Green and carbon

The biggest man-made disaster in the history of mankind, Climate change, is proving to be a test of humanity’s capacity to put public good over private interests. So far, humanity has failed. This issue of emissions, politically intractable, refuses to budge because of the differences between the developed and the developing countries over who should bear greater share of the burden of past and future emissions. The developing countries want the developed countries to do more because their historical emissions are largely responsible for present Climate change. The developed countries worry that their economies will be competitively disadvantaged if they alone commit to strict environmental standards. Nevertheless, there are some areas of agreement. All countries accept there is no alternative turning to renewable energy and transitioning to a green economy. That is why the slogan of the World Environment Day yesterday (Green economy: does it include you?), needs to be internalized by all countries.

Green economy means adopting carbon-neutral technologies. It is a solution put forward mostly by the developed countries, who in the past have made numerous commitments, including those in the Kyoto protocol, to reduce emissions. They have not followed up on their commitments. Instead, they want new agreements that puts greater burden on developing countries to do more to reduce emissions. Nepal’s position in this regard, like most of the developing world, is to refrain from making any commitments that could jeopardize its economic growth. Nepal is right to take such a position because although the ideas behind green economy are good—and sooner or later, all countries will have to go green to avoid climate disasters and to create a sustainable future—developing countries should not give up their rights to choose their own development path. All agreements and commitments must take into account past and current inequalities of the global system as well as future energy consumption necessary for growth.

This is not to say that Nepal should hesitate from going green. The prospects of green economy in Nepal are good. Proper utilization of already existing natural resources such as rivers, forests and the biodiversity of the country can contribute significantly to national income. In this context, it must be remembered that over 64 percent of population is dependent on firewood.  Without alternatives, it would be difficult to transition to a green economy, a process which requires huge amount of investment and transfer of knowledge and technology from mostly developed countries to developing countries. Technology transfer means investing in renewable energy, for example, wind, solar, bio gas and hydroelectricity. For this, the government should launch a serious effort to attract technology, whether through bilateral or multilateral channels. Doing so will enable Nepal to not only to provide energy to the needy, but also to do its part to save the world from the disaster that is Climate change.

http://ekantipur.com/2012/06/06/editorial/green-and-carbon/355134.html

Forests Are Moving… (Up That Is)

Global environmental degradation has forced entrepreneurs and building developers to incorporate green thinking into their blueprints.

Milan, Italy is best known as a high-fashion capital but it also has a dubious claim to fame as one of the most polluting cities in Europe. However, environmentally-conscious designers and entrepreneurs are trying to change that about this global fashion destination. Milan may soon become home to the world’s first vertical forest.

Bosco Verticale, as it is known, will be constructed with real plants and vegetation and its designers hope that it will revolutionise how we think of buildings. It’s an incredible and gallant effort to integrate sustainable development in the construction industry, considering the impacts construction has on the environment; both long and short term.

According to its architects, “The Bosco Verticale will simulate the real solicitous processes of plants and trees in terms of cooling and heating regulatory mechanisms and also energy production and consumption. This will assist in minimizing the carbon footprints these conspicuous structures have, and will set a precedent for the future with an air of pure genius.”

There are several benefits in going up; namely more efficient use of land, virtually no use of pesticides and all year round production, not to mention mitigating food insecurity and loss of arable land.

To learn more about the effects of major industries on the environment, and the pressing need to tackle these issues, read the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Green Economy report.

 

Source:

United Nations Environment Programme

environment for development

World Environment Day is June 5th

An annual event since 1972, World Environment Day, is dedicated to stimulating global awareness of the environment, with a series of worldwide events culminating in The Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. This important conference of world political, business and environmental leaders is in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil, this year’s WED 40^th anniversary host country, is one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds with one of the fastest growing economies, providing an appropriate backdrop for this year’s theme: Green Economy: Does it include YOU?

What is the Green Economy?

The UN Environment Programme defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. A green economy is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive.

The global financial crisis that began in 2007, stands as an illustration that an alternative, more sustainable economic paradigm is required. The Green Economy is the way forward.

The U.N. recently released a study, Working towards sustainable development: Opportunities for decent work and social inclusion in a green economy. The study concludes that 15 – 60 million jobs worldwide could be created over the next two decades, lifting millions out of poverty, through the integration of sustainable development and social inclusion policies. Environmental and socio-economic challenges are interrelated.

“We urgently need to move to a sustainable development path with a coherent set of policies with people and the planet at the centre.”

Juan Somavia – International Labour Organization Director-General

The study disputes the notion that environmental protections necessarily dampen economic development. “Environmental sustainability is not a job killer, as it is sometimes claimed. On the contrary, if properly managed, it can lead to more and better jobs, poverty reduction and social inclusion”, stated the ILO Director-General.

The natural environment, as the basis of the world’s physical assets, must be nurtured to sustain our natural capital, such as forests, water, soil, and food stocks. Education and infrastructure to support renewable energy technologies, fuel efficient transportation, energy efficient buildings and waste management with a focus on recycling will support growth, income and jobs. The transition to a Green Economy will require the collaboration of world leaders, policy makers, businesses of every scale and individuals to define new measures of wealth, prosperity and well-being, respectful of the natural world.

Does it include you?

As the foundation of the Green Economy is social equity, inclusiveness and increased human wellbeing through environmental stewardship, we should all strive to participate. This means taking an active role in moving our local and national governments to adapt policies toward that noble and practical goal, as well as building upon our own personal efforts toward sustainability.

World Environment Day’s rallying call is “Every Year, Everywhere, Everyone”. This year promises to be the biggest WED celebration in history. Find a WED event near you this week, or design a personal environmental homage – clean up a neighborhood nature trail or beach, stop using plastic bags, plant a tree, start a recycling drive – choose your personal environmental issue and do something about it – on World Environment Day, and every day.

 

By Jane Engelsiepen

80 ways to celebrate world environment day

Let’s get together and celebrate this World Environment Day to reduce carbon emissions. Here are 80 ways to celebrate the Day.

A

Adopt ‘green’ way of life

Art made of recycled materials

Auctions to benefit an environmental project

Award presentations for environmental competitions

Awareness campaigns

B

Bicycle parades/races

Broadcast of public service announcements (TV and Radio)

Buy a fuel-efficient car

C

Calculate your carbon footprint

Carpools

Celebrity support

Clean-up campaigns

Competitions (banner, drawing, essay, painting, poster, poetry)

Conferences on the environment

D

Debates on environment issues

Dedicate your blog to World Environment Day on 5 June

Distribute leaflets, brochures and posters

Donate to an environmental cause

E

Environmental education programmes in schools

Excursions to nature sites

Exhibitions (drawings, posters, photos, paintings)

F

Fairs

Festivals

Film festivals on the environment

G

Give a gift membership of an environmental organisation

Guidelines to community-based environmental activities

H

Hoist banners at major road intersections

Help local environmental groups organise WED events

I

Inform all your friends about WED

Involve various partners (NGOs, ministries, youth groups, celebrities, private sector)

Issue First Day Covers (stamps)

J

Join an environmental group

Join UNEP’s carbon neutral network

Join the Billion Tree Campaign

K

Keep your neighbourhood clean

Kick-start an environmental campaign

Kick the CO2 habit!

Know your rights

L

Launch of government environment policies, books, reports

Lobby local authorities to adopt sound environmental policies

M

March for the environment

Media coverage and activities

N

Never litter

O

Offset your emissions

Organic farming/cooking

Organize a WED themed event in your neighbourhood

P

Parades

Performances (plays, songs, poetry)

Plant a tree

Plastic bags: avoid them!

Promotional material (t-shirts, stickers, bookmarks)

Puppet shows for children with an environmental message

Q

Quizzes related to the theme for schools, youth groups, company staff, etc…

R

Rainwater harvesting

Rallies

Ratify international environmental conventions

Reduce, re-use, recycle

Rehabilitate natural habitats

Replace your light-bulbs with energy saving ones

S

Save paper

Seminars

Sort rubbish

Speeches

Sponsorship from private sector

Sports activities

Switch off stand-by TV and computer

T

Take action

T-shirts for WED

U

Use sustainable modes of transportation (walking, jogging, cycling, skating, carpool)

V

Vehicle emission monitoring

Vermicomposting

Visits to botanical gardens and national parks

Volunteer for organizations such as Clean Up the World

W

Waste less!

