60 people healed ,,,30 souls,,,hundreds of tracts and Bibles given away
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Aug 18-26 2017
The country of Nepal borders the mystical land of Tibet. Stories of the Yeti, Tibetan Lamas, and brave mountaineers, swirl into your mind when you step foot into these pathways and trails that marked past history and intrigue. 尼泊爾的邊界，西藏的神秘淨土，雪人的傳說，西藏喇嘛，勇敢的登 山家，這些在你踏上過去歷史和傳說的道路同時如影隨行的進入你的腦海。 The cultures and lifestyles of both the Nepalese and Tibetans have blended through the generations, being neighbors and traders for several hundreds of years. 尼泊爾人和西藏人在過去幾百年來穿越世代，比鄰而居，以及相互貿 易的原因，使得他們的文化及生活方式都融合在一起。 Our team of three, Scott Clinton (missionary to China), Joe Lai (native to Taiwan and photographer) , and myself , with our Nepalese guide , Cable, and our porter, Binod, left Kathmandu on a early Friday afternoon on Aug 18th to venture you to the region of Langtang 我們這個團隊總共有三個人，史考特 柯林頓（主要負責中國的傳教士），喬 賴（本土台灣人及攝影師），我本人，還有尼泊爾籍的嚮導 凱波，以及我們的腳夫 畢諾。在8/18禮拜五的下午離開了加德滿都帶著大家前往藍塘探險。 Our arduous 7- hour jeep ride into the town of Syaphru Besi . It is only 117km by jeep to our starting point but it is the longest 117km that we've ever seen. 我們坐了7個小時的吉普車前往Syaphrubesi。到我們健 行的起點只需要開117公里，但卻是我們所見過最長的117公里。 From here we began our 30 km walk, taking a total of 49 hours of trekking in 7 days , climbing from 1160 meters to 3870 meters. Whew… I lost between 3-4 kilos on this trip! 從這裡我們開始了30公里的健行，7天內總共要走49公里，從1160-3870km。 呼～ 在這段旅程中我迷路了3-4公里！ In 2015, the village of Langtang was completely destroyed by an avalanche that flattened the entire homes and tea houses from the earthquakes of 2015. 在2015年，藍塘村莊被地震所引起的雪崩掩蓋了所有的住家和茶屋。 Hundreds died and were unaccountable for. Bodies forever buried beneath the rubble. 數以百計的村民死亡，並且沒有人為這件事負責。屍體永遠被埋在瓦礫堆之下。 Our attempts to go there was to bring some donated clothing and Bibles to those who were still suffering and in need. But more importantly to bring comfort and healing to those who would receive it . 我們的目的就是將捐贈的衣服和聖經帶給那些仍在受苦受難以及需要 的人們。但更重要的是將安慰和醫治帶給那些會接受的人。 This is one of many stories and testimonies that we recorded . 下面是我們錄下的其中許多故事和見證之一。 His name is Pasang, who was a Tibetan monk from the age of 10. He left the monastery a few years ago and having met us, he gladly received Jesus after being healed of a shoulder problem. 他的名字叫帕山，從10歲就是一名僧侶。幾年前他離開了修道院並且遇到了我們。在他的肩膀問題被醫治後他很開心的接受了耶穌。 More importantly, we saw the healing of his troubled heart, and being set free from condemnation and the confusion that beset him. Having not lived up to the expectations of his family and friends serving as a monk a lot weighed on his shoulders. 更重要的是，我們看到他憂慮的心被醫治，並且從譴責與困惑之中被釋放。因為沒有活出他家人與朋友希望他成為一名僧侶的期待對他來說是個很大的壓力。 His family survived the 2015 earthquake but scores of his friends and other members of the community died. 他的家人在2015年的地震存活下來，但其他朋友和社區成員就沒那麼幸運了。 Overall we saw 40-50 people healed , 30 of them coming to receive Christ, and distributed over 500 tracts and 11 Bibles were given away and clothes being donated to the needy. 這一趟旅程的收穫就是有40-50個人被治癒，30個人接受耶穌，發出了500份福音單張，送出11本聖經，以及將衣服捐贈給需要的人。 True Story of a Survivor of the Earthquake of 2015
Life here was never easy, but it was at least happy. And when foreign trekkers began to arrive in the 1970s, this brought more opportunities. No longer totally reliant on subsistence agriculture, villagers were able to open small trekking lodges, invest in better housing, pay for warm clothing and various luxuries, and even send their children to boarding schools in Kathmandu. Babies born in Langtang suddenly had the world at their feet in a way that hadn’t been possible before. By the turn of the century, Langtang National Park had become the third most popular trekking destination in Nepal. Every year, tens of thousands of trekkers made the journey up the valley, mostly during the twin high seasons of April and October. But on the morning of April 25, 2015, that happy status quo rapidly came to an end. *** At 11:56 a.m. that day, Nepal began to shake violently from the force of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake. In Kathmandu, concrete apartments collapsed, pedestrians and motorcyclists were thrown to the ground, and thick dust choked the streets. In nearby Bhaktapur, a UNESCO World Heritage site, ancient monuments crumbled and spilled onto cobbled squares. Farther north, in the hilly region of Helambu, centuries-old stone houses turned to rubble as farmers looked on in dismay. And at the same time, farther north still, relatively hidden from the shocked eyes of the world, Langtang Valley was experiencing something even worse. “I was cooking lunch for a group of 20 trekkers,” says Sherap Tamang, who owns a guest house in Kyanjin Gompa, two hours up the valley from Langtang village. “They all started shouting and running, but I didn’t know what the problem was. Then I realized everything was shaking.” Sherap Tamang in Kyanjin Gompa, near Langtang village. Sherap escaped from his guest house and joined dozens of locals and trekkers gathered in a courtyard outside. One man was bleeding from his head, and some buildings were beginning to cave in, but the situation otherwise seemed to be under control. At that moment, however, a new sound—quite distinct from the rumbling of the earth—began to make itself heard above the din. Sherap looked down the valley, and saw a huge, billowing cloud rushing towards him. Avalanche! He and the others had just enough time to take cover before “the wind” was upon them, ripping roofs from houses and pelting everything with snow and ice. The force was so powerful that it ripped a baby from a mother’s arms and carried them several yards from where she was standing. The baby was later found, half-buried in snow and with two broken legs—but miraculously alive |
