After two days of trekking, Hise Lyamu of Chumanubri-7, Chekampar, reached Kathmandu on the third day by jeep and bus. Leaving her husband, Tosi, at home, in charge, Hise has come to Kathmandu to escape the winter. She will stay with her son, who is studying at the Bouddha University in Kathmandu, throughout the winter and will return to Chekampar only after the onset of Falgun.

This year, the Himalayan region received snowfall in the second week of Kartik. Since the last week of Asoj, the residents of the Himalayan region have been rushing to Kathmandu to escape the cold.  Pasang Phunjo Lama of Chhekampar, Chumanubri-7, said that the cold has increased sharply for the past week.   ‘We will definitely go to Kathmandu after the winter sets in,’ he said, ‘This year too, about 200 locals from Chhekampar have come to Kathmandu, some are preparing to come.’

Not only in Chhekampar, but some residents of Samagaun and Lho have also come to Kathmandu and other cities to escape the cold.  ‘Even if one of the family members has to stay at home to look after the haystack,’ said Pasang. ‘We have already cut grass for the haystack for three months, and we have also collected firewood for the winter.’ He said that as the cold weather sets in, the haystacks in the high mountainous areas have also been brought down around the settlement.

Chumanubri Rural Municipality-7, Chekampar. There are 30 households in the last village, Chhule, and 22 in Nile. From here, it is a four-hour walk to reach the Chinese border area, Nguila Bhanjyang. Some locals from this area have also come down to Kathmandu as the cold weather sets in. Those who remain in the village are seen weaving clothes on home-made looms. As the winter sets in, the village has become deserted after the neighbors move away. Serap Chenjom, a local, says that Serap took eight days to prepare a carpet to send to her son, who is studying in Kathmandu. ‘Now I will arrange a time to go to Kathmandu with this carpet,’ she said.

The locals of Chhekampar, Samagaun and Lho under Chumanubri Rural Municipality have an old tradition of going to lower areas to escape the cold. Locals say that most of the residents of this area go to Kathmandu and some to Pokhara. Chhoten Diki of Samagaun, Chumanubri-1, who reached Kathmandu with her family a month ago as the cold weather began, said that she would return to her village only in Lhosar. She said that although the hotel operators in the Samagaun area remain in the village, other locals have come to Kathmandu. There are about 120 households in Samagaun of Chumanubri-1 and 35 households in Samdo.

A few years ago, residents of this area would also come to lower areas of Gorkha to sell herbs, including Jimbu. Locals say that the custom of selling herbs has stopped for the past decade. In the northern region where rice is not cultivated, local people have been coming down to the valley during the cold season to plant crops such as wheat, fenugreek, and potatoes.

Most schools in the Himalayan region have winter vacations. A school in northern Gorkha goes down to the valley every year to escape the cold. This year, 253 students from Lho Pema Sambhav Secondary School in Chumanubri-2 Syala went down to the valley in the third week of Kartik. Baburam Dhamala, the school's principal, said that classes have been going down to Kokhetar in Arughat Rural Municipality-4 Thumiko since Kartik 17.

The students reached Kokhetar after traveling for two days from Lho. ‘After the annual examination for grades 9 and 10 is over, we will go to Lho again to start the new academic session,’ said Dhamala, ‘Classes have been conducted for 6 months below and 6 months above.’ He said that mobile classes have been conducted in this way for a decade after it became difficult to continue studies due to snowfall in Lho and the cold. The school has been conducting mobile classes since 2070 BS to improve the educational quality of children from remote areas.

Most of the children from Chumanubri, which has seven wards, study in this school. Since it is a geographically remote area, children are taught in residential settings. The government has been providing students with four thousand rupees per month under the Himalayan hostel quota. The local Lama Guru has been providing assistance for the insufficient amount. A temporary structure has been built in Kokhetar to run winter classes.

Chauri and sheepfolds also moved to the valley

Asiram Ghale of Barpak has moved down to the valley with a flock of sheep. Currently, there is a flock of sheep that has moved down from the lake in Puchekang, Barpak. ‘The grass for the sheep is also covered with snow, it is difficult to live in the lake,’ Asiram said, ‘At this time, sheep are moved around the settlement.’