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Nepal SEEDS Trek-a-Thon

Celebrating the Next 15 Years
As part of the celebration of our first, very successful 15 years of supporting grassroots projects in the areas of education, water, health and the environment, Nepal SEEDS is hosting its first-ever fundraising trek-a-thon. Join SEEDS Executive Director, KP Kafle, for a Himalayan trek of a lifetime! Gather sponsors and pledges from family and friends, making every step count as you trek your way through the unparalleled beauty of the Himalayas. Visit Nepal SEEDS projects and meet the recipients who benefit directly from your pledges and donations. Trek on trails rarely visited by Westerners to remote villages in the middle Himalayas just south of Kathmandu, as well as enjoy a helicopter/trek into some of the most spectacular high Himalayan landscapes north of Kathmandu in the Langtang region!

Trek Details / Itinerary

Dates: December 1 18, 2014 18 days. Please note that these are in-country dates. Your travel time is NOT included.

Costs: $2900 + round trip helicopter flight of $690. Trip costs are based upon double occupancy. There is an additional $250 charge should you choose single accommodations. We will try to match you with another participant if you desire and if available. Pledges / Sponsorships: This trek is a major fundraising effort to support several new projects as SEEDS kicks-off its second 15 years of service. Each trekker should set a personal fund-raising goal that seems reasonable while keeping in mind that over 94% of every dollar raised goes directly to support the field projects below. SEEDS will provide you with fundraising ideas and support materials. Your donations will go directly to the following projects: 1. expanding the Bandevi primary school in Sisnery VDC to accommodate students moving into middle-school (6th 8th grade). Currently there are no reasonable middle-school options for kids finishing primary school in this region. Funding is needed for new middle-school rooms and teachers salaries. In addition, funding is needed for a lunch program for pre-school children getting a head-start at the Bandevi school.

2. the funding of a Womens Health Workshop, a four day intensive training focusing on the areas of maternal and child health education for rural women. Specific topics include: nutrition, sanitation, personal hygiene, reproductive health, ante- and post-natal care and environmental health. Why do it: Theres not a better way to know Nepal than to trek through it and meet its people as you go. Trekking with KP Kafle and his staff while having the chance to meet with SEEDS project recipients opens doors and expands cultural insights otherwise difficult to acquire. In addition to the terrific good your donations will do, you have the chance to trek in stunning mountain country with kindred spirits. The times are bound to be rich, awe-inspiring and exceptional in all ways. *Please note that all logistics and operational support for this trek while in Nepal is handled by Heart of the Himalaya Inc. a trekking company based in Nepal and owned, in part, by KP Kafle. What next: Review the itinerary below. Make sure youre familiar with the trip and what the expectations are regarding your fundraising efforts. Submit your registration form along with the $400 deposit ($200 becomes non-refundable upon registration). The remaining trip fee (including helicopter costs) August 1st, 2014. Donations and pledges can be made through out the year

Trip Itinerary
Continued on the next page.

Day 1, Dec 1st: Arrival in Kathmandu. Welcome to Nepal. You will be met at the airport and transferred to our local hotel. Settle in and relax before joining the group for a traditional Nepali banquet dinner and trip overview. Dinner included. Day 2, Dec 2nd: Early morning flightseeing for those choosing the optional Mt. Everest sightseeing flight (extra cost). Then its off on a quided tour of several of Kathmandus most significant and historical sites such as Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath Stupas. Afternoon is free to explore the colorful and lively Thamel area of Kathmandu, re-pack for tomorrows trek departure and relax a bit. Breakfast included. Day 3, Dec 3rd Day 7, Dec 7th: We began our 5-day journey south of Kathmandu trekking on ancient footpaths through rural and remote villages that rarely see Western visitors. During our trek we will visit several SEEDS project sites such as primary schools (and the site of what will become our first middle-school thanks to donations raised by this trek-a-thon), villages homes that burn clean methane fuel as a result of SEEDS bio-gas projects, and homes that have a constant supply of clean drinking water due to efficient delivery systems built by SEEDS. There will be the opportunity to meet with the recipients who benefit directly from these projects and to learn, up-close and personal, about the positive impacts your donations have had over the years. This portion of the trip is a fully supported camping trek complete with spacious dome tents, comfortable sleeping mattresses, a dining tent and yummy meals prepared by a seasoned cooking staff. The trekking itself is 3-4 hours daily with 1000-1500 daily elevation gain and loss over rolling terrain of altitudes between 65008500. All meals included (except for dinner on Day 7 upon returning to Kathmandu). Day 8, Dec 8th: Transition day in Kathmandu. Wash clothes, re-pack for high mountain trek, relax. There may also be the opportunity to visit the Bagmati River Restoration project that SEEDS has supported over the years and/or visit with the scholarship recipients who have completed their nursing / medical studies. Breakfast included. Day 9, Dec 9th: Lift off early this morning for a breathtaking helicopter flight north of Kathmandu to the small village of Ghora Tabela (9,450) enroute to the Langtang area. Be sure to have your cameras ready as the views from the helicopter are unsurpassed! This afternoon, once settled into our teahouse for the evening, we set out on a short acclimatization hike gaining a bit of altitude, soaking in the mountain scenery with hints of whats yet to come before returning for a hearty evening meal. Hiking 2-3 hours with 800-900 elevation gain and loss. All meals on trek included. Day 10, Dec 10th: Today youre bound to feel the altitude as we follow the trail higher toward the village of Langtang (11,450). We cross through a broad and beautiful valley as we our trail winds past long mani-walls and spinning prayer wheels; past textured stone houses and rough little farming plots. The primary residents in the Langtang Valley are Sherpas and Tamangs who crossed over these mountains from Tibet hundreds of years ago. Overnight teahouse. Hiking 3-5 hours with 2000 gain go slow, take your time, theres no rush. Day 11, Dec 11th: Snowcapped mountains surround us now in all directions as we continue up valley the scenery today is wild and simply superb. Gangchempo (21,000), ice-fluted and majestic, dominates the eastern wall until we come up over the rise above Kyanjin Gompa (12,600) and

