Female Trekking Guide Training:
The second high altitude female guide training program conducted by 3 Summits for Nepal (Crystal Mountain Trek’s giving arm) has successfully concluded. 3 Summits for Nepal’s goal for conducting this course is to promote skilled female outdoor professionals in Nepal. This edition had ten trainees and two trainers and included a camping component besides lodge-based trekking. Participants trekked for 15 days to the frigid Langtang valley and Gosaikunda where the temperatures dipped to -4F (-20C) learning skills required to become a competent guide.
All applicants were required to have a current trekking guide license which means they have undergone the 45-day training course conducted by a government affiliated academy. But that course is mostly held inside the classroom. The goal of our training is to complement the trekking guide training course and provide first-hand field experience. After our training course, we can confidently state that all graduates are competent to guide trekkers in Nepal.
The trainees were selected from a pool of applicants and besides a trekking guide license other requisites included some prior trekking experience and the ability to speak at least one foreign language. But at the in-person interview, the most important aspect we were looking for in the candidates was passion for the outdoors and trekking.
Here’s a short video of the trip/course:
Teaching components:
- Nepali Tourism industry
- History and introduction to Nepali Tourism industry
- Tourism Today, it’s challenges and Future
- Outdoor leadership
- Leadership, team work and communication
- Organizational skills
- Judgement and Decision making
- Risk/Conflict management and Problem solving
- Search, Rescue and Evacuation
- Back Country skills
- Backpacking, camping and Layering
- Ration Planning and Outdoor cooking
- Map reading and navigation
- Basic rope skills
- Wilderness medicine/First aid
- Environmental Studies
- Leave No Trace – Leave no trace (LNT)
- Global Warming and Climate change
Objectives of the Training course:
- Develop confidence within Female Outdoor Professionals
- Promote respect for nature, surrounding and fellow travelers
- Build essential outdoor skills
- Foster greater awareness of self, clients and environment.
We hope that all the trainees will be employed as guides or assistant guides this year. We will compile and share a list of treks they guide in the next two years.
We run this annual program through donations. We would appreciate donations which can be made to our partner Global Pearls through the below paypal link:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=NRZG3DZN2HFU2
Second edition trainees:
- Humi Budha Magar
- Sandhya Maharjan
- Babita Pandey
- Anima Sherpa
- Mingma Doma Sherpa
- Pasang Lhamu Sherpa
- Anisha Gurung
- Mingnma Sherpa
- Santoshi Magar
- Mingmar Dolma Sherpa
Trainers:
- Rajesh Lama
- Shanti Rai