Trekking Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail
IF YOU’VE EVER DREAMED of trekking Nepal’s Great Himalaya Trail but don’t have the time or money to embark on such an adventure, a new blog may be the second-best thing. World Expeditions is leading two adventurous trekkers on a 157-day, 1400km journey along the trail – and blogging about it all the way. The expedition’s leaders and participants are using satellite phones to share their stories along the trail.
World Expeditions representative Karena Noble says the company is sharing the trek online in order to raise awareness of the natural beauty and culture of Nepal. “The cultures experienced have kept close to their ancient traditions for centuries,” she says. “Their inherent happiness and their resourcefulness in meagre surroundings is both inspiring and an example of how we ourselves could tread more lightly on our own land and around each other.”
The World Expeditions group is the first commercial expedition to traverse the Nepal section of the trail. The company plans to offer the trek again in 2012 and upcoming years.
The trek is broken into seven stages ranging from 18 days to 34 days each. The trekkers are currently in the second stage of their journey, the Makalu to Everest Traverse. This 34-day stage crosses some of the highest passages in the Himalaya, including the Sherpani Col, West Col and Amphu Labsta. Adventurers who are unable to complete the full five-month trek can still participate by joining one of these shorter treks.
Explorers are led by an experienced guide for each section of the trek. The leader of the first stage was United Kingdom native and Sydney resident Robin Boustead, who established the Great Himalaya Train in Nepal. Greg Mortimer, one of the first two Australians to summit Mount Everest, will lead the third stage.
Follow the adventure here.
