Newspaper Reports on visits to the Nepal Himalayas by Alan Ingram:
1988: "Another Himalayan visit"
Those of an adventurist nature like to boast that they will try anything once, but Alan Ingram of Bearsden takes things a bit further — he’ll try anything twice!
Not content with one 220 mile trek around the 8000m high Annapurna mountain range in Nepal, Alan is now planning another trip to the Himalayas later in the year
- when he hopes to undertake three more treks.
“Last time I went on an organised trek through Ramblers travel agency, but this time I'm organising it myself. Arranging the travel myself and, hopefully, also Sherpas and
other Nepalese trekking crew out there in Kathmandu.
The Milngavie & Bearsden Herald featured Alan’s previous trip, at which time he was one of a group of 14 members. For his September trip, however, he will
be travelling in a group of no more than three or four members.
Alan leaves in the middle of September for Kathmandu by way of London and Dehli and aims to complete three treks between then and the start of December:
in the Langtang Valley, the Mount Everest region and also the Annapurna Sanctuary route.
“lt is a completely different world out there, a radically different society,” he explains.
On his previous trip he noted the poor condition of many of the country’s facilities and when he arrives this time he would like to do something to help.
To this end he is looking for donations which he can distribute while in Nepal.
“Nepal is one of the less developed countries with only rudimentary education and health services,” he told the Herald, “should any of
your readers be interested in making a donation towards schools and medical stations located in remote areas of the Nepal Himalayas, then I
would be pleased to distribute and account for any such donations.”
He explained that he had seen situations in remote villages where the simplest items of medical help would have been of value.
“Sometimes, I thought that even an Elastoplast would be of help, but of course I didn’t have any to spare.”
However, such aid as he can take will have to be in the form of cash, once he has packed his clothes, tent, camping and cooking equipment,
he does not have any room for much else.
He agrees that a certain amount of fitness is required to undertake a trek in the Himalayas, but hopes that the high altitude will not pose a problem.
“We are actually starting fairly low, down where it is almost sub-tropical and working our way up so hopefully we should acclimatise ourselves as we go.”
He plays down any possible danger inherent in walking about the Himalayas in sometimes sub-zero temperatures saying that the guides and
sherpas are vey reliable. The only problem, he says, is that were something to happen, it could well be several days walk from a medical station or other help.
“Sometimes, though, tracks can be washed away and you have to go across some very slippery slopes, he adds.
He feels that his previous experience in the Himalayas should stand him in good stead for this series of treks and is hopeful of completing all three.
“I know a fair bit about how much everything will cost and so forth and I have a budget to work to,” he says, “but if it runs out I’ll be back
in Bearsden sooner than I think.”
Bearsden & Milngavie Herald 1988
1990: "Return from the Himalayas"
Most people who decide to get away from it all before Christmas do it somewhere reasonably warm and exotic.
Not Alan Ingram. He has just returned from his third trek through the Nepal Himalayas — the Roof of the World.
Former lecturer Alan of Bearsden gave up his job so that he could concentrate on his hobby of hill walk-ing with a difference.
He set off on his 12 week trek in September and returned just before Christmas having spent his time 20,000 feet up a mountain
when others thought they were having a hard time struggling through the crowds in Argyle street to do the Christmas shopping.
DONATIONS
As before, Alan combined his trekking with a good cause. On previous trips he distributed money donated by local Bearsden people while in Nepal
and this time he had more than ever to give away.
‘‘I distributed £230 which is almost 100,000 rupees. The money goes five times as far over there and when you add it up it actually goes a
very long way,” Alan told the Herald.
The cash, which was both donated by Herald readers and raised by a family garage sale, went to schools and medical and rescue stations in Nepal .
LEECHES
Alan’s trip was divided into three treks. The first in the Helambu region was undertaken at the end of the rainy ( monsoon ) season when the land was rather
more green than Alan is used to seeing. There were, however, problems . . leeches!
“They hung off branches and off the grass,” Alan explained with a hint of relish.