Workshops

Write plays, poems, songs

Write to civic leaders, members of parliament, government and newspapers

X

Xchange ideas

Xpect environmental responsibility

Y

Youth-led activities

Z

Zero emissions

Source: United Nations Environment Programme

World Environment Day 2012: Let’s pledge to make earth a better place

Let’s pledge to make earth a better place to live in. To spread this message and create awareness among the public, World Environment Day (WED) 2012 is the right time to initiate solutions on environmental issues.

World Environment Day or popularly known as Environmental Day is observed every year on June 5 to promote awareness on the importance of preserving our biodiversity. It also aims to identify issues related to environment and ways to take corrective action.

How green is our green energy?

As Nepal experiences energy crisis of unprecedented severity with eight to twelve hours of power cuts on a daily basis, urban areas have turned to alternative sources of energy, including fossil fuels like petroleum and solar power.

Besides the obvious threats by energy crises like declining economic growth, inflation, and unemployment, the pressure to utilize alternative sources of energy has also brought about dire environmental consequences.

According to Bed Mani Dahal, environmentalist and Assistant Professor at Kathmandu University, people have turned to alternative sources of energy that will hamper the environment in the long run.

“The excessive consumption of fossil fuels emits a large amount of carbon dioxide, leading to a rise in temperature. Kathmandu is getting extremely heated. The temperature now reaches 34-35 degree Celsius. I’m not saying this is entirely due to fossil fuel consumption but to a very large extent it is one of the main reasons,” says Dahal.

“Even the CFL bulbs that are being used to lessen power consumption are hazardous environmental wastes. CFLs contain an average of five mg of mercury. Breaking a single CFL bulb in a room can result in mercury vapor levels 300 times in excess of what is deemed safe for prolonged exposure,” mentions Dahal again, adding that mercury poisoning can lead to health problems like birth defects, miscarriages, and disruption of nervous system, to name a few.

Given the rapidly increasing population and burgeoning urbanization, energy crisis will continue to see a steep upward trend. Geothermal energy would be a good option to relieve the crisis in an environment friendly way.

It is the greenest form of energy producing only one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a natur gas fueled power plant produces. But since most of the geothermal areas are located in the northern or remote areas of the country, its exploitation is not regarded economically viable because of heavy investments associated with the construction of roads.

So the only option currently available is the use of battery-operated emergency lights and solar technologies. Recently, the capital has witnessed a steady rise in the use of solar power with almost every household opting to install a few solar panels on their rooftops.

Solar energy needs to be stored for which the most obvious solution is batteries which are not only expensive but hard to dispose of when the time comes.

The techniques used to harness solar energy are green and non-polluting. However, the manufacturing, transportation and installation of solar systems are not completely environment friendly.

“The batteries that are being used need to be disposed of after a year or two. Without proper disposal system, the threat to the environment is huge as it will lead to land and water degradation. We talk about harvesting the power of the sun but fail to see the environmental side effects of it,” adds Dahal.

While hospitals and industries are supposed to properly dispose of hazardous equipments and wastes by themselves, there is no way to control those coming from individual households. In such a case, there lies a great risk to the environment.

Kedar Bahadur Adhikari, chief at KMC, says that there is no strict policy for the disposal of hazardous wastes. “We don’t have a proper waste disposal policy yet but considering its impact on the environment, we’re in the process of formulating one,” says he.

Bikash Karki

Arjun Limbu, Program Officer at Kathmandu Environment Education Project, is of the view that Nepal has become a country of over-consumption. High consumption rate leads to excessive utilization of resources which greatly impacts the environment.

Limbu is of the opinion that rapid urbanization and subsequent deforestation, especially in the capital, has led to energy crisis, and that has brought about a lot of environmental issues.

“The impact of energy crisis can be felt not only in terms of economy but environmental aspect as well,” says Limbu, adding that the use of alternative sources of energy is taking its toll on the environment by causing a rise in the temperature.

Rajesh Adhikari, Program Manager at Environment and Public Health Organization, mentions that there is a need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through development and utilization of renewable and alternative energy technologies. This will address the adverse impacts of climate change due to energy crisis. But there is nothing that is risk-free.

While solar power certainly is greener than fossil fuels, there are numerous problems attached to it, too. When solar cells are manufactured, there is a high emission of greenhouse gases as the regulation of the manufacturing process is poor.

Nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride in the atmosphere can be traced back to manufacturing of solar panels. These are some of the most potent greenhouse gases and have many thousand times the impact on global warming as an equal amount of carbon dioxide.

Besides solar energy, wind energy could be helpful in ending the current energy crisis. Wind power provides an inexpensive, self-reliant method of generating electricity with relatively little maintenance. But even that comes with a fair share of environmental impacts. One of the biggest environmental problems with wind power is the large land area required for the placement of wind generators.

The generators also need clean wind to operate efficiently, so trees around wind turbines often need to be cleared. Also wind energy will not be able to give a steady power output since winds rarely blow at a constant speed.

“Renewable sources of energy does not produce harmful carbon emissions nor contributes to air pollution like fossil fuels but we have to understand that they too come with a set of side effects,” clarifies Adhikari.

Talking about how alternative sources of energy affects the environment, Amrit Abhaymani Dhakal, electrical engineer at Lotus Energy, Pvt Ltd, says that the main problem lies in the disposal of batteries.

“There’s a lack of policy in Nepal which is why green energy sources are still not completely green. If grid-tied system was to be followed, then we can do away with batteries, and alternative sources would be more environment friendly,” says Dhakal.

Grid tie means that your solar system is hooked to the utility company. It is more efficient to be hooked to the utility grid because off-grid systems must store the energy, and that is where batteries come in; whereas, if you are connected to the grid, the utility company stores the energy. The goal of your solar power system on the grid is to produce only as much power as you use.

Holding similar views to Dhakal’s is Prof Dr Govind Raj Pokhrel, Executive Director at the Alternative Energy Promotion Center at the Ministry of Environment.

He maintains that there are negative impacts of every technology, and that green energy could be made more environment-friendly. But he also adds that the pros of the alternative sources of energy by far outweigh the cons.

“If we talk about disposal of batteries, only 15% of the batteries that are being disposed of come from solar technologies, the rest are from automobiles. Even in the case of wind energy, and if you build towers in places where there are no trees, there’ll be no issue of deforestation,” says Pokhrel.

“We just have to make use of technologies in the best possible way, ensuring that the side effects are minimized. At the same time, the country’s hydropower potential is incredible and should not be ignored. Hydropower in collaboration with alternative sources can put an end to the current energy crisis.”

The main cause of energy crisis and its environmental impacts seem to be due to lack of proper planning and policy implementation.

Though the government is in the process of formulating several policies for the use of alternative energy, whether or not they can be successfully implemented and then be able to negate the adverse effects of the energy crisis on the environment is yet to be seen.

CILLA KHATRY

Stabilizing the slopes

The arrival of the rainy season troubles their sleep, say the inhabitants of Bhorle, a small village on the Koshi Basin at Dolakha.

The river that flows along the length of the village threatens it with massive floods, the water level rising to the level of the patios of the nearby houses. And to add to their fear, the hill that overlooks the river terrifies the villagers with landslides.

“We’re threatened by both sides. If natural disasters strike simultaneously from both sides, we’ll have nowhere to go to save our lives,” says Abir Lama, a local and the treasurer of the Bhorle Community Disaster Risk Management Committee. In addition, the road construction in the hills on either side of the village poses great threats of being washed away.

“The villages get limited budget for the construction of roads, which is why they conduct no feasibility study before using heavy machinery like excavators to dig through high slopes. This results in making the slopes susceptible to landslides,” says Dinesh Nepali, geologist at Department of Mines and Geology.

In this photo taken on August 10, 2010, travelers and porters go to district headquarter of Rasuwa past the landslide carrying necessary goods.

The geographical topography in the hilly areas of Nepal itself is prone to landslides, according to Nepali. The un-engineered roads only add to the risks, he says.

