Yogesh Dhakal, Lukla- Solukhumbu: Solukhumbu is famous for the silver capped tallest mountain in the world – Mt. Everest. Adding to its natural trekking routes that deliver some of the most delightful adventures, this reclusive Himalayan district is famous for its religious and cultural heritages. In the recent decades, Lukla has been catering to the needs of its guests by providing a blend of world-class and local hospitality flavors. But these are more or less expected. What I found most astounding was Lukla’s hospital. I could not help sharing experiences of my visit to this healing center located near the highest peak in the world that truly proved to be the real Sangrila on this earth.

Located just about a kilometer away from the Lukla’s main town, the Pasang Lhamu Nicole Niquille Hospital clad in blue teen is awe inspiring as its architect blends in perfectly with the blue sky above and snow capped mountains around. I have been habituated with the stench of urine and phenyl blended with the staled air of Kathmandu’s major hospitals and of course was expecting the same when I reached there. But it was different. It was Pasang Lhamu Nicole Niquille hospital and that too it was not in Kathmandu it was in Solukhumbu. Thus by far the hospital was polished top to bottom. It was spotless and the ambience was so good that a patient would even recover from it. Of course medicine should be there.

So far I have got the opportunity to witness some of most dilapidated hospitals in rural Nepal, not to speak of those located in the heart of the nation. But the Pasang Lhamu Nicole Hospital was a different experience. It is equipped with most of the modern facility that we can think in such a remote area. Established in the late a of 2005 by joint efforts of the Switzerland based Nicole Niquille Foundation and the Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation, the hospital is equipped with an emergency care service and has a capacity to attend 25 in-house patients.

Though the hospital does not performs complex surgeries and lacks a MRI machine for advanced imaging services, it has been equipped more essential equipment and provide gynecology, dental, surgery and general physician services. Along with that the hospital provides Ultra Sound, Blood Test, X-Ray, Urine testing among others. Since its establishment, the hospital has been the first choice of Everest expeditioners for medical treatment.

Two doctors, two nurses and a ANM provide service to patient who come here after a hard trek up and down the steep snow capped mountains which sometimes shoot up to three four days ordeal, hospital’s administrative chief Pasang Lhamu Sherpa said.  Stressing on the lack of human and material resources, Sherpa said that the hospital refers patient with complex type of ailments to other hospitals and even arranges flight tickets for needy people from the trust.

Of the 22 staffs that provide unrelenting services at this hospital, some of them are foreign volunteer doctors who serve as a charity to the society. These volunteers usually provide service to the hospitals and patient for six months. The hospital as a token of appreciation to their service to the local community has provided well-furnished lodging and dinning arrangements within the hospital premises. Presently the hospital is also working hard to establish a canteen for the patient’s caretakers.

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So how was this healing center established making Lukla a Sangrila?

Unlike the urban centers in Nepal, Lukla is one of the remotest places on earth. The whole of Solukhumbu region lacks sufficient resources to provide proper adequate medical attention to the locals.

At the end of the year 2002, founder of the Switzerland based Foundation Nicole Niquille Hospital Lukla, a non-political, non-governmental and non-profit organization, signed an agreement with the Solukhumbu based Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation for the construction of the hospital building at Lukla.

Driven by the zeal to provide health service to the local community people, who would walk miles carrying the patient on their back for medical treatment, Nicole and her husband Marco were excited when they signed the agreement. On their return to Switzerland this couple put all their efforts to garner support for this project.

After an intense workout they succeeded in wining the confidence and support of some of most prominent social, political and business entrepreneurs in Switzerland for the project.

This charitable organization included some key personalities which included former Swiss President, former member of government, former federal Councilor, former director general of International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC), Politicians, Famous Doctors, Journalists Footballer, mountaineers, and skiers to name a few. After discussion the charity was renamed as “Foundation Nicole Niquille, Hospital project Lukla” in February, 2003.

Since that day the charity has been putting all its effort to make the hospital even more resourceful and useful to provide best health services to the local community.

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Translated and Edited by Chitra Raj Bhandari for Yogesh Dhakal who did this story upon his recent visit to Solukhumbu, Nepal.

KATHMANDU: A climber from Bangladesh and another from South Korea have died on Mount Everest as hundreds flock to the world’s highest peak during good weather, Nepalese tourism officials said Tuesday.

“Both men died while descending from the summit on Monday,” an official with the tourism ministry told AFP from Everest Base Camp.

Sung Ho-Seo, 34, of South Korea was attempting the climb without supplementary oxygen and died on his way down the mountain.

Mohammed Hossain, 35, from Bangladesh, died in his tent a few hours after successfully climbing the summit.

“The exact cause of death is unknown, but altitude played a part,” said the official, Gyanendra Shrestha, adding that the bodies would not be recovered until after the summit season ended so as not to interrupt other climbers.

Both men perished in the “death zone” — above 8,000 meters, notorious for its difficult terrain and thin air.

