CKY School Ghorepani Ghandruk Circuit Trek, a Travel with Purpose!

Travelling can be more than just indulging and entertaining oneself. The recent “CKY School Ghorepani-Ghandruk Circuit Trek” organized by Explore Himalaya in partnership with Travel Advisor (Hong Kong) proved it right. Like any other trip in Annapurna region, this trek was also packed with exploration of incredible nature and amazing culture. However, what sets it apart is the meaning the students’ group has given to the trip by creating positive impacts on the communities they visited.

CKY School Ghorepani-Ghandruk Circuit Trek that started from 10^th Dec to 14^th Dec 2017, had 22 members including 18 students and 4 teachers from Hong Kong. The trek starting point was Birethati, from where it continued through Tirkhedunga, Ghorepani, Tadapani, Ghandruk; and culminated once again in Birethati making a complete loop. Their typical trek day was a bit different from the normal trekkers’. Apart from enjoying the natural wonders typical of the region, at each stopover, they intermingled with the local communities, visited schools and health posts, donated educational materials and medical supplies, shared experiences with students and developed connectivity with local guardians. And at the end of each day, they had an experience exchange session in which they shared their thoughts on the day’s activities, which helped them to reflect on their experiences and gain a new perspective on life.

Altogether they helped four schools and health posts namely Bhume Adharbhut Bidhyalaya at Hille, Ulleri Health Post at Ulleri, Ghandruk Health Post and Meshram Barahi Maa School at Ghandruk. In between the caring and sharing, however, they also didn’t miss the opportunity to relish the beauty of Annapurna region including a trip to Poonhill, a not-to-be-missed viewpoint known for magnificent sunrise view in the Himalayas. At Ghandruk, they enjoyed cultural show organized by “AamaSamuha”, literally mothers’ group, which gave them more insights on the culture of the region.

After the completion of the trek, on 15^th Dec the students visited Rainbow Orphanage Home in Pokhara where they donated sports materials and clothes to the orphanage. They also drew a colorful mural on a canvas with fingerprints and beautiful message, and gifted it to them. They also played football, volleyball and rugby with the children, which added a fun element to their visit. As rugby game is new to Nepali people, the children really enjoyed the sport which was sure to take few days for them to get off the memories. The students’ visit to the orphanage ended the whole trip in a rewarding note. The trip, for sure, has helped the students to foster a better understanding of life and be an insightful person when they returned home.

The team of Explore Himalaya takes pride in being a partner of the program which has helped to redefine the meaning of travelling in the Himalayas, especially for young travelers. We want to extend our gratitude to all the supporters including the crew and local communities who made this remarkable project possible. And once again thanks to CKY School for making a difference!