A small team of enthusiastic and weathered cyclists are undertaking the Nepal section of The Great Himalaya Trail, becoming the first expedition to cycle the whole route.
Pushkar Shah, a pioneering expedition cyclist is leading the team. Born in rural Nepal, Pushkar has cycled for 11 years, going 5 ½ times around the world, visiting 150 countries and finishing his tour in 2010 on the summit of Mount Everest. Ben Waddington from the UK, Chris Abbott from Australia, Bhimsen Shah, Raj Kumar Tamang, and Nitesh Subedi from Nepal are also joining the team bringing different strengths and interests from filming to rafting.
The expedition will set off at the start of April, and will finish in 45 days. It will start in Darchula in the Far-West of Nepal, and end in Pathibhara, Taplejung in the East.
The aim of this expedition, according to Pushkar, is to bring publicity to the new trail route which will encourage development opportunities, bringing much needed income to remote rural communities. Some of the planned developments include the construction of local community owned lodges, bringing local produce to market, handicraft partnerships, and cooperative porter and guide organisations.
“We want to publicize the GHT, to gain international recognition for the GHT as the world’s highest long-distance trail and encourage the route as an eco-friendly tourist activity”, said Ben Waddington.
Dammaru Niraula was our guide and confidant for our recent visit to Nepal. We went on a humanitarian visit to build a hothouse in the village of Phortse in the Khumbu region of Nepal but also included some trekking on a personal level before and after our project. Dammaru was a vital link in getting the project off the ground and…
Dammaru Niraula Trekking Guide Trip Leader I have had an association with Dammaru over the last three years. My first trek with Dammaru was to the Solu Khumbu region where he tailored a trek to suit our request to climb some remote passes and stay off the main tourist routes where possible. His knowledge of the area was very impressive and his attention to our safety was always his major concern. The second trek I did with Dammaru two years…
Dear Dammaru I have been trekking to Ghorepani poon hill on Jan 07 for 6 days with Mr. Dammaru. Poonhill is so beautiful, so all I can do is just taking pictures on poon hill. If you were planning to trek in Nepal, I…
I was a member of a group of nine friends from Northamptonshire in 204 from the UK, on a trek of the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Apart from one member, we were all approaching or over the age of 60 and were all well aware of the difficulties we could encounter at Thorong La which sits at an altitude of 5,416 meters (17,769…
My husband and I embarked on a trip to Nepal in October 2006. We were hoping to avoid the large tour groups and were referred to Himalayan Holidays based in Kathmandu as a provider of customized tours. We had looked on the net to determine the tour we wanted to undertake and spoke to many people and eventually decided 6-day on Ghorepani Poon…
Dammaru Niraula was our guide and confidant for our recent visit to Nepal. We went on a humanitarian visit to build a hothouse in the village of Phortse in the Khumbu region of Nepal but also included some trekking on a personal level before and after our project. Dammaru was a vital link in getting the project off the ground and then as a support person in Nepal before, during and after. He completed the following tasks with the utmost professionalism and patience. Arranged transfer of a large number of funds from Australian bank account to Nepalese bank account. Communications with the village before we arrived to ensure the walls were built. Organized our itinerary and necessary bookings for the trekking part of our journey for 8 adults. Once we arrived in Nepal he then assisted us in purchasing all the gear we needed for the finishing of the hothouse. e.g. Polycarbonate roof sheeting and the many other bits of hardware necessary. Transport of the roofing etc to Phortse village via helicopter, plane, yak, and porter. As well as being a part of the project Dammaru also was our trekking guide for the duration of our trip of 5 weeks. He organized everything for us from the hotel, in Kathmandu and everything in between our trek to base camp. He is honest, reliable and always puts the customer first. I would have no hesitation in recommending Dammaru to anyone who is considering a trip to Nepal.
My husband and I embarked on a trip to Nepal in October 2006. We were hoping to avoid the large tour groups and were referred to Himalayan Holidays based in Kathmandu as a provider of customized tours. We had looked on the net to determine the tour we wanted to undertake and spoke to many people and eventually decided 6-day on Ghorepani Poon Hill trek. We live in a plain and therefore training for the trek was a challenge in itself. We spent our weekends climbing up and down a 700metre high hill that was regarded as sufficiently steep for our training needs. However, we were unsure of what to expect in Nepal and were concerned about our levels of fitness for the trek that we had in mind. We were introduced to our guide, Dammaru at the hotel we were staying in Kathmandu and our anxieties were quickly alleviated. This diminutive gentleman exuded confidence and assured us that he was able to accommodate our individual fitness levels and ensure that our time in his country was hassle free. And indeed he did! Without it being particularly noticeable, Dammaru controlled the tempo of our daily treks in order that the enjoyment factor always exceeded any physical discomfort. His relationship with the locals was both real & genuine which meant we never felt like intruders or uncomfortable in their presence. Dammaru's keen negotiation skills with the local tea house proprietors' meant the delay between arriving & unwinding from the challenges of our daily treks was minimal with the accommodation always being appropriate to our needs. His professionalism was faultless. He provided us with a wealth of information on all aspects of the history, culture, flora, and fauna of this remarkable country. Not only was he a fantastic guide, but his cheeky grin and sense of humor ensured Dammaru to be a fantastic traveling companion. Our dealings with Dammaru exceeded all expectations and we hope to make a return visit to this stunningly beautiful country.
Dear valuable guest, I would like to inform all of you that the coming year 2020 is declared as “The year of Tourism”? Sep-15-2019
Nepal celebrates 34th World Tourism Day with the aim to promote water tourism in Nepal. This year’s theme celebration “Tourism and…
Jan-28-2015