Langtang Lirung (23,700) competes for the visual landscape. Pure mountain drama! Our home for the next two nights is the small village of Kyanjin. Overnight camping. Hiking 3-4 hours steady but gradual uphill. Day 12, Dec. 12th: Todays a day of options. You can choose to hang back and give your body a rest, dig out your journal, play with your camera, visit Kyanjins own cheese factory. Or, you can scramble up near the Lirung Cirque of hanging glaciers very dramatic. Or, spend the day climbing up Kyanjin Ri (15,679 or the 98th highest peak in Nepal!) just behind the village for a spectacular view of big peaks in all directions. Overnight camping. Hiking options from 0-6 hours, none or up to 3,000 elevation gain / loss. Day 13, Dec 13th: This morning we continue our trek into the Upper Langtang valley on an easy path cutting across yak pastures, glacial streams and small shepherd homes. Every step up valley opens up even more spectacular views of towering peaks Tserko Peak, Yala Peak, Naya Kanga, Langsisha Ri. We stop for the evening at a tiny gathering of stone huts and goths (shepherd temporary shelters) known as Numthang (13,136). Overnight camping. Hiking 4-5 hours easy contours following the Langtang Khola river, gradual gain of 500-600. Day 14, Dec 14th: Continuing further into the upper reaches of the Langtang Valley, we have an easy day of hiking through a spectacular Himalayan landscape. Our end point is a remote shepherd outpost, Langsisha Kharka (13,386) that is marked with a row of prayer flags and a few semipermanent stone structures. There are great views of nearby peaks like Dorje Lakpa, and a bit further on, Shisha Pangma, the only 8,000 meter peak in Tibet. Here silence is absolute and superlatives are exhausted. Overnight camping. Hiking 3-4 hours with 300-400 elevation gain. Day 15, Dec 15th: Pack up this morning to return down valley to Kyanjin for the evening. Its our final night in the Langtang area and time to celebrate with our trekking support team. Pack for an early morning departure. Overnight camping. Hiking 5 hours, easy and gradual down hill. Day 16, Dec 16th: Bid our farewells to the high Himalayan country and communities as we fly out via helicopter back to Kathmandu. Transfer to our hotel, enjoy a hot shower and relax (or shop!) for the remainder of the day. Breakfast included. Day 17, Dec 17th: Day trip to the medieval town of Bhaktapur, one hour outside of Kathmandu. This is a not-to-be-missed journey back in time. Winding, narrow streets, ancient architecture, artisans throwing pots, painting religious Thankas, weaving lovely scarves etc. This evening is our farewell banquet and a chance to reflect on a truly remarkable journey! Breakfast and dinner included. Day 18, Dec 18th: Our journey ends with a transfer to the airport and flights home. ** Note, all efforts are made to follow this itinerary as closely as possible. Circumstances beyond our control (weather, mechanical, geo-political etc) may cause certain itinerary changes. HAVE QUESTIONS? NEED MORE INFORMATION? WANT A REGISTRATION FORM? Contact Nepal SEEDS Board Member: Cris Miller at writecris@hotmail.com