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“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Nelson Mandela. Word got around among the mountain biking fraternity that pro-biker Mangal Krishna Lama planned to pull off a solo ride on his mountain bike, the GHT (Great Himalaya Trail). Veteran mountain bikers did not believe a word about it. A formidable feat even for trekkers, cycling the GHT alone sounded impossible—to dare it—sheer lunacy. When he embarked on his ambitious expedition on 1 April 2022, Mtb buffs still didn’t buy it and believed he would soon admit defeat. The GHT is an epic 150-day trek that covers 1,700 km (1,056 miles), originating from the north of the Kanchenjunga Base Camp with the world’s third highest peak, Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters), towering over it. Classed as the world's highest trail, it traverses untamed wilderness with dangerous passes, glaciers, and Himalayan plateaus, culminating in Hilsa in mid-western Nepal in Humla. Given its demanding and punishing nature, most trekkers drop it without completing so much as half the route. Introduced in early 2000, barely 150 trekkers have thus far completed the GHT thru-hiking. Even for 37-year-old Mangal, a pro-biker-racer, an accredited Mtb tour guide, a bike mechanic, and 15 years of cycling behind him, a crack at GHT was an impossible bargain. And he knew it. To my question, what triggered off this daredevil idea, he said, “I wanted to break away from established norms—a feat no biker had ever done before. I longed to venture into the unridden highland wilderness, as isolated and wild as they could get—whatever it took. And GHT appeared as the ultimate.” Following months of planning, working out the logistics, the itinerary, and the knotty job of raising funds from sponsors, the expedition kicked off from the eastern frontier, the Kanchenjunga Base Camp, his branded Scott bike, dialed in for the harshest terrain. He could not, however, help shake off his misgivings about the mammoth challenge. Split up into eight sections, the trail from day one proved demanding with 60 percent unrideable sections. His backpack weighed a crippling 38kilos, plus his bike. Upon completing the first section from Kanchenjunga to Nun, he figured out it was twice as grueling as he had imagined—the rideable sections fraught with perilous drops into the bargain. The odds seemed stacked against him, riding and lugging the bike on his shoulder, struggling against the severest, most rugged, unforgiving terrain over 6000 meters—the uttermost desolate corners of the globe. Constant dramatic weather shifts with rain, fog, snow, and thinning oxygen levels put every ounce of his strength, grit, and endurance to the test—both physical and mental. Once, under heavy snow, he missed the trail; it took 12 agonizing hours to backtrack to the right course. Then disaster struck at West Col (6,190 meters) on the way to Baruntse Base Camp, Khumbu region. His porter, supposed to drop his backpack by a rope on a steep overhang with hardened blue ice, tried to cross on his own (without crampons). He lost his footing and nearly plummeted down a sheer drop. Thankfully, he let go of the pack and escaped unscathed by holding on to the belay rope. Mangal lost his cycling gear and other trappings, including stoves, butane canisters, sleeping bags, tents, and foodstuff. It devastated him. Stranded with no tent, sleeping bags, and no food, with temperatures dipping way below the sub-zero level, survival for Mangal became a dire issue. By a stroke of luck, he ran into a team of climbers and sought refuge at Baruntse Base Camp with them. After this mishap, Mangal's progress took a grinding halt. “I was so disoriented and despairing I wanted to call it quits. But my inner guide spurred me to pursue what I’d started by putting so much hard work into it. It was my calling, my Karma,” said Mangal. Mangal doubled back to Kathmandu to restore his supplies and gear. He resumed his journey further