Kanchenjunga Base Camp to Makalu Base Camp trek along section 1 of The Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) in October/ November 2013

By October 5th all of our group had arrived to Kathmandu for our 36 day trek from Kanchenjunga to Makalu following Section 1 of the Great Himalaya Trail. After our restricted area trekking permits had been issued on 6th we flew by Buddha Air to Bhadrapur airport in east Nepal on 7th. Our Sirdar, Pema Tshiri Sherpa, and Ang Kami came with the group from Kathmandu whereas the rest of the crew had driven by bus a few days earlier.

On 8th we had a full day’s bus drive to Taplejung and onto Suketar where we stayed the night in a lodge before starting the trek on the next day. It was good to see Lhakpa Sherpa again and also our cook Ang Gombu who had been on our successful Makalu to Everest expedition in Spring 2012. I last visited Taplejung on Gary Pfisterer’s Kanchenjunga Expedition in 2003 and since then the road to Taplejung has been improved significantly and now there is a metalled road the whole way to Suketar. There is a STOL airstrip at Suketar however there are currently no scheduled flights due to the lack of a Twin Otter and Dornier 228s in Nepal so instead this year all groups are flying via Bhadrapur to the south.

Photo: view of Kanchenjunga from Suketar

For our first day on trek we had a short walk to Phurumbu village where we camped near the school. As we left Suketar I was glad to see the weather was now settled with clear mountain views of Kanchenjunga and Jannu to the north. Well it certainly looked like the stable post monsoon weather had arrive with high pressure over the Himalaya. For the first three days of the trek our trail followed Tamor Khola river in a northly direction and then just before Sekathum camp at the confluence we took the right fork up along the Ghunsa Khola river.

Photo: Tamor Khola valley

On the fourth day of the trek we woke up at Amjilossa camp to a cloudy morning and later just before we stopped for lunch it started to rain. Unknown to us at the time this was the first effects of Cyclone Phailin coming off the Bay of Bengal  and we experienced heavy rainfall for the next two days, this cyclone caused extensive flooding in India- for further information take a look at BBC's news article. That afternoon we arrived to Gyabla camp in the rain, the heavy precipitation continued all night and throughout the next day during our walk to the village of Ghunsa. Luckily there are several good lodges in Ghunsa so our group could warm up there and dry out in front of a fire. We heard afterwards that many other groups trekking in the Himalaya at the same time were far more severely affected sadly with fatalities on Mera Peak and on north side of Everest, for more information take a look at this article on the The Adventure Blog

Photo: Tamor Khola

Photo: bamboo swing set up for Dashain festival

I received further detailed weather forecasts from Kathmandu predicting the end of the system with dryer and sunny weather to follow and during our rest day in Ghunsa luckily the rain stopped. As a result of this weather system it was clear there would be a lot of snow at high altitude with risk of rock fall and avalanche so we would have to see what the conditions were like higher up before deciding how far we could go towards Kanchenjunga Base Camp.

Photo: North Face of Mount Jannu

The walk from Ghunsa to Kanbachen is very beautiful through pine and larch forest then further up on the trail looking towards the east there is a superb view of north face of Mount Jannu. Kanbachen is a small settlement with yak pasture around although now some of the fields are used for camping and there are even a few basic lodges for independent trekkers. As Kanbachen is at 4,100m we decided to spend two nights there in order to help acclimatise before pushing onto Lhonak at 4,785m. On the spare day the group went for a short walk around Kanbachen and I decided to walk up towards Lhonak to check the conditions on the trail. There was lots of snow up to one metre deep near Lhonak however luckily a good track had already been broken into the snow 

Photo: looking north up from Kanbachen

Photo: trail to Lhonak

Photo: deep snow near Lhonak

On October 17th the whole group moved up to Lhonak, the weather was clear and higher up there were good views of the western flank of Kanchenjunga however it was a tough day for the group due to the large amount of snow on the trail. Along the way it was interesting to exchange news with the groups who were descending about the conditions higher up. Most groups who had walked up on 16th had decided there was too much snow to move higher, so were descending.

Photo: west flank of Mount Kanchenjunga

Photo: view to Pangpema and Frontier Peak

For our Kanchenjunga to Makalu trek it was planned to sleep at Lhonak on the way to Kanchenjunga Base Camp in order to help the group acclimatise before crossing our first pass, Nango La, on the GHT traverse heading west towards Makalu. However after one night at Lhonak the decision was made for our group to descend back down to Ghunsa as it was not possible to move safely towards Base Camp as a result of deep snow with high risk of rockfall and avalanche.

I received another detailed weather forecast from Kathmandu and unfortunately it showed another deterioration with further precipitation for the next few days. Also at the same time we heard from locals they were unable to cross Nango La with their yaks due to too much snow on the pass. I discussed our options with our sirdar Pema and after looking at the map and discussions with the owner of our lodge in Ghunsa we found out there was a lower pass over to Olangchung Gola above Gyabla village.

This new alternative route would be half a day longer than Nango La route and at the time it was still not known whether we would be able to cross our second pass Lumba Sumba as it was likely there would also be a lot of snow here too. Therefore we had a group meeting where I summarised our current situation and the risks of not being able to cross over to Makalu region in time for the trekkers who were doing the short itinerary (i.e walking directly to Tumlingtar and not going all of the way to Makalu Base Camp). In the end two people decided to walk back out to Taplejung to make their way back early to Kathmandu and two others opted to walk the classic Kanchenjunga Circuit over to South Base Camp. We spent an extra day in Ghunsa to help organise the new itineraries and logistics for the four trekkers leaving the main group.

