Friday, January 18, 2013

The Story of the Phaplu- Setopokhari Tourism Trekking Trail Promotion


Bagaman Kulung Email: kulung_4@hotmail.com

I was born in Chhemsing village (1500 m.) lies in Chheskam VDC of Solukhumbu Nepal. In front of my village there is Bhukur peak of 4000 m. high; bellow in 1200 m. there is Hungu River and other parts surrounded by the green forests. In my childhood I used to think that the sky is carried by the Bhukur peak and I could touch if I could submit the top of Bhukur peak.

When I was studying in Class Seven my father jointed me to work his official works of community forest management. He was the president of local forest management committee and the Bhukur peak was under his working area. He used to encourage me to write application letters of user people, meeting minutes of his committee and other as well. In collaboration with local community forest, Makalu Barun National Park use to monitor the forest. One day Makalu Barun National park office sent official letter to my father for sending a representative for travelling Bhukur peak area, meanwhile my school was holiday. I really wanted to go up to that peak. I hided the letter until a day before of walking. When I show the letter before a day of walking nobody wanted to go. So I proposed myself. My father and mother become worried of altitude sickness. But finally I went with them. Suppose the team of National Park were searching hunter in the forest but I used to shout in my mother language for running far, if somebody were hunting and could understand my language. The staff member of Makalu Barun did not understand Kulung language. We travelled not only around Bhukur peak but majorly we traveled towards Khongmadingma valley from Kenpa and Bhukur peak. It was really pleasure program for me.

After two years of this event I passed my SLC examination by sublime try but not direct. In this time it was discriminatory policy of government that a person who pass only in sublime try was not allowed to joint collage at the same year. So when I pass my SLC, I was free and I decided to go to trekking. I was of 16 years at that time. But when I was preparing to go to trekking, I heard from another room to my senior friends and they were saying "Bagaman cannon go to trekking". Then I entered in their room and asked the most difficulties and dangerous trekking in Solukhumbu. They said the most dangerous part is Amphulapcha pass (5800m.) through Naulekh Merala. Then I decided to go there. It was not easy work but I was very happy to go there. When we entered Setopokhari valley though Merala Pass (5415 m), we had to collect firewood for cooking and lighting for warm. But when I was searching firewood there I found a big root of tree. When I called my friends to bring it they said that it was a death body of porter. They added that a person who cannot cross this valley in snowing have to die there, if the trekking office do not send helicopter from Kathmandu. They also said that porters have no access of helicopter so normally they die, if they become sick in this valley. I become serious of this notice. Meanwhile I saw a place we arrived from Bhukur when I came with the staffs of Makalu Barun National park.

Then I started to think seriously. In Setopokhari valley there was a big pond and water from this pond was going towards Hungu valley. The pond was the origin Point of Hungu River. The geographical situation was saying that if somebody follows the Hungga River they do not have to pass any peaks and it will be the best idea to save trekkers who have to face altitude in the snowing weather in Setopokhari valley. But my friends was saying there is not any peaks but rocks and River blocks way. I was only thinking why people cannot broke rock to save trekkers of Setopokhari.  

Luckily I got opportunity to work as a program assistant after my Bachelor of Business Study of Trivuwan University in Hill Development and Conservation Group Nepal a local NGO. The organization has a program related to tourism promotional funded by Poverty Alleviation/ World Bank in Bung. But in actually the promotional program was for the Lukla to Tumlingtar but not for the Setopokhari valley. But I used to ask in the village if somebody went from Setopokhari valley to Muddi of Chheskam through the bank of Hungu River. And I came to know some persons who pet sheep and goes to Setopokhari valley in the summer season and familiar with the geographical situation of this area very well. I met them; I asked them and prepared a concept not for the Phaplu to Setopokhari valley tourism promotional possibilities. Nobody did not understand the important of this trail. I was trying to publish it in any publication but I was not getting any publication too. Finally the local NGO Bung Welfare Society allowed me to publish it in there publication and I published first time about this important of trail. I did not get any responses after this publication. I guessed it may be unrealistic concept and may be readers were laughing. So I was not encouraged. But when somebody started to advocate to allocate VDC fund for that tourism trail then I came to know the published concept note were working.

In this connection once Namgel Sherpa the famous mountain climber in Nepal called me to know the details progress of Phaplu to Setopokhari valley tourism trail possibilities. I really surprised because only I heard about him by the national media of Nepal. It was great opportunity for me to meet him. When we met and discussed I came to know that he went this area to know the geographical condition for the new rescue way from Setopokhari and somebody recommended my name and gave my contact no. to him. Then I was fully confident that I have been doing good job.

In this situation, in February 2012, I met Ramsharan Majhi and Ananda Paudel a dedicated team of Samas Media (P) L.td. in Kathmandu. They are a tourism promotional program producer for Avenues national television. I shared my concept with them. They interested to go there. But it was challengeable work for fund raising. We had to collect at least NRs. one million budgets to go for the survey, preparing documentary and dissemination in television. The meeting of stockholders in Kathmandu selected me as the local program coordinator for fund raising. Finally we prepared this video documentary and disseminated in Avenues television after 36 days filed visit of this area. In our team the technician person of district technical office Salleri was involved and he prepared the technical and financial budget report with its possibilities in the future. As the program impact The Great Himalayan Trail Project has funded of 0.8 million fund for the construction of this tourism way. But it is not enough budget for the full construction.