The 1,700 km Nepal section of the trail begins near Kanchenjunga on the eastern border and heads west navigating the domains of eight of the world’s 8000m peaks, from the beautiful but lesser-known Makalu to the famous Everest. It is not the easiest nor most direct route across Nepal, rather a route through the Greater Himalaya. The route offers an incredible diversity in terms of landscapes, flor
a & fauna, people and culture: from snow leopards to red pandas; from sub-tropical jungle to fragile high-altitude eco-systems; from the famous Sherpas, to Shamanism, to the ancient Bön Buddhist culture found still in Dolpa. National Geographic Adventure Magazine‘s Jame’s Vlahos observes, “Nepal’s mountains are minimally developed, but they offer a wealth of trade and pilgrimage routes. The GHT elegantly connects these existing paths without blazing a single new trail.”
The Nepal section is part of a longer alpine adventure traversing the spine of the Himalaya from Bhutan to Pakistan. These sections are currently being researched, trekked and documented. There still is a a lot of Great Himalaya Trail exploring yet to be done! Making a difference
Nepal is a poor country and tourism contributes an important 4% of GDP. However this is concentrated, as far as trekking is concerned, in the 3 most popular areas of Solo Khumbu (Everest) region, Annapurna region and Langtang. By trekking off the the beaten track, you will making a direct difference to communities in these areas by spending money on food, accommodation or services such as guides, porters and cooks. And you’ll be getting to some incredible places, meeting people following ancient cultures and having unique experiences. Many people come to Nepal to get away from the crowds and to seek challenge and adventure, and equally vibrant nature or solitude. Few will have the time to attempt the whole route, so it is broken up into sections and short treks along the trail. There are many more places to visit in Nepal than just Annapurna, Everest or Langtang, beautiful as they are! Take with Dolpa for instance…