On October 20th we left Ghunsa and descended the main trail to Gyabla then walked a short way above this village where we found an open grassy area to camp. Everyone enjoyed this day as the weather was fine in contrast walking up it had been rainy. Along the way we stopped off at Pholey village and watched the women weave Tibetan style carpets. Also this was the start of our GHT traverse heading west towards Makalu and we would now be leaving behind the relatively busy Kanchenjunga Circuit trail.

Photo: Pholey village

Photo: carpet weaving in Pholey

On 21st we had a steep climb for 1,250m through forest to our camp at the top of the ridge at 4,150m then on next day it was a steep descent along a muddy trail descending into Tamor Khola. From here we followed the main trail to Olangchung Gola and on arriving at this village we heard the news that the bridge crossing Yangma Khola was broken therefore if we had managed to cross Nango La we would have been unable to walk out to Olangchung Gola!

Photo: Pema Tshiri Sherpa and me on descent from Ridge camp

Photo: view from below Ridge camp to Olangchung Gola and towards Luma Sumba

In the morning after taking some time to explore Olangchung Gola village we walked up to the lower Lumba Sumba Pass Camp (possibly Yangetar camp on the Nepa map 1: 125,000?) by following Tamor Khola and then taking the Dingsamba Khola at the river confluence called Langmale (this is the location of River Camp). This is a beautiful walk and higher up towards camp the hillsides are covered with rhododendron, this would be a stunning place to see in Spring when in flower.

Photo: Olangchung Gola village

Photo: kani and mani wall outside Olangchung Gola

Photo: crossing cantilever bridge near River Camp/ Langmale

Photo: walking to Luma Sumba lower pass camp (4,200m) through rhododendrons

If we had been able to take the shorter route as originally planned over Nango La, we would have had lunch at Olangchung Gola village then continue further up the valleu to River Camp for the night. The next day we would have been able to camp at Lumba Sumba High Camp at 4,450m thereby decreasing the walking time to cross the pass. Because we had not crossed the Nango La, we were leaving from Lumba Sumba Low Camp, therefore we realised we would have a very long day to get over the pass especially given the large amount of snow. We set off early the next morning and as expected we encountered snow shortly after leaving. After an icey and slippery river crossing we walked up a steep snow slope to get above a black rock band. Once over this feature there is an upper valley where Lumba Sumba High Camp is located. We moved over to the left hand side of this valley and starting climbing in deep snow before reaching a plateau with a lake and views of Lumba Sumba pass.

Photo: Lumba Sumba High Camp

Photo: climbing up to Lumba Sumba first pass

At this stage after discussions with Pema and the Sherpa crew we decided there should be enough time to cross the pass and reach our camp on the other side in one day. At 1pm the group summited the first pass at 5,050m and then an hour later reached the Lumba Sumba La at 5,150m. The mountain views from the pass were superb and Makalu was clearly visible to the west. There was a long descent into Lapsi Khola valley where we arrived at 5.30pm luckily still in daylight. This was one of the best camps on the whole trek with flat grassy area next to the river.

Photo: snowy traverse from first pass to Lumba Sumba La

Photo: Lumba Sumba La

Photo: descent from Lumba Sumba

Photo: camp is located down Lapsi Khola valley

Photo: camp after Lumba Sumba

One of the reasons we pushed on to cross Lumba Sumba pass in one long day was we had received a weather forecast that another system of rain was due for the next few days. Unfortunately the forecast turned out to be accurate and we received more rain on and off for the next week however at least we had a fine day for crossing Lumba Sumba and our group was still making progress towards the west.

The Arun Valley that flows near Makalu was now only a three day walk away. After a late start we had a short walk to Thudam village and then next day we followed a spectacular narrow trail through forest to Kharka campsite. It was along this section of trail that well known long distance runner, Lizzy Hawker, fell during her attempt to run the GHT (her so called "Sky Dance"), for more information take a look at her Expedition Report  published on The North Face Journal. On October 28th we descended into Arun Valley and crossed the bridge before continuing onto Chyantang village. Just before we reached the village we encountered an intense thunderstorm with heavy rain followed by hailstones, luckily we were able to use a house located near our camp to warm up around their fire.

Photo: bridge near Thudam village

Photo: steep forested slopes on trail below Thudam village

Photo: narrow trail

Our original plan was to walk to Makalu Base Camp along a high trail entering Barun Valley at Yangle Kharka however after discussing the current condition of this route with our Sherpa guides and locals in Chyangtang it was clear there was way too much snow to go this way. So again we had another group meeting where I explained our options for the rest of the trek, we could either walk into Makalu Base Camp over Shipton La or as an entirely different Plan B walk through the middle hills towards Jiri. Jiri is the road head for the Solu Khumbu and our trail would take us over Salpa Bhanjang pass at 3,510m. Due to the large amount of snow on Shipton La as well as up towards Makalu Base Camp the group decided to go for Plan B and walk out to Jiri. Whilst this was disappointing not to achieve our original objective the idea of traversing a large section of Nepal through Solu Khumbu was exciting and we would certainly get fit as a result of the large amount of ascent and descent on this trail!

