For the fourth year since 2014 senior university students from Swinburne University in Melbourne have travelled to Nepal to learn more about the country and its people and to volunteer their time and abilities in community assistance programs.

This January 2017 saw another 13 students leave the 40 degree heat of Melbourne, Australia, to arrive in much cooler 10 degree Kathmandu.  The students are studying for bachelor and masters level degrees in business, sociology and engineering and so bring a wealth of enthusiasm and fresh skills to rural Nepal.  After a brief tour of Kathmandu the students travelled on to Pokhara where they will spend about two weeks working in a range of volunteer programs in rural communities. They will then finish their trip with a five day trek into the high and cold Annapurna Sanctuary valleys and mountains where they will view sunrise over the Annapurna Massif peaks from glorious Poon Hill.  At 3,210m altitude at this time they will need more than their Melbourne t-shirts and rubber flip-flops to handle the usual -6 degree dawn temperatures.  But the view and the entire experience will be worth it.

Langtang Ri Trekking is already looking forward to 2018 and the next groups of fantastic young people from Swinburne University.  Thank you everyone for your commitment to the community projects and hope to see you again on a Himalayan trail some day soon.