“On very bad days you had to stop every ten minutes or so to take your shoes off. One good way of getting rid of them was to use whisky,
but you can just flick them off. The Sherpas were good at that as they have such strong fingers.
SECLUDED
 Beding Village
in Rolwaling Valley
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Alan’s second trek took him into the secluded Rolwaling Himal region, where he climbed higher than he had before in the Himalayas.
During the trek he climbed to the summit of Parchoma - some 20,300 feet!
Fortunately the trip was trouble free. “We came close once when a dislodged boulder almost hit one of our trekking crew. lt was lucky because
the place is pretty remote and there was no medical help nearby.
JOURNAL
Alan has written up a journal of his three treks which are accompanied by some stunning photographs — two of which are reproduced here.
But despite having made three trips to Nepal he doesn’t think he is exhausted yet, there are a few places in Nepal that he hasn't been yet and once he’s done
these, there are always the Andes!
Milngavie & Bearsden Herald 5th January 1990
1992: "Pinnacle of Career"
Five years ago Alan Ingram was a senior lecturer in Computer Studies at Bell College in Hamilton.
He didn't like it. He was fed up. He felt he needed a change - in his dentist's words, he'd “just had enough”.
So the Bearsden man decided on a career break and packed in his job, not knowing what he was going to do next.
He was a keen climber -- a climber of all the Munros and a visitor to the Alps for 10 years running.
So he set his sights on the biggest mountains in the world - the Himalayas.
Since then, he's been around the world and is about to embark on his sixth trekking exhibition to the Nepal Himalayas.
He has captured his amazing life of the last five years on film and will be showcasing his slides in aid of charity at
Kilmardinny House in Bearsden - about 100 people packed the burgh hall to see last year's show.
Next month he leaves again for Nepal where he will meet German friends and spend three months trekking around the Everest region.
Once that's up, he'll spend another three months touring in South East Asia before returning home to “check the finances".
He may then “depending on the finances” return to work.
He said: “The first time I went, I went with a group tour. Since then, I've gone privately. I've got quite a lot of friends there now as I use the same trekking
agency and guest house.
“October is the best time to go. Our summer is their monsoon. The time to go is either pre-monsoon or in the post-monsoon season, which is when I go.
“Nepal is a very poor country. Once you leave the road there are very few amenities, you are back to the middle ages. The schools are in
the middle of nowhere. They have earth floors and home made wooden furniture.
“Over the years I have raised about £800 for them. The school teachers earn about £20 a month, so if I give them £10, which is
quite a big donation, it goes a long way. In Nepal, £1 is worth about five times as much as in Scotland.”
A few years ago Alan spent eight months climbing and touring in Nepal, New Zealand and the United States.
“Trekking is a day by day adventure. I have climbed some of the smaller Himalayan peaks such as Mera Peak and
Parchoma, which are over 21,000 feet. But the higher the peak, the more expensive the climbing permit. It costs some £20,000 to climb
Everest."
Although Alan's show this Tuesday is free, there will be a voluntary exit collection for charity. Bearsden Travel
Centre sponsor putting on the show, but do not sponsor Alan who pays all his own expenses.
The Glasgow Guardian 4th September 1992
1993: "Adventure in the Mountains"
A Bearsden adventurer has just returned from a three month journey through the Golden Triangle of SE Asia.
Climber Alan Ingram embarked on the marathon joumey at the end of last year.
His travels took him to the roof of the world - the Nepal Himalayas - as well as Thailand and Malaysia.
On the way he distributed money he had previously raised at home to schools and hospitals on his route.
It was the sixth such journey he has made since giving up his job as a college lecturer in 1987.
He began the trek from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.
Alan said: “I made several treks through the Himalayas using Kathmandu as my base.
“I was with a party of German friends that I had trekked with before, and we had a trekking crew of Sherpas and other staff with us as well.
“Our average age was over 50 but we were all pretty fit, though we had some problems with the altitude even though we just skirted the base of the high mountains.
“One route took 88 days to complete, and for several days we walked in the shadow of Manaslu, over 8,000 metres high.