Photo: Chyangtang village

Photo: houses near Chyangtang village

From Chyantang it took three days to get to Num village passing through remote villages in the Upper Arun valley with fields of millet higher up and rice padis as we descended to lower altitudes. From Num we decided to walk along the west bank of Arun river rather than following the normal trail to Chichila and onto Tumlingtar. This trail is not frequently walked by trekking groups although is used by locals from Seduwa and surrounding villages to reach Tumlingtar and Khadbari. The vegetation is very lush due to the high humidity level and heat, being only at 600m altitude. There were also lots of large bugs and spiders! At Bamling village we started heading west and spent this night in a school near Kulling village. This day was Tihar festival (or in India known as Diwali) and some local school children came by our campsite and performed a traditional Nepali dance for us.

Photo: millet water mill

Photo: inside water mill

Photo: jungle trail on west side of Arun river

There are many rudraksha trees in the Arun Valley, these are large evergreen broad-leaved tree whose seeds are used for prayer beads in Hinduism. We met a number of  rudraksha collectors who would travel to Kathmandu to sell them and would receive a high price for the five faced seed which is believed to be auspicious with high healing power. The gentleman in the photo below was proud of his collection and would hopefully earn some good money for his efforts.

Photo: Rudraksha collector

By lunch time on the next day we walked to Gothe Bazaar located on the main Tumlingtar to Lukla trail so I was now back on familiar ground as I had walked over Salpa La last October. From here we made good progress and two days later camped just before the pass however it was at this point we heard there was national strike (in Nepali known as a Bandh) starting on November 11th and rumoured to last for 10 days. This had been called by a Maoist party in order to disrupt the upcoming elections on November 19th. This would no doubt cause problems in getting the group back to Kathmandu for their flights home on 15th. Once again, we decided to change the itinerary and finish the trek at Salleri (district headquarters of Solu Khumbu) rather then in Jiri. From Salleri we could take a bus back to Kathmandu as unfortunately we were not able to fly back as the nearby STOL airstrip at Phaplu was currently closed for renovations and upgrades.

Looking back on this trek it was clear we did not complete our main objectives of reaching Kanchenjunga or Makalu Base Camps but at least by going over the Lumba Sumba pass we succeeded in crossing a rarely trekked pass linking Tamor and Arun Valleys. As explained in this trip report the weather was very unstable throughout the eastern part of the Himalaya during this Autumn season and I think we were very fortunate to have a brief window between two weather systems to safely cross the Lumba Sumba pass. After we turned west off the Kanchenjunga Circuit trek we saw only a handful of other trekkers as we were walking on remote trails all the way to Salleri in the Solu Khumbu region. These days in Nepal it is increasingly rare to have this experience away from other trekking groups especially during the peak season of October. Of course this was one of the reasons for setting up The Great Himalaya Trail in order to spread trekkers across Nepal to take the pressure off the more popular treks like Everest, Annapurna and Langtang regions.

One of the characteristics of GHT treks is the degree of uncertainty of the itinerary unlike some of the more regular walked classic treks in Nepal. If you are considering joining a GHT trek then it is important to come along with an open and flexible mind as there are many factors that could prevent successfully completing the trip objectives.I was fortunate on this trek to have such a group of adaptable and positive people. We encountered unseasonal weather conditions with high precipitation as a result of Cyclone Phailin. The large amount of snow meant that our first pass over Nango La was still blocked, however we found an alternative route at a lower altitude below the snow line. In contrast, the Mirgin La on the classic Kanchenjunga Circuit trek was open to trekkers only a few days after the snow storm due to the high volume of traffic and more established nature of the trail.

For GHT we are often walking in remote areas of the Himalayas where the trails can be narrow and difficult to follow (i.e from Thudam to Kharka). There are also unstable landslide areas with risk of rockfall and river crossings where there are no bridges. However for most people joining GHT trips, this is the kind of true adventurous trekking experience they are looking for where the benefits of accessing these remote areas outweigh the risks and uncertainties of mountain travel.

I would like to thank the trek crew for all of their help during this long trek. Our sirdar, Pema Tshiri Sherpa, did a great job in oganising the logistics and leading this group. Our Sherpa guides did a fantastic job: Lhakpa Sherpa, Tashi Sherpa, Wongchu Sherpa, Ang Gombu Sherpa, Phuri Sherpa, Dawa Sherpani and Ang Kami Sherpa (left at Ghunsa to guide Andy and Steve over Mirgin La to South Side of Kanchenjunga). Our cooks Ang Gombu and Tenji Sherpa provided tasty and high quality meals throughout the trip; our khana was derri mitho chaa!!

And lastly I would like to thank the group who entered into the adventurous spirit and ethos of GHT. Everyone was understanding with the various changes of plans forced upon us due to the weather and conditions experienced in the Himalayas this season. Thanks to each one of you for your understanding and support in challenging times.

The Mountain Company is planning to organise the full 36 day trek from Kanchenjunga Base Camp to Makalu Base Camp as well as the shorter 25 day trek from Kanchenjunga Base Camp to Tumlingtar in October 2014. Please contact us if you would like any information about this trek.

