Butwal - the last few days

Hi, sorry been meaning to update the blog but the electric has been off everytime I have tried. The electric supply shifts through out Butwal where one side of the street will have power and the other will not ( and generally the side with power loses internet connection). I have not been getting too bothereed but I hope people have not been worrying too much about me (as if). It interesting here as if the power is not on at 12 then it 4pm then it 8pm etc so when you do get it you appreicate it but I have been enjoying reading/listening to music by candle light.

Ok the last few days have been pretty much the same format of getting up at 5.30am breakfast and head west by 6.15am. The drive takes around 1 to 1 half hours to get to the differnent sites and is amazing to just look out the window and see the Western Tarai Lowlands early in the morning. These lowlands are pretty flat and the road very straight and rough in places with forest areas and open plains. The sites we are working are mixed areas some close to the road some out in untouched beauty.

The vulture conservation work has started very well with the first 3 days all going to really good. The work is hot hard work but rewarding. We have a good system in place where me and Richard Cuthbert will be working in the tree and Tulsi and Anand (from Bird Conservation Nepal who have been brillant) helping with things on the ground and have been guiding me around Nepal and educating in the wildlife. With the work I have got better at spotting the ants nest in the tree (they are a few large leaves knitted together the size of a melon and hang down like laterns full of orange ants, they are not poisonous but do have a nasty bite and I have a few more bites from today to add to my collection). These nests have made the climbing trickier as I have to come up with ways to pass by the nest without knocking them. The main trees we have been working in is off medium/large Saj and Sal trees (rough barked decidous similar to a southern beech tree). Yesterday was some of the trickiest work to date and had to climb a large Saj tree (35metres) with the nest on a limb sticking out of the top of the main crown at a 45 degree angle. I had to use a mixture of tree, rock and aid climbing to get to the nest which was out in space. This whole process took a hour and a bit and was made interesting by a few gusts of wind but still ensured my safety. Then we had a long lunch and the work after lunch drew a crowd of around 70 people. Luckily all went very well and was a great testing day. Today has been one of those days which have not been so good with thunderstorms and logistical problems made us cut the work short. I have had a resting afternoon drink tea (Very strong, milky sweet tea with cinnomon or other spices that i now have a taste for). The plan for the next few days are to head back to Saurama for a few days via some sites then possibly head north.

I have loads of great photos and will try publising them when I have a better internet connection.

To finish the food we have every evening is really good and is patiently made over a few hours by the very friendly people of the GreenLand hotel in a busy back street in Butal. We have been eating Dall Bhaat Tarkaarii which is lentel curry, rice and veg curry. It is slightly different every night with different lentel used and is very tasty, for most nepalise this is there stable diet and its very good. Plus it is refilled until you are full. The people I am working with are great, very laid back and passionate about this work. To sum up this trip is just the biggest adventure I have been on and I still have 3 and half weeks left!

PS Mum Happy Birthday, Mothers Day!
PPS There were a few data issues with my last post that i will correct
PPPS James TSU pop around my mams to pick up the Petzl Pantin
PPPPS I hope everyone is sticking to the rota!!

Saurama and now Butwal

ok.....soo much to say but electric is on and off here so will try to keep it quick....visited the Bird Conservation Nepal to sort out climbing equipment, then we head out of Thamal in Katmandu heading west passsed some prefect boulders along side the river system that met up with the Trisuli River. Then headed south to arrive after 6 hours later at Saurama on the edge of the Chitwan National Park (tourism has taken its toll there). Next day I did some unexpected interesting work with some brilliant people from the Biodiversity Conservation Centre. Following day we then headed further west toward Butwal which took a good few hours. Driving around here is amazing and the further west we are heading the more real Nepal it is becoming but everyone still beeps there horns. Today has been great as started the vulture conservation work west of Butwal which is very much untouched. The first tree I started climbing was of great amusement to the locals as I got attacked by some nasty ants, ow how they laughed when i started doing some freaky dancing trying to de-ant myself! keeping my eyes a bit more open for the ants now. So now just recovering from the tree climbing in the midday sun. My neck is strained from not wanting to miss anything. The people are so good and very laid back as you have to be, for example the electric and water is on and off here all the time. I am really starting to enjoy this unstructured life here and is a real breath of free air to be way from the UK structured rules! More Vulture conservation work tomorrow and hopefully no ants. We will be trying to starting as early as possible to avoid the midday sun. Cheers for now and no spell check so bare with me.

