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Nepal – one year after the earthquake
Today marks the anniversary of the earthquake that caused such terrible devastation to Nepal last April. As a result of the impact of the quake, thousands of lives were lost, vast swathes of homes, schools and buildings were destroyed or damaged and livelihoods were deeply affected. And yet, one year on, the indomitable local people have impressively rebuilt their lives and businesses. So, even as we pause and remember the dreadful loss of life last year, we can also celebrate the wonderful spirit and endeavour of the people of Nepal.
In fact, only five months after the earthquake struck, life was already beginning to return to normal. This was very much evident when our Operations Manager, Jim Davies, visited Nepal last autumn to assess the situation in Kathmandu and the main trekking areas. We wanted to get behind the sensationalism and negativity of the news headlines and see the reality of the situation for ourselves. Even then, rebuilding work was well under way, the trekking routes were clear and safe and teahouses and lodges were open and preparing for the new trekking season.
So our message to anyone thinking of visiting Nepal is that it is most definitely open for business and you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the wonderful local people. But don’t just take our word for it – go and see for yourself. There really couldn’t be a better time to visit this beautiful and inspiring country.
We’re delighted to be running a full programme of walking and trekking holidays to Nepal this autumn and have already added an extra departure of our Manaslu Circuit in October in response to demand.
We also continue to raise funds to support the ongoing work of charities such as the Gurkha Welfare Trust, Shiva Charity and the Nepali Children’s Trust in helping Nepal get back on its feet. See our Responsible Tourism report for news of how we used the extremely generous donations of our clients and friends in responding to the immense challenges posed by the earthquake.
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Farewell to Wilderness Lectures
One summer’s day in 1987 Steve Berry (our MD) and fellow adventurer, Steve Marriott, were standing at the foot of the cliffs in Avon gorge. Having agreed that it was too hot to climb, they had been killing time in a ‘Wouldn’t it be great if…’ competition. This was when the fantasy of listening to the epic stories of their favourite heroes became a solid plan…
Since then, the two Steves and their caving friend Dick Willis, have organised more than 400 lectures whose general theme has been ‘Worldwide Adventure’. These epic stories have taken the audiences from the deepest point of the deepest ocean to the summit of Mount Everest, and from darkest, dankest inner spaces of our planet to even darker journeys in Outer Space. There have been mountaineers, sailors, cyclists, divers, balloonists, and even a man who cycled around the world on a penny farthing, and another who flew his car from Europe over the Straights of Gibraltar to Africa. There have been world famous explorers, record breakers, and people who have headed out into the remote unknown just for the hell of it.
Having run Wilderness for 36 years the three friends have decided to step back and retire so there will be no series this winter. However, they would be really happy if a younger individual, or a group of friends, would step forward to take over Wilderness and pick up where they are leaving off. If anyone is interested contact Wilderness Lectures here.
NEW Naar Phu Circuit Trek
We've just launched new tea house trek in the heart of the Annapurna Mountains in Nepal. An exhilarating, 18-day trekking trip, the Naar Phu Circuit takes you away from the popular trails of the Annapurnas, into a genuinely remote and truly spectacular region where access remains restricted.
Take a look at the full trip details here or speak to Harry in the Mountain Kingdoms office who completed the Naar Phu Circuit Trek earlier this year and rates it as the best he's ever done.
Holidays with Festivals
If you love a festival, but hate muddy fields, tent villages and rubbish food then it may be time to look beyond Glastonbury and Reading. In our latest enews we reveal alternative festivals in the Himalaya and Mongolia that offer amazing music, unusual sports and unique cultural experiences.
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