Nepal Avalanche Carried Half the Force of an Atomic Bomb
By Ellen Barry, NY Times, Dec. 18, 2015 NEW DELHI–The avalanche that buried the popular hiking village of Langtang in Nepal this past spring struck with about half the force of an atomic bomb, according to a study published this week in the journal Science. A strong earthquake on April 25 touched off the avalanche, sending stone, earth and snow cascading down onto the village, which was crowded with backpackers, guides and their families. About 350 people were killed, many of them foreign tourists. The impact was equivalent to the detonation of 7.6 kilotons of TNT, the study estimated; the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was equivalent to about 16 kilotons. Some survivors of the disaster in Langtang have described seeing boulders the size of cars demolishing buildings or being borne aloft by a torrent of wind and snow. When the cloud settled, only one structure in the village remained standing, a house that had been tucked into the mountainside under a rocky overhang. International search teams sifted through the debris for weeks afterward, looking for bodies or other remains, but nearly 100 people are still listed as missing. The new study, the work of 64 scientists, concludes that a mass of ice and snow six and a half feet thick fell off a cliff and “became airborne,” plummeting more than 3,000 feet to the ground below at a final speed of about 200 feet per second. The air blasts that accompanied the avalanche exceeded 200 miles an hour, as powerful as the deadliest tornadoes on record–enough to blow stone houses from their foundations. Among the forensic evidence available to scientists was a small forest that had been flattened by the blast of air as far as 1,300 feet up the opposite slope of the valley, according to Jeffrey S. Kargel, a glaciologist at the University of Arizona who was the lead author of the study. “Their limbs were removed, their leaves were removed, their branches were removed–in many cases, the bark was removed,” Mr. Kargel said. “It really resembles the Hiroshima blast zone, and no wonder–the energy is of the same magnitude. It’s really horrifying.” The study’s principal conclusion is that over all, the damage from the earthquake could have been much worse than it was. Despite the quake’s great strength–its magnitude was 7.8–it caused fewer landslides than some experts had expected, and it did not cause any of Nepal’s glacial lakes to burst out and sweep away bridges and villages with torrents of debris-filled water. This may have been because the quake shook the ground at a low frequency, producing “comparatively gentle swaying, not the rapid ratcheting that the high frequency causes,” Mr. Kargel said. Joseph M. Shea, a contributing author of the study, said he had often done field work in the Langtang Valley before the quake, and that he had been powerfully affected by the data about the destruction there. “It must have been a massive wind,” said Mr. Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development in Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. “It would have been horrifying for the people there. The wind would have been the first thing that basically hit them.” |
Trip day to day itineraryDay 1: Arrival at Kathmandu Airport. We will meet you at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport and transfer you to your hotel. When you have had time to settle in and freshen up, you will be invited to visit our office (or meet at the hotel) for a briefing about your program. You will meet with your trekking guide and discuss the trek; also we will process the trekking permits. If you arrive at night we will have the same discussion the following morning after breakfast
Day 2: Tour of Kathmandu City and any last minute preparations. This morning, after breakfast you will leave for a day tour around Kathmandu (if you wish). You can visit sacred Pashupatinath Temple and Swayambhunath; both are UNESCO World Heritage sites. We can also visit the biggest Buddhist Stupa at Boudhanath and view many fine arts and the historical architecture of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square (reflecting the ancient Nepalese culture). On return to your hotel you will have time to explore the local area, have dinner and perhaps take a leisurely stroll through the popular streets.
