Tsering Namgyal's sheep

Drop-down menu: please select page Bridges Homepage Update Academics Project Options Online Application Form Printable Application Form Payment Frequently Asked Questions Bridges Enterprises Rolwaling Summiters: Rolwaling Mountaineering School Photographs Research Links Nepal Links Forum Surveys No Javascript? Click here for low-tech menu

Costs and Application Procedure

The cost of the Bridges to Rolwaling academic/volunteer program is $2500; this will cover:

• administrative expenses
• application fee
• trekking permits
• 2-day rafting expedition (all expenses)
• long-haul buses (Kathmandu-Dolakha-Kathmandu)
• food and accommodations while in Rolwaling (ca. March 2 - April 27)
• staffing (directors, translators, and, when necessary, guides)

• airfare to and from Nepal (currently $1100-$1500)
• airfare between Kathmandu and Lukla
• "land expenses" in Kathmandu, on trek (between Kathmandu and Beding), or in Khumbu (these will depend to a large part on the individual; a low figure would be about $10/day)
• comprehensive insurance (trip cancellation, medical, emergency evacuation, theft)

Who should apply?

Bridges to Rolwaling is designed for but by no means limited to university students. There are no age restrictions per se. Knowledge of Nepali and/or English is useful but not required. English is an official language in Nepal, and all educated people are more or less fluent in English; even uneducated Nepalis, if they come into regular contact with Westerners, are quite frequently competent in English sometimes other languages as well.

This is not a vacation trek. There will be written assignments and discussion sessions throughout the program. Advanced students or professionals in pertinent fields such as community development, civil engineering, marketing, geology, tourism, anthropology, park management, and ecology, will undertake research or development projects compatible with their interests and skills. It should be understood that the group will be working together on projects as a team; all results will be shared and available to all participants.

Application Procedure

There is no specific deadline for applications. However, places in this program are limited to 15. Furthermore, preparation for the expedition requires time and thought. The more time you leave yourself, the more you will get out of this opportunity.

Applications are not competitive: we are not looking for the "best" or most highly qualified individuals; rather, we are looking for highly motivated people who will both profit academically and/or professionally and also contribute to the group's agenda. We do not generally refuse applicants: instead, we help people figure out whether they actually want to undertake this program.

The application will not be considered complete until all of the following have been received:

1. Application fee of $25. This fee is only refundable if we refuse your application. The application fee counts toward the $2500 program fee.
2. Completed online application form, or hardcopy application
3. Proof of a full medical exam, including a physician's statement that the applicant has no physical condition that would make participation in this project hazardous; medical form can be printed out.
4. Application fee of $25. This fee is fully refundable if (and only if) the applicant is refused; if the application is accepted, the $25 will be applied toward the $2500 program fee. You can pay by credit card link from this Website; personal checks (drawn on U.S. banks only) or money orders may be made out to "Bridges-PRTD" and mailed to:

Optional

Students who plan to request their departments to grant academic credit for work in Bridges should submit at least one but preferably two letters of reference from professors in related field. The letters are intended only to facilitate credit requests: applications can be processed without them. They are not required.

After acceptance

Once an application is approved, students should immediately forward, within 2 weeks of notification by email, an additional $475 deposit in order to secure their place.

Full payment must be received by December 15, 2002 (two months prior to departure).

NOTE: We offer incentive discounts for early payment:

• $200 discount for payment in full by May 1, 2002
• $100 discount for payment in full by June 1, 2002