Thamel - Kathmandu

OK I have made it to Kathmandu and all the travelling went good and I strangley enjoyed it. Not sure if this is because I have been thinking about this trip for the last few months and just pleased it was all happening. Landing in Kathmandu the weather was cloudy so did not get a chance to see the big mountains. Then the drive through Katmandu was great with every form of transport all blasting there horns at the same time and coming at each other from all angles. We then went out for the traditonal dish of pizza and beer!..the plan for today is to leave Thamel (a tourist ghetto, where most people stay here because most people stay here) and we will be heading south for 5 hours where we will be for a good few days. Hopefully we will be starting the work Wednesday on taking vulture chicks into captivity. I may well be out of comms for the next few days so the next blog should be of interest and hopefully good news!

Waiting Game

hi,

At the airport and strangley enjoying just waiting around and watching people rush by. My flight is delayed for an hour so there is a chance I will miss my connection but that is not a major concern of mine. Starting reading Into the Wild....vgood and getting me into the right frame of mind for the trip. Next post I hopefully will be in Nepal and will have something more interesting to report back. Cheers Steve

All systems are go!

ok this is it,

Thanks again for everyone coming out last night.

I am all packed and ready to go.....I will be taking the following with me for anyonw who is interested:

TREE CLIMBING
45 metre 13mm tree climbing rope
tree harness and 4m lanyard
1 16oz throw bag with zin it line
1 Spare zin it line
1 big shot catapult + replacement elastics
x2 Etriers
x4 twist lock krabs
x4 Prussiks 10mm + x2 6mm
hand saw + small maillion
120 slings x1
Screw krab x2 ( 2 small)
Small Pulley x2
Petzl Jumar Gold left hand
Climbing helmet
1 dynamic cows tail
Tree Climbing Spikes
Petzl Tibloc
LockJack and lanyard
Small knife/whistle
Petzl Pantin (Thanks James!)

Other
3 shirts cotton
2 trousers cotton
1 Waterproof top (Proclimber)
1 Waterproof bott (Proclimber)
1 Large rim hat
1 Light fleece
1 brown shorts
3x tshirts
1x sleeveless tshirt
5x socks
5x pants
1 thermal leggings
2 thermal top
1 tracksuit botts
Buff
1 small rim hat
1 trainers
Flip flops
Biodegradeable soap
Insect spray + natural
Insect hood
Mosq net
Head torch
Thermal gloves/Balv
suncream +50
Iodine water treatment
sugpack sleeping bag
slik liner
therma rest
towel
Anti-Malarial Drug
Paracetamol 500mg
Loperamide Diarrhoea relief
Diclofenac 75mg
Tinidazole 500mg
Ciprofloxacin 500mg
Amoxicillin 500mg
Ibprofen 600mg
Dioralyte Citurs
Antispectic wipes
Plasters + Zinc oxide tape
Paracetamol
Tiger Balm
Germolene
Finger tape
5x ear plugs
Camera + charger + USB
Ipod + USB leads
Coll copy notes/id book
Book - nepal and read
Journal
Passport + docs + money
Glasses
Shades
Tooth brush + Paste
Deo - roll on
2 x platitpus and hose

Hopefully I have not forgotten anything!!

I will update the blog as and when I can with progress.

Cheers for now...Steve

Training with Safety Technology

Just back from a nice spin in the car up to Raglan in Monmouth to visit Justin Palmer of Safety Technology Ltd. We chatted about his lastest trip where he was apart of the team who climbed maybe some of the biggest trees in the UK (http://dunans.org/2009/02/dunans-castle-views-the-tallest-tree-in-the-uk-its-official/) and about the trip I am about to be a part of. We then moved over to a farm building where some ropes were set up to practise different SRT set-ups. Justin had a good few pointers and reassured me that the system I was going to use in Nepal was sound. One good efficient advantage he showed me was the use of a Petzl Pantin on the right foot with a Jumar on the left and then demonstrated the SRT frog walking technique that was very slick. Also as a highlight he demonstrated the ActSafe ACC Powered Ascender SEE VIDEO AT : (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y96RoMC0nso).

http://www.safetytechnology.co.uk/wind-energy/blocks-and-winches

Thanks Justin for the help!

Pre Nepal Training 2.

Another day of pre-Nepal training. Steve Kedward kindly offered to come along tree climbing. We headed to Clyne Valley again and the weather was fresh and sunny. I set up the lines up the big Ash tree and with in no time he was heading up to the top of the tree. I am pleased as everyone I have demonstrated DRT (doubled rope technique) with a jumar and footloop for the legs and all have picked it up very quickly and efficently.