Subhash Nepali

James Harris (‘Jim’) Simons, the mathematician and billionaire philanthropist who set up a foundation to improve Nepal’s healthcare system, died in New York on 10 May, aged 86. Jim Simons was an award-winning mathematician who pioneered quantitative investing and gave away much of his billions to support mathematics education, scientific research and various humanitarian causes. But his life was marked by family tragedies. His elder son, Paul, was killed in New York in 1996 in a traffic accident, and his younger son, Nick drowned in Bali in 2003 after a volunteering stint in Nepal.&nbsp; Nick Simons had written letters home from Nepal about his experience in rural health posts, and was determined to become a physician so he could help the underprivileged in poorer parts of the world.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240511120528_08e9e9ec5b9faa6a852fb5a4b5a8586526935cb8a9c8c61fd329fb8e4d7466e4.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240511120528_08e9e9ec5b9faa6a852fb5a4b5a8586526935cb8a9c8c61fd329fb8e4d7466e4" data-rendition-name="original" width="596" height="812" loading="lazy" alt="Nick Simons"> <figcaption>Nick Simons with a friend in Nepal in 2003. He died soon after while swimming in Bali.</figcaption> </figure>  After Nick’s tragic death, Jim Simons and his economist wife Marilyn travelled to Nepal several times to set up the <a href="https://www.nsi.edu.np/overview" target="_blank">Nick Simons Institute (NSI)</a> to back up government hospitals in rural areas with training, equipment and budgetary support. Since it was established in 2006, NSI has invested more than $100 million in Nepal’s health sector and now supports 45 district hospitals and health facilities. Most of the institute’s work is behind-the-scenes and not visible to the public, like its help with training nurses and anaesthesiologists, maintaining biomedical equipment, and in retaining qualified medical staff in remote rural hospitals by topping up salaries. <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=11436" target="_blank">Jim Simons once told Nepali Times</a>: "Rural health care is not a new problem in Nepal, and there are lots of people addressing the issue. What makes NSI unique is that it will do this job better than it has ever been done with an emphasis on quality and training.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240515170540_2a71e441f701d3f853c53a69eeed6ce8fc971369a383ae8819031d1f3a9a17d1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240515170540_2a71e441f701d3f853c53a69eeed6ce8fc971369a383ae8819031d1f3a9a17d1" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="3024" loading="lazy" alt="Jim Simons"> </figure>  Indeed, the Simons made several visits to Nepal in 2003 soon after their son died, talking to health experts to see where support would be most catalytic and meaningful. They decided to do this not by running their own hospitals, but by working with the government in developing sustainable solutions in rural healthcare and scaling it up. "With the establishment of the Nick Simon's Institute in 2006, Jim was clearly a game changer for enhancement of rural health in Nepal. &nbsp;Also what is unforgettable about Jim was his amazing sense of humor in telling a story, his sharp intellect, and how he did not suffer fools lightly," says <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18356" target="_blank">Buddha Basnyat</a>, a physician who is in the executive committee of NSI. The Simons often said they would probably never have been involved in Nepal’s health sector had it not been for their son Nick, who had found fulfilment helping Nepalis and wanted to return to live and work here.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240511020556_761b7ed7926bbf26b24c5e8ab06df077019280451bc1d4efc5bd3c5d44e740bb.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240511020556_761b7ed7926bbf26b24c5e8ab06df077019280451bc1d4efc5bd3c5d44e740bb" data-rendition-name="original" width="904" height="1382" loading="lazy" alt="Jim Simons NT"> <figcaption>Marilyn and Jim Simons in Nepal in 2023 with Patty Weisenfeld of Nick Simons Foundation. Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  Jim Simons went through three phases in his life: as a mathematician, an investor and a philanthropist. As a maths professor, he found solutions that are still used to solve problems in physics and astronomy. He then set up <a href="https://www.rentec.com/Home.action?about=true" target="_blank">Renaissance Technologies</a> that used his talent in mathematics to analyse complex financial data and forecast global share markets. That is how he made billions, much of which he re-invested in improving STEM education in American schools, in exploring the universe, or trying to find the causes of autism.