“I gave out the money I raised from slide shows the last time I was in Scotland — mostly to Nepalese schools in remote hill villages.
“Nepal is a developing / third world country, and although people may have enough to eat they need money to buy basic equipment
and technology which we take for granted. ”
Alan then flew on from Nepal to Singapore, before journeying solo through Malaysia and Thailand.
He used local buses to travel from place to place, staying several days in each before moving on.
He said: “They’re both amazing countries and most tourists don’t get to experience the cultures in-depth.
Thailand in particular is beautiful, with magnificent, empty beaches.
But one of my most abiding memories is of the country’s motorcycle taxis . . . it’s not uncommon to see five people riding on one bike! ”
Alan plans to give a series of slide shows later this year, where he will also be giving advice to anyone planning a first trip to the areas.
Glasgow Guardian 21st May 1993
1993: Slide Show:
A recent slide show on the Himalayas helped raise funds which will buy medical and school supplies for the poor in those areas.
Adventurer Alan Ingram of Bearsden sets off next week on a return journey to Nepal.
Alec Spalding of the 24th Glasgow ( Bearsden ) Scout Group helped Alan present the slide show highlighting his earlier treks in the region.
Donations from the show totalled £164.60 and this was added to £60 already contributed.
About 90 people enjoyed the slide show whlch featured pictures from treks and climbs in the Annapurna, Rolwailng and Everest regions of the Nepal Himalayas.
COSTS
The costs of the slide show were met by the Bearsden Travel Centre, so that all the money collected will go where most needed.
Alan says the donations are significant, as the average monthly salary of a teacher in Nepal is only about £10.
An audience of almost 100 was entertained by an illustrated account of journeys through the Nepal Himalaya at Kilmardinny House on Monday evening.
The talk was given by Alan Ingram of Bearsden and sponsored by Bearsden Travel Centre and an exit collection tor health and education
in Nepal raised a generous £212.67.
Together with previous donations, this means that £276 will be distributed to schools and medical stations in remote areas of the
Nepal Himalaya during Alan's next visit, when he intends to trek and climb in the Dhaulagiri region.
The cash will go a long way in Nepal, where an average teacher's salary is just £10 a month.
It will go to pay for repairs and construction of buildings and fumiture or supplies of books
or stationery. while medical stations use the money for buying basic medicines.
Milngavie and Bearsden Herald 17th September 1993
1994: "Return to Heaven"
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The Himalayas have an irresistible lure for Alan Ingram, dreaming of his eighth visit to the world's greatest mountain paradise.
Alan discovered the magic of Nepal — its mountains and its people —- seven years ago.
He spends months of every year trekking round this beautiful mountain wilderness, a world away from life as ost westerners live it.
“Nepa| is amazing," he says. “Eight of the world's top 10 highest mountains are there so the scenery is breathtaking.
“Every time I go back the treks I make are more demanding.
“This year one base camp was on a remote glacier so we had to be completely self-sufficient."
Alan’s first visit was with an organised party, but he nowplans his own itnerary.
He has even been guided around the Everest region by one Tenzing Sherpa — no relation, however, of his famous namesake!
On his past three trips Alan has also travelled through Thailand and Malaysia.
“Thailand is a very beautiful country, it is a shame people tend to only read bad news about it," he says.
“Many people expect to find acres of poppy fields and drug dealers on every corner and it's not like that at all.
“And Malaysia, with three different peoples living in it, is a very cosmopolitan and interesting country to visit."
Alan is keen give something back to the lands where he makes his home for months out every year.
And he credits the Milngavie and Bearsden Herald for giving him the opportunity.
“After my first trip, the ‘M and B’ did a spread on me and highlighted the poverty in Nepal.
‘I made a suggestion that if anyone would like to donate money, I would give it to schools and medical stations; on my routes.
“After you leave Kathmandu and the roadheads in Nepal the places are almost prehistoric, there is no electricity or real amenities.
"This year donations of £245 from my Nepal fund were distributed along with clothing and other items.