Lama, on his part, says that Bhorle is in a helpless state anyway. “The government doesn’t allocate enough funds for constructing a secure dam for the village. And it won’t be wise to interrupt the road construction process, or we’ll be threatened by all the villages of the hill,” says distraught Lama.

Naresh Man Shakya, geotechnical engineer at the Department of Roads, says that it is very important to protect the bare slopes to avoid the caving in of the roads. “The ignorance in mitigation measures in road construction will invite higher risks that will demand bigger budget than for its construction,” he says.

Shakya worked for four years to stabilize the landslide of Krishna Bhir on the Prithvi Highway through bioengineering and civil engineering mechanisms. Krishna Bhir has been the biggest-scale landslide mitigation project, he claims.

Besides, the project was completed with Rs 38 million which was entirely funded by Nepal Government, at a minimal fraction of the costs proposed by foreign aid agencies.

The bioengineering mechanisms include planting special vegetation –grass, shrubs and trees – and placing Rofa boards, a German technology, that can be fitted directly onto a root-resistant base which can be covered by a layer of living vegetation.

The civil engineering mechanisms include construction of safe passages, building check dams, and constructing retaining walls and proper drainage.

According to Shakya, all the road construction under the Department of Roads incorporates bioengineering as an essential component. However, he adds that bioengineering alone cannot minimize the risks of landslides.

His team studied the entire length of Prithvi Highway and stabilized even all the slopes that had the slightest triggers of possible landslides. Yet the area is still not landslide-free, he says. He points out two major reasons behind this.

The first is the geographical condition of the hilly areas of the country in general; and secondly, the lack of awareness among the local people.

The government’s efforts in creating awareness about landslides are missing in all these cases. The absence of data regarding the total number of landslides occurring in a year throughout the country also signifies the need of proper monitoring.

“Those people who run businesses on the highways live in very risky conditions. They are more preoccupied with sustaining their livelihood than worry about natural calamities,’ says Nepali.

Shakya, on the other hand, emphasizes that there will be no meaning in using bioengineering mechanisms in road corridors if people are to excavate the hills and establish settlements on the bases of unsafe slopes.

While working on the Prithvi Highway, Shakya and his team worked with locals and had convinced them to settle on flat lands. He further adds that such settlements originate mostly from people from low income sources.

“The government can make efforts to support marginalized groups through bank loans on rural development. In that way, the people with fewer resources can afford to set up their business and refrain from settling on landslide-prone areas,’ he says.

Awareness campaigns are also necessary to avoid natural disasters like the Seti flash floods, according to Dr Rijan Bhakta Kayastha, Associate Professor of Glaciology at Kathmandu University.

“The locals had seen low levels of water and grey water in the river prior to the floods, which were the symptoms of the upcoming flood. They could’ve been responsive if there were such campaigns at the local level,” says he.

He adds that catastrophes such as the Annapurna landslides are hard to predict and the mitigation measures are also limited. In such case, awareness campaigns and early warning training can be handy to avoid severe tragedies.

The stabilization of landslide-prone slopes on major highways has been a big relief to travelers who otherwise, were used to painful journeys in the rainy season.

Krishna Bhir alone had 18 landslides from July 1999 to August 2000. But living in geographically slippery regions, more mishaps are likely to occur with zero awareness campaigns by the government or non-government agencies.

ASMITA MANANDHAR

Wrapping up the Far West

The Week’s Cilla Khatry had an exclusive view of the 7th episode of Nepali: A TV Blog, a television series about the broader scopes of Nepali identity, and how our diverse identities connect us as Nepalis.

A preview: The last episode on the Far West is an interesting mélange of short stories. From the women who take care of the community forest in Kailali, conservation of Blackbuck, women and old age home to a lady mechanic who repairs bicycles, the oeuvre is a fun and informative watch.

Lands that were barren some ten years ago are now lush green at Geta Village in Attaria. Now its jungle also has occasional sightings of wild animals that cross over from India.

“We’ve raised the trees in the jungle as our children,” says Sushila Dahal, President of Gyanjyoti Women’s Community Forest, but complaining that now the government wants to take over. There are some 780 community forest user groups in that area, and even the federation of the community forest user groups is led by a woman, Apsara Chapagain.

It is the women who are more involved in the preservation of the community forests rather than the men in that area. The women of Geta prioritize their work in the forest above their household chores, and reach work right on the scheduled hour.

Besides the community forest worker, another noteworthy woman is Shrijana Chaudhary who runs a women’s and elderly help center. This is the only old-age home in all of the nine districts of Nepal’s far west.

“We operate through funds provided by some local businessmen. We provide everything from food, shelter and clothes. And we also provide them their choice of meal once a month,” says Chaudhary.

The old age home, which was established six years ago, has 37 senior citizens as residents and the oldest member is Parbati Joshi who is 94 years old.

Another lady who deserves much applause is Dhana Batala who runs a cycle repair shop. She has been a cycle mechanic for 18 years. Initially, her husband dissuaded her from working as a mechanic because he felt embarrassed by the way people stared at Dhana as she repaired cycles.

“There were people who commented as to how unfortunate it was that they had to ride a cycle repaired by a woman,” shares Dhana who believes that working for a livelihood is nothing to be embarrassed about. Dhana, who is now 51, got married at the age of 13 and moved to Dhangadi from Doti.

She mentions that her business is good and that she’s been able to take good care of her family because of it. She’s an independent woman taking pride in her work.

“I’m a good mechanic,” she says with a smile playing on her lips and mentions that women come to her expressing their wish to learn to fix cycles and she’s willing to teach them without charging fees.

Besides the women-centric series, the story about the Blackbuck will also fascinate you. Blackbucks have been classified as “near threatened” by IUCN since 2003 but there are some 200 Blackbucks in Dhangadi.

Moolchand Yadav, former president of the Blackbuck Preservation Committee, mentions that when they saw Blackbucks, they decided they had to do something to preserve them. There were initially 177 of them and the number came down to 45 after which they were even more determined to save them.

“The Blackbucks are threatened by stray dogs and even jackals sometimes. But we’re taking adequate measures to safeguard them,” says Ashok Kumar Shah, conservation officer at the Blackbuck conservation area which was established in four years ago.

The stories will enthrall you and make you think about certain aspects of life that you’ve never paid close attention to while making those in the capital aware of the fact that there is an entirely different life beyond the hills.

Nepali – A TV Blog airs on Avenues TV every Saturday at 8:30 am and on Sundays at 9:30 pm. The series hosted by Yubakar and directed by Tsering Choden will also be available on YouTube <youtube.com/user/nepalitvblog>

http://theweek.myrepublica.com/details.php?news_id=35767

Altitude Sickness (Mountain Sickness) and High Altitude Trekking

Treks in Nepal can reach the highest elevations in the world short of technical climbing: Everest Base Camp sits at 5,360 meters (17,590 feet), the Annapurna Circuit crosses Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters (17,769 feet), and several other treks reach similar altitudes. Reasonable people express concern about trekking at high altitudes—it wouldn’t be a good sign if you didn’t. However, given proper time and care the human body has an impressive ability to acclimatize, and conscientious trekkers should feel comfortable heading high into the Himalayas.

A common misconception about trekking at high altitude is that physical condition dictates the body’s ability to fend off altitude sickness. This causes many people who are “in good shape” to ignore the rules of acclimatization, push too hard, and have problems. In reality, you will be in good condition after a few days on the trail and it’s how you care for yourself and structure the trip that matters most.