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240515170536_5ea1f3742ee715ce95ee11a82dfcc6991be56b827f5dff8d6c58824f836763e1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240515170536_5ea1f3742ee715ce95ee11a82dfcc6991be56b827f5dff8d6c58824f836763e1" data-rendition-name="original" width="1001" height="784" loading="lazy" alt="Jim Simons"> <figcaption>Health expert Aruna Uprety at a school algebra class in western Nepal.</figcaption> </figure>  After the death of his sons, Jim Simons sought solace in solving mathematical puzzles in his head. One morning at the leafy Summit Hotel in Kathmandu, the proof came to him in a flash of a puzzle that had bedevilled him for a long time.&nbsp; ‘Jim was an exceptional leader who did transformative work in mathematics and developed a world-leading investment company,’ the <a href="https://www.simonsfoundation.org/2024/05/10/simons-foundation-co-founder-mathematician-and-investor-jim-simons-dies-at-86/" target="_blank">Simons Foundation</a> said in a statement announcing his death on Friday.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240515170536_e4c458bcc5f9daf7d8833bb0bffc98304224be100b88cde3ade7c7ae41067cd5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240515170536_e4c458bcc5f9daf7d8833bb0bffc98304224be100b88cde3ade7c7ae41067cd5" data-rendition-name="original" width="2008" height="1396" loading="lazy" alt="Jim Simons"> </figure>  Besides NSI, the <a href="https://www.nicksimonsfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Nick Simons Foundation</a> was involved in other health-related activities in Nepal, including building the new <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15138" target="_blank">maternity wing at Patan Hospital</a> and supporting <a href="https://www.nyayahealthnepal.org/" target="_blank">Nyaya Health Nepal (NHN)</a> that runs <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-rural-lifeline" target="_blank">Bayalpata Hospital in Achham District.</a>&nbsp; Jim Simons once said: “Nick opened up a whole new world to us. We have met so many wonderful people who otherwise we never would have known. Nepal is a gift that Nick gave us.”

Jim Simons' gift to Nepal

Unlike tens of thousands of refugees from Bhutan, Govinda Rijal had <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/real-refugees-want-to-go-back-to-bhutan" target="_blank">no inclination to apply for third-country repatriation</a>. Even when his parents Chandra Lal and Devi Maya decided to join the 90,000 refugees resettled in the United States 15 years ago, he <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/elderly-left-in-bhutan-refugee-camp" target="_blank">remained behind in Nepal.</a> He excelled in studies, went to Kyoto and the Philippines to get a PhD in rice research, and was a professor at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science at Tribhuvan University. Govinda’s parents arrived on the Nepal border in Indian trucks after the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/japan-award-for-bhutan-minister-opposed" target="_blank">Bhutan regime drove out</a> nearly 100,000 Nepali-speaking citizens in 1992. The Lhotsampa, as the refugees were called, were consigned to <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18150#.YN1-Ny8RoWr" target="_blank">eight refugee camps in eastern Nepal</a>. Govinda stayed on in Bhutan, determined not to abandon his beloved homeland. But the persecution and threats became untenable, and at age 22 he himself left in February 1993 tracking his parents down to a bamboo hut in Beldangi refugee camp of Jhapa district.&nbsp; Outside his pleasant and relaxed exterior Govinda harboured a fierce fire for justice and human rights which he expressed in poetry and activism. He was involved in the Peace March in 1996 to walk to Thimphu, but was arrested by Indian police right after crossing the Mechi Bridge to be detained in Jalpaiguri Jail. After Bhutan, Nepal was Govinda’s second home — the land of his forebears. And it was here last week on 5 May that he was tragically killed at age 52 when a commuter bus overturned and careened into a sidewalk where he was standing.&nbsp; Govinda had just taken a selfie with his long-lost former college classmate Suman Bandhu Koirala with whom he used to organise nationwide Mathematics Olympiads. The two had not seen each other for 20 years after Suman Bandhu went for his PhD in the United States.