Roland Hunter
www.themountaincompany.co.uk

K2 trek cancellations in Pakistan over Summer 2013

Photo: K2 mountain in Pakistan

Yesterday on August 16th our K2 & Gondogoro La group should have trekked up to the Base Camp of K2, the second highest mountain in the world, and visited Gilkey Memorial on the lower reaches of this mountain where there are many plaques to remember mountaineers who died while climbing on K2. Unfortunately our group never arrived to Pakistan as we had to cancel both of our treks to K2 Base Camp this summer as a result of the terrible terrorist incident at Base Camp of another 8,000m mountain called Nanga Parbat.

On June 22nd sixteen militants from the Islamic extremist organisation Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) attacked Nanga Parbat Base Camp then killed ten international climbers and a local Pakistan guide. Three of these climbers were from Ukraine, two from China (including one Chinese-American), two others from Slovakia, one from Lithuania and one from Nepal. Please read this article with the full story of what happened as well as description of the daring escape by a Chinese mountaineer. Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for the TTP told The Associated Press the reasoning behind the attacks was "by killing foreigners, we wanted to give a message to the world to play their role in bringing an end to the drone attacks”. Please click here if you would like to learn more about TTP.

From our side as a travel operator we had to make a decision whether to proceed with our treks or to cancel so we immediately started the process of finding out and understanding the current risks by getting in touch with a wide range of our contacts both in Pakistan and in UK. I sent an email out to our clients on June 24th explaining we were reviewing the situation and would make a decision soon whether to go or ahead or cancel.  

I have led trips in Pakistan every year since 2004 and have trekked to K2 Base Camp eight times and crossed the Gondogoro La four times (2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011). However I realised as soon as the Nanga Parbat incident happened that the risk level had increased to a far higher level than in previous years, the key change being this was the first time extremists had directly targeted westerners travelling in Pakistan. Frankly I was not surprised when the British Government changed their Foreign and Commonwealth Office (“FCO”) travel advisory to Paksitan in the afternoon of 24th to “only essential travel to Gilgit-Baltistan”. Click here to read FCO travel advisory to Pakistan.

It is worth pointing out that Nanga Parbat is located south of K2 region and a full days drive away along the Karakoram Highway ("KKH"). It is well known fact that Skardu and surrounding villages on the drive to the K2 road head at Askole village are more stable, friendly and secure than Nanga Parbat area due to a number of factors. For a start the people living in this area are mainly Shia muslims and not Sunnis like further south. These villagers have strong historical links with foreign expeditions and earn vital income from tourism. Also the overall security is much better in K2 region due to the presence of a large number of Pakistan Army stationed here along the Line of Control with India. 

We had to perform a careful appraisal of the situation in the country and determine if it was safe enough for our clients and also our leaders to visit Pakistan. In the end we had to make the tough decision to cancel our two K2 treks over the summer mainly due to FCO travel advice to Pakistan and as well as our own conclusions of the current risk levels with travelling in this country. On 25th we emailed all of our clients confirming the cancellation of our Pakistan treks and offered a full refund of any money paid to us for these treks. 

The Mountain Company has operated treks to K2 every summer since 2004 and this is the first time we have cancelled a trip in Pakistan. I feel very sorry for our K2 trekkers who were hoping to visit this amazing country however I am also glad for them that most have been able to re-book on one of our treks to Nepal and Bhutan later in the year. These cancellations will be devastating news for everyone involved in Pakistan tourism from local operators, guides and porters as many of these people rely on income from tourists as there are few other opportunities to earn money to support their families in this region.

My view is the only way for Pakistan to get tourists visiting northern areas of their country over the next few years is to make the Islamabad- Skardu - Islamabad flights operated by PIA far more reliable by using a smaller plane and upgrading radar equipment to enable reduced visibility landings at Skardu and Gilgit airports. I guess this might be unlikely to happen as the powers that be in Islamabad have less at stake although it is the people of Gilgit-Baltistan who will lose out most due to earning less revenue from tourists. Or the other option worth considering is to enter and exit Pakistan from China over Khunjerab pass and in practice more groups may decide to do this in future therefore avoiding Islamabad and the KKH.

The Mountain Company will return at some point to operate treks in Pakistan however only when it is safe to do so and unfortunately given the current situation I do not see this happening for several years. If Pakistan government is serious about promoting tourism in their country they must make changes to increase the reliability of Skardu flights as well as making it easier for foreigners to obtain a tourist visa to enter the country. The feedback we have received from well over two hundred people we have brought to Pakistan over the years has been 100% positive from the friendliness of the people to the most amazing mountain scenery in the world. Inshallah I will be trekking with my Pakistani friends up the Baltoro glacier to K2 and crossing over Gondogoro La again very soon….

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

60th anniversary of first ascent of Mount Everest to be held on May 29th 2013

Photo: Tenzing Norgay on summit of Everest on May 29th 1953 

This week on May 29th 2013 is the 60th anniversary of first ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. In 1953 a British expedition led by John Hunt was launched to the Nepalese side of Everest following the South Col Route. Hillary, a New Zealander, and Norgay, a Nepali Sherpa living in Darjeeling, reached the summit at 11.30am local time on 29th May 1953. As it turned out this was wonderful timing as news of the expedition's success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation on 2nd June.

Photo: Hillary and Norgay after their Everest summit

There are a number of events planned for May 29th to celebrate the first ascent of Mount Everest. At the Royal Geographical Society (“RGS”) in London there is a special evening called “Crowning Achievement, Lasting Legacy” with lectures and slideshows by the great and good of the Everest world including Sir Chris Bonington, Doug Scott, Rebecca Stephens, Peter Hillary and Jamling Tenzing (sons of the two who reached the top), Jan Morris (Times correspondent in 1953) and Stephen Venables. I am very lucky as I have a ticket for this event and I am very much looking forward to the evening.

