106 teenage girls, along with mountaineers and trainers, sang the song “Let’s go to climb the Jugal Himal, let’s go” as they reached the base camp of Jugal Himal. The girls, hailing from different local levels, aimed to receive local trekking training or participate in a marchpass related to mountain climbing.
Kritina Majhi, a 23-year-old from Bahunepati, Melamchi municipality, expressed her excitement and joy at the beauty of Jugal Himal, covered in snow, located in Jugal Rural Municipality-3 of Sindhupalchok. She exclaimed, “Oh, this is a piece of heaven!” and danced with happiness. Manmaya Tamang (17), Dipa Lamichhane (18), and Shanti Tamang (33) were among the other girls who were equally thrilled.
According to Milan Tamang, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Jugal Rural Municipality, the girls were trained with the financial support of Jugal Rural Municipality, Chautara Sangachokgadhi, and Melamchi Municipality under the project of Global Inclusive Sahasi Sanstha (GIA). The project is a two-year package, and four teachers are teaching computer and English language to the girls.
During their three-day trip to Jugal Rural Municipality, the girls were given information about the district’s history, geography, religion, and culture. They were also trained in mountaineering by five international mountaineer instructors who taught them everything from trekking maps to first aid training, map navigation, and other preparation that climbers should do before attempting to climb a mountain.
The training received by these teenage girls is an excellent initiative towards promoting adventure tourism in Nepal. The girls’ enthusiasm and determination to learn mountaineering skills are inspiring, and we hope to see more such programs encouraging and empowering young women to pursue their dreams.