&nbsp; Unlike other students who paid no heed to stateless classmates from Bhutan like Rijal, Koirala was different. &nbsp;The two had lost touch, but met again on Sunday, 5 May at the Tribhuvan University campus in Kirtipur.&nbsp; “We hadn’t met for such a long time, and chatted all day, reminiscing about our student days and planned to <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/who-stands-with-bhutanese-refugees-in-nepal" target="_blank">spread awareness about the Bhutan refugee</a> issue,” Suman Bandhu recalls, his voice breaking with emotion.&nbsp; It was just before 3PM and the two decided to take a selfie on the pavement in front of the Ayurved Hospital in Kirtipur. Just then, a scooter sped out of the parking lot into the main road, an approaching commuter bus that swerved to avoid it overturned, slithering sideways on the asphalt into people on the sidewalk.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240510040524_83e30321d778d5b8e7c609538a2b3f3eaccf1c6b7b9245cb1762e8700990e859.png" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240510040524_83e30321d778d5b8e7c609538a2b3f3eaccf1c6b7b9245cb1762e8700990e859" data-rendition-name="original" width="1998" height="1028" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutanese refugee freak accident"> <figcaption>The sidewalk outside the Ayurved Hospital at Kiritpur where the bus hit Govinda, killing him on 5 May. Photo courtesy: Nepal Khabar </figcaption> </figure>  Govinda was seriously injured, and died later in Kirtipur Hospital. “He took out his phone and had just taken a couple of selfies when we heard this terrible sound and saw an overturned bus coming towards us, I managed to get out of the way but Govinda was not quick enough,” Suman Bandhu recalls. The photos are still in Govinda’s mobile phone and perhaps one day we will be able to see the self-portrait he took an instant before he was hit.&nbsp; During the cremation at Pashupati the next day Govinda’s fellow refugees spoke of him as a generous friend who placed the interests of others before himself — a sensitive poet, committed activist, and an accomplished agriculture scientist.&nbsp; “He was one of the few among us refugees who was an intellectual and an academic,” said Tilak Rai, another refugee who stayed behind in Beldangi. “He attended every Literature Society of Bhutan event at camp or memorials to fellow refugees like the physician <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/no-one-to-care-for-doctor-who-cared-for-everyone" target="_blank">Bhampa Rai</a>.”&nbsp; Govinda got married to classmate Shanta Karki who is now a joint secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture in Kathmandu, and he has written about her in his 2018 book, A Pardesi in Paradise. In it, he ruminates about the concept of ‘homeland’, especially after his parents and ounger brother Shiva Lal opted for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/letter-to-my-kindergarten-daughter" target="_blank">resettlement in the US</a>.&nbsp; ‘America has not been the homeland my family expected. I got news that after my father lost his job and started losing his memory. Other relatives are working day and night to pay car and house loans. Other refugees are so stressed and depressed that they are under medication and need pills to sleep,’ he wrote. ‘That is why my dream, my goal and future are tied up here. Wherever I am, wherever I go I am always an outsider, but that is my Golden Land.’&nbsp; Tara Lal Shrestha, who edited the book, said: “Govinda moved around everywhere on his bicycle. He found Nepal to be unlike any other place because it was so welcoming of people seeking refuge. Nepal may have been his Golden Land, but it was not his final destination. He was in transit to heaven.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240510040524_aac8771f3b69cbc5a7ccc68fc2730aaf1055330bb0b2ad04b4dc9a7e191c820e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240510040524_aac8771f3b69cbc5a7ccc68fc2730aaf1055330bb0b2ad04b4dc9a7e191c820e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1221" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutanese refugee accident"> <figcaption>Govinda’s bicycle helmet and bicycle. Photos: Sanjiv Balami / Facebook</figcaption> </figure>  Govinda talked about Beldangi fondly, almost nostalgically, as a safe haven: “Despite its bamboo huts and clay plaster walls, the well water that smelled of iron, and the joy of getting hold of &nbsp;kerosene or rice after standing in line, Beldangi was a refuge. I want to write a book about this chapter in my life.” Last year, after Govinda heard that his parents were not well in America, he tried to get travel documents to see them for the last time. For six months he was given the run around by Nepali officialdom. As soon as those behind desks heard he was a refugee, they would ask “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/scapegoating-a-champion-of-democracy" target="_blank">Real or fake?