If you are based in UK I would highly recommend you visit RGS’s photographic exhibition of 1951 and 1953 Everest expeditions. The prints shown within the exhibition represent some of the most historic and stunning moments of the team’s journey up the highest mountain in the world. This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see some of the images taken on Everest by team members including John Hunt, Edmund Hillary, Alfred Gregory, George Lowe and George Band. The exhibition is being held at Oxo Gallery on South Bank in London from 23rd May 2013 to 9th June 2013, for more information please see RGS website

Photo: summit of Mount Everest

A frequently asked question is how many people in total have climbed to the summit of Mount Everest? Per Everest Chronicler, Alan Arnette, in 2011 the total number of people who have summited Mount Everest is around 5,652 by 3,425 different climbers meaning that 2,220 climbers have multiple summits. And sadly so far 223 people have died on Everest and during Spring 2013 season there were nine deaths plus one more on Lhotse.

Of course much has changed on Mount Everest over the last 60 years with the majority of these recent summits made by commercial expeditions rather than the national or private expeditions as seen in the early years. Stephen Venables recently wrote an article in the Telegraph explaining why in his view Everest has lost its allure now that climbing to the summit is part of the global adventure tourism circuit. Venables explains "real adventure is all about risk, uncertainty and self-determination – not buying a predictable, packaged commodity: you pay me £40,000 and I’ll make your dream come true." A possible solution he puts forward to reduce numbers on Everest each year is to ban the use of supplementary oxygen.....this is certainly an interesting idea although of course is unlikely to happen in practice [click here to read Stephen Venables' article on Telegraph website]

Photo: The Mountain Company's group at Everest Base Camp

The Everest climbing season in Spring 2013 was marked by a controversy widely reported in the media with the fight between European climbers and Nepalese mountain guides. Of course not being there it is tricky to lay blame for this fracas however it seems both sides were partially responsible although of course resorting to violence is inexcusable. For an in depth article discussing the changing nature of the Sherpa-climber social contract and more about the culture of Sherpas that helps put this fight into perspective take a look at Broughton Coburn's article published by National Geographic

On a brighter note there were lots of "firsts" this Spring season on Everest including the oldest person to reach the summit by Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura at 80 years old! Phurba Tashi from Himex summited for the 21st time equalling the current world record holder Apa Sherpa. Samina Baig became the first Pakistani woman, Raha Moharrak the first Saudi woman, Tashi and Nancy Malik from India the first twins and Rafiq Malik became the first Kashmiri to summit the Big E. British climber Kenton Cool made a record by summitting all three mountains along the Everest horseshoe (Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest) during a 10 day climb and also making his eleventh summit of Mount Everest.

The Mountain Company organises a wide range of treks in the Everest region including Everest Luxury Lodges and Everest Base Camp. We are promoting a special Everest 60th anniversary trek to Everest Base Camp in November 2013 led by one of our most experienced leaders Jill Lawson. For those of you who would like to trek to Everest Base Camp while staying in a higher standard lodges then you could consider our Luxury Everest Base Camp trek.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Humla trek to villages around Simikot in west Nepal organised by Great Himalaya Trail Development Program

In March I received an invitation from the Great Himalaya Trail Development Program (“GHTDP”) based in Kathmandu to join a familiarisation (i.e free, yay!) trek in Nepal, as I was already in the country I replied quickly asking to join the trek to far west Nepal as this is an area I had not been to before and was very interested to visit.

Photo: map of The Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal

Most people these days have heard of The Great Himalaya Trail (“GHT”) , this is a trekking route that crosses Nepal starting near Kanchenjunga in the East and continuing to Humla on the Tibetan border in the West. In fact there are two main trails along GHT, the Upper trail takes the highest feasible route along the spine of the Himalaya and involves very challenging trekking as well as several mountaineering sections over technical passes (eg Sherpani Col near Makalu). Whereas the Lower trail traverses the country of Nepal further to the south at a lower elevation and unlike Upper trail involves no mountaineering and one can stay in teahouse lodges for most of the way apart from the section through Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

GHTDP is a project supported by the Dutch Aid organisation SNV and also UKAid to help develop GHT as a new tourism product for Nepal . GHTDP sees the long term advantages of encouraging trekkers to visit more remote regions of Nepal other than main destinations of Annapurna, Everest and Langtang. By getting more trekkers away from the busier trails this will of course bring income and opportunities to more isolated communities.

The reason for GHTDP hosting a free trek to Humla for international trek operators and journalists was to promote this region and especially the homestays set up by GHTDP in conjunction with the Simikot based NGO called Nepal Trust. In our group there were representatives from tour operators based in Holland and Switzerland plus two Nepali journalists. We were also accompanied by Linda Bezemer who works as a Tourism Product Development Advisor for GHTDP.

Photo: Twin Otter plane at Simikot airport

Humla is located in far west Nepal and receives very few trekkers due to its remote location. Our group flew from Kathmandu to Nepalganj and then early next morning by Twin Otter to the mountain airstrip at Simikot. On arrival we had breakfast at the Nepal Trust office and guesthouse before starting our walk to the village of Buraunse. Our trekking guide, Janga Lama, is from this village so we were privileged to visit his house and meet his family who gave our group a wonderful traditional welcome. 

