TREK FOR DEVELOPMENT

At Destination Nepal we are proud to introduce a new kind of trek. As the only trekking agency in Nepal we are starting a “Trek For Development”. 

The projects background, history and facts.

Nepal is well known all through the world for its excellent trekking routes and spectacular mountain views. It has been almost 50 years since the history of tourism evolved in Nepal and ever since that time, many people have visited the country and enjoyed the culture and the scenery.

In Nepal, tourism is important not only because it is an important source of foreign exchange but also it is a major employment generating industry. At present, the sector is contributing roughly 22 percent of the total foreign exchange earnings of the country (4% of the GDP). The challenge for the tourism sector in the new millennium is to continue with playing an important role without having any negative impacts on the countryside or the people living in the country. The best case scenario would be a future tourism sector that benefits all the people living in the country and not just an exclusive minority.  

One of the most important tourist activities in Nepal is trekking and mountaineering. For the majority of visiting tourists, trekking in Nepal has meant going to the popular trekking routes in the Mt. Everest area, Annapurna and Jomsom area, or the Langtang, Helambu areas. Thus, there are still many areas in Nepal that remain unexplored by foreigners.

The idea behind the project.

Destination Nepal has designed the “Trek For Development” for two main reasons. One reason is to take people out to an area, which they normally would not get to visit. The other reason is to give the villagers an opportunity to work on a project that brings development to the area where they live.

The main idea of the project is that these two main reasons should be fundamentally connected. People shall while visiting the villages be able to see the progress made by the villagers and the villagers shall be able to meet the people supporting and financing their development. The trekkers will be given the opportunity to be a part of the villagers’ everyday life and to get the chance to fully understand the Nepalese way of life.

Description of the area and the trekking route.

The “Trek For Development” can either be a camping trek or a trek where you stay in local houses along the way. The trek can last from 10-14 days. The route will take the trekkers through five different Village Development Communities (VDC´s) in the Solu Khumbu District; Salleri, Garma, Gora, Tapting and Kerung.

This area is in many ways different from the more wellknown areas that are usually visited by tourists. The area is hardly visited by tourists and compared to many other places the environment is clean and the local people greet visitors with an outstan­ding hospitallity. The area is dominated by the tamang, sherpa and magar ethnic groups and the budhist religion is visible in the area through manis, stupas, prayer­flags and prayerwheels. 

For those who are interested there will be oppurtunities for climbing different peaks: Pike Peak (4065m) and Dapdanda Peak (3200m) from where you will have excellent views of the Himalayan range including Numbur Himal, Gauri Sankhar Himal, Ganesh Himal and Langtang Himal. Those not interested in climbing peaks can spend a day in the village, participate in the everyday life and visit the developing­projects in the area.

There are several budhist monasteries in the area and they are very interessting to visit among them are the Thubten Choli monastery above Junbesi and Jhapre monastery in Tapting. A visit to the saturday markets in Salleri and Okhaldunga is a good way of experiencing the local way of trading.

The different seasons offer different experiences. If you choose to visit the area in the springtime you can enjoy the blooming rhododendrons, if you choose to visit in the fall you can observe and participate in the different festivals.

The benefits that the trekking brings to the area.

The projects main idea is that the profit from the trekking is to be used in establishing development projects in the area. One of these projects could be micro hydro-electricity generators. This would mean that the village would be able to have lights during the evenings, this meaning a lot especially for the children and young­sters attending school. They would be able to continue their studies during the evenings and by that, getting better opportunities to gain important knowledge. 

The lumbering of trees in the areas around the village would not be as extensive as it is today, the need for wood would decrease as electricity in some ways would replace it. Shortly, the quality of life would in many ways increase for the people of the villages. The project would work as a kind of kick-start for the villagers. They would get a good ground to build on, as they would notice how much easier life would be due to small changes.

Almost all the labour needed to accomplish the project will be done by the villagers themselves, everything from carrying the material to the village to installing the hydro electric generators. This will mean that the villagers themselves will achieve a lot of knowledge concerning the maintenance of the power-supply. They will then be able to maintain the project for themselves, which will give it good possibilities to exist for a long time.

If you are interested in knowing more about the “Trek For Development” and have more specific information about the villages in which the developing projects are going to be you are welcome to contact us at the following adresses:

Destination Nepal
P.O. Box No. 5408
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel.: 977-1-4410283
Mobile: 977-9851027523
Fax: 977-1-4410283
Fax: 977-1-258 419
E-mail: info@destination.com.np
Website: www.destination.com.np

Or Contact persons:
Christina Lange
E-mail: christinalange@hotmail.com
Arne Ohman
E-mail: arneohman@hotmail.com
Christian Coulange
E-mail: humalaya@yahoo.fr