Pangaea Project collaborates with the Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal in September in order to share skiing experiences and a vision with Nepali youth and mountain guides!
After the devastating earthquake which hit Nepal in 2015, Nepali students and mountain guides initiated the Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal. The objective was to bring literally new perspectives to the remote valley areas which would allow to bring positive change and empowerment to areas which badly suffered by introducing skiing and snowboarding. The areas have been dominated by a limited season of climbing and mountain hiking.
Ski and Snowboarding Foundation Nepal aims to teach Nepalese youngsters skiing, snowboarding and skitouring. With the support of a consortium of Austrian, German, Swedish and Swiss ski instructors- partly by Pangaea Project – that are keen on sharing their skills and knowledge with Nepalese tourism students we started a dual track ski school project. We train mountain guides and Climbing Sherpas how to conduct skitours securely with tourists, and at the same time will encourage Nepalese students and youngsters to learn how to ski and snowboard.
A first training session with more then 30 students, supported with equipment from sponsors and private donations was held in February 2016 in the remote Rolwaling Valley. In September 2016 we conducted an advanced ski training for mountain guides in the Solokhumbu area to improve on their basic skills in ski touring. This included the first ski /snowboard descent down from Mera Peak (6475m) .
From December 18th until 6th of January NFSS organized a beginner course in Langtang valley with the support of another NGO dedicated to promote skiing in Nepal. 40 beginner and advanced students from the previous trainings joined us on the slopes. In February 2017 a major beginner and advanced ski training with locals, students and mountain guides was held in the Annapurna Base Camp (4100m). All courses included a professional avalanche and crevasse rescue training due to the high alpine risks in the Himalaya.
The goal is to empower Nepali stakeholders to establish several ski tour/ splitboard resorts so that they can expand the tourism season, create new jobs and opportunities through existing infrastructure.
If you would like to get involved, be it as a donor or skiing instructor, please contact julius.seidenader@seidenader.eu and/or ansgar.fellendorf@da-vienna.at .