A custom in this region is to greet guests by smearing butter on their head and then followed by the offer of some tea or more often locally brewed chang made from barley.  After lunch we continued our walk down to the main part of Buraunse village where we were again welcomed by the locals dressed up in their traditional clothes with the men banging drums and offering kata scarves to us while the women smeared more butter on our heads. We followed the crowd to a flat roof top on one of the houses where both the men and women performed traditional Humli dances for us.

Photo: traditional Humli welcome at our guide Janga Lama parents' house

Photo:  welcome at Buraunse village

Photo: dancing at Buraunse village

One of the objectives of GHTDP is to build tourism capacity in more remote areas of Nepal where there has been only a small number of tourists visiting before. One of the reasons our trek visited Buraunse village was because GHTDP, working in conjunction with Nepal Trust, had already provided training, support and advice to develop a homestay program. So far five houses had been approved as homestays in Buraunse and we stayed in one of these during our visit, this is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the Humlis way of life, customs and traditions.

All of the homestays provide bedrooms with clean bedding, newly constructed toilets and an endless supply of local food and of course chang! We ate with the host families so the food was traditional local fare and was all delicious, healthy and of course organic- for our meals we had dishes such as buckwheat pancakes with honey, tsampa (roasted barley), thukpa and momos. I certainly think that homestays are an effective way of local families earning extra income and benefiting from tourism while the guests receive a really special experience in return.

Photo: Buranse village

Photo: our hosts at Buranse homestay

Photo: comfortable and clean room at homestay

A highlight of the trek was a night camping near Raling gompa, this monastery is the most important in the area and is located at 4,000m under Crystal mountain.  The important Saga Dawa festival is held at Raling gompa each year on the full moon of the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar (in late May or early June).

Photo: Raling gompa

Photo: Raling gompa

After Raling gompa we stayed a night at Bargaon village and next day walked through the Hindu village of Tehe before spending our second night camping near Karpunath village at confluence of Karnali river. On the sixth day we walked back to Simikot for our flight back early next morning to Nepalganj and onto Kathmandu.

Photo:Thakuri woman

Photo: Shaman Hindu priest

Photo: beautiful wedding headdress

Overall I would highly recommend trekking in this area for a unique cultural experience, the short circuit we walked over six days is an easy trek where you have lots of time to learn about the Humli people and their way of life. If you are looking for a longer or more challenging trek then there are many options from Simikot such as to Mount Saipal Base Camp, Limi Valley or Mount Kailash however it would be also be worth spending a few days in the homestays around Buraunse village at the start of your trek especially if coinciding with Saga Dawa festival.

I would like to thank Linda at GHTDP for organising this trek as well as our excellent guide Janga Lama from Buraunse village who did a superb job explaining to us about the local culture and customs as well as his many entertaining stories along the way! For more information about this trek please take a look on The Great Himalaya trail website.

At the moment The Mountain Company organises the trek from Simikot to Mount Kailash every year in May however we plan to develop more treks in Humla in the near future, please get in touch with us if you would like more information about trekking in west Nepal.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk 

Inspection visit to Bardia National Park in Nepal

Photo: Royal Bengal tiger in Bardia National Park in Nepal

Last week I spent three days in Bardia National Park in Nepal, as usual on an inspection tour one of my aims was to inspect the lodges in order to be in a position to recommend the best ones to our clients. However I also was interested to find out more about Bardia National Park in particular to discover how Bardia compares to Chitwan National Park and whether it was worth travelling further in order to increase ones chances of seeing tiger...

Photo: entrance gates to Bardia National Park

Chitwan National Park is a popular place to visit on a tour of Nepal and also as an extension after a trek in the Himalaya. There is certainly tiger in Chitwan National Park with recent surveys indicating a population of 125 however in practice it seems the chances of seeing a tiger are relatively low. One of the main advantages of Chitwan National Park is its proximity to the main places of Kathmandu, Pokhara and Lumbini whereas Bardia National Park is located in far west of Nepal so it is much further distance to travel. There is a daily flight from Kathmandu to Nepalganj with Yeti Airlines or Buddha Air taking about an hour and then it is a further two hour drive to Bardia National Park.

The current cost of a return flight to and from Kathmandu and Nepalganj is US$330 plus a car for the transfer both ways from airport to Bardia and back to airport is US$130. Therefore the cost to travel to Bardia could be up to US$460 although would be less expensive if there was more than one person to share the cost of the airport transfer. Or the other option is to take a bus from Kathmandu and this journey takes 14 hours however costs only about US$20. The question several of our clients have been asking us recently is whether it is worth the expense (or discomfort of a long bus journey) to travel to Bardia National Park?

Bardia National Park was first set up as Royal Karnali Reserve in 1976 and then upgraded to National Park status in 1988. Bardia is the largest National Park in the Terai with a size of 968 km2 and when including neighbouring Banke National Park (established in 2010) together they form Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Bardia-Banke covering a total area of 1,518 km2. In comparison the size of Chitwan National Park is 932 km2.

Of course one of the main reasons people like to visit Bardia and Chitwan National Park is to have an opportunity to see the Royal Bengal tiger. According to the World Wildlife Fund in 2011 there were 37 tigers identified in Bardia which showed a significant increase from two years earlier when only 18 were recorded in this National Park. Whereas in Chitwan National Park recent surveys indicate there are in fact more tiger with a population of 125 however due to more riverine forest it is less likely for tourists to view tiger. Personally I have visited Chitwan National Park on three separate occasions and have never seen a tiger, also over the years many of our guests have visited Chitwan and very few of them saw a tiger during their visits.

