Musa Masala Sponsors Two of Nepal’s Top Women Climbers to Compete in Indonesia

Climbing is about so many things. At Musa Masala we believe it gives the climbers a chance to challenge themselves, to set goals, to learn, and teach others. We believe our commitment to the growth of the indoor climbing community is showing so many positive results. More activities for climbers, more chances to see a future in the sport, and a path for education in guiding and wilderness medicine. We really like Manisha’s quote, “Climbing has such a power, once you start climbing it makes you feel peace from your inner heart, this automatically forgets all the bad days.”

Being able to sponsor Swastika Chaudhary and Manisha Budha Magar to climb at the SEA Games in Indonesia, along with our friends at Wongchhu Peak Promotion and LaMa Walks, is an honor and a pleasure. These climbers came right back from competition and did a clinic at the Kathmandu Sport Climbing Center to show what they learned. That is giving back, and that is growth, kindness and service to others. We could not be happier, Jam Jam!!

Manisha Budha Magar’s SEA Climbing Round 1 Experience

I am writing to formally provide an update regarding my participation in the South East Asia (SEA) Climbing Round 1 held recently in Indonesia Feb 14 and 15, 2026. It was a profound honor to represent Nepal on this international stage, and I would like to extend my sincere gratitude Musa Masala and Wongchhu Peak Promotion for your sponsorship, which was instrumental in making this journey possible.

While my previous competitive experience in India provided a strong foundation, this mission to Indonesia presented a significantly different set of challenges and insights. The logistics involved the longest air travel I have undertaken to date, including a demanding 14 hour transit in Sri Lanka. This period of travel served as a rigorous test of endurance and mental fortitude prior to the commencement of the event. The competition itself reinforced the core values of the climbing community. Regardless of professional background, race, or nationality, the sport acts as a universal equalizer. I was particularly impressed by the level of technical collaboration and the unified effort of the international teams to ensure the success of the event. 

For me all the routes of both qualification and semi-final route required a high degree of technical proficiency, from high-intensity power moves to intricate slab climbing, which makes the route complex. But I enjoyed it lots and also did some of the route. Looking at the spirit of teamwork in Indonesia was exceptional, with athletes from diverse backgrounds sharing techniques and strategic ideas in the collaborative environment. 

Overall, the trip to Indonesia for the competition was very fruitful and provided a valuable learning experience for me. I’m able to observe and practice many new techniques, understand different route-setting styles, and gain deeper insight into how international competitions are organized and performed. Even though competition always brings both wins and losses, the experience itself allowed us to learn a lot and grow as climbers.

After the completion, we started our training for one week continuously without any rest day. We knew that our bodies need to rest but we were so much focused on the climbing that we skipped the rest day and every day we go for the training. Although, we were very happy to be at Indonesia, Jakarta for the first time, big climbing gym, seeing the beach, culture, and foods but it’s not easy. Two female climbers traveling from different countries, far from home, managing all the accommodations was nice but when the days pass sometimes we though, ‘What if we get scammed at this big city? What if we get lost?’ These things hit our mind for a short time.

There were also days where ups and downs happened but we stuck to our main focus: on the climbing. It’s funny, right? Climbing has such a power. Once you start climbing lead, boulder, speed or top rope it makes you feel peace from your inner heart. This automatically helps me forget all the bad days. 

After returning from the event, me and Swastika were very happy to organize an event at the Kathmandu Sport Climbing Center, Thamel. During this event, we recreated and demonstrated some of the bouldering routes and techniques that we learned in Indonesia. The main goal was to share these ideas, techniques, and experiences with other Nepali climbers so they can better understand route styles, movement strategies, and evaluation of competition problems.

Climbing is not only about winning or losing it is about learning and growing. By sharing the knowledge we gained, we hope to help our Nepalese climbing community improve and be better prepared for future competitions. As I believe, the more we share, the more we learn often twice as much.

Being a Nepali climber, observing the climbing community, wall, route and other different climbers, I think if Nepali climbers, having more opportunities to travel and train outside the country in future would be extremely beneficial — not only for the competition, but training in different countries allows us to experience various types of holds, wall angles, and route-setting styles. The more we travel and train internationally, the more comfortable and adaptable we become with different climbing environments, which ultimately helps us perform better in competitions.

I am very grateful for the opportunity that was given to us. It is always a great honor and responsibility to represent Nepal and to be able to experience climbing at an international level. Seeing different climbing walls, holds, route-setting styles, and the international climbing community is valuable not only for the competition itself but also for our long-term development as climbers. Representing Nepal and your organization in Indonesia has been a significant milestone in my athletic career. Your support continues to be the cornerstone of my development, and I am committed to maintaining this momentum. 

Thank you once again for your investment in my professional growth, believing on me and for your dedication to the sport of climbing in Nepal. 

Yours sincerely, 

Manisha Budha Magar

National Climbing Athlete 

Nepal

Swastika Chaudhary’s SEA Climbing Competition Report

Namaste! I’m Swastika Chaudhary from Nepal, the National Champion in climbing. Recently, I traveled to Indonesia from February 11 to 28 to compete in the SEA Climbing Competition (Round 1) in the Open Women’s category and to train there with the support of Musa Masala and LaMa Walks.

As athletes representing our country, it can sometimes be discouraging that we do not receive sufficient support from our government. However, organizations like Musa Masala are becoming a source of hope for many Nepali climbers through their investment and belief in our potential.

During the competition, I reached the semif-inal round. It was a great achievement for me to compete on the same stage with many strong international athletes.

Climbing is not only about physical strength but also about mental focus. At the beginning I felt nervous, but as the competition continued, I was able to calm myself and stay focused.

The first two routes went well, and I was happy to push myself with full power during those four minutes. However, the last two routes left me a bit disappointed with my performance. They involved dyno and coordination moves, and I realized that I still need to improve in those areas.

During my training period, I set a goal to practice dyno and coordination moves more seriously. Although it took time to figure them out, I was very happy with the progress I made during my training. Beyond climbing, this experience also allowed me to see a different way of life — new cultures, different lifestyles, a system where people motivate each other to grow, and new foods to try.

These opportunities for international competition and training would not have been possible without the support of Team Musa Masala. Their investment in Nepali climbers is helping athletes like me continue to develop and represent Nepal internationally. This experience reminded me that progress takes time, and every step contributes to building a stronger future. Moving forward, I will continue focusing on improving my technical skills, particularly dyno and coordination movements, to perform even better in future competitions.