CLOTHING DRIVE FOR NEPAL 

By Rachel Leigh - Express Newspaper Nelson, B.C.

Tim and Becky Rippel of Nelson's Peak Freaks are organizing a clothing donation drive for Nepalese Sherpa children. Increased tourism in Nepal's mountains has encouraged an influx of Nepalese families to the Mount Everest region, but recent international events have had a devastating effect on the country's tourist industry. SARS and 9/11, along with Maoist rebels in western Nepal have discouraged visitors and left many Sherpas without work.

The Rippel's have over 14 years of experience leading mountaineering expeditions in Nepal, have developed strong connections with the Sherpa families who live and work in the Mt. Everest region. When Tim leaves next month on his latest Nepalese expedition, he hopes to help alleviate poverty by sending each of his climbers with an extra expedition bag of clothing to add to their allowable baggage allowance. 

Because of the wide varying temperatures at different elevations, both summer and winter clothes are needed. They're looking for clothing in good condition in sizes from two to adult; they will clean all donations. If you have no clothes to give but still would like to help, the Rippel's would also welcome computer software for Nepalese schools. 

A donation box will be set up at the Valhalla Pure Outfitters store in Nelson; the deadline for donations is September 17. For more information contact Becky Rippel or Tim Rippel at 250 352 9133 or

Photo: Becky Rippel passing on hats to the children in the Khumbu hand made by a women in Nakusp, B.C.

Vanessa Higgot and Guy Higgot from the Ama Dablam team of climber's and trekker's made contact with the Hopeful Home in the autumn of 2006. Vanessa spent time with the Hopeful Home's children while waiting for Guy's return from Ama Dablam.

Vanessa's heart was left in Kathmandu after meeting the children at the Hopeful Home. She has sponsored a lovely little girl named Santi and after some awareness her brother was also sponsored with the opportunity to go to school. 

The Higgot's continue to stay in touch with the children at the home, sending clothing and other aids to help sustain their educational needs. Vanessa and the home share photos of the children they have fallen in love with. 

There are many children at the home that are in dire need of education sponsorship, a chance of a lifetime that will make such a difference in their futures. Their stories are heart breaking. If you or someone you know can help. Please let us know!  In the meantime we at Peak Freak's will continue to ask our travelers to help by loading their bags with clothing for the children. 

Photo: Vanessa and Santi at the Hopeful Home

Vanessa's personal story!

Trekkers helping support good oral hygene and dental care in the Khumbu Valley. Sonam Sherpa shown in the photo works with Peak Freaks with his team of Yaks. His smile was infectious with the missing tooth but unfortunately also infectious was the pain he endured from rotting teeth.  Sonam was sponsored by one of our trekkers a flight for the first time to a city, to Kathmandu. Escorted by his brother Dawa who also works with us as a climbing sherpa. The flight and dental work cost only 200.00 US dollars. 

Our trekkers and climber help in facilitating the transportation of vaccine to the Khumbu. Each year we load up essentials wherever possible to help the Kunde Hospital with their much needed supplies. Thanks to a dentist in the US this time we were provided with a box filled with tooth brushes and tooth paste. The hospital doctors used these supplies to entice the sherpa people to come in for check up so they could be looked at and a file opened for them. The sherpas have been afraid to go to the hospital as they believed that if you went there you would die. This gift changed that way of thinking and much as improved now. Allowing the doctors to identify problems before they became serious. Something so small did so much. THANK......YOU!

This venture was quite fun. We organized with schools in our home town Nelson, B.C. Canada an exchange letter opportunity. We brought books, pencils and other teaching aids to the school. We also delivered a hand full of letters from a grade 5 class in Nelson to a class at the Sir Edmund Hillary school in Khumjung. While we went off trekking the students wrote a reply to the children back home and we picked them up on our way back and delivered them back to Canada. Great fun!