Upper Tsum trek

With no substantial hills to climb the going is much easier. There is a wealth of interest all the way to Nile with so many settlements chortens mani walls and gompas. The main attraction is the piren phucave retreat of milarepa although it is not always accessible if the guardian is out. Don’t forget also to visit the Gonhgye monastery above chhule lama sheap is a mine of information and it’s a beautiful spot. Long mani walls often with carvings of milarepa on the stones and not the usual om mani padme hum run in tandem with the trails.
                     

Lamjung Region

                                                        Lamjung Region

Although outside the Lower Manaslu region the district of Lamjung lies just wet of the marsyangdi valley that trekkers from the manaslu circuit will use en route to the main road at Dumre. Those with sufficient energy left after the larkya la crossing might consider taking the following short options to pokhara from khudi Besisahar or kalimati. New routes (and dirt roads ) are rapidly being developed in this area. The region is now encouraging moderate home stay trekking so there is no reason why the area cannot be transited by hikers wanting to reach pokhara from the manaslu trek as a gentle winding down. Home stays with local families are being encouraged in order to spread the visitors dollars into areas where until now only subsistence agriculture has sustained the way of life. Ironically these latest increasingly fashionable initiatives are a reinvention of the good old days of early trekking 40 years ago when trekkers stayed in local houses. However when you travel back in time you can’t expect the level of luxury and standard of toilets that you found in Bimthang for example. You still need your guide as the     trails are not yet marked. It gets quite hot in late spring in the lower foothills so heading here after the larkya la pass is better in late autumn and early December. 

                

Avalanches at Annapurna South continues

                        Avalanches at Annapurna South continues

The avalanche that occurred at Annapurna South at Narchang VDC in Myagdi since one month ago still continues.

The avalanches also caused increment of water level of Kaligandaki river, said Chairman of Narchyang management committee of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP).

Likewise, a wooden bridge has been swept away by the floods caused by the avalanches.

ACAP officials said that earlier preparations of a joint team from ACAP and Ghalemdi Hydropower Project to reach the base camp to inspect the natural disaster failed due to bad weather condition.
   

Compensation provided to family of deceased trekking workers

Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN) on Saturday distributed compensation to family of trekking workers who lost their lives in the blizzards in different mountain areas of the country triggered by Hud Hud Cyclone in 2014.Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Ananad Prasad Pokharel handed over checks to bereaved family members amid a program organized at TAAN Secretariat.

Though bereaved family members had already received Rs 50,000 as funeral compensation, TAAN had not been able to provide relief amount due to delay in release of its share from TIMS fund from Npeal Tourism Board (NTB).As per the application received from its member agencies, the 11th meeting of TAAN Executive Commitee had decided to provide compensation of Rs 250,000, including funeral compensation, to family members of Jit Bahadur Tamang, Lakpa Sherpa and Krishna BK of Annapurna Treks & Expedition; Lakpa Dorje Lama, Lama Pemba Lopchan, Dawa Syanga, Roman Tamang, Dawa Sidar Tamang, Som Lopchan, Wangdi Lopchan, Sanu Kaji Ghising and Aitaram Ghising of Destination Nepal Treks; Bhoj Kumar Rai, Gopal Rai and Dorje Shepra of Himalayan Explorer Treks; Pasang Thsering Sherpa of Swissa's Mountain Way Trek; Sante Tamang of Nepal Ecology Treks; and Top Nath Lamichhane of Ammonite Adventure & Treks.Speaking on the occasion, Minister Pokharel said it was unfortunate that bereaved family members couldn't received relief amount in time. "We have begun releasing TAAN's share from TIMS Fund by sorting our different technical issues. Though the relief amount is small, we are hopeful that it be of some help to the bereaved family members," he added.

Apologizing for the delay in handover of relief amount to bereaved family members, Rajendra Sapkota, board member of NTB, said necessary initaitives have been taken to release TAAN's share from TIMS fund. "We are working to prepare a mechanism through which TAAN's share will be directly deposited into its account," he said, drawing attention of TAAN leadership toward wise use of the amount.Speaking on behalf of tourism workers, Suman Parajuli, general secretary of UNITRAV, said delay in handover of relief amount to bereaved family members was unfortunate. As tourism workers work in a difficult environment, their insruance and other facilities should be duly ensured, he said, demanding that insurance of trekking workers should be raised to Rs 1 million immediately.On the occasion, TAAN Senior VIce President Tashi Lakpa Sherpa apologized, on behalf of TAAN, for the delay in handover of relief amount to bereaved family members. Similarly, TAAN General Secretary Karna Bahadur Lama said TAAN could not hand over relief amount to bereaved family members in time becuase of the delay in release of fund by NTB. He also said TAAN was working to create safe working environment for tourism workers and uphold their rights.