</a>”&nbsp; At the Home Ministry in Kathmandu, they did not even want to look at him after he said he was a refugee. After the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/losing-our-moral-compass" target="_blank">fake refugee scandal </a>broke last year, Nepal has stopped issuing travel documents to Bhutan citizens in Nepal. Govinda was still trying to get his papers to see his parents when he was killed this week. Ailing parents in America who were waiting to see him one last time are now performing funeral rituals.&nbsp; Recently, he visited refugee leader <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/bhutan-s-refugees-between-hope-and-despair" target="_blank">Teknath Rijal</a> while the Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience was still in detention after <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-tragedy-of-tek-nath-rizal-2g4dahmr" target="_blank">being framed</a> for his involvement in the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/rot-at-the-top" target="_blank">fake refugee scandal</a>.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240510040524_761c6b03cc6e0f9dba9a4c76aec9803aba9682c8fe47952ab802c79e48fdebfc.png" data-media-id="editor_14" data-image-id="20240510040524_761c6b03cc6e0f9dba9a4c76aec9803aba9682c8fe47952ab802c79e48fdebfc" data-rendition-name="original" width="1180" height="760" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutanese refugee freak accident"> <figcaption>Photo: Ashok Budathoki / Facebook</figcaption> </figure>  Govinda had arrived on his bicycle from his house in Tokha, and brought some avocado from his garden. He had started writing his book, Beldangi: A Refuge, and recited its beginning paragraphs in Nepali: ‘I arrived in a place called Beldangi after taking a bus from Damak Chok on the last day of February 1993, looking for the hut of my father Chandra Lal and mother Devi Maya. They had left Bhutan one year before me. At the bus stop and all around, I met fellow refugees. I used to see them in Bhutan and had always regarded them as proud citizens. But here, they were stateless nobodies. I had only seen the word ‘refugee’ in books, now I was one myself.&nbsp; People got on and off the bus as we travelled towards Beldangi camp. At the edge of a forest there was a row of bamboo and thatch huts. How do I find my parents here, I thought.’

In transit to the Golden Land

Kathmandu Valley may be consumed by urban sprawl, but the historic core of Patan has changed little in the last 400 years. Destroyed and rebuilt serval times over the centuries, the seat of the Malla kings is a jewel in the crown of Nepal’s heritage.&nbsp; Now, the next generation of Nepali school students have found an exciting and fun way to find out more about the history of their geography. The Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) has launched a series of interactive maps with bilingual explanations meant for students on school excursions called ‘Let’s Discover Patan Durbar Square’. The maps are distributed to schools to use during their study trips and prompt students to draw what they see, or create something new. One activity asks students to dream up a new monument in the square that respects heritage but would endure, while keeping in mind material of cultural significance. Another activity asks students to hunt for particular elements in the carvings or pillars, forcing them to pay close attention to the details. Another task tells them to count the number of gilded gajur pinnacles on Krishna Mandir, and then draw them. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/a-portal-into-patan-s-past-and-present">A portal into Patan’s past and present</a>, Prakriti Kandel Creative activities vary in complexity and difficulty and challenge the students to also think beyond what they see: one asks students to ‘imagine the underground pipes and the main source of water at Manga Hiti’. The colourful maps come in A4-size booklets and are part of an Educational Outreach project started in 2017 by the art festival Kathmandu Triennale, and now taken over by KVPT. The English and Nepali text on a map guides young visitors around the Patan Darbar Complex. The booklet reflects the Malla era aesthetics of the palace square. &nbsp; “We hope that the maps will extend the outreach to schools and students with first-hand interaction with this historic and cultural site,” says Sophia L Pandé at KVPT, which has been involved in the restoration of the Valley’s heritage, especially after the 2015 earthquake. It aims to inspire a sense of responsibility for conservation from a young age, and the third edition of the map project was supported by the US Embassy, and the one before that by the New Zealand High Commission.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/preserving-patan-post-earthquake">Preserving Patan post-earthquake</a>, Claire Burket  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240513040556_e01331402a08762bb303990060d6fedff5f96735498556761c3dfdba4f86727e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240513040556_e01331402a08762bb303990060d6fedff5f96735498556761c3dfdba4f86727e" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Patan for beginners NT"> </figure>  One of the creators of the maps, Rishi Amatya, says the Patan Darbar Complex is an open space that can foster creativity and give culture inter-generational continuity. After every earthquake, the palace complex has also provided safety and shelter to the people of Patan.&nbsp; “Around the year, the open spaces of Patan Darbar Square serve as the traditional stage for jatras,” explains Amatya, “so it is not just the temples and monuments but also the intangible heritage that makes this place so important.” Amatya worked alongside editor Sharareh Bajracharya and illustrator Suman Maharjan on the Let’s Discover Patan Durbar Square series. Maharjan’s illustrations make the booklets introspective and vibrant, which even adults will find interesting and informative. With his extensive experience drawing picture books, Nepali elements feature heavily in his work. The drawings balance faithful detail in the temples with a playful, cartoon-like style in depicting people and activities. The booklets are printed in high-quality and do the drawings justice, and it is a physical copy that students can pick up at the Patan Museum. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/patan-heritage-in-fantasy-fiction">Patan heritage in fantasy fiction</a>, Trishagni Sakya There is a lot of work that goes into making the maps, and it starts with Amatya’s research. Being a local he has a lot of knowledge passed down from his forebears, as well as first-hand stories and history books. He then researches monuments and develops a narrative that fits a theme.&nbsp; The Keshav Narayan Chok hosts the Hindu god and columns from when it was part of a Buddhist Vihar. There are Lichhavi-era stone columns and reminders of when the square was the seat of the Mallas. The dome roof structures point to post-earthquake Rana influences. In the first map, characters get a bird's-eye view of Sundari Chok and Mul Chok on Garuda’s back. The project requires the writer, editor, and illustrator to work closely, to decide what to include and what to leave out. “Rishi and I spent a lot of time walking around Darbar Square to get the drawings right,” says Maharjan. The effectiveness of the maps were obvious during a recent tour for students from Adarsha Kanya Niketan, a school adjacent to the museum. The Trust also provides transport for schools that come from further away and Amatya acts as a guide, training other guides.&nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/itumbahas-living-museum">Itumbaha's living museum</a>, Sahina Shrestha To book tours, contact Patan Museum or the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust.

Patan for beginners

Kapuche used to be a meadow where herders from the valley below brought buffaloes and goats to graze in summer. &nbsp; The name itself is derived from the Gurung words ‘kah’ (ice), ‘phu’ (tumbling), and ‘che’ (flat land), perfectly describing what happens here: ice avalanches tumble 5,000m from the peaks of Annapurna directly down to the pasture. &nbsp; In 2001, small ponds started forming on the accumulated ice. Global warming has now melted the ice, and Kapuche is a turquoise lake shimmering like a jewel below Lamjung Himal, Annapurna II and IV and Sikles Peak.