Picture yourself hiking from SilverStar Mountain Resort near Vernon to about 60 kilometres south of Edmonton.
That’s roughly 800 kilometres, which is how far Vernon journalist/author Patti Shales Lefkos and her photographer husband Barry Hodgins completed of the demanding 1,500-kilometre Great Himalaya Trail trek in the south Asian country of Nepal.
The septuagenarians recently returned home to SilverStar after their 75-day adventure.
“We trekked through varying landscapes, altitudes up to 5,500 metres and many distinctive cultures for 75 days,” said Lefkos, 77. “Each day was a joy, a challenge and an adventure as many sections of the trail are remote and at high altitude, beyond cell and internet range. There were times early on when I wondered what I was doing there at my age, but somehow we persevered thanks to our excellent guide, Rajendra Neupane, and camping crew from trekking company Ace the Himalaya.”
Hodgins, 76, and Lefkos were hiking to raise funds for education, healthcare and homebuilding for the non-profit Nepal One Day at a Time Society’s projects in Gorkha, Nepal. They covered all personal trip expenses.
One of the highlights of the trip for the couple was a reunion with students, school staff and villagers at Devi Jal Kumari Schoool in Aprik village, Gorkha.
Following the 2015 earthquake, Nepal One Day at a Time Society partnered with Vernon’s Kalamalka Rotary to build a school in the remote village near the epicenter of the quake. The school was completed in 2018.
“This year thanks to local donations we took library books, sports equipment, toothbrushes (thanks to Aberdeen Dental) and supplies for the teachers,” said Lefkos. “Kudos to Wayside who provided a banner to record our daily progress.
“We also visited two families in their recently completed homes built by Nepal One Day at a Time and coordinated by partner Kathmandu based NGO Sambhav Nepal. It was extremely gratifying to see these needy families in well-constructed homes that replaced those lost in the earthquake.”
In Western Nepal, where guesthouses are few and far between, Lefkos and Hodgins camped on the grounds of a primary school, Kindergarten to Grade 5, called Biddyada Joti Adarbut Primary in the village of Bhatte Bada.
“Principal Ratna Prasad Bhatterai and many local students made us welcome even though it wasn’t a school day,” said Lefkos. “Principal for 10 years, Ratna is clearly devoted to his students. We discovered they have no library books. One of our future goals is to remedy that situation.”
Lefkos and Hodgins feel blessed to enjoy the good health that allows them to take on such ambitious pursuits.
“It’s all about putting one foot in front of the other,” said Lefkos. “Almost anyone can do it. It’s a mental as well as a physical game. Here’s to better fitness for all in 2024.”
If these energetic seniors inspire you, there is still time to donate to their fundraiser.
To receive a tax receipt, donations to Nepal One Day at a Time Society can be made through Canada Helps, under the donation drop down menu listed on the page of Afretech Aid Society.
For more information contact Patti Lefkos pattilefkos@shaw.ca.
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