Five Steps to Avoid Altitude Sickness

1. The 5-Liter Rule
Quite simply, drink a minimum of five liters of water per day, no matter what. This is easier at lower elevations when it’s hot, but becomes more burdensome when temperatures cool off and you perspire less. After a few liters you may feel properly hydrated, but your body is doing extra work with less oxygen and needs the water. Force down five liters per day, without exceptions.
2. Slowly…
You shouldn’t make dramatic gains or losses in elevation in one day (more than 1,000 to 1,500 vertical feet). This often takes care of itself in Nepal because most treks start at only a few thousand feet and climb slowly upward (the Everest region is a notable exception as the Lukla airport is already above 9,000 feet*).  Your itinerary should factor in altitude gains and consequently some hiking days will end early. Embrace the pace, rest your legs, and hydrate. *Trekkers going to the Everest region should be especially cognizant of altitude sickness. Guides in this area will be experienced with altitude and the itinerary should account for the big initial gain.
3. Climb High, Sleep Low

Thorong La Pass at 5,416 meters (17,769 feet) | Credit: Ali Beittoei

You will acclimatize better if you expose yourself to higher altitudes but return to a lower altitude to sleep. After setting up camp, scramble up a nearby hill, scope out the scenery, and head back down for a better night’s rest. When you have a rest day, use the opportunity to hike to higher elevations and back down—even a few hundred vertical feet is worth the effort. At higher altitudes—around 10,000 feet and above—this rule becomes even more important as your body is learning to operate with considerably less oxygen.
4. Eat, Eat, Eat…
Your body is doing more work than usual so make sure to stay nourished and full of carbohydrates. For a dependable snack, Nepal has embraced the Snickers bar wholeheartedly and it can be found even in the tiniest villages (and for very cheap). Too much sugar, yes, but full of good things like nuts and chocolate. Do a good deed and buy some for your porters and guide whenever possible.
5. Listen to Your Body
By following the above rules, you will greatly increase your odds of staying healthy throughout your trek, but everybody reacts differently to altitude so pay close attention to how you feel. Every trek should have rest days built in and you shouldn’t be afraid to use them. Stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, and have layers available for protection from the powerful sun. Avoid alcohol and other substances. Monitor yourself and always communicate any health concerns to your group.

An estimated 75% of people feel some affects of altitude, mostly in the form of headaches, nausea, fatigue, and trouble sleeping. These are actually mild manifestations of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).  Mild AMS should not interfere with normal activity and the symptoms should subside as acclimatization occurs. As long as the symptoms are mild, it’s generally okay to continue hiking up at a moderate rate. If feeling poorly persists or worsens, turn around.
Severe Problems: In severe cases altitude sickness can be truly life-threatening. If a trekker ever gets an unusual or severe headache, or feels unusually short of breath, they should immediately descend 2,000 feet (600 meters), no matter the time of day. High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), excess fluid in the lungs, and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE), swelling of the brain, are rare but life threatening conditions that require immediate descent and medical attention.

 

Teahouse and a teahouse trek

Along the more popular trekking routes an infrastructure of tea houses has been built to accommodate the annual influx of hikers. These rustic mountain lodges range in size and comfort but a few dollars will get you a simple private room with two double beds (bring your own sleeping bag). It’s generally understood that you will eat in the restaurant of the tea house you are staying in.

A tea house on the Annapurna Circuit | Flickr Credit: Greg Willis

People often ask which treks are tea house treks and whether camping is an option. For the two most popular Nepal treks—Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit—the tea houses are of a high standard and there is no real reason to camp along the main route. It’s technically possible to camp in some of the villages but it doesn’t make much sense. However, if you intend to take side trips on these popular treks they may require camping or camping may be a more viable option.

The treks that receive less volume, such as Manaslu and Mustang, do have some tea houses but the infrastructure is limited. The tea houses are generally more primitive and there are villages that only have a handful of rooms. For these treks you should definitely bring camping equipment, which will give you the freedom to make the decision on the trail. On our trek around Manaslu, we spent four total nights in tea houses, mostly when the weather was bad, and camped for the other thirteen nights.

It also comes down to a matter of preference—some people prefer tea houses and others prefer camping. if you go on trek that accomodates both, the decision will be yours.

Rock and Rope

Bimal Nagar cave entrance

 

Top 10 Things to Bring on your Climbing and Camping Trip

1. A Tent
2. Sleeping Bag (make sure that it is warm enough I have seen people be very cold in a 40+ degree sleeping bag in 20 degree weather)
3. Sleeping Pad (Essential for less than flat terrain and will keep you a lot warmer and much more comfortable)
4. Headlamp
5. Climbing Gear (This should be the first thing that you double check before you leave for your trip)
6. Water or Water treatment (Be sure that you make sure beforehand if the water is drinkable or if you need to bring water treatment)
7. Food and Stove (You need to bring food that will nourish your body candy and chips won’t cut it)
8. Warm clothes (Check the weather and always prepare for the worst, keep in mind layering)
9. First Aid Kit (You never know when you are going to need this baby, it should never leave your pack)
10. Topos/Guidebooks (Should go without saying but be sure to be appropriate guidebooks or topos of the climbing area)

These  are the top 10 things that you need for your climbing trip. Some additional things that are very helpful are extra socks, approach shoes, a towel if there are showers or river, toiletries, knife, crazy creek or chair, paper towels, a change of clean clothes for the ride home, finger nail clippers, credit card for emergencies, and some good friends to have a great time.

Everest: Need I Say More?

For trekkers and adventure seekers, it’s the ultimate. The pinnacle of hiking experiences. The highest place on the planet Earth. Mount Everest.

There are several ways to experience the power that is Mount Everest, and you don’t have to pay tens of thousands of dollars and risk your life to try hiking to the summit of the world’s highest peak. At a ridiculous 29,029 feet (8848 meters) and rising, summitting it is literally putting your life at risk.

Tours

If you are into hiking, trekking, and adventures, and you love taking in some of the best vistas the world has to offer, there are other ways to do it that don’t put your life on the line or cost you your life savings.

• Everest Base camp Trek – This 15 day trip takes trekkers through some amazing landscapes, including views of some of the world’s tallest and most famous peaks, on the way to Everest Base camp. Good for pretty serious hikers looking to hike the world’s most famous mountain.
• Everest View and Lukla Trek – This 5 day trip allows a little more flexibility that gives travelers the chance to explore certain areas at their own leisure. You will also trek through the Nepal countryside and stay in lodges along the way. Better for those who like some action but don’t want to push it too much.

When to Go/Weather

Trekking in the mountains is never going to provide perfect weather, but there are times to visit Everest that are better than others. The most ideal times to hike in and around Everest in Nepal is the beginning of March to mid-May and the beginning of September to mid-November, though keep in mind that each time still provides its pros and cons.

The winters are obviously really cold, and though hiking is possible, many of the lodges are closed above a certain altitude due to snow. Summers aren’t much better as this is the rainy season and the peaks you came to see are often obscured by the clouds. April and May are better for seeing trees and bushes in full bloom and adding color to this rough looking landscape, but because of the dust from nearby India, mountains may be obscured. The fall is better for mountain views as the monsoons have passed, but the days are shorter and the cold is starting to come.

How to Prepare

If you’re going to take the plunge and do a serious 7-10 day trek to a place like Everest Base camp, you better come prepared. Trekking in the Himalayas is not to be taken lightly, and coming unprepared will most likely mean a rough time on the trail. I’m certainly not trying to scare you, and you definitely don’t need to be a hard core hiker or climber to reach Everest Base camp. There are plenty of people each year who complete this hike and don’t live in the mountains year-round.

It is important to be fit and in shape, though. Simply hiking is always the best way to prepare. Even if you don’t live near mountains, chances are you can find a few trails somewhere near your area that at the very least offer you some hills. Will this prepare you for the altitude and mountainous terrain? Of course not, but nothing will unless you already live in a mountainous region, which most of us don’t. Get out and run, lift weights, eat well, and just get yourself as fit as you possibly can. Go ahead and pack your backpack full of weight and take that on any hike or walk you do. Sure, you may look like a dork, but you won’t care once you’re in the Himalayas and used to walking around with an extra 30+ pounds on your back.

What to Pack

Speaking of packing, it’s also important to be prepared when it comes to what you bring. One of the best things about hiking to Everest Base camp, or hiking in Nepal in general, is that there is often no need to lug a tent with you. There are villages all the way up to Gorak Shep, your base for visiting Everest Base camp, and in each village there are lodges for hikers to stay. This means that it’s often unnecessary to bring a tent or food and water for a 10 day trek like in other parts of the world. You can re-up on food and water in each village, and most have restaurants. Some even have internet cafes!