During the afternoon on my day of arrival we drove through Bardia National Park in a jeep where we saw several animals such as rhesus macaque monkey, swamp deer, spotted deer and single-horned Asiatic rhinoceros. At 5pm we parked up at a place called Tinkune and walked for 5 minute or so to the viewing spot overlooking the river. First we saw two swamp deer cross the river followed by a rhinoceros and her calf then one of the safari guides spotted a tiger in the grass…a little later this majestic cat walked down to the river. The tiger was about 400m away although looked clear through binoculars, after about 10 minutes the tiger slinked off into the grass and disappeared into the forest.

Photo: rhesus macaque monkey

Photo: single horned Asiatic rhinoceros

Photo: swamp deer

From speaking to other guests at the lodge where I was staying everyone had seen a tiger and some were very lucky seeing two or more on each day of their visit to Bardia. I also visited several other lodges and gather most of their guests had also seen tiger most days so it seems this year there is a very high chance of spotting the King of the Jungle in Bardia. From discussing this further with the naturalist guides it seems that the number of tigers seen by their guests varies year to year however for last two years Tinkune has been a reliable place as the tigers like to cool down here in the evenings especially when the temperatures warm up in the month of April. It also seems with the recent closure of a tented camp inside the National Park this has minimised the disturbance experienced by the wild animals so overall improved the chance of viewings.

Photo: Tinkune in Bardia National Park

Overall I gather the best months for seeing tiger are March and April as the grass is short after cutting and burning in January. In fact grass management in the Park is important for the ecosystem and these days the Park rangers organise controlled burns in January and also local villagers are allowed into the Park for three days in January to cut the grass for use in constructing and repairing the walls of their houses. As a result the grass regrows with juicy green shoots so there is more food for the deer therefore in turn encouraging healthy growth in the tiger population.

About 70% of Bardia National Park is covered in sal forest and the rest made up of grassland and riverine forest. As mentioned above one of the reasons why it is generally easier to see tiger in Bardia is due to the more open areas of sal forest and grassland and less coverage of riverine forest. It is far more difficult to see tiger in the densely vegetated riverine forest more prevalent in Chiwan National Park.

During my visit to Bardia I saw several gharial and marsh mugger crocodiles during an enjoyable day spent rafting down Karnali river from Chisapani. There are also Gangetic dolphin on this stretch of river however unfortunately we did not see any of these from the raft. In the Park there are also wild elephants and from recent surveys their population is healthy at around 65. Bardia also has the world's only surviving wild population of a type of deer known as the blackbuck.

Photo: wild elephant

Photo: gharial crocodile

Photo: marsh mugger crocodile

The other advantage of Bardia over Chitwan is visitor numbers are still relatively low so it feels less crowded however of course as it is now well known that Tinkune is a reliable place to see tiger so there will certainly be several others waiting patiently in the mornings and evenings for the tiger to make an appearance. The environment around Bardia is less developed with almost all the buildings constructed using local techniques with clay and grass and luckily at present very few concrete hotels and guesthouses.

Overall I had a thoroughly enjoyable time in Bardia National Park and of course it was a special experience to finally see a tiger in the wild. If you have the budget and the time I would certainly recommend you make the effort to visit Bardia National Park however there is no doubt Chitwan National Park is also a good place too so it really depends on what type of experience you are looking for. 

Please get in touch with us at The Mountain Company if you would like any further information about Bardia and Chitwan National Parks in Nepal, we can then help you organise a trip and choose the lodges that have all been reviewed by us.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk 

Scenic mountain flight to Mount Everest on 80th anniversary of first flight over the highest mountain in the world

This morning I took the mountain flight from Kathmandu airport in Nepal over Mount Everest the highest mountain of the world. In fact by pure chance today is the 80th anniversary of the first flight over Everest. On April 3rd 1933, two Westland PV-3 biplanes one of them piloted by Douglas Douglas-Hamilton 14th Duke of Hamilton took off from Purnea in Bihar and flew to the Himalaya mountains and managed to get 50 metres above the 8,848m mountain.

Photo: first flight over Mount Everest on April 3rd 1933

The scenic mountain flight to Mount Everest is organised for tourists coming to Nepal and currently two airlines Buddha Air and Yeti Airlines operate this route. The Everest mountain flight always takes off early in the morning to maximise your chances of getting clear views of the mountains before cloud build up later in the day. This normally means a pick up from your hotel around 5.30am and once through the busy domestic terminal you should be airborne by 6.30am.

Photo: boarding Buddha Air's ATR42

I flew with Buddha Air on one of their ATR 42 planes and for their Everest mountain flight everyone has a window seat so aisle seat is left empty. The air hostesses will hand out a leaflet with a sketch map of the mountain ranges with their names so it should be possible on a clear day to identify the peaks you see out of the window.

Photo: inside ATR42 for Everest mountain flight

Photo: map of the peaks

Shortly after taking off Langtang Lirung comes into view and just to the right in the distance is Shishapangma which at 8,013m the fourteenth highest mountain in the world. The next easily distinguishable peak is Gauri-Shankar followed by the flat topped mountain called Melungtse. The huge pyramid of Cho Oyu comes soon after at 8,201m is the sixth highest mountain. Of course the peak everyone is looking for is Mount Everest and this appears flanked by Lhotse and Nuptse, the highest peak in the world is often seen with the characteristic white plume of cloud streaming from the summit.

