In September 2023, the “Component III” mountain guide course for aspiring guides in Nepal came to an end. This three-week course forms part of the mountain guide training programme of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) and is offered annually by the Nepal National Mountain Guides Association (NNMGA).
The Swiss Sherpa Foundation supports this training programme in partnership with the IFMGA.
End of April 2023 we visited this climbing school and were able to convince ourselves that this project makes a valuable contribution to the preservation of nature and the promotion of children and young people. They learn not only climbing, but also how to behave in nature and in the mountains and how to organize trekkings with care for nature.
In March 2022, we were once again able to launch a training programme in Argentina for two young women. Each of them spent six months in Salta, where they received training in English, marketing, information technology, mountain rescue, and trekking. Pancho supervised Belén and Verónica and was very pleased with their dedication and progress.
One of the two young women works at the tourism office in San Antonio de los Cobres and hopes to organise and lead her own trekking tours in the region in the future.
In Pakistan’s Baltistan region, we continued to support the two schools in Arandu and Kandey by funding teachers’ salaries.
This also led to a request to sponsor the teacher training of a young man from Arandu. Musa Ali Danish’s goal is to return to his remote home village and work as a teacher, helping to improve educational opportunities for future generations.
The Swiss Sherpa Foundation is funding Musa Ali Danish’s three-year teacher training programme in Karachi. In addition, we provided him with a laptop to help him achieve his educational goals more effectively and independently.
Thanks to a donation from the Heinrich and Carina Harrer Foundation, we were able to purchase 40 new avalanche transceivers (beacons) from PIEPS, as well as 40 shovels and avalanche probes for our avalanche training courses.
The proper use of this equipment will be taught in our future avalanche courses in Nepal. All devices have been numbered and will be loaned to Sherpas for use on expeditions, ensuring they are properly equipped in the Himalayas. In the event of an avalanche, they will be able to begin search and rescue operations immediately on site.
Air Zermatt carries out more than 2,000 rescue missions each year, often under the most challenging conditions. At the Air Zermatt Training Center (ATC), its rescue specialists share this wealth of experience with professionals and enthusiasts from around the world.
Recently, Silvana Candiani from Argentina took part in the HEMS Crew Member course. Her inspiring life story made a lasting impression and earned her a scholarship from Air Zermatt and the Swiss Sherpa Foundation.
In January 2022, we were able to conduct the avalanche training course in Nepal once again. A total of 26 Sherpas and 6 Sherpanis took part in the course, which combined both theoretical and practical training and was led by the two Nepalese mountain guides, Mr Tshering Pande Bhote and Mr Pimba Tenjing Lama.
We had the special pleasure of virtually attending the certificate ceremony via video call, making the occasion particularly memorable for us.