Clothes
Most hikes to Everest Base camp are at least 9-10 days, but that doesn’t mean you need 9 or 10 different outfits for each day. When it comes to clothing, it’s really only necessary to bring a couple outfits with plenty of layers. Lightweight, moisture wicking clothing is best rather than bringing cotton. It’s also important to make sure you don’t go cheap on your socks and hiking boots/shoes. Blisters while on a week+ long trek can be miserable and completely ruin your hike. Make sure you bring a separate outfit for nighttime when you aren’t hiking, with comfy shoes to change into as well.

Hiking in the mountains is an odd thing as the weather can change at any moment. You’ll be shedding and adding layers by the hour most days on the trail. Make sure to bring some rain gear as it will most likely rain at some point, no matter what time of year you decide to come. A good rain jacket and even a poncho are nice. Gloves, a scarf, a warm hat, and a sun hat are also great to have in the mountains.

Other gear
Because of the amount of villages along the way, a tent is all but unnecessary if you don’t want to lug one around. You may want to bring a light sleeping bag to make sure you’re warm enough at night, but lodges usually provide blankets (the cleanliness and smell of said blankets is questionable, though). In addition to a sleeping bag, it’s also necessary to bring a first aid kit (with the basics like band-aids, gauze, something like moleskin to prevent and treat blisters, a small knife, an ace bandage, medical tape, etc.). Some sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, and a head lamp are also great to have with you on the trail.

 

 

http://adventures.bootsnall.com/articles/12-03/everest-need-i-say-more.html

Everest: Dying for the “high”

On May 19,Pemba Janbu Sherpa, a high altitude guide for Thamserku Trekking, was supposed to help his client summit Mount Everest. 150-200 people were planning the same attempt that day. Pemba’s client eventually decided to attempt it the following day.

So they left the Last Camp, at 7,000 meters, at about 7:30 that evening. Pemba had climbed Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepal) in 2010 as well as in 2011, and had been in a total of 16 expeditions.

As Pemba and his client made their way up, summiteers of the day were on their way down, dangerously behind schedule, in the dark. Winds that were expected to be mild had hit up to 30 kilometers per hour.

Soon, Pemba ran into a Nepali who was trying to descend but had run out of battery for the headlight, and was running out of oxygen, too. He gave the climber some oxygen as well as water.

Next, he ran into a Korean who was also in distress. Pemba helped him continue descending after giving him some water and reestablishing his safety line.

Then, he met Shriya Shah, the Canada-born Nepali, who had been abandoned by the Sherpa she was climbing with. She had fallen a few feet off the route with her head down, and appeared to be running out of oxygen fast. Pemba called out to her a few times.

The Everest range as seen from Yeti Mountain Home, Kondge (4350 meters) at night.

Shriya finally responded. Pemba quickly set down his bags and pulled out a spare bottle of oxygen and called out. This time, Shriya did not respond. She had already died.

Further up, Pemba ran into an American, also abandoned on the high trail. The foreigner was out of oxygen, his trekking suits torn and its down feathers blown away. One of his gloves was missing too. It was 11:30PM.

Pemba told his client that if they decided to continue to the summit as planned, the American would die. At 4:30AM, Pemba had arrived back at the Last Camp with his client, and the American who was wearing Pemba’s gloves. All three were frostbitten, all three alive. Pemba consistently made the right decision every step of the way.

What is going so wrong this Everest season?

It hardly comes as a surprise that this week the international media is as littered with bad news, and expected bad news, of the current Mount Everest summit season as Everest’s Camp 2 is with garbage from at least two years ago. It has been a dangerous start to the Summit season with four deaths already. And no one knows what to expect of the more than 200 summits planned for this weekend.

On May 17, the International Herald Tribune, as well as its parent paper, The New York Times, ran the Op-Ed “Don’t Climb Every Mountain,” by Freddie Wilkinson. Soon, deaths on Everest made the rounds in the media. On May 22, “Everest ‘traffic jam’ could happen again,” a headline read in The Guardian, UK. “Missing Sherpa guide found alive after four die descending the mountain.”

World’s highest traffic jam?

The number of people attempting to summit Everest has been distinctly rising in the last three years. So yes, there are more people on Everest this season than there has been in the last two. Still, the “traffic jam” is not a numbers game alone.
With Everest, it is not just about the “how many” but also the “who” that makes all the difference. For now, anyone who is willing to pay is virtually granted the access to Everest.

This also means that people of little or no relevant experience are on the trail too. Everyone attempting the summit has to follow a single trail, and often there is no room for “overtaking.” And if anyone on the trail is causing delays because that person is on the mountain for the sake of being there, it puts everyone else at risk.

For example, anyone who will be stuck behind Prakash Dahal, the son of Maoist Party Chairman Prachanda, will probably be at risk. Prakash, with no training, will take longer to complete every task required of him on the trail. This will throw everyone behind him off schedule. On Everest, schedules are no joke.

It isn’t just Prakash, though. There are many foreigners who attempt to summit Everest for novelty and fame. But can that honestly be permitted when it means risking everyone else on the peak?

The other risk of anyone slowing down a trail of this kind is the very real threat of being frostbitten. The longer any climber is forced to be on the trail, the greater chances of frostbites.

So while numbers may be growing, it is also the quality and experience of those who make up that number that needs scrutiny to understand why these deadly “traffic jams” have occurred this season. And why it mustn’t be repeated.

Climate change

One remarkable shift on Everest’s landscape may be of the Ice Pole between Camp 1 and Camp 2. While Camp 1 has gone further up, it has moved closer to Camp 2. By some estimates, the change is of about 50 meters in the last few years.

Also, this year, the establishing of the seasonal summit route was delayed because they had to wait for the snow. Without snow, rocks were exposed, posing threats of rock falls.

Still, as the season began, it has been reported that a Slovak broke a hand, an Indian’s helmet was broken and head injured, and a local guide’s face smashed by violent rock falls.

“Climbers speak of two kinds of hazards: objective and subjective. The subjective risks are those you can potentially control through skills and experience.

The objective ones are events like avalanches and icefall that don’t care who you are, only that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rarely has so much of the latter been stacked up against so little of the former,” Freddie Wilkinson wrote in the Times.

What now?

Perhaps it is time the relevant bodies in the government and private sector established some firm prerequisites as to just who may be permitted to summit Everest.

They could range from proofs of previous summits selected by industry leaders as a prerequisite, as well as proof of training expeditions conducted in Nepal.

The list can go on, and be better developed by experts in the field. But the point is, if everyone who is willing to pay is given a permit to summit, it clearly does not serve the interest of the climbers, the host country, or the trekking community.

This season, only beginning, has already made that case through a series of unfortunate events. And considering the impacts that climate change seems to be having, there is all the more reason to be cautious and reevaluate expedition practices.

It is also worth considering that expedition leaders, and they are virtually all Sherpas, have the final decision on matters of safety. It is probably certain that almost every local leader of an expedition has had a foreign client whose instinctive response to a suggestion on canceling the summit attempt is: “No, I’ve paid to do this, I’m paying to help me do this.”

When the air is that thin, there is neither the guarantee of clear thinking nor space for lengthy debates. But if there is a waiver that has been signed by the client, let that waiver guide the decision.

If a climber takes 12 hours instead of the prescribed seven hours for the Camp 3 section, there should be no debates on whether the summit attempt should be made or not, irrespective of the US$50,000 paid.

The real risks, of death, are too high. And that risk is entirely unnecessary for the expedition leader who is advising to descend.

Scene from the Everest Summit trail last week. (Photo Courtesy: Thamserku Trekking)

The Money Trail

Where will Nepal draw the line between more immediate revenue versus sustained Everest tourism?

“The direct contribution of travel and tourism to (Nepal’s) GDP is expected to be NPR37.3bn (2.8% of total GDP) in 2011,” the World Travel and Tourism Council had noted in the 2011 Nepal Economic Impact Report.

The report also indicated that the travel industry was expected to directly support 293,000 jobs (2.4% of total employment) in the country last year, rising by 3.9% to 429,000 jobs (2.7%) by 2021.

National Parks and Protected Areas also remain significant contributors to revenue. In 2010, Chitwan National Park (CNP) topped the list with 84,518 visitors, followed by the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) in the second place with 32,084 visitors. In terms of revenues, those numbers resulted to US$61,017,687 for CNP and US$26,662,960 for SNP.

