SNV and the Great Himalaya Trail Development Project are pleased to announce that under the GHT Pilot Project, familiarization trips (fam trips) for journalists and tour operators are being organized to both Humla and Dolpa in West Nepal.
Article on Humla and the GHT in the Boston Globe by James Vlahos
Our trek was in Humla, the most remote district in Nepal. Tucked into the country’s far northwestern corner, Humla is mountainous and roadless, and home to only 43,000 people, most of them clustered around the district headquarters of Simikot. The southern reaches are relatively lush, encompassing the deep gorge of the Karnali River, rhododendron thickets, and pine-shrouded slopes that rise to snowy peaks. The north is more arid and includes the Limi Valley, windswept and vast. Limi is the site of the Halji Gompa, established in the 10th century and believed to be Nepal’s oldest Tibetan Buddhist site. While parts of Nepal have arguably become too popular much of Humla is as it has been for centuries.
Alpin magazine, one of Germany’s leading outdoor magazines, is carrying an article on the GHT “Die Große Mutter aller Trekkingrouten” by Billi Bierling.
Finally a map of Dolpa online from the Himalayan Maphouse. Most treks are marked on this map. If you wish to see the Great Himalaya Trail route as it passes through Dolpa and Dolpo, please compare with the full GHT map.
Nepal, obviously famous for trekking, is also becoming more popular for trail running and ultra marathons. Just now it is getting a little bit more organised. The organisers of the 4th Annapurna 100 race in Pokhara have started a new website to hold all the information about trail running in Nepal. This includes famous races such as the Everest marathon and Kanchenjunga marathon as well as smaller local races aimed at encouraging participation in sport.
Ramesh ‘Action’ Bhattachan and Roger Henke of the Summit Hotel held a press conference yesterday and they were very positive about the future of running in Nepal. Additionally British athelete and nutritionist Rob Cousins has arrived in Nepal to train some promising Nepali athletes for the Davos Marathon later in the year.
There was even suggestion of mixing running and trekking. Trek to your high point while slowly acclimatising and continue the rest of the journey lightweight at speed. Sounds like an interesting way to manage some of the longer treks in Nepal in a limited time-frame.
Several ultra-runners have also expressed interest in running the full Great Himalaya Trail. Sounds like a great and inspiring idea. One day I can imagine an internationally famous race along the trail, but that is some years away yet.
If you are interested in trail running and marathons then you should sign up for the trailrunningnepal.org mailing list.
Please enjoy this video which has been prepared to promote Nepal’s Tourism Year 2011. While not everyone agrees that Nepal should be promoted in this way, the content is still quite pleasing on the eye.
Your thoughts are welcome below in the comments box.
Apparently, at least 5 people have already signed up and raring to go. This is Great News for the GHT!
Their press release, for the record, follows below….
A WORLD FIRST: WORLD EXPEDITIONS LAUNCHES THE GREAT HIMALAYA TRAIL
LEADING ADVENTURER WORKS CLOSELY TO DEVELOP ITINERARY
The next big thing in trekking has just launched: for the first time ever the Great Himalaya Trail is now available through a specialist tour operator.
The Great Himalaya Trail is the longest and highest alpine walking track in the world. It winds between the largest mountains and remotest communities on the planet, connecting five Asian countries (Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan) and covering more than 4,500km, from Namche Barwa in Tibet to Nanga Parbat in Pakistan.
Currently, only the Nepal section (1,700km) is available to traverse, as it is the only part that has been walked and mapped thoroughly (the other countries are still being researched). All of Nepal’s 8,000m peaks can be viewed along the trail, while trekkers also have the opportunity to experience remote cultures in hidden corners of the country – a true exploratory experience.
The Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal has been documented – from its start in the east at Kangchenjunga to its completion in western Tibet – by author and adventurer Robin Boustead, who worked closely with World Expeditions to create the inaugural supported treks on this trail.
Unique to adventure holiday expert World Expeditions, the full traverse costs £20,500 and takes 157 days to complete, although alternatively it can be broken down to seven smaller stages:
* Stage 1: Kangchenjunga Exploratory (30 days)
* Stage 2: Makalu & Everest Travers via Sherpani Col (34 days)
Commenting on the launch of the Great Himalaya Trail, Brad Atwal, World Expeditions’ UK Manager, said:
“When World Expeditions launched in 1975 offering some of the very first trekking holidays in Nepal no-one would have imagined that one day the Everest Base Camp trek would become such a popular, almost mainstream holiday…. we’re proud that 35 years later we’re still able to continue our pioneering history in the Himalaya by launching an iconic trek such as the Great Himalaya Trail.”
He continued:
“While each section of the Great Himalaya Trail offers something distinctive and different, the entire traverse is united by the cause of exploring the paths less travelled and benefiting the most remote communities. In line with World Expeditions’ ethos, the financial benefits from these treks will be injected directly back into the host communities, many that never see a penny from tourism, through the ethical use of local guides, porters and carriers, as well as travellers’ purchase of food, drinks and authentic hand crafted artefacts.”
For more information and bookings call 0800 0744 135 or visit www.worldexpeditions.co.uk.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD, is organising a conference on the 1st and 2nd March 2010 to discuss and review sustainable development issues and programs along the Great Himalaya Trail.
If you represent an organisation that has particular interest, or you know of someone who can help develop the GHT please contact ICIMOD through their website.
2010.07.25 GHT pilot project familiarisation trips announcement