west to Rolwaling and the Everest region. The formidable passes (22) he braved included Sherpani Col (6,180 meters), West Col (6,190 meters), Amphu Laptse (5,800 meters), and Tashi Laptse (5,700 meters), the ruthless, among others. The trials and tribulations did not end there. Mangal endured many sleepless nights as the temperature dipped to 20 degrees. Worse still, he fell sick at Dinboche, and Gokyo, the Everest region, deprived of nourishing food on the trail and dehydrated. It took him four days to recover before he pressed on. For Mangal, a skilled mechanic, other hiccups like snapped chains, busted dropouts, broken wheel spokes, and many a flat seemed secondary. During the entire journey, he had to face just about every conceivable hardship—nay beyond that. But every travail, the racking moments, and the tormenting loneliness dissipated when his eyes locked on the breathtaking Himalayas, the insane landscapes, and the raw wilderness—beyond the sense of awe and beauty. Every bend unfolded jaw-dropping moments, from ancient monasteries and timeless villages to alpine lakes, glaciers, and incredible lush valleys. His stopovers at many villages let him rub elbows with the local folks, making him immensely happy and forget every hardship he sustained. He felt saddened to see the harsh life of the remote villages economically threadbare. He realized potentially endless possibilities existed to mitigate the quality of life for the impoverished but culturally rich villagers if GHT got promoted as a tourist destination for hiking and cycling. “I set my sights on using my GHT experience as a benchmark to lobby for this cause,” said Mangal. As he progressed westward past Syabrubesi, Dharapani, and Kagbeni (Mustang), the trail afforded quite some pedaling, to Mangal’s great delight. After landing in Gamagadi, Mugu, his excitement ran riot in anticipation of realizing his dream as only 4/5days kept him apart. And true to his relentless drive and perseverance, on June 16, Mangal landed in Hilsa, Humla, completing the GHT in 88 days. The news took the Mtb scene by storm. Mangal had accomplished the impossible—blazing a trail in the annals of Nepal’s mountain biking history! “Hats off to Mangal. He has pulled off an incredible feat, paved the way for future Mtb aspirants to GHT, and thrown wide the door to promoting tourism in the most remote, hitherto untapped trails.” Chimmi Urkyen Gurung, past NCA president. (Mr. Gurung, a doyen of mountain biking in Nepal, journeyed to Everest Base Camp and Kala Pathar twice on his bike in the 90s). [email protected]

Sarita Bhattarai Shrestha got into bee farming 10 years ago. Over the years, she has become a successful entrepreneur. This week, I visited her farm to find out what it takes to become a bee farmer. Mountain Bee Concern Pvt Ltd is based in Dhapakhel, Lalitpur. The place serves as an apiary, honey processing and packaging factory, and a training center. Besides overseeing the farm and factory works, Shrestha also conducts beekeeping training here.   A training session was underway on the day I reached the place. A small group of people wearing net hats were standing among rows of brood boxes, while a trainer explained to them how to spot the queen bee.  Shrestha has a small team of trainers who run theory and practical classes three times a day.     The training program aims to encourage youth entrepreneurship, says Shrestha. “Nepali youths are spending hundreds of thousands of rupees to go abroad when they can earn so much here,” she says.     Mountain Bee Concern currently has over 1,800 brood boxes where honey bees are reared for honey. These boxes are moved to Chitwan during dry season when there aren’t many flowers around for bees to feed on.  Shrestha’s annual turnover just from honey sales is over Rs 10m and she employs around 40 people. “All it takes is small investment and the willingness to put in some effort to become a successful bee farmer,” says Shrestha. “I tell this to all my trainees.” 