Five other climbers have died on the 8,848-meter (29,029-foot) mountain this season.

Early in the season Mingmar Sherpa, 47, a member of an elite team known as the “icefall doctors” who set up climbing routes, plunged to his death. DaRita Sherpa, 47, died from what is believed to have been cardiac arrest earlier this month. Commercial guide Lobsang Sherpa, 22, also plunged to his death. A 50-year-old Russian climber, Alex Bolotov, was found dead near the famed Khumbu Icefall crevasse on May 15.

Namgyal Sherpa, who had led expeditions to clear garbage and bodies from Everest, died May 16 while descending from his tenth successful summit. Some 300 people have perished trying to reach the summit during the last six decades. The bodies of some of them remain on the mountain.

May is considered the best time for climbing in the Nepalese Himalayas because of mild weather and some 300 people have reached the top of Everest so far this year.

But a brawl that erupted last month between three European climbers and Nepalese guides on the mountain cast a shadow over this year’s season, which marks the 60th anniversary of the maiden ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary.

Yogesh Dhakal

Nepali new year celebration were on the high and while I was wondering what should I do, to give it a special starting, I received an unexpected invitation. To trek on a two day new trekking route- Ranipauwa – Chimteshwor – Devighat. The offer seduced me instantly and there was no denying. I instantly began to pack my things when Chandra Rijal, President of Nepal National Tourism Entrepreneurs called me on the last day of the year. The next morning I was on the van and geared up to trek on one of Nepal’s brand new trekking route.

At 8 am our van speeded towards and three hours on the road, our team was in Raanipau. A small town but provisioned with good and elegant hotels. Along with luxurious accommodation, the charges were cheap in comparison to those found in Kathmandu. From the facilities, it was evident that the town was fast bracing to welcome tourists there. It was a happening tourist destination with foreigners enjoying the beauty and serenity that one rarely gets in Kathmandu.

After having a delicious ethnic Nepali lunch at a hotel, we geared up for the trek. Rijal informed that the three-day trekking route is originally designed to trail around Raanipauva, Chimteshwor, Devighat, Galchi, Dharke, Naubisey to Kathmandu. But for us, we were skipping the latter three destination and will be ending our trek in Devighat and return to Kathmandu from Devighat. So, now i began to sketch a trail map in my mind and started following the team as they stepped up the mountainous trek right at the end of Okharpauwa town.

Half-hour uphill trek caught my fellow trekkers breath. Though my city-dwelling frets were also pulling me down the hill, the music of the pine leaves and the sweet and thick air was instilling in fresh ounces of life. I was once more truly in the lap of nature. The turvy and twisted trail up and down and across the mountain trail filled with pine trees brought us to a desolate town- Maajhkharka. The town is manifestation of the Tamang heritage. Tamang women clad mostly in their ethnic outfit welcomed us with Strawberry and Strawberry juice. That was in fact the last thing I expected to quench my thirst. Powered with the juice and the simple yet weather tarnished smiles of those folks we set out for our next resting point- Hiley.

Hiley is famous for its awesome mountain view and sunrise. A perfect place for sight seeing and cultural heritage. As part of the Tamang heritage, it showcases the inherent cultural and social practices. An ideal place for serious researchers, it is also equally awe inspiring destinations for travelers and trekkers like us. The welcome offered by the Tamangs throughout the trail-towns renders Tamangness to the whole circuit. Its simply out of the box experience.

Morning sun has always been an inspiring source within me. I used to dream that I could the sun in my hands if I were to climb a mountain, when I was a child. On the top of Chimteshwor mountain top, I realized that my childish ambition still seemed so far away. Even at such heights. The mountain has a key place in Nepal’s history and Hindu scriptures. It was the same place from where Nepal’s great king, Prithvi Narayan Shah, had conquered Nuwakot and planned his strategy to capture the Kirtipur kingdom. Relics of Shah’s armory on the mountain top can be found to these days also.

But that was not all. According to local legends, the place got its place Chimteshwor because Hindu’s god Lord Shiva had forgotten his Chimta (a percussion instrument) when he once had lived in the caves there. Legends claim that Shiva and his wife Parvati had stayed their for some days, with a saint. But later on the couple decided to move on concluding that they were disturbing the sage’s penance. However, the lord forgot his percussion at the cave. years later, locals made a temple to workshop lord Mahadev. The temple was named after Mahadev and his son’s content.
Clock was Dickung. We would have spent some more hours or even days at the place. But we were destined to move. So, we started down the mountains for Devighat. Six hours of refreshing visit through newly populate forests, rife with ainselu and kafal we reached Mahadev Kharka- a desolate place of Jilling VDC. What was amazing here is that kids dashed off to their houses seeing us – strangers. Locals claimed that a constant decrease of foreign tourist has been seen in the town. After spending some hours in Devighat, we headed back to Kathmandu. And thats all.

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