Trekking guide training gets underway in Nepal

A 35-day trekking guide training kicked off at Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM) on February 20.The training is being conducted by NATHM in the coordination of Trekking Agencies' Association of Nepal (TAAN).A total of 750 workers from different trekking agencies are participated in the training in the first phase. Another 750 will participate in the training in the second phase. Speaking at the orientation class organized on Friday, TAAN President Ramesh Prasad Dhamala said the training has been organized to produce trained and professional workforce for the trekking sector. "We will launch a separate course for 'assistant guides' from next year. Similarly, trekking guide training will be organized as per the new curriculum from next year," he said, adding: "Only the applicants who have passed SLC examination will be eligible for the training."Similarly, TAAN General Secretary Sagar Pandey thanked NATHM for conducting the training on old curriculum as per the request of TAAN. "From next year, only those who have passed SLC examination will be eligible for the trekking guide training," he added.Chudamani Sharma Kattel, executive director of NATHM, and Dhan Prasad Gurung, coordinator of Training & HR Department of TAAN, among others were also present on the occasion. The training is being organized in three shifts – morning, afternoon and evening. The second phase of training will kick off from April 8.

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Tsum valley festivities

 Being totally within the Buddhist Zone of Nepal, the tsum valley inhabitants participate in all the regular Buddhist festivities. Losar Buddha’s birthday, Guru Rinpoche’s birthday and the various cham dances. A celebration called panda occurs in the village of yarcho  above chumling in February, while a version of mani similar to the one in samagaon, is celebrated in Ripchet village during April. Ngungne is widely celebrated across tsum in nile, chhule phurbe rachen mu and piren phu. The festivities of nara khangsar ladrang are held in chhokang paro and at the isolated cliff clinging monastery of chi phu.

 All the main monasteries have a festival in the early monsoon called Gumba Dhupa chhe ji. The riotous Dharchyang hore races are held in upper tsum in late September into October.Around the same time is the Gumba Ngile Ladrang. Also in the autumn a celebration takes place at milarepa’s cave that is      unique to the valley according to local homestay people. Nara jhong takes place at gonhgye monastery above chhule in late November. The twin villages of Ngakyu leru hold the Nga ladrang Nara December.

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Every six Tourists create one job in Nepal study

                                              Every six Tourists create one job in Nepal study

   Every six tourist create one job in Nepal and the tourism industry provides poor communities better access to revenues generated by the tourism market said the tourism employment survey 2014 unveiled by the tourism ministry on Thursday. This is the first ever survey of the tourism industry conducted in Nepal. The study based on 192 tourism establishments in 10 districts showed that 797616 tourist arrivals in Nepal led to jobs for 138148 persons .the survey was conducted between may and june. The ratio of tourist visits and employment generated suggests that one jobwas generated from every sixtourist visits overa a year’s period the survey said. However Nepal’s tourism employment trend is much lower than the estimate of the UN World Tourist Organization (UNWTO)which states that the entry of one tourist into a particular country provides employment to 12 people .The survey has not taken into account the informal sector and is purely linked with the total arrivals and their outcome in the industry, siad sharad kumar sharma chief statistician at the ministry.

                 The figure revealed by the survey is also lower than the employment figure estimated by the employment figure estimated by the Economic survey 2013 which  states that the tourism industry has generated 17800direct jobs. The tourism survey conducted for the first time in Nepal has given a real picture of the jobs created by the industry as the jobs created by the industry as there was no scientific basis to calculate the employment scenario said ourna chandra Bhattarai joint secretary at the ministry. It will indeed help planners and policymakers to find out the real contribution of the tourism indusry and take the necessary initiatives to make the industry more vibrant.Women engagement in the tourism industry was nominal .Around 20 percent of the employees were female while 78percent had secondary or a higher level of education.

Acute mountain sickness

                                           Acute mountain sickness

 Acute mountain sickness is potentially a very serious condition that can affect any one but by being a ware of the symptoms and abiding by the rules of acclimatisation now here along the trails of Solukhumbu is it too high for a thermal healthy body to acclimatise given time but some take much longer than others to doso some experience headaches at (2500m) (8200ft) white others can happily climb to twice that altitude without discomfort other than shortness of breath and it is not possible to predict in advance who among first time trekkers will suffer from it or youthfulness in fact it would appear that young people maybe more prone to AMS than older trekkers . 