Photo: mountain view from the window

At this point in the flight everyone is invited up to the cockpit to view Everest and surrounding mountains from the pilot’s view point. The plane flies close by Everest and then turns for the return flight back to Kathmandu. If you sit on the left side of the plane you will see the mountain view on approach to Everest and if on right you will see the view on the return back to Kathmandu airport however you can also sit on aisle seats so in practice one gets a pretty good view for both directions.

Photo: in cockpit of Buddha Air's ATR42

In total from take-off to landing the mountain flight takes about 45 minutes and Mount Everest appears after about 20 minutes. On getting back to the airport after the flight you will be picked up for the drive back to your hotel where you can have your breakfast and view your photos of this spectacular flight high into the Himalayas.

Photo: Mountain Everest in centre with summit plume

Photo: view from the window

This scenic mountain flight is popular with people who may not get the opportunity to see Mount Everest while on trek, I suggest it would be worth considering taking this flight if you are on a tour of Nepal. The Mountain Company includes Everest flight in our Luxury Tour of Nepal itinerary although we can also organise for you as an extra if you join our Highlights Tour of Nepal, Classic Tour of Nepal or for any of our trekking holidays in Nepal.

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk

Walking up Shivapuri Peak in the Kathmandu valley during Holi festival

Photo: park gates of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park at Budhanilkantha

Yesterday the Holi festival was celebrated in Nepal and as this is a national holiday I decided to take a day off work and walk up Shivapuri peak (2,732m) the second highest peak in the hills around Kathmandu valley. This is a really good hike and would certainly be worth considering if you have a spare day in Kathmandu. Shivapuri peak is located in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, this place is popular among Nepalis and expats as a place to escape from the busy and polluted Kathmandu valley.

Photo: view from trail to Kathmandu valley

I took the number five tuk-tuk out of Kathmandu down along Lazimpat and across the Ring road then walked the rest of the way to Buddhanilkanta. Being Holi festival there was much excitement and celebrations with water bombs (in Nepali “lola”) and coloured powder being thrown around, by the time I arrived to the Shivapuri Nagarjun park gates I had been well and truled Holi’ed!

Photo: Holi'ed!!

I have visited Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park only once before when I walked from Sundarijal to Langtang however this trail is further to the east so this was my first time through the Park gates near Budhanilkantha. I had spoken to several people who frequently visit this area of the Park and they recommended I take the more direct and steep trail up to Shivapuri summit and then descend on the longer path back down via Nagi gompa. Take the trail to the left just after passing through the Army check post signposted to Bishnudwara and Tokha. This means one can do a circuit up to Shivapuri summit and then ending up back at the Park gates near Budhanilkantha.

As I started up the stone steps I could hear the sound of Holi festivities echoing across the Kathmandu valley below with lots of shouting and laughter then later on as I gained height the hubbub from the valley was replaced by the quiet of the forest. Being March this is the season for rhodendrons to flower and I soon came across the red, white and pinks flowers of laliguras which is the national flower of Nepal.

Photo: rhododendrons (laliguras) in flower in Shivapuri

Walking up the stone steps is certainly a good work out as the trail continues relentlessly up through the forest and then after a few hours walking the path steepens for the final ascent to Shivapuri peak. The summit is a flat grassy area and being Spring there was no view as it is often hazy at this time of year however on a clear day it would be possible to see Himalayan peaks such as Ganesh Himal, Langtang-Lirung and Dorji Lhakpa. I met several others groups on the summit, there were some Nepali friends who had also taken advantage of their day off work for Holi holiday and also several Saddhus (holymen) laying down in the sun.

Photo:stone steps to Shivapuri peak

Photo: summit of Shivapuri Peak at 2,732m

From the summit the path descends on more stone steps down through the forest then after half an hour or so I arrived to Baghdwar, this is a very important place as it is where the holy Bagmati river originates. The temple of Pashupatinath is located further downstream on Bagmati river. From Baghdar the trail is lovely as it passes through a forest with oak, bamboo and more flowering laliguras. After another hour I got to Nagi Gompa, a nunnery and retreat centre, where I stopped for a water break and I could hear the chanting of prayers from the main temple complex.

Photo: Nagi gompa

From Nagi Gompa the trail descends further and then joins a dusty road for the walk back down to the Park gates. On the road I passed several family groups who were out enjoying their Holi festival carrying big bunches of red rhodendron flowers, they were all singing and having a good time together. 

Photo: locals celebrating Holi festival

On getting back to Kathmandu I had a look online for more information on Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. They key facts are this park was established as wildlife reserve in 1976 and was upgraded to National Park status in 2002. The Park covers an area of 159 km2 from Kakani in the west to Sundarijal in the east. There is a wide range of animals including leopard, Himalayan black bear, wild boar, rhesus monkey (I saw some of these near Shivapuri peak) and Himalayan pika. There are also lots of birds with ornithologists recording 318 species.

Photo: map of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park

Please get in touch with us at The Mountain Company if you would like any further information about trekking and expeditions in Nepal and cultural tours of Nepal. 

Happy Holi!!

Roland Hunter

www.themountaincompany.co.uk