In 2003, in the midst of a Maoist insurgency and the context of deteriorating tourism and development in Nepal, a 56-year-old grandmother adventurer from UK; Rosie Swale Pope took on an epic adventure along the Trans-Himalaya Trail of Nepal to spread the message of peace, development and hope. Kumar Karki, a trekking guide form Everest region and Jigme Lama, from remote North West Nepal lead the organization and charity projects that followed.
The journey started from Hilsa in Humla near Mt Kailash Tibet, along Karnali river with trails ever-running up and downs, amidst a looming armed conflict. It was also not always easy to retrace the ancient trails hidden beneath the shade of time and neglect, but the team was surprised everyday by fascinating landscapes, diverse people, cultures and rich biodiversity.
With much courage, the team contributed significantly in spreading the message of peace, promote tourism and raise funds for the much needed health care projects in remote areas The journey from one end of Nepal to the other was 1,700 kilometres (1,060 mi) and the team established a new world-record time of 68 days.
In Later years, trekking routes along the Great Himalaya Trails has become a new attraction for adventure seekers. New activities such as Trail Running are also gaining popularity.
Kumar who has a long connection and memory, being one of the foremost to complete the whole GHT (in 2003) is offering guidance and services to lead a new generation of trail runners and trekkers. And Jigme Lama a graduate in development studies, and a Manager in several GHT development projects is also committed to it.
To explore Great Himalaya Trails in Nepal, Trekking and Trail running and get involved in development works please contact us.
“The true distance the team and I have covered is written in the blizzards of the steep mountain passes we’ve been over. It is written in the sandstorms of the dried-up riverbeds, written in the paw prints we’ve seen of leopards, in the kindness of local people everywhere, written in the pounding of our hearts during the toughest moments and in the laughter of my Nepali team, even when they were exhausted.”
– Rosie Swale Pope, 2003
“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.”
– James Vlahos, National Geographic Adventure Magazine