“And although my trips are self-financed and I go for the climbing, It's really nice to be able to help the locals along the way.
 Trekking Crew
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CUSTOMS
Whilst travelling through the three coutries Alan celebrated four separate New Years - the Nepalese, European, Chinese and Malaysian.
Somehow I managed to catch all of them which was great, because of the great variety.
“They all differ in religion and customs, but the celebrating is basically universal and family orientated."
Trekking can be a dangerous pastime with each country posing a different set of problems for the visitor.
Alan explained: “ln Nepal, once you leave the roadheads you are virtually on your own.
"lf any of the party fall ill, a runner is sent back to the nearest town for help.
“But the first town may take several days to reach, that is a risk you have to take.
“The Guide book for Malaysia warns about lizards and snakes in the rainforest areas, but I was shocked at the
physical size of some of them. “The lizards may be some six feet long and two feet high - more like mini-alligators than the small reptiles I'd envisaged.
But the two main problems Alan encountered in Thailand were of a more familiar nature.
TRAFFIC and DOGS
“There is no highway code or speed limits in Thailand and pavements may be few and far between.
“The majority of people travel by motorbike and quickly!
It is is not unusual for a whole family to travel on a two-wheeled bike.
“I saw FIVE people on one bike, mother and father with a child in between them, one behind and a baby up front on the handlebars.
“The other main problem is the dogs — they seem to be able to tell the foreigners and they don't like them.
“l've had a few nasty encounters with dogs, and when you consider that many have rabies that's not a pleasant experience."
But to Alan the allure of travelling is too strong to let these things put him off - and plans for his next trip are already in the pipeline.
For the past few years. Alan has given an autumn slide show of his previous trips with proceeds going to his Nepal Fund. A show is planned
next month and anyone interested in his travels, or who fancies going on a trek themselves, is welcome to attend.
EXPLORERS
So w hat advice does this seasoned traveller offer to would-be explorers.
“The most important thing is to do your homework before you go," says Alan.
“A good guide book is" essential because they tell you what is necessary before travelling, ie inoculations,
visas, etc, as well as what to expect when you arrive.
“The trips are easier to plan after the first time and it is amazing to find just how many people are actually on the road.
“Since I've been home it's a question of making enough money to go back..
"There are still so many things I'd love to do in Nepal and SE Asia, so hopefully I'll be able to return.
Milngavie and Bearsden Advertiser 19th August 1994
1994: Sunday Post 10th July
Eight years ago Alan Ingram from Glasgow retired from his job as a college lecturer to spend more time climbing mountains.
A veteran of Scot1and’s Munros and the Swiss Alps, he fulfilled a lifetime’s ambition by going to Nepal to tackle the Himalayas.
He's now preparing for his eighth trip in October.
Autumn is the best time for the Nepalese mountains, after the summer monsoons and before the snow arrives in January and February.
Alan usually spends three months climbing “small” peaks up to 21,000 feet. And as you can see, he’s taken some truly stunning
pictures of his adventures.
 Kangchenjunga region
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On each trip, he visits remote village schools with gifts of money raised by giving slide shows of the Nepalese scenery.
He had a hair-raising experience one night in his tent when he was wakened by a tug on his pillow.
He lifted his head and saw his pillow being whisked out through a slit in the tent wall!
Someone had sneaked up with a razor blade and had already stolen Alan's jacket and medical kit.
Alan rushed outside shouting for his staff, but the thieves were gone.
 Langtang Himal
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Most Nepalese are poor. The porters who accompany Alan on his treks may take off their boots when the going gets really tough.
They’d rather risk their bare feet on sharp rocks than damage the expensive footware.
Alan reckons this habit may account for some of the Abominable Snowman legends.
Hot sunshine on the snow makes the print of a bare human foot expand until it looks gigantic.
1994: Slide Show:
The slide show will feature treks through the valleys and across the high passes of the Nepal Himalaya from Kangchenjunga to Dhaulagiri via the Everest, Rolwaling,
Langtang, Manaslu and Annapurna regions. Ascents of several peaks will be included.