  

Route To Everest Bese Camp Trekking

   Attempt to visit both kala pattar and Everest base camp in one day would be  too much for most Trekkers .if you plan to go to the base camp site it’s advisable to make a day of it from Gorak shep the 7-8km (5mile) round trip will take about 4 -6 hr of rough going. There’s not one single location for the base camp but most expeditions choose a site close to the khumbu lcefall at about 53oom (17388ft) .if there’s an expedition in residence or a site being set up the route to it should not be too difficult to follow. But at certain times of the year it may be somewhat tortuous to find. If there’s been recent snowfall forget it. The rail begins just beyond the Gorak shep lake where it traces along the moraine crest for some way until indications suggest descending to the Khumbu glacier. Once in the center of the glacier locate and follow whatever signs are center of the glacier locate and follow whatever signs are there sometimes little more than occasional cairns of yak dung. If you’re lucky there’s be porters or yaks moving up to the camp in which case you can just tuck in and follow them . Note the upthrusting pinnacles of ice that adorn the glacier. Everest base camp is not the place from which to gain a view of the highest mountain on earth. Everything is foreshortened from here and Everest itself is well hidden but the chaos of the khumbu ivefall spewing from the western approach. With so much instability ice cliffs the size of houses collapse with little advance warning and bottomless chasms open at unpredictable points climbing this to reach the western CWM is mountaineering’s final game of Russian roulette. 

                                 

Tribhuvan Army Club ‘A’ wins Eco-Challenge

Nepal Army's Tribhuvan Army Club dominated the 2nd TAAN The North Face Eco-Challenge International 2014 organized by Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) in Kathmandu on Sunday, winning top three positions.
Tribhuvan Army Club 'A' finished won the first position of the Eco-Challenge, which comprised of three sporting disciplines – cycling, running and rafting – with the timing of 2 hrs 37 min and 25 sec. Similarly, Tribhuvan Army Club 'B' clinched the second position with the timing of 2 hrs 40 min and 10 seconds while Tribhuvan Army Club 'C' finished third clocking 2 hrs 46 min and 36 sec.
The event saw participation of a total of 17 teams. Each team comprised of four participants and one team manager. The participants first ran on a 6.5-kilometer from Tokha to Pani Muhan. They then cycled on 14.5-kilometer track through the Shivapuri-Nagarjung National Park till Sundarijal and rafted on 7.5-kilometer segment of  Bagmati River -- from Sundarijal to Gokarneshwar Mahadev Temple, Gokarna.
The winning team received a purse of Rs 125,000 along with medals and certificates. Similarly, the second and third team received cash prize of Rs 95,000 and Rs 65,000 respectively, along with medal and certificates.
Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Bhim Prasad Acharya gave away checks, medals and certificates to the winning teams.  Speaking on the occasion, Acharya said the ministry is lend all possible support to the private sector to organize events like these. “I urge all other travel trade associations to organize such events and help promote tourism in the country,” he added.
Similarly, TAAN President Ramesh Dhamala said the event is Dhamala said TAAN plans to promote Eco-Challenge as an annual event in TAAN's calendar. "We also plan to sell the event through our member agencies to attract foreign participants," he added.
Earlier, former tourism minister Hisila Yami and TAAN President Dhamala jointly inaugurated the event amid a colorful ceremony held in Tokha. Speaking on the occasion, Yami said events like these are necessary to promote Nepal as a destination for all seasons.
Similarly, Event Coordinator Ranjan Rajbhandari said TAAN has been organizing Eco-Challenge since 2013 to promote culture, environment and adventure through sports.
TAAN 1st Vice President Kami Rinji Sherpa said TAAN would organize similar events in future as well.
Presidents and office-bearers of different travel trade associations, office-bearers and executive members of TAAN, past presidents and executive members of TAAN, general members of TAAN, and tourism entrepreneurs, among others were present on the occasion.source by NAAN

2nd TAAN International Eco-Challenge 2014 in kathmandu on August 17

             2nd TAAN International Eco-Challenge 2014 in Kathmandu on August 17

Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) is organizing 2nd TAAN International Eco-Challenge 2014 in Kathmandu on August 17.Speaking at a press meet organized to inform media persons about the event, TAAN President Ramesh Dhamala said the event is being organized to promote as a destination for adventure sports. “This is the second time that we are organizing this event. Our plan is to organize the event on a regular basis,” added Dhamala.Eco-challenge is a team event featuring three sporting disciplines – running, cycling and rafting. Interested participants are required to form a group of five persons including a team manager who will not participate in the sporting events. All four participants will first run on the 6.5-kilometer track from Bhutkhel ground in Tokha to Pani Muhan at the entrance of Shivapuri  Nagarjun-National Park. The participants will then cycle on the 14.5-kilometer track through the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. After completing cycling, the participants will then raft on 7.5-kilometer segment of Bagmati River until Gokarna.Ranjan Rajbhandari, manager of event, sports and ceremony department of TAAN, said the association plans to promote the Eco-Challenge by selling the event through its member agencies. “We want to promote it as one of the popular adventuring sporting events in the country,” he added.The winning team will receive gold medals, certificates and cash prize of Rs 125,000. Similarly, the first runner-up will receive silver medals, certificates and cash prize of Rs 95,000, while the second runner-up will take home bronze medals, diploma and a purse of Rs 65,000.TAAN is expecting participation of at least 20 teams. 

source by TAAN Nepal .