Speaking at the program, TAAN President Chandra Prasad Rijal said the relief amount, albeit small, will heal the wounds of bereaved family members. He also said TAAN was working to make Nepali mountain tourism sector safe for all. 

        

Britain's Prince Harry to visit Nepal, tour quake-hit areas

When Britain's Prince Harry visits Nepal this weekend, ordinary people hope his tour of earthquake-hit areas will draw attention to the country's struggle to recover from last year's disaster. Rebuilding is slow, and tens of thousands remain homeless.Hopefully when a big prince comes to these alleys and the world's media will see how miserable our lives are, we will get some help," said Ram Kaji, who was selling potatoes on the street near his damaged home in Patan, a historic district near the capital of Kathmandu.The April 25, 2015, quake killed nearly 9,000 people, destroyed about 1 million homes and damaged many old temples, palaces and other old structures in Patan and the capital.

During his five-day trip, the 31-year-old prince will also visit a camp for displaced survivors and stay with a family whose men served in the famed Gurkha regiments in the British army — units that Harry served with in Afghanistan.He has a huge amount of admiration for the resilience of the people of the country, particularly in response to the earthquakes last year," Kensington Palace said in a statement.Harry is the first British royal to visit the Himalayan country since the monarchy was abolished in 2008 following street protests. Since then, Nepal has turned into a republic, with a president chosen by a parliament. The prince will meet with President Bidhya Devi Bhandari. Authorities, however, have been slow to push ahead with rebuilding efforts. A government reconstruction agency was finally appointed in December but has yet to provide promised aid money to displaced families and guidelines to build new houses and structures.People who live around the shiny Golden Temple in Patan — which Queen Elizabeth visited about 30 years ago — hope Harry's visit will generate greater awareness about rebuilding needs and bring in funds to repair damages to the many of historic structures.

The Buddhist shrine that dates back 1,400 years was mostly spared by the earthquake but the adjoining monastery, prayer house and assembly halls have been damaged. Only plastic sheets are keeping the rain off and the damaged areas are closed to the public due to danger of collapse. Harry will also negotiate a narrow alley alongside brick and mud houses that are supported by wooden beams.Puspa Raj Bajracharya, who is on the committee that takes care of the Golden Temple, said they have sent requests and proposals to the government, saying it was getting dangerous for the devotees who come to the temple, but have not received any response. Repairs are estimated to cost about 25 million rupees ($227,000), but so far only a fraction of that has been collected from private donors.His grandmother had visited the temple in the 1980s when she came to Nepal with her husband and now the young prince is coming," Bajracharya said. "We hope when the prince comes to our temple we will get the attention of the world to come help us.Prince Harry will also travel to Bhaktapur, a historic town east of Kathmandu that suffered even more damage, and visit a nearby temporary camp for about 250 people made homeless by the disaster, a quarter of whom are children.In Pokhara, a lakeside town that is a base for trekkers in central Nepal, Harry will meet several retired Gurkha soldiers and their families. The prince served with a Gurkha battalion during a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The Gurkhas have served in the British army for 200 years and have a reputation for being brave, tenacious fighters. Thousands of young Nepali men attempt to pass the grueling test to become a Gurkha, but only a few get through.Harry will honor those killed in battle and spend a night with a local family.

For years, the Gurkhas fought for equal pay and pension to their British counterparts until a landmark 2008 court ruling that ended most discriminatory practices. Gurkha soldiers now receive equal salary and pension, and their families are allowed to settle in Britain. However, those who retired before 2008 still get roughly one-third of the pension.The Gurkhas are proud of their heritage and identity, and Harry's visit is a "big event for us Gurkhas," said Krishna Kumar Ale, who served in the British army between 1969 and 1998 when he retired as a major. He recalled seeing the young Harry during a visit to a military exercise in Britain, and said Harry once had a Gurkha orderly.He is a good friend of the Gurkhas," he said, "and has always been close with the Gurkhas. Source by Kathmandu post