Day 3: Kathmandu drive to Syabru Bensi (1550m). After breakfast we drive out along the north-western hills of Kathmandu for apx. 7-8hrs. You will see the white snow-capped mountains 0f Annapurna II, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and other minor peaks along the route as well as green hillocks, rivers and villages. Witness the Himalaya and mountainous lifestyle through the terraced fields and rustic villages. The scenery of foothills and ridgeline vistas pass through the Trishuli Bazaar, Betrawati and Dhunche; you will know that you are heading towards a land deep in history. We will take lunch at the Trishuli Bazaar before continuing on further to Dhunche. We descend down to Syabru Bensi for the overnight stay.
Day 4: Syabru Bensi to Lama Hotel (2450m), walking distance 10.9 km. This exciting first day trekking crosses through the Bhote Koshi River flowing down from Tibet and follows the Langtang Khola. After a visit to the Gompa of Guru Rinpoche we will follow the stone-paved main street out of town over Langtang Khola. After crossing the suspension bridge the trail gradually ascends up to ‘Bamboo’ passing by a famous old landslide. The trail goes through the sub-tropical forest which is cover by oak and maple, massive spruce, fir and blue pine. We pass through forests of oak and rhododendron. There is abundant wildlife here such as: yellow-throated martens, wild boars, Langur Monkeys, Red Pandas and Himalayan Black Bears. Ever onward your trek ascends gently to Rimche (2400m). And at the end of the day our trail is level to the Lama Hotel for the overnight stay.
Day 5: Lama Hotel to Langtang Village (3430m), walking distance 14.8 km. The day start with a gentle climb but it soon becomes steeper; climbing through forests of hemlock, oak, maple and white or pink rhododendrons high above the Langtang Khola. The tantalizing glimpses of snow-capped peaks begin to appear (along with a fleeting view of Mt. Langtang Lirung, 7244m.).This trail leads to a log bridge and further on we come across lush meadows of Ghora Tabela (2992m).The trail ascends gradually as the valley opens up into classical U-shaped glacial. We will follow the trail across the helipad and yak pastures, climb briefly through rhododendrons to reach several Tamang villages. The trail crosses a stream that powers several water driven mills and prayer wheels to the large settlement of Langtang 3430m (headquarters of Langtang National Park). The village has flat roof Tibetan style houses and elaborately carved wood windows (the upper village is worth exploring). The valley is surrounded by stone walls enclosing fields where buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, turnips and barley are grown. It’s easy to find a yak and wild goats wondering around you.
Day 6: Langtang village to Kyanjin Gompa (3870m), walking distance 6.8 km. The trail winds through the village MANI WALL (below inset) and climbs a ridge topped by a large ‘chorten’ (Sanskrit for a stupa). It then climbs gradually past an impressive ‘mani wall’ crossing a stream to the small village of Mundu (3442m). After crossing several small streams with wooden cantilever bridges and moraines, you can finally see the monastery of Kyanjin Gompa and the dramatic icefall flowing from the peaks of Langtang Lirung and Kimshung. Here is a famous government operated cheese factory. We will have chance to taste the cheese and curd made with Yak milk, it is wonderful. After having lunch we can explore the area with many
Day 06: continued views of Langtang Lirung (7246m), Genjempol, Kyangjin RI (4750m.),Tsergo RI (5000m.), Ganja la (5160m.), Langshisa- Ri (6427m.), Dorje, Lakpa (6430m.), Naya Kang (5844m.) and Yala peak (5500m).
Day 7: Acclimatization day / Exploration day in Kyanjin. Today is the rest and exploration day of the trekking .We visit the monastery and the cheese factory or may walk up the moraine to see the spectacular ice faces and tumbling glaciers of Langtang Lirung or ascend Kyanjin Ri (4350m) and Tserko Ri 5,000m.(which is highest point of this trek). We will hike easy today for a breath-taking panorama of the Langtang Lirung, Langtang range, Kimshung, Yansa Tsenji. We also have the options to do a side trip to Langshisa Kharka (there are several alternative side trips today). Spend our night back at Kyanjin.
