Southsider survives on curry for Indian adventure

AN adventurous
Southsider has returned from a 15-day hike, cycle and rafting adventure in the
Zanskar mountain range, in Ladakh province, northwest India.

Donal Douglas
(51), who lives in Foxborough Drive, Lucan was part of a group of 16 people who
visited India to support Concern Worldwide’s work in the country.

“I’ve been on
a number of Concern Challenges and I trained hard for this one,

?

Donal, a retired clinical
nurse manager, raised

?¬5,600 for Concern by packing bags at Tesco shops in the
Jervis Centre. He also did church gate collections and collected at the door of
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.

“This year I
had to diversify due to the dire economic situation our country is in,

?

He described the
conditions the Concern team encountered on their Indian adventure.

“In Ladakh
crops are scarce,

“All the fertile land is planted with crops such as
barley or wheat. The majority of the province is a bleak landscape, subject to
sub zero temperatures in winter and scorched by the sun in summer. The area is
also affected by global warming. They have had increasing levels of rain in the
last few years but before this they had none at all.

“The views
were amazing as we passed snow-capped mountains and high passes.

“We rafted on
the Zanskar River where we saw incredible gorges, caves dug into the riverside
walls that people use as refuges while travelling on the frozen river in
wintertime, chasms and overhanging ledges of massive rocks that defied gravity.

“We started
the challenge with four days of cycling at heights of 3,500 to 4,500 metres,

?

While they were in
India, the group met Dipankar Ditta, Concern’s country director. He gave them a
detailed account of what Concern is doing in India.

This year the
Dublin charity is spending

?¬2.25 million in India and has a staff of 30 of whom
all but two are Indian.

If you would like
to take part in the next Tri-Adventure Challenge in Uganda tel 01-4178028 or
visit www.concernchallenge.org