That year, mountain expeditions alone helped Nepal earn US$3,028,600 in royalty. Of that, Mt. Everest generated the highest revenue at US$2,343,000.

Closed for the Season (or two)

Considering the climate-related changes, climbers and guides have noticed that Everest, while keeping in mind that US$2,343,000 figure, may be worth considering actually closing it down for a season or two.

In that time, the government and private sector could come together to do a few critical things: set up a local state-of-the-art weather station in the area, clean up Everest, and most importantly, rethink the heightened risks that maybe related to climate change.

If the mountain has indeed experienced various changes, and it certainly appears to be, an extended study of that situation and reorientation of guides and rescue operations accordingly is a must.

While shutting down Everest for a season or two might seem radical, at least fiscally, it actually might not be. There are 326 peaks that are open for mountaineering in Nepal. Of that, 25 are in the Solukhumbu region.

So shutting Everest down temporarily would not mean taking away revenues from Solukhumbu or the Sagarmatha National Park. It would only mean being able to offer a safer Mount Everest down the line, while promoting other peaks in the region and the country.

Mount Everest is not, and should not, be treated like an expensive amusement park. And nobody’s permit fee is bigger than somebody’s safety more than 7,000 meters above sea level.

This trekking season will find it hard to escape the international branding of “Everest traffic jam” that put lives of trekkers at risk on Everest. Add to that the avalanche in the Annapurna region that is said to have caused the massive flash flood in Seti, presenting that region as a vulnerable one.

The last trekking season’s ending, in November 2011, will be remembered for the international news reports of hundreds of tourists being “stranded” between Lukla and Namche.

At US$1’s exchange rate valued at more than Rs. 89, raking it in might seem like a good idea. But industry leaders and policymakers need to stop and think as to how many seasons of international branding disasters can Nepal’s mountain tourism endure, how many lives can be risked for revenues, and how to prove to the world that the next season there will be no traffic jams on Everest, or any other peak in Nepal.

As for such visitors, Wilkinson really did put it best in the pages of the Times: “In the end, mountaineers have one final option at their disposal. They can choose not to be there in the first place.”

But what if they really do?

 

KASHISH

Finding solace through yoga and meditation

With the extra pressures that come with growing up, young people these days have to come to terms with a lot of responsibilities. These range from education to career to relationships, and amount to a lot of undue pressure, and our urban youth look for ways of handling these pressures. One of the ways that these young people find serenity is through spiritual yoga and meditation classes.

Spirituality has started appealing to young people as well these days because of the rising amount of pressure and responsibility that comes with growing up. Some teenagers have anger issues that they need to resolve while others are confused on what to study or what career path to choose. Meditation seems to have helped many youngsters in Kathmandu, changing some people’s personality completely.

“Ever since I took up meditation and yoga, I feel like I’ve changed drastically,” says 20-year-old Kundan Pathak, student of political science and music at Tribhuvan University. “I feel more confident, more creative and more focused now. Indulging in meditation and yoga definitely makes you stronger, physically and mentally. You don’t feel lethargic or lazy, you feel so rejuvenated that you feel like you can tackle everything head-on,” he adds.

The Art of Living, a course facilitated by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, works on the principles of the Vedic Sudarshan Kriya that involve rhythmic breathing techniques. VipassanÄ�, another Buddhist practice of meditation, works on self-isolation and self-discovery. In it, participants are not allowed to interact with each other nor with any form of art. VipassanÄ� is a journey into one’s self.

“We offer many Yes+ courses and the normal group has 20-30 participants where as mega groups consist of 100 or more people,” says Bhawesh Khanal, 25, a fulltime Art of Living instructor. “I think young people come to our programs because we make it as fun and interesting as possible. Young people are used to being taught in a classroom but here we have games that help relieve their daily stress. But there are some people who leave as well because this course requires its participants to stop eating meat, smoking or drinking, and sometimes this commitment is a little bit too much for some people. But once young people get into the way of living and attend more than a few sessions, they don’t quit,” he informs.

Meditation and yoga in different forms have been readily accepted by young people these days and have helped them find insight into their lives. Even the philosophy that comes with these mediation practices help young people put meaning to their lives. But these mediation practices offer a complete different way of living that young urban youth starting out find it difficult to adapt. People need to put in considerable amount of efforts to adapt to a completely new way of living.

“I started attending these spiritual programs like the Art of Living courses after graduating from high school because my father used to go and he made me come as well,” says Sukriti Ghimire, 21, student of pharmacy at Nepal Institute of Science and Technology (NIST), adding, “but after that one session, I got so hooked that I attended the second one by myself and I’m really amazed at the changes. I used to be really shy and had a very tough time talking to people. But after attending these programs, I’m more confident now and much calmer.”

With a very turbulent time of one’s life, teenagers have a lot of energy to spend but usually tend to be very lost and confused with their newfound freedom. They also seem to be very interested in philosophy because of their need to define their lives. And these spiritual programs usually come with their own set of philosophical beliefs that these young people can accept or challenge.

“Teenagers are at a very important phase of their life where they have the freedom to define their limits, where they have the freedom to define things in their life, and this comes only with philosophy and meditation,” says Aayush Shrestha, 20, an A-Level graduate on his year off. “Many young people are into drugs because they haven’t defined their lives well and I think with meditation and yoga, people learn what they truly want and acquire the confidence to go ahead with it. Young people need to think for themselves, need to understand themselves before challenging the world, and one of the best places to do this thinking is when you’re meditating,” he says.

Young people have a lot of pent-up emotions that drive their lifestyle, and a way of release seems to be meditation and yoga. These spiritual programs also help them define their lives and tame raging emotions. But maybe young people have a lot more to deal with these days, maybe they have more relationships to handle, and perhaps finding solace in meditation leads them to their happy state.

RAJESH SJB RANA

Namche Bazaar

Namche Bazaar is one of the main stops on the trail up to Everest Base Camp, and is a great place to spend a day or two. If you climb up to the viewpoint above the village, you will get your first view of Everest. You really feel as if you are deep in the mountains here.

Namche Bazaar is one of the main stops on the trail up to Everest Base Camp, and is a great place to spend a day or two.

Acclimatization

If you have flown in to Lukla from Kathmandu, and walked to Namche in two days, you should spend at least a couple of days acclimatizing in Namche (or somewhere nearby at the same altitude).

View of Everest

The village is set in a horseshoe shaped bowl looking directly out at the sheer face of Kongde, and if you climb up to the viewpoint above the village, you will get your first view of Everest. You really feel as if you are deep in the mountains here.

Shops & facilities

Namche is the place to stock up on essentials – shops and stalls line the cobbled streets, and most of the traders are Sherpas or Tibetans. There are a large number of lodges; most of which are fairly simple, and numerous restaurants, cafes and even a couple of delicious bakeries. There is a post office, telephone facilities, internet, and a health and dental post here.

If you are in Namche on a Saturday, it is worth visiting the weekly market, where traders from Tibet sell their wares (often Chinese goods) in exchange for Nepali and Indian food and goods brought up from Lukla by lowland porters.

Dhangarhi

Dhangarhi is located in the far western part of Nepal near the Indian border, and is about 660 meters away from Kathmandu. Dhangarhi is usally used as an entry and exit point of people coming from India since it is only a six-hour drive from New Delhi and five minutes away from the Indian border. People who travel here say that the main attraction of Dhangarhi is the fact that it serves as the main entrance to the Corbett National Park which is mainly in India.

The Dhangarhi museum is one of the major attractions of the town which is part of the Corbett National park. Inside the museum, there are glass boxes containing the heads of several species of animals like elephants and tigers. The part of Corbett National Park that lies in Dhangarhi is home to several animals, especially tigers and rhinos. A few kilometers away from the Dhangarhi gate are resorts that offer full board and accommodation.

These resorts also offer touring packages that tourists can choose from to see the different species of animals that are found in the park. Dhangarhi is also considered as the bread basket of Nepal. The climate of Dhagarhi is subtropical with temperatures ranging from 40-42 degrees Celsius. Dhangarhi is a small town and is mainly untouched. Lush, rolling hills can be seen and there are many areas to take a stroll.

