The Sharon Academy

Events:

Five Year Reunion for Class 2001-2004

Spring 2009, Date TBD.  If you are interested in helping to plan and coordinate this reunion, please contact Elly Boerke at 802-763-2500x118 or email her at eboerke@sharonacademy.net.

Opportunities:

Crossroads Himalaya Trips to Ladakh, India Winter-Spring, 2009

~Ice Hockey in the Himalayas~
To pass the long winter months, Ladakhis have discovered the newfound passion of ice hockey! To all of those avid ice hockey players out there looking for an adventure of a lifetime, come join us for this 2-week journey to one of the highest outdoor rinks in the world. This will be an unforgettable experience of service and cultural exchange, where you will share a common passion with people from this remote corner of the world.
Trip Highlights
• Coaching and playing ice hockey with young boys and girls from remote villages of Ladakh.
• Participating in daily life at SECMOL, a unique, solar-powered campus.
• Visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries, the Tibetan Children's Village and other sites of cultural and historical significance.

• A unique trekking option with a local Snow Leopard Conservancy expert, supporting village eco-tourism projects.
Trip duration: 2 weeks, with an optional 4-day trekking extension
Estimated trip dates: January 4-18, 2009

Trip cost: Please contact us. A student discount will be offered.
Proceeds will support Vermont Intercultural Semesters and the ice hockey programs at SECMOL.

~Winter Snow Leopard Trek~
A Himalayan kingdom, bound by the constraints of its mountainous, rugged terrain, Ladakh has invited only the most intrepid traders and travelers over the centuries. Still today, during the winter, Ladakh is virtually closed off to the rest of the world and there could not be a more opportune time to set out on a quest to catch a glimpse of the rare and elusive snow leopard.
Trip Highlights
• Trekking to remote mountain villages where homestays offer you a glimpse into traditional Ladakhi life.
• Learning the various methods used to track and monitor snow leopards and about the wonders of this fragile ecosystem
from local Snow Leopard Conservancy experts.
• Visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries and attending a colorful, masked-dance festival.
Trip Duration: 2 Weeks
Estimated Trip Dates: end February – March
Trip Cost: Please contact us.
Proceeds will support VIS and the Snow Leopard Conservancy, a local conservation organization working with villagers of remote regions to protect endangered snow leopard habitat and generate income through tourism.

~Vermont Intercultural Semesters Tour~
This two-week trip offers the opportunity to participate in daily life at SECMOL (Student's Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), the progressive Ladakhi boarding school that is the host for the Vermont Intercultural Semesters (VIS) program, and to learn about local initiatives to reform education and model solar technology in Ladakh. Plus more…
Trip Highlights:
• Homestay treks to remote mountain villages.
• Personal student-led explorations of SECMOL and Leh.
• Overnight stay in an ancient Buddhist monastery.
• Tracking the Snow Leopard, an endangered species of the Himalayan regions.
• Visiting the Tibetan Children's Village and Tibetan refugee community of Ladakh.
Trip duration: 2 weeks
Trip Dates: end April- May, 2009
Trip cost: Please contact us.
Proceeds will support the collaborative work of VIS and SECMOL.

~Nomad Trek: Ancient Movement in the Himalaya~
The most rigorous of Crossroads Himalaya trips, this is a rare opportunity to see a traditional herding way of life that is under threat of disappearing. The nomadic group of Kharnak is located on the high-altitude plateau of southeastern Ladakh, an extension of the greater Changtang plateau of Tibet. For centuries they have followed migration patterns with their herds of yak, sheep and pashmina goats.
Trip Highlights:
• A ten-day trek over several high passes, with the option of riding horseback.
• Joining the nomads of Kharnak on their 3 day migration to their summer camp.
• Sipping yak butter tea while staying in traditional yak wool tents that dot the vast open spaces of the Kharnak wilderness.
• Visiting ancient Buddhist monasteries, Ladakhi villages, and high-altitude lakes.
Trip duration: 18 days
Trip Dates: end May -June, 2009
Trip cost: Please contact us.
Proceeds will support VIS and nomadic livelihoods.

For more information please contact: Ashley Morton/ Crossroads Himalaya
Phone: 802.760.9948 Email: acmorton88@gmail.com
2394 Stowe Hollow Rd/ Stowe, VT/ 05672

www.crossroadshimalaya.com