&nbsp; The lake is situated at 2,450m, and is tucked away in such a deep valley that none of those peaks are visible from its shore. A two hour walk below the lake is Hugu Goth, a cattle shed where herders used to stay summers as livestock grazed in the succulent grass. As a boy 42 years ago, I used to walk here barefoot from Sikles on school excursions to learn about the mountain ecosystem. Global warming had not yet melted the ice, so buffaloes and goats could cross over to the other side to graze. The winter snow used to come like clockwork in January when families in Sikles celebrated Maghe Sankranti. Monsoons were regular with three months of relentless rain and mist. Winters are now dry, and the monsoons have become erratic. I did my master’s in national parks and tourism in New Zealand and a doctorate in conservation tourism in Australia, and am interested in how climate change impacts the Himalaya, especially my home region below the Annapurnas.&nbsp; I next travelled to Kapuche in 2015. By then, the lake was &nbsp;constantly fed by avalanches and glacial melt flowing down from the cliffs above. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240503110552_96d13e7b1db5de33e3fb7e6112ad4189aee05f69fef498849f4995863a479991.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240503110552_96d13e7b1db5de33e3fb7e6112ad4189aee05f69fef498849f4995863a479991" data-rendition-name="original" width="2560" height="1920" loading="lazy" alt="aerial view"> <figcaption>An aerial view of Kapuche from a sightseeing aircraft of Avia Club Nepal. PHOTO: AVIA CLUB NEPAL</figcaption> </figure>  Nearly 10 years later, we visited Kapuche again last week, and noticed that the lake had grown dramatically bigger with icebergs floating on the surface. Above, the escarpments of Annapurna IV appear to have much less ice than in 2015. With us was the Chair of the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) Management Committee of Parche Village and MP Man Bahadur Gurung who has also noticed many changes here over the years.&nbsp; Hugu Goth used to have half a dozen families growing maize, beans and potatoes, and tending to their animals. It was here that French filmmaker Eric Valli and Diane Summers captured the portraits of the two herders and hunters, Bhim Bahadur Gurung and Mej Bahadur Gurung in their classic 1988 book Honey Hunters of Nepal which also became a documentary.&nbsp; With outmigration and as trekking took off, some herders converted their buffalo sheds into lodges, and there are now six inns in Kapuche and three in Hugu. Footfalls have also increased because of the 45MW hydropower plant under construction nearby along the headwaters of the Madi River.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240503110556_27f92b4cd1b2925ea89b8d2f949c90d04f8167b1551e694e6946eca023256c41.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240503110556_27f92b4cd1b2925ea89b8d2f949c90d04f8167b1551e694e6946eca023256c41" data-rendition-name="original" width="4032" height="2268" loading="lazy" alt="kahphuche"> <figcaption>Dogs are a constant companions during the Sikles-Kapuche trek and lounge on the shores of the lake. The hike is increasingly popular with international trekkers.</figcaption> </figure>  Locals here recall that avalanches used to be more frequent in the past, probably because there was more snow. Boating is prohibited due to the danger of falling ice, but some trekkers bring rafts anyway. The water is ice-cold, still this does not deter adventurous ones to swim out to the middle of the lake to celebrate reaching their destination. The forests are lush due to the heavy rainfall as well as moisture from powder snow avalanches. The thick woods teem with wildlife, and are alive with birdcalls. The Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) is the largest protected area in Nepal and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, as well as a Key Biodiversity Area.&nbsp; ACA has designed a survey form for visitors to monitor avalanches that they may witness. The ACA Management Committee keeps track of the lake's shape and size with the help of citizen scientists Prakash Gurung and Dhan Bahadur Gurung who run lodges on the shore.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240503110556_2cddc5ae01b220e61fc0ee0ff7b5bde4b18b15cb162dce73ce5e20943f0af572.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240503110556_2cddc5ae01b220e61fc0ee0ff7b5bde4b18b15cb162dce73ce5e20943f0af572" data-rendition-name="original" width="2268" height="4032" loading="lazy" alt="kahphuche"> <figcaption>Lush forest trails along the way from Sikles to Kapuche.</figcaption> </figure>  The colour of the lake changes constantly, from crystal blue in winter to green as the snow starts to melt, and turns a turbid grey during the monsoon.