Day 8: Trek back to Lama Hotel (2450m), walking distance 21.6 km. Have your breakfast while enjoying snow-capped mountains and a breathtaking view. We will follow the same trail back down, alongside the Langtang Khola to Langtang village and on to Ghora Tabela. After having lunch we will continue a steep descend to the Lama Hotel. All the way down you will see fantastic views of towering mountains that you may have missed on the way up. Overnight at the Lama Hotel.
Day 9: Trek to Syabru Bensi (1550m), walking distance 10.9 km. Today after breakfast we hike back to Syabru Bensi. The trail is mostly downhill through lush greenery while enjoying more spectacular views. We will walk along the rising and falling pathways leading to a village which provides us the opportunity to get a closer look at the customs and culture of the enchanting Tamang people. Soon we reach Syabru Bensi for the overnight stay.
Day 10: Drive to Kathmandu: 7-8hrs. We will drive back to Kathmandu passing farming terraces, streams, rivers, local settlements, high hills and the Trishuli river side. It takes about 7 to 8 hours (conditions permitting) to reach your hotel in Kathmandu. In evening we will have the celebratory dinner and cultural show in a typical Nepali Restaurant with memories and tall tales of your trekking adventure. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 11: Farewell Departure. After breakfast we will provide transfer to KTM (Tribhuvan International Airport).
Note #2: Above itinerary includes FB (Full Board) which is Accommodations, Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners while on trek. BB (Bed and Breakfast while in Kathmandu. Drinks ARE NOT included while trekking but are available along the route
Special note:Above itinerary can be designed according to your preferences. Please let us know whether you would like to make it a shorter or longer trek. Also, if you would like to stay more than 11 days, we offer city guided tours of Kathmandu, white water rafting, jungle safaris or Everest mountain flights.
Brief Package Highlights: In this package, we have included 3 nights hotel in Kathmandu at 3 star hotels on BB plan, meals and accommodations during trekking, farewell dinner in Kathmandu, tourist bus to Pokhara and all ground transportation by private car, an experienced guide and porter and all of the government taxes and necessary permits.
Day 2: Tour of Kathmandu City and any last minute preparations. This morning, after breakfast you will leave for a day tour around Kathmandu (if you wish). You can visit sacred Pashupatinath Temple and Swayambhunath; both are UNESCO World Heritage sites. We can also visit the biggest Buddhist Stupa at Boudhanath and view many fine arts and the historical architecture of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square (reflecting the ancient Nepalese culture). On return to your hotel you will have time to explore the local area, have dinner and perhaps take a leisurely stroll through the popular streets.
Day 3: Kathmandu drive to Syabru Bensi (1550m). After breakfast we drive out along the north-western hills of Kathmandu for apx. 7-8hrs. You will see the white snow-capped mountains 0f Annapurna II, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal and other minor peaks along the route as well as green hillocks, rivers and villages. Witness the Himalaya and mountainous lifestyle through the terraced fields and rustic villages. The scenery of foothills and ridgeline vistas pass through the Trishuli Bazaar, Betrawati and Dhunche; you will know that you are heading towards a land deep in history. We will take lunch at the Trishuli Bazaar before continuing on further to Dhunche. We descend down to Syabru Bensi for the overnight stay.
Day 4: Syabru Bensi to Lama Hotel (2450m), walking distance 10.9 km. This exciting first day trekking crosses through the Bhote Koshi River flowing down from Tibet and follows the Langtang Khola. After a visit to the Gompa of Guru Rinpoche we will follow the stone-paved main street out of town over Langtang Khola. After crossing the suspension bridge the trail gradually ascends up to ‘Bamboo’ passing by a famous old landslide. The trail goes through the sub-tropical forest which is cover by oak and maple, massive spruce, fir and blue pine. We pass through forests of oak and rhododendron. There is abundant wildlife here such as: yellow-throated martens, wild boars, Langur Monkeys, Red Pandas and Himalayan Black Bears. Ever onward your trek ascends gently to Rimche (2400m). And at the end of the day our trail is level to the Lama Hotel for the overnight stay.