Prasid Group of Companies was founded in 2007. It consists of three business entities: Prasid International, Prasid Pashmina, and Prasid Water Solutions. Each of them operates in entirely different sectors. Prasid International is the distributor for Eureka Forbes, India (Eureka Forbes Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company). They import and market water purifiers, vacuum cleaners, etc. Prasid Pashmina manufactures premium cashmere/pashmina products that are exported to Europe, the US, and some Asian countries. Likewise, Prasid Water Solution provides natural spring drinking water. Its plant is based in Godawari, Lalitpur. “Our vision is to establish a conglomerate with interests in diverse industries by implementing a corporate culture through innovation, passion, quality, and empowerment,” says Ajay Singh Karki, chairman and founder, Prasid Group of Companies.  The group is currently planning to add more consumer durable products and get into export starting with its Forbes Spring Water. Previously, Karki used to work for multinational corporations in India, such as Tata Group’s Eureka Forbes Ltd, DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd, and HCL Group. He returned to Nepal in 1994 to work with his uncle who had a carpet export business.  He parted ways with his uncle in 1997 to work for the NGO, Nepal Goodweave Foundation.  The foundation rescued child laborers working in the carpet industry and rehabilitated them by providing them education and shelter. Karki also started his pashmina business around this time. And in 2004, he was appointed as the country head for Eureka Forbes Ltd, earlier known as Euroguard. He went full-time with his business only in 2007.  Karki believes the ‘Make in Nepal’ initiative by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries could immensely help Nepali the industries if only the quality of the products sold in the Nepali market is adequately regulated.  “Water jars are being sold at Rs 45-50 in the market when the transportation cost itself is Rs 20, but nobody is questioning the quality of the water,” he says. “Low-quality products are going with the wrong labels.” According to Karki, Nepali carpets used to hold premium status at one time, but then carpet makers started compromising on the quality of their products. “This malpractice is the reason why the export of Nepali carpets took a serious hit. The same thing is happening with pashmina and other products, no matter if they are of export quality or for selling locally.” Karki believes in serving consumers with the right quality of products. “That's how the Nepali market can flourish,” he says.  As a landlocked country, Karki adds, Nepal should focus on manufacturing its own products and depend less on imports. “Nepali industries are already going through rough times. First, there was the 2015 earthquake, which was followed by the border blockade in the south, and then Covid-19 pandemic.” Karki laments the fact that the government is not doing enough to help industries start self-production at a time when the import of numerous goods has been banned, citing depleting foreign reserves. He adds the undeclared border blockade from China has made the situation worse.  “China's border is not open like India's, so only a limited amount of goods can be transported through it,” he says. “The government should step up to encourage domestic production and export.”

A little less than a month ago, two ninth graders studying at Pathshala Nepal Foundation committed suicide. After school, still dressed in their school uniforms, they jumped from the sixth floor of a building which was under construction in Budhanagar, Kathmandu. A suicide note was found in the bag of one of the students. It said she had made a mistake. This incident has troubled parents and children alike. Sabina Shah Bam, mother of a 10th grader at Pathshala, says she is worried about her son. Muna Uprety, whose son studies in fifth grade in the same school, says her son feels anxious about his sister. According to Nepal Police’s data of the past five fiscal years, the number of suicides among minors has been escalating. There were a total of 255, 459, 661, 764, and 709 suicides among minors in the fiscal years 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, and 2021/22 respectively. Dan Bahadur Karki, senior police officer and an acting spokesperson of Nepal Police, says that many minor suicides are impuslive decisions. “There are instances where minors have attempted suicide due to petty quarrels with their family,” he says. The triggers are also love affairs, disagreements with friends, and a bad family environment. “Parents tend to compare their children with others their age. The pressure leads to mental health issues,” says Binod Pokharel, anthropologist, Tribhuvan University. He says most children get a sense that they aren’t good enough and that can be extremely discomfiting. “Suicide is not just an individual problem. It’s often fueled by societal pressure,” he says. Psychologist Sita Lama says that suicide is often the last resort for anyone who is suffering from mental health issues. The signs of mental stress are visible from an early age but Lama believes many parents are unable to notice those signals. “What’s worse is that some parents scold their children rather than asking them if they are okay,” she adds. “There are parents and teachers who think that scolding or beating their children is a great way of disciplining them,” says Tashi Gurung, who works as an in-house counseling psychologist at a school. He has also seen children