Climbing Picnic in Ghami: Our Tendon Ropes Helped Children in the Himalayas

At the beginning of July, we supported a unique project by the non-profit organization Himalayan Patron, which introduced a new school activity to children in the village of Ghami in the Mustang region of Nepal – a climbing picnic.

Excited schoolchildren headed to the Thuksumba rock wall, one of the few climbable crags in the Tibetan Himalayas, where they had the chance to experience something completely new – climbing on real rock. Thuksumba is a sacred place for the local people.

Finding appropriate climbing routes was not easy, as the rock consists of a complex mix of weathered stone. Nevertheless, six routes were prepared, and over the course of five days all forty pupils had the opportunity to try them. It was inspiring to watch their enthusiasm and determination – some children faced their fears and tried climbing only once or twice, while others were so captivated that they would have climbed from morning till evening, competing over who could complete more routes in a single day.

In addition to climbing, the children – who in the future will often make their living through tourism – also learned about popular tourist sports, how much they could potentially earn in tourism, how to prepare a travel budget, and other practical skills.

We are proud to have supported this project. We provided Tendon SMART climbing ropes and a Tendon Static rope, which ensured safety and allowed the children to fully enjoy their very first climbing experiences. We believe this pilot climbing camp enriched education at the Ghami school and will inspire more similar activities in the future.

Our sincere thanks go to the volunteers who set up the climbing routes and taught the children how to climb, as well as to all other partners involved. Above all, we thank the organizers from Himalayan Patron for allowing us to take part in such a beautiful and meaningful initiative.