'Scrappy' students make Nepal trek

A Nepali carries a full load in steep terrain. Photo by Jordan Beck

Several Sisters High School students have returned from a life-changing, 28-day trek in Nepal.

The students were accompanied by teacher Rand Runco; Nerbu, a native Nepali who was the trip coordinator and two other teachers from Redmond High School. Sherpas acted both as guides and protectors.

"It was a hard core trip for tough, scrappy kids," Runco said. "It was physically demanding and mentally fatiguing. We saw things so out of the ordinary, things you just don't normally see, like dead bodies, cremation, strange food, and very poor sanitary conditions."

While acclimatizing themselves to the higher elevation before a strenuous climb the students spent several days in and around two local villages. In the village of Khumjung students paired off and stayed the night with a local host family.

Anna Morton recounted her experience.

"I stayed with Tessa (Durdan-Shaw) in a one room house with a family of six. Three generations made up their household," she said.

"They all slept, ate, prayed and entertained there. It was so primitive I felt like I was back in time. They had a wood burning stove in the house and it was so smoky inside the ceiling was black."

One day the students hiked to Thame, a famous monastery. During this time of year the monastery is usually closed to visitors for sacred ceremonies that are conducted by the Buddhist monks.

"We were very fortunate," Runco said. "Because we had young people in our group we were allowed inside and were able to witness some very special ceremonies."

The hike to Thame was a 3,000-foot elevation gain from the village. According to Runco, in Nepal people measure distance by the elevation gain or the amount of time it takes to get there.

For their final trek, the students were up at midnight, and hiked to Kalapatar, a small mountain that sits off to the side of Mt. Everest. The trek is very difficult because it's so steep and the effects from elevation kick in.

The group arrived just before sunrise and trekked through snow the last 100 feet.

"Runco gave me a hand up to a rocky plateau for the best view possible," Morton said. "I just stood there and cried happy tears in seeing the indescribable panoramic view before me. I was so overwhelmed that I'd made it. I can't imagine heaven being any better!"

Tessa Durdan-Shaw wasn't able to make it to the top of Kalapatar.

"When we were just about one hour away from the top I got excruciating stomach pains," she said. "With the help of Josh, the teacher from Redmond and Nerbu, the trip coordinator, and a Sherpa, we hiked eight hours back down the mountain.

"It was finally decided I needed to go to the hospital. I had to wait in line behind the locals. I was scared and nervous and the only student there and I didn't know what was wrong with my body. Because I was a foreigner and react to things so differently than the locals they couldn't pinpoint whether it was a stomach virus or an infection. I did get some medication and it helped."

After completing their trek in the mountains the students took a small plane to Katmandu, which one of the leaders described as "an assault of the senses."

"The traffic was just unbelievable!" Savina Elmore said. Rickshaws, cars, taxis, and tons of motorcycles and people were everywhere. There were no traffic lights, and horns were honking constantly, with traffic going in all directions. When those horns honked it meant that if you were in the way you'd better move because they weren't going to stop for you. It was terrible!"

Durdan-Shaw said, "I walked to the Hindu temple where they cremate their dead. The people throw the ashes from the dead bodies into the river, and then people get into the water as a religious purification rite. They believe they are cleansed and purified in the water.

"I walked up to where the people were being burned and could smell the burning flesh and at one point I saw the feet of a burning body. The wind kicked up and blew ash from the bodies into my eyes and onto my clothing. It was a very intense and bizarre experience."

For two of the students, Emily Clasen and Tessa Durdan-Shaw, the trip was a life- changing experience.

"Before I left I had my life planned out," Clasen said. "I was going to go to Northeastern College in Boston and become an architect, because architects make lots of money.

"But then I saw the people in Khumjung. They were so happy and content with what they had, and not a desire for more. Most of them only have one set of clothing. They have no running water and no toilets, yet, they are very happy.

"Here, we take for granted all the material possessions that we have and are always desiring more. The whole experience made me really think about my life and what's really important."

After her return to the States, Clasen's goals changed.

"Now, I'm planning on becoming a teacher and I'm going to go back and teach in the village of Khumjung," she said. "I've already started my bank account for my return trip."

Durdan-Shaw had a similar reaction.

"Before I left for Nepal the things that were important to me were money, security, a nice house, and luxuries that make our lives easier. All those things were not important at all to the people living in Nepal. It opened my eyes to a much bigger world.

"I came to realize the most important things to me are family and friends. It's not thinking about all the things I can accumulate for myself but how I can help to better the world."