Admission will be free, but a voluntary exit collection for education and health in Nepal will be taken.
This will be added to the £100 already received from the Rotary Club of Allander for distribution during my forthcoming visit to Nepal when I intend to
trek and climb in the Makalu region.
During my visit to Nepal last autumn, when the circuit of Mount Dhaulagiri was completed, a total of £245 was distributed taking the
overall total of donations made to date to approximately £1150.
There will be a display of colour photographs in Brookwood Llbrary prior to the slide show.
1999: "Mission to the Top of the World"
 In the Nepal Himalayas
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When former college lecturer Alan Ingram took early retirement from Bell College in Hamilton, his colleagues could have been forgiven for expecting him to potter around his garden.
Few would have guessed Alan would end up helping to build village schools 10,000 feet up in the Nepalese Himalayas.
However for 12 years the senior lecturer in computing spearheaded a mercy mission to help some of the wor1d’s poorest people help themselves.
Life and Death:
Alan, from Bearsden in Glasgow ran a one-man charity which helped build, repair and equip schools and medical centres throughout Nepal.
In a land where life expectancy was just 50 and infant mortality stood at one in 10, such facilities can often, literally, mean the difference between life and death.
Since 1987, Alan became a familiar figure in the remote villages on the slopes of Mount Everest and other high ranges
distributing money donated in Bearsden to local teachers, doctors and village leaders.
The money was raised in slide shows and talks, from friends and local businesses.
Alan paid his own travel and trekking expenses so every penny raised was spent on projects in Nepal.
 Making a
donation to school in Langtang Valley
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Holiday:
In one year alone, 13 schools and centres received donations - ranging from a dental clinic for Sherpas to a rescue centre in the capital, Kathmandu.
Alan first arrived in Nepal through Ramblers travel agency and his mercy mission began almost by accident.
“When I first went out to Nepal, I was like any other tourist - captivated by the scenery,” he says.
“I had climbed all the Scottish Munros, climbed Europe’s highest mountain, Mont Blanc, three times and also the dreaded Eiger.
“Nepal and Everest were the ultimate challenge, so I had decided to spend a few weeks trekking.”
Away from comfy hotels and shopping centres, Alan found himself in a medieval world.
Off the beaten track, he came across poverty as breathtaking as the mountain ranges.
“Nothing in Scotland, however bad, can prepare you for the hardships you see in Nepal.
“Healthcare is minimal and, while most villages have a school, they are usually flimsy structures knocked together with wood from the forests and bare earth floors.
"In some remote areas, villagers had never before seen a Western visitor yet the friendship and hospitality was amazing. Nothing was too much trouble."
Back in Bearsden, Alan resolved to return and help them.
Through slide shows, talks and personal contacts, he raised several hundred pounds and each year since made a two or three month visit to Nepal.
From the start he was espécially determined to set up schools.
“I was amazed at how keen Nepalese children were to study, but they often lacked even the most basic equipment.”
Alan was affectionaly known as “dai”, which means big brother, although also latterly “badgi”, or grandfather.
“Anyone over 40 in Nepal is considered old, so I suppose I must have been considered ancient,” he laughs.
Alan had a couple of hair- raising moments.
Snow storm:
“One day we met 30 people on a Japanese expedition travelling on the same route as us, but they set off early and I waved them off.
“That night there was a major snow storm. Three metres fell in 36 hours and the Japanese were all killed in an avalanche.
“Another time I had just donated money to a village and was asleep in my tent. Suddenly a knife slashed through the tent and a hand grabbed my bag. “I got up in a flash and the thief ran off with most of my clothes including an expensive Goretex jacket.”
Nepalese villagers were unable to grasp the concept of city life, so Alan told them the money came from his village called Glasgow. “I tell them about life here, from the architecture to Rab C. Nesbitt.
“In one little Himalayan school there was a picture of George Square on the wall, alongside postcards of the West Highland Way".
Alan insists he was only a messenger. “I distributed money raised by others,” he says. “They are the ones who deserve praise.”
The Sunday Post: 24th January 1999