Dhangarhi is a place that is not well-know yet which is why it is also an ideal place for people who would like to explore and who would like to bask in the natural, untouched beauty that it has to offer.

Nepal’s alternative adrenaline activities

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With eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains, epic valleys and rivers with personalities that run from gentle to ferocious, Nepal is one of the most famous outdoor destinations on the planet. But visitors are just starting to discover that the adventure-sports scene consists of more than just trekking. Rafting world-class rapids, soaring among the Himalaya on a paraglider and taking a plunge on one of the world’s highest bungee jumps are just a few of the ways to get your blood pumping.

White-water rafting and kayaking

With an outstanding selection of rivers, there are choices suitable for all levels, from fun Grade 2 and 3 rapids, to hardcore rides with waves that will flip you into raging torrents of water (if that is your thing). Nepal is also famous for its multiday trips, such as a 12-day journey into the wilderness along the remote Karnali River. Or if you are short on time, there are day trips along the Trisuli River that will have you back in Kathmandu by evening. But arguably the crowning jewel is the Sun Kosi, a wild ride along monster rapids that begins near the Tibetan border.

Rafting is far from new in Nepal and there are numerous long-established companies with considerable international experience and good safety records. Himalayan Encounters is recommended for its day trips along the Trisuli, while Ultimate Descents can arrange multiday journeys for more adventurous rafters.

White-water rafting is possible year round, except during monsoon season from June to August. October and November are considered the prime months to grab a paddle.

Paragliding and para-hawking

Paragliding is another adventure sport that carved out a niche for itself in Nepal. In Pokhara, you will find numerous companies offering the undisputed best view in town via a tandem paragliding flight. Once up there, high over the valley and in the presence of the mighty Annapurna range, the silence is a sublime experience.

If you want to make things even more interesting, give para-hawking a shot. It is essentially the same thing, but with a feathery twist. As you take off, a trained bird of prey will travel with you, leading the pilot to the best thermals. In exchange for its efforts, the pilot will blow his whistle to signal the bird’s reward, which it receives from you while perched on your outstretched, gloved arm — all while flying 2,000ft in the air! All birds involved are rescued as injured or orphaned birds and are not able to survive in the wild on their own.

Frontiers Paragliding and Blue Sky Paragliding are two of several reputable companies based in Pokhara, while Blue Sky also flies in Bandipur and can arrange para-hawking.

Mountain biking

Leaving behind the highways and fumes, and leading you to a side of the country that most tourists will never see, the rural tracks in Nepal seem to be made for mountain biking. While serious bikers bring their own wheels, there are also several companies in Kathmandu that hire out quality bikes and arrange tours. It is a scene that is fast emerging — while the completion of the road from Jomson along the Annapurna circuit has trekkers mourning, mountain bikers are rejoicing over this thrilling new route.

There are many ways to tailor your route, combining cultural sites with mountain views on a mix of single tracks and jeep trails. Dawn till Dusk and Himalayan Single Track are two Kathmandu-based companies that can offer good advice for off-road trails.

Any mountain-bike odyssey across Nepal will have a lot of uphill sections, so you will need to be a fairly experienced rider with good fitness levels.

Other thrills

If you are still searching for an added shot of adrenaline, the Last Resort near the Tibetan border may be able to help. Home to one of the world’s highest bungee jumps, the 160m-drop into the Bhote Kosi gorge is guaranteed to scare the wits out of you. Canyoning provides an equally unconventional route, as you abseil down the face of a waterfall before plunging into the natural pools.

If traveling up is more your preference, head to Bimal Nagar near Bandipur, where rock climbing is the latest addition to Nepal’s adventure sports, with several routes bolted in.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/nepal/travel-tips-and-articles/76974#ixzz1v1IRej57

Butterfly Watching in Nepal

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Nepal is paradise for Butterfly watching. With over 600 species, 20 of which are on the endangered list, butterfly enthusiasts will be able to watch and record butterflies in all their natural beauty to their heart’s content. Nepal is excellent representation to find both in oriental and Palaearctic realms. According to official records, Nepal has 651 species of butterflies which is 3.72% of the world’s butterflies. All these species are categorized under 11 families of the existing of 15 families in the world. About 29 species and sub-species have been found widespread in the country. Butterflies can be found from 2,700m to 5,500m in the Himalayas region. Parnassius acdestis (Sikkim Banded Apollo), Aglais Ladakensis (Ladak Tortoise Shell) and Pontia Sherpae (Sherpa white) exist in higher altitude in the western Himalayas of Nepal. Parnassius species (Apollo) can be found above 2,700m from eastern to the western Himalayas of Nepal. Mid Mountain region is meeting point for both the Palaearcticand oriental species. Among the notable and rare species found in this part includes Teinopalpus imperialis (Kaiser-E-Hind), Papilio Krishna (Krishna Peacock) and many other interesting species. More than 360 species of butterflies are found in Kathmandu and its surrounding hills. Teinopalpus imperialis, Papilio Krishna, Diagora nicevillei, Troides aeacus etc. are some of the notable kinds found in Kathmandu. The southern part stretching from Gofavari to be Pulchowki can be considered to be one of the most potential sites for the butterflies of Nepal. Shivapuri National Park is the next hot spot for the diversity of the butterflies. Various studies reveal the existence of 102 species of butterflies in this park. Rare species like Papilio Krishna has been reported at an elevation of 2,120m of Shivapuri.

Sauraha

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A quickly growing but still small village that caters to the needs of the visitors to Chitwan National Park, the best known safari park in Nepal. It is located 160 kms by road from Kathmandu, 155 kms by road from Pokhara and 160 kms by road from the Indian border at Sunauli. The Chitwan National Park is home to Bengal tigers, rhinoceroses, bears, leopards, crocodiles and monkeys amongst others, and hundreds of species of birds and butterflies. The village of Sauraha is separated from the national park by the Rapti River, which is safe to swim in. During the dry season one can wander the sand dunes of the shrunken river. It is possible to walk for miles along the mud roads west, north and east of the village to other, rural Tharu villages.

What to do ?

Getting Around the Park

Elephants Rides

An elephant ride in the park is the highlight of a visit to Chitwan. An elephant is the best way to see the wildlife, especially in the summer and autumn when the grass gets very high, up to 8m high. Riding on an elephant doesn’t scare the wildlife away, because the scent of the elephant masks your scent.

Hotels inside the park have their own elephants. Elephants safaris usually begin at the hotels in Sauraha have their own elephants.

Around ten elephants go out into the park around 7.30 am and 4 pm for 1½ hours. During the high-season the demand is greater than the supply, so elephants should be booked as soon as possible. Usually people start queuing up very early in the morning, so it is most likely a good idea to pay to pay around a Rs 100 for your lodge to arrange the elephant for you. On major Nepali holidays the elephants do not go out.

Several of the hotels in Sauraha have their own elephants. The elephants from these hotels can only go to the Baghmara Community Forest, a few kilometres west of the park. This area is used by many of the villagers for grazing animals, which has a tendency to scare away the animals. The private operators say you are just as likely to see wildlife here, as within the park, but in actually it is much better in the park. Some people have seen rhinos here.

When booking a package tour to the park, you should make sure to find out if the elephant ride is inside or outside the park. You should ask to see your park entry ticket. Sometimes people are told that the elephant ride is in the park and it is actually outside the park.

Elephants do not go out on important holidays such as the eighth or ninth days of Dasain.

Jungle Walks
Jungle Walks are a good way to sight wildlife and is great for bird watching. Walks begin between 6 and 7 am. Half-day walk goes for three hours.  Many of the hotels have their own guides and there are some independent guides.

They can be a dangerous, which is a good reason to have an experienced guide with you. A half-day walk will visit grassland and riverine forest. To get into the jungle a full day is needed. There are also longer two day jungle walks. It is best to go with a senior or advanced guide on longer walks. The best time for a jungle walk is in the spring, at which time the grass is shorter. It is possible to take a jungle walk along with a canoe ride.

