help can enable this to happen.
In 2005 Dr Lobo founded The Music Therapy Trust (India), which established a Music Therapy Centre in New Delhi, where Indian musicians are trained in the Postgraduate Diploma in Music Therapy. In 2009, Nepalese musician, Kedar Gandhari was sponsored to train in New Delhi and returned in 2010 to introduce the first clinical music therapy at Autism Care Nepal in Kathmandu. Kedar provides individual and group music therapy for children with autism, nearly all of whom are non-verbal. He also gives workshops for parents, and educational and other professionals, to inform them about the benefits of music therapy.
WHY WE ARE DOING THIS
 
Nepal is a poor country with limited education or health care. Many children and young people are marginalised, orphaned, disabled or vulnerable with few prospects. Awareness of disability is very low, even amongst educated people and health professionals, and resources few. Two thirds of children with disabilities receive no education and there are few therapists or psychologists to give them any chance of development. Some conditions, such as psychological health have been badly neglected. Autism, for example, is rarely diagnosed. It is estimated that there are up to 50,000 people in Nepal on the autistic spectrum and most of them will end up in a mental institution or be hidden away in the home. At Autism Care Nepal, we have already helped hundreds of children and have seen children with autism begin to form relationships, communicate and enter education.
 
HOW MUSIC THERAPY CHANGES LIVES
 
Music Therapy is a world wide scientifically proven method of reaching people and helping them to communicate and is based on the understanding that everyone can respond to music, regardless of disability or illness. Music therapy can unlock doors and reach people considered beyond help.The music therapy sessions in Nepal will help children and young people who have disabilities or are traumatised to:
·       build therapeutic relationships and develop social interaction skills
·       develop communication skills – some speak for the first time
·       express themselves and feel joy
·       improve cognitive and motor skills
·       relieve tension and anxiety, reduce isolation and distress and overcome trauma
·       increase confidence, creativity, attention span and choice
 
These developments can improve the psychological health of street children, helping to rehabilitate them, and help those with communication difficulties, such as autism, to enter into mainstream education and society, and give them greater opportunities to change the quality of their lives.
 
FUTURE PLANS AND THE NEED FOR FUNDRAISING
·       TMTT Nepal aims to bring the benefits of music therapy to hundreds more disabled or disadvantaged children and young people, including:
·          Children with autism
·          Orphans and abandoned children
·          Children with physical or learning difficulties, including deaf children
·          Street children and vulnerable families
·          Those with mental illness
·          People with cancer
·       Give workshops and produce a documentary to show the benefits of music therapy, to make teachers, health officials and the Nepalese Government better informed about disability, with the goal of eradicating the ignorance and stigma surrounding this field in Nepal.
·       Reach remote parts of Nepal, using a specially equipped mobile music therapy vehicle.