The Nepal Trek and the Queen's Gurkha Signals

Captain Andy Aitken tells his story of how he got the unique chance to go out to Nepal. Following Sandhurst, Andy had postings to Germany, Cyprus, and commanded 2 independent Troops in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia. He was then posted as Second-in-Command of 250 Queens Gurkha Signal Squadron, part of 30th Signal Regiment.

My first challenge was the short Nepalese language course in Church Crookham. This course is a two-week introduction to the Nepalese language, which all British officers in the Brigade of Gurkhas must pass prior to attending a longer course in Nepal. My time in Church Crookham was soon up and I returned to find that the Squadron had been warned off to deploy on peacekeeping operations in Kosovo. However, I was not due to deploy, as I had to spend three months in Nepal for the long-language course and the Nepal trek.   After flying into Kathmandu International Airport, I continued the journey by road to Pokhara in West Nepal. The natural beauty and sheer size of the mountains and valleys made an immediate impression on me. The British Camp at Pokhara was to be our home for the eight weeks prior to the highlight of the trip, the long trek on behalf of the Gurkha Welfare Scheme. The Gurkha Welfare Scheme is a charitable organisation, established by the Brigade of Gurkhas in 1969, which aims to alleviate hardship and distress amongst Gurkha Ex-Servicemen and their dependants by rendering aid to individuals and their communities in Nepal. Accompanied by three porters, I was tasked to visit seven schools recently completed as part of the School Building Programme, as well as investigating the personal circumstances of three welfare pensioners.   Each day we walked for many hours up and down the seemingly endless tracks in order to keep to our visit programme, but never once did the porters ever lose their cheerful nature. Likewise, I was amazed by the welcoming and friendly nature of men, women and children who live in conditions which would be considered unbearable in western countries. The vast majority of villages have neither electricity nor running water, with every meal consisting of rice and lentils. Yet the people are content, and were willing to share everything with a strange white man who made them laugh by trying to speak their language! At every school I received a huge welcome, and it was heartrending to see the commitment that whole villages were prepared to make in order to give their children the best possible education.

My time in Nepal was the trip of a lifetime, which I wish everyone in the British Army could experience. There can be few better courses available, and I am very grateful for being allowed to travel to the country where my soldiers come from. The aspects of Nepal which remain foremost in my memory are the friendly and happy nature of the villagers, the extreme rugged beauty of the country itself, and the value of the work done by the Gurkha Welfare Scheme.

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