Trekking
The awe-inspiring Himalayas, highest mountains on earth, are known to Hindus and Buddhists alike as the abode of the gods. Trekking is the best way to directly experience the beauty and culture of Nepal. Trekkers pass jungle-covered mountains, rhododendron forests, high yak pastures, turquoise lakes, snow capped peaks, beautiful temples, and rustic villages nestled in the mountains among shimmering, terraced rice fields. Playful children love to skip along beside you for an hour or so as you walk through the dizzy heights of their beautiful homeland. Once you leave Kathmandu and get off the beaten path, Nepal will thrill you with the spectacular scenery and cultural attractions of its countryside. Nepal has only been open to the outside world for 50 years so there are still very few roads but there are innumerable foot routes winding through the countryside. For most Nepalis, trekking is the only way to go and they say you haven’t visited Nepal until you’ve gone trekking!
Nepal began its career as a trekker’s paradise in 1949 when a British adventurer, Bill Tilman, managed to get permission from the King to make several treks into the Kali Gandaki, Helambu, and Everest regions. Trekking in Nepal really took off with the first expeditions to the base of Mount Everest; an American led expedition in 1950 and a British one in 1951. On May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of India were the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,848 metres. After the original period of pioneer mountaineering expeditions in Nepal, increasing numbers of foreign visitors came to Nepal and many of them wanted to trek into the mountains. A whole industry sprang up, complete with guides, porters and guest houses dotting the way along most routes. People either trek from guest house to guest house, or send porters ahead to set up camp and cook a delicious dinner for the end of a long day’s walk. To trek in Nepal is to experience the beauty of a Himalayan Kingdom and all the comforts it offers! All levels of treks are available, from slow and easy, to scaling the highest peaks on earth!
