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Trekking
in Nepal
2000
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David
and Jenny sketching below Ama Dablam
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David
and Jenny took a group of 15 painters on a painting and trekking holiday
to Nepal in November 2000.
There were two ten day treks, the first in the Annapurna region and
the second up the Kumbu Valley to see Everest. A truly memorable and
life enhancing experience.
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We
began our journey in Katmandu where the sights and sounds were strange
and exotic. It is a big city, sprawling across the valley between
the mountains; half finished buildings and general chaos make it difficult
to tell what is old and what is new. Add the bustle noise, dust and
pollution, rotting food in the gutters, the seething mass of people
in colourful clothing, sacred cows sauntering in the middle of the
main thoroughfares; and yet one cannot help but find it fascinating.
Durbar square is in the heart of Patan, the artist area of Katmandu.
We sat on the steps of a temple and sketched whilst a group of local
schoolboys peered over our shoulders as fascinated by us as we were
by them.
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Durbar Square, Katmandu, sketch by David Bellamy
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Our
trek around the Annapurna region introduced us to the village life of
rural Nepal. The villages are almost self sufficient in food and the
hillsides are terraced and irrigated to optimise the arable land. Everything
is made use of; in Tarkaghat we saw two men making a rough rope from
straw by twisting both ends of a big bundle until it formed a cord.
This was then used to tie a huge bundle of straw together to be carried
on the backs of the younger people. The cattle are kept off the crops
by the children, there being no fences around the fields. Sometimes
the cattle had little baskets tied over their muzzles to stop them chomping
on the millet or rice growing on the terraces.
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The
second trek was up the Khumbu Valley to Namche Bazaar with the hope
of seeing Everest. We had intended to reach Tyangboche but a couple
of our group had mild altitude sickness and we deemed it wise to stay
in Namche for an extra night to give them time to aclimitise. Early
one morning we climbed the small hill at the back of our campsite to
get our first view of Everest. Most days it disappeared into the clouds
by midday so an early start was essential. It was so cold that the washes
froze on page.
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sketch of Everest from Jenny's journal showing
the frozen washes
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Tengi
Ragi Tau, watercolour by David Bellamy
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Everest, watercolour by David Bellamy
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Ama Dablam, sketch from Jenny's journal
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We
managed to get as far as Monla village from where we had a wonderful
view of Tyangboche Monastery across the valley with Ama Dablam in the
background. The mountain that made the greatest impression on David
and Jenny was not, as expected Everest but Ama Dablam. It's elegant
shape and dominating presence at the head of the Khumbu valley has made
them both paint it again and again. They never tire of it.
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Ama
Dablam from Mon La, watercolour by David Bellamy
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We
travelled to Nepal with
The Ultimate Travel Company
who have organised many of our overseas trips and we can thoroughly
recommend them
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Art Trips 