Day 5: Lama Hotel to Langtang Village (3430m), walking distance 14.8 km. The day start with a gentle climb but it soon becomes steeper; climbing through forests of hemlock, oak, maple and white or pink rhododendrons high above the Langtang Khola. The tantalizing glimpses of snow-capped peaks begin to appear (along with a fleeting view of Mt. Langtang Lirung, 7244m.).This trail leads to a log bridge and further on we come across lush meadows of Ghora Tabela (2992m).The trail ascends gradually as the valley opens up into classical U-shaped glacial. We will follow the trail across the helipad and yak pastures, climb briefly through rhododendrons to reach several Tamang villages. The trail crosses a stream that powers several water driven mills and prayer wheels to the large settlement of Langtang 3430m (headquarters of Langtang National Park). The village has flat roof Tibetan style houses and elaborately carved wood windows (the upper village is worth exploring). The valley is surrounded by stone walls enclosing fields where buckwheat, potatoes, wheat, turnips and barley are grown. It’s easy to find a yak and wild goats wondering around you.
Day 6: Langtang village to Kyanjin Gompa (3870m), walking distance 6.8 km. The trail winds through the village MANI WALL (below inset) and climbs a ridge topped by a large ‘chorten’ (Sanskrit for a stupa). It then climbs gradually past an impressive ‘mani wall’ crossing a stream to the small village of Mundu (3442m). After crossing several small streams with wooden cantilever bridges and moraines, you can finally see the monastery of Kyanjin Gompa and the dramatic icefall flowing from the peaks of Langtang Lirung and Kimshung. Here is a famous government operated cheese factory. We will have chance to taste the cheese and curd made with Yak milk, it is wonderful. After having lunch we can explore the area with many
Day 06: continued views of Langtang Lirung (7246m), Genjempol, Kyangjin RI (4750m.),Tsergo RI (5000m.), Ganja la (5160m.), Langshisa- Ri (6427m.), Dorje, Lakpa (6430m.), Naya Kang (5844m.) and Yala peak (5500m).
Day 7: Acclimatization day / Exploration day in Kyanjin. Today is the rest and exploration day of the trekking .We visit the monastery and the cheese factory or may walk up the moraine to see the spectacular ice faces and tumbling glaciers of Langtang Lirung or ascend Kyanjin Ri (4350m) and Tserko Ri 5,000m.(which is highest point of this trek). We will hike easy today for a breath-taking panorama of the Langtang Lirung, Langtang range, Kimshung, Yansa Tsenji. We also have the options to do a side trip to Langshisa Kharka (there are several alternative side trips today). Spend our night back at Kyanjin.
Day 8: Trek back to Lama Hotel (2450m), walking distance 21.6 km. Have your breakfast while enjoying snow-capped mountains and a breathtaking view. We will follow the same trail back down, alongside the Langtang Khola to Langtang village and on to Ghora Tabela. After having lunch we will continue a steep descend to the Lama Hotel. All the way down you will see fantastic views of towering mountains that you may have missed on the way up. Overnight at the Lama Hotel.
Day 9: Trek to Syabru Bensi (1550m), walking distance 10.9 km. Today after breakfast we hike back to Syabru Bensi. The trail is mostly downhill through lush greenery while enjoying more spectacular views. We will walk along the rising and falling pathways leading to a village which provides us the opportunity to get a closer look at the customs and culture of the enchanting Tamang people. Soon we reach Syabru Bensi for the overnight stay.
Day 10: Drive to Kathmandu: 7-8hrs. We will drive back to Kathmandu passing farming terraces, streams, rivers, local settlements, high hills and the Trishuli river side. It takes about 7 to 8 hours (conditions permitting) to reach your hotel in Kathmandu. In evening we will have the celebratory dinner and cultural show in a typical Nepali Restaurant with memories and tall tales of your trekking adventure. Overnight in Kathmandu.
Day 11: Farewell Departure. After breakfast we will provide transfer to KTM (Tribhuvan International Airport).
Note #2: Above itinerary includes FB (Full Board) which is Accommodations, Breakfasts, Lunches and Dinners while on trek. BB (Bed and Breakfast while in Kathmandu. Drinks ARE NOT included while trekking but are available along the route
Special note:Above itinerary can be designed according to your preferences. Please let us know whether you would like to make it a shorter or longer trek. Also, if you would like to stay more than 11 days, we offer city guided tours of Kathmandu, white water rafting, jungle safaris or Everest mountain flights.
Brief Package Highlights: In this package, we have included 3 nights hotel in Kathmandu at 3 star hotels on BB plan, meals and accommodations during trekking, farewell dinner in Kathmandu, tourist bus to Pokhara and all ground transportation by private car, an experienced guide and porter and all of the government taxes and necessary permits.