&nbsp; Just three hours by car from Pokhara, Sikles is drawing domestic and international visitors to experience its rich Gurung heritage, as well as enjoy the scenery of this relatively less crowded trekking area. Sikles also inspired the concept of sustainable ecotourism for Nepal's conservation areas. The village was awarded UNDP’s Equator Initiative Prize in 2014.&nbsp; After the wilderness trek to Kapuche, Sikles is a good place to immerse in the culture and learn about indigenous conservation practices of the Gurung people.&nbsp; <h2>Kapuche, here we come</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240503100512_90595c777bdc82ba608651241d14abfc9b7ea137e77df5cf617fe2e3f3580bf7.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240503100512_90595c777bdc82ba608651241d14abfc9b7ea137e77df5cf617fe2e3f3580bf7" data-rendition-name="original" width="1358" height="712" loading="lazy" alt="kah pu che"> <figcaption>Kapuche Lake in 2015 and April 2024, showing changes in the avalanche fan, icebergs and snow cover on the mountains. </figcaption> </figure>  Nowhere in Nepal is there such an accessible place to observe first-hand the impact of climate breakdown, while also being a popular trekking destination.&nbsp; Kapuche Lake, only an 8-hour hike from Sikles which itself is three hours up by jeep from Pokhara, is the lowest glacial lake in Nepal and offers a vivid demonstration of just how rapidly the Himalayan ice-cap is melting. Selfies and videos posted by visitors on social media platforms in recent years have popularised the trek and lake, bringing ever more domestic and foreign tourists to the site. Most glacial lakes in the Himalaya are at elevations between 4,500-5,500m and need a week of trekking to get to, but Kapuche is located at only 2,450m at the bottom of a deep avalanche funnel directly below Annapurna II.&nbsp; Some scientists say Kapuche cannot even be called a glacial lake because it just collects water from frequent avalanches that thunder down from the vast snowfield at 7,500m between Annapurna II and IV.&nbsp; Most Himalayan lakes are moraine-dammed proglacial lakes, or are supra-glacial ponds that started forming after the Little Ice Age 700 years ago, a natural process that was accelerated by anthropogenic greenhouse gas buildup in the atmosphere after the Industrial Era. Kapuche was only an avalanche fan till a Landsat image in 2001 showed that small ponds had formed in the debris field. Since then, the ponds have merged into a lake that has grown tenfold in size to measure 15 hectares and is now more than 32m deep in some sections. A video posted on YouTube in January 2021 of a massive powder snow avalanche preceded by an air blast that swept down to the lake went viral. Since then, tourists flocked to Kapuche hoping to be lucky enough to take selfies of another avalanche, with some even venturing into the dangerous debris fan on the other side of the lake. So many visitors visit Kapuche now that there are lodges by the shore, as well as some canine guides who came here with trekkers and never went back because they enjoy the fresh mountain air. <h2>How to get there</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240503110552_edcf019d5a8b6551041bbba2de6dad9bb0709048b17c8cdcf41125830395e9b5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240503110552_edcf019d5a8b6551041bbba2de6dad9bb0709048b17c8cdcf41125830395e9b5" data-rendition-name="original" width="1085" height="801" loading="lazy" alt="kahphuche map"> </figure>  - Fly or drive to Pokhara, and take the turnoff to Sikles for a 3 hour ride over a newly paved road. Only the last section after Khilang is still rough.&nbsp; - Spend a night in one of the many lodges in Sikles, and explore this well-preserved Gurung village and birthplace of conservationist Chandra Gurung. - Start scenic hike with spectacular views of Annapurna II and Lamjung Himal. -The trail follows the Madi Khola which drains Kapuche Lake. - A 5 hour walk brings you to Hugu Goth for the night stop at the cattle shed-turned-lodge. &nbsp; - It is a 2 hour hike to Kapuche Lake past construction site of a 25MW hydropower plant.&nbsp; &nbsp;- Camp by the shore or stay in one of the lodges, or hike back to Hugu.&nbsp; &nbsp;- Back to Sikles for ride down to Pokhara. Side trip on return: At Hugu, cross the Madi and climb up to Kori Peak (3,800m) with its high meadows for a magnificent view of Lamjung Himal. Need camping gear. Descend to Sikles. Cost: Rs5,000 per day for meals and room. Foreigners charged $50 for ACA and Trekking Permits. Transport from Kathmandu or Pokhara extra.

Subhash Nepali

Putting Dalits back in business

Subhash Nepali