being physically and verbally assaulted by parents and even teachers. Physically or verbally assaulting a child isn’t allowed in schools in the valley, but still, according to Gurung, it’s a fairly regular thing. “One can only imagine what the situation is like outside the valley,” he adds. Parbati Dahal, teacher at Balbalika English Secondary Boarding School, has seen parents abuse their children. Bad grades often elicit severe beating. She adds that students are under a lot of pressure from the school as well as their parents to top their class. This not only causes mental anguish but takes the fun away from learning. Psychologist Krishangi says many parents are still following the orthodox method of parenting that is doing more harm than good. The result is that children feel isolated and unloved. It also creates a distance between the parents and children. Some schools have appointed in-house counselors to monitor children’ mental health status. Sometimes parents are also required to take counseling sessions with or about their children. “But many are not that receptive to the counselor’s suggestions,” says Churamani Pandey, a secondary incharge in Triyog Higher Secondary School. “They argue that it’s the child’s behavior that’s causing the problem.” Mobile phones have also had a significant effect on the mental health status of children, says Dambar Chemjong, anthropologist, Tribhuvan University. “Children are given mobile phones at such an early age these days. They are bound to watch things they shouldn’t be watching,” he says. There is a lot of disturbing information on the internet too, and children don’t have the maturity to handle such information. “It’s important for parents to monitor what their children are doing on the net,” he says. Parents aren’t also allocating enough time to listen to their children and know how their day went and that is widening the distance between the two, argues Krishangi. Children generally fear their parents will get angry or they will get into trouble which is why they tend to hide things. But opening up a communication channel by asking them about their day and being interested in it might make it easier for them to share their thoughts and feelings. “It’s absolutely necessary to be your child’s friend and not just his/her guardian,” says Sujata Adhikari, teacher, Pathshala Nepal Foundation. She adds that until a parent is able to build that bond with their children, it’s unlikely they will share anything. But gaining their trust also requires you to maintain the same trust for a long run. “My son and I play a little game where I become his younger sister, during which he shares every little detail about his day,” says Uprety. “He is able to trust that little sister more than the mother. And I feel it’s my responsibility to maintain that trust.”  Usually, parents tend to take conversations with their children very lightly. Sometimes they tell other people what their children told them in confidence. “Doing so makes the child question the trust s/he put on a parent, and they will eventually refrain from sharing,” says Abhishekh Bariya, counseling psychologist. “Also, it’s necessary for couples to avoid arguments in front of their children,” he adds. “Growing up seeing their parents fight can bring about a lot of insecurities in children, which can result in several mental health issues.” Analyzing many cases with the in-house counselor, Pandey of Triyog has found that a disturbing household environment is responsible for a lot of behavioral and mental health issues. “Students refrain from returning home. In some cases, I have had to request parents to create a friendly environment at home,” he says. A huge part of the problem also lies in the fact that our society is yet not fully aware about the concept of mental health and psychological counseling. Dristy Moktan, psychosocial counselor, says that counseling is not just necessary for children but also for parents. “Taking advice from a professional on better parenting ways can help create a better environment for children to grow up,” she adds. Several schools have started to appoint counselors in order to keep a proper check on the students’ mental health. SK Koirala, principal, Elite Grand School, says that having a counselor at school assures the students that they always have a safe space should they feel the need for it. “Not everyone is able to share everything with their parents or teachers,” he says. Similarly, Triyog has been appointing a counselor for the past 11 year. “Before, parents did not like the idea of their children visiting the counselor. But lately there’s been a positive shift,” says Pandey. The school also provides counseling for parents as and when needed. Anthropologist Chemjong says there must be an approach that helps parents and teachers understand children and respond to signs to distress before it manifests in unfortunate ways such as suicide. Proper parenting guidance for couples, training for teachers, and making counselors compulsory in schools can go a long way. Psychologist Krishangi says the onus is largely on the parents. “Unfortunately, Nepal does not have any physical or online parenting sessions to help out couples,” she says, “but I’m hopeful that in time those sessions will also be introduced.” For better understanding of their childrens’ behavior outside their homes, Sushila Khadka, another teacher from Pathshala Nepal Foundation, suggests parents to be in constant communication with their children’s schools and teachers as well. Number of suicide among minors in the past five fiscal year Source: Nepal Police