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Back to "Monthly Program History"
September 16,
2009
"From the Mountains to the Sea"
A Service Trek in Rural Nepal and Fun
and Sun in Southern Thailand
by Dave Dogruel
Dave Dogruel spent
exciting days trekking through remote Nepal delivering needed medicine and
supplies, visiting health clinics, schools, and temples, and wandering
around extremely beautiful forested valleys with lovely streams and
terraced farms. He got to know some of the charming local
families who provided wonderful hospitality to his "service" group, and
adventured in Kathmandu. In
addition, he followed up his trek with an unforgettable visit
to Southern Thailand. He will provide slides and commentary on his
many experiences in this incredible part of the world.
Terraces of Patale
"The Himalaya have
always interested me and after meeting Dan Mazur several times in Santa
Fe while giving shows about his climbs and treks, I joined the November
2008 SummitClimb Nepal service trek to the remote Patale region of Nepal.
This expansive valley is home to many of the strongest climbing Sherpas
who make it possible for foreigners to climb the highest mountains in
the world. They also share their homes and lands with diverse
groups of trekkers, yet they have many needs as Nepal continues to
develop. This service trek provided assistance to the Patale health
post and primary school with volunteer medical providers and educators,
combined with adventures in Kathmandu and a scenic trek on paths less
traveled."
Tonsai Beach, Thailand
"What better way to
relax after a mountain trek than to head for the beach? Inspired
by a Mountaineers presentation several years ago about climbing in the
Krabi area of Thailand, I spent some time on Tonsai Beach exploring,
climbing, and learning to cook Thai food."
Boudnath Stupa, Kathmandu
Dave Dogruel has lived
in northern New Mexico all of his life. He learned to rock climb
from friends while attending college at New Mexico Tech, and learned to
climb better after taking the LAM climbing school in 1988. Lately, he
has been bitten by the trail running bug and has completed half-marathon
off-road races and is working his way up to marathon distance.
Dave is a
valued member of the Los Alamos Mountaineers. Over the years he has served the club very well indeed as
President, Vice-President, Climbing School Director, Climbing School
Instructor (for years), and Program Chair. For the past seven
years he has been our A/V Potentate (audio
and video man for club presentations).
Dave semi-retired from
doing scientific research at Los Alamos National Laboratory, and currently works at REI in Santa Fe as a
sales
specialist. Unfortunately, he still doesn't get to play outside as
much as he would like.
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