Jeep Rides
Jeep rides last three to five hours and can cover a greater distant than an elephant. Jeeps depart at 7 am and 1 pm. There is a better chance of seeing wildlife in the afternoon. It is normal to see a rhino on a jeep safari. The best months to see wildlife are February to April, after the grass has been cut. Jeep rides normally go to Kasara Durbar, the park headquarters and the gharial crocodile breeding project, about 20km west of Sauraha.  Often jeeps can not get into the park until the water level of the rivers decrease after the monsoon, until November or early December. During this time shorter and not as good trip will be done outside the park.

Most lodges have their own jeeps. You should book early with your lodge to guarantee a seat in a jeep.

Canoe Trip
Canoe trips usually go down the Rapti or Narayani rivers one-half hour to one hour and then from there you take a guided walk two or three hours back to Sauraha. As many people walk on this trail, it often scares the animals away. Trip usually begin near the Baghmara Community Forest and go down the Rapti River to the Elephant Breeding Project. You can also take a jeep ride back.
Canoes depart at 8 am and 2 pm. You have a better chance of seeing something if you take one of the first canoes departing in the morning or afternoon. During the high-season they should be booked a day in advance. The canoe rides are peaceful. During one, you will see water birds and may see gharial crocodiles, the rarely seen Gangetic dolphin, or a mugger crocodile. The mugger crocodile like the marshy areas.

Bicycle Rides
You can also take a bicycle ride to Bis Hajjar Tal (20,000 Lake) in about 1½ hours. You may see rhinos, gharials and birds at the lake. You should get to the lake early in morning. A bike should be reserved the night before. Bicycles are not allowed in the park. Bikes can be hires  at Tadi Bazaar and Sauraha.

To get to Bis Hajjar Tal you first go to Tadi and then you turn left (go west) on Mahendra Highway. You then go 3km until you cross a bridge that goes over the Khageri Khola. You cross the bridge and take the dirt road on the left (go south). After going over another bridge you come to a fort in the road. Take the right fork for 5km and the lake will be on your right.

Places In and Around the Park

Kasara Durbar, built in 1939, is the royal hunting lodge.

At the Gharial Crocodile Breeding Project, the endangered gharial crocodile’s eggs are incubated under controlled condition, therefore increasing the survivor rate. It was started in 1977 when there were only 1300 gharials left on earth.
Lami Tal Lake is good places to view mugger crocodiles and birds.

The Elephant Stables, at the southeastern border of Sauraha, is where many of the Chitwan elephants live. A good time to visit is in the afternoon when the elephants are fed.
At the Elephant Breeding Program, 4km west of Sauraha, elephants are breed and trained. The best time to visit is in the afternoon.

Bis Hajaar Tal is a group of marshy lakes west of the Elephant Breeding Program where deer, birds, monkeys and sometimes rhinos can be seen here. It is best to have a guide to do a day walking tour here.

Colorful Evenings

As the name of Chitwan is derived from two Tharu words – Chit (meaning dense in local language) and Ban (forest) – this place has also become a famous destination to enjoy typical tharu cultural dances – long stick dance (in local language it is called Vajaiti which shows how the ethnic Tharu community spent their life in the past living near the forest), Damphu or Phagui, Thakara and Jhirka. These typical dances are performed in the central part of small city of Sauraha. Dhampu or Phagui is a dance mainly performed on the day of Phagu Purnima, which is a main festival of Tharu people.

What you may not like ?

Mosquitoes at certain times of the year (nets are provided in hotels/lodges) / The overzealous hotel touts at the bus park (simply board any jeep that will take you the 3 kms to the village. If you stay in the hotel the jeep goes to the ride is free. If you don’t like the look of the lodge, hand the driver fare for the ride and choose another place).

Leeches (jukha) can be a problem  during the monsoon at Chitwan National Park. There are still some leeches one or two months after it stops raining.

How long ?

You might really like the laid back atmosphere and stay longer than you had originally planned. The small village has a few restaurants a la Pokhara and Thamel, but local-style eateries as well. Life is tranquil here. You will want to spend at least one day in the national park, and a couple more days to walk/bike around about. Give yourself at least a minimum of three days.

When to go ?

The dry season would be best (November-April) and March would be the ideal time. The daytime temperature is not too hot and the elephant grass in the national park has been cut, allowing for better animal spotting.

Getting there and away ?

From Pokhara and Kathmandu many tourist buses leave, usually at 7 or 8 a.m. Just pop into any ticket and travel agency for all the details. From Kakarbhitta or Raxaul, take the bus for Narayangadh and get off at Ratnanagar, 7 kms from Sauraha. The last 7 kms can be made by jeep.
When leaving, your lodge/hotel will organize a motorbike or jeep to take you to the bus park to pick up the tourist bus or take you the 10 kms to Ratananagar where buses connect with Sunauli, Kakarbhitta and Raxaul.

10 tips for writing great travel blogs

1. Write short

This is Cameron’s mantra at Getaway and what he tells us journalists every time we go on assignment. It’s true for both magazine writing and blog writing – people have short attention spans on the internet and your blog is competing with hundreds of platforms – email, social media sites etc. Aim to keep your blogs at 250 words.

2. Know your audience and write for them

After running the Getaway blog for eight months, we know what our readers enjoy: travel advice, top 10 lists, short posts, recipes and quirky lists and we try to give that kind of content to them as much as possible. Spend time working out who your audience is and what they want.

3. Snappy titles

The title may be the only chance to get to entice people to read your blog – make it snappy or intriguing (or both).

4. Control your readers’ emotions

It’s not what you write that counts, it’s what your audience reads. Remember that through building anticipation and using rhythm in your writing (ie short, snappy sentences when describing a tense moment) you can control what your readers feel about your post.

5. Introduction is everything

You have to catch readers in the first line – make the introduction enticing, engaging, evocative.

6. Plan, brainstorm, research, refine, research, refine, research

This is self-explanatory. Don’t write a post in five minutes when you’ve got a hangover – take time to plan it, research it, write it and edit it. The extra time and care will show up in your writing.

7. Be ruthless

You have to be your own editor when you’re a travel blogger. Don’t skimp on editing your own work – be ruthless. Read the post aloud to yourself before posting – if it’s hard to read aloud, then it’s hard to read.

8. Be descriptive

Avoid using words that aren’t really descriptive, such as ‘luxurious’, ‘beautiful’ and ‘stunning’. Use all your senses to create a portrait of a place – what does the place feel, smell, taste and sound like? Be evocative.

9. Find your voice and be authentic

Work on finding your own voice – this takes practice and a lot of writing exercises – and don’t try and force it. If you’re funny, write humorously, if you’re not funny don’t try and be funny.

10. Open-ended outros

There are many ways to end a blog post – with a conclusive ending (on a positive or negative note) or with an open-ended question or discussion point, which entice engagement. If you want your blog readers to leave a comment on your blog, invite them to do so with your open-ended outro.

 

Above all else, remember that you’re telling a story and that you need to be entertaining. You’re competing with hundreds of other information sources (not to mention 200 million other blogs) and you need to stand out to be read.

By: Sarah Duff

Elephant ride at Nepal’s Chitwan Park

Elephant rides are one of Chitwan’s major attractions. Wild boar, red deer and other creatures of the jungle can be observed, in the morning and evening especially, from the back of one of these agreeable pachyderms. It has the further advantage that rhinos can be approached without danger. Quite apart from the animals, the lush vegetation and jungle chorus – a cacophony of different sounds depending on the time of day – make such a ride an unforgettable experience. It is also of course a marvelous opportunity to learn about elephants.

A number of Chitwan’s resorts have special programs for visitors keen to know more about elephants. Another option is a visit to the Elephant Breeding Center 4 km (21/2 mi.) from Sauruha.

Mahouts on elephants

One of the things I most looked forward to on my trip to Nepal was the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride atop an elephant to see wildlife at Chitwan Wildlife National Park. The park and our accomodations at a place called Safari Narayani — clean and spartan rooms in bungalows with no phones or televisions — reminds me of the camp in northern Florida I went to as a child. Each room opens on to a small patio with chairs, and beyond that to a large swimming pool. I thought about taking a dip, but after a couple of other people went swimming and reported that the water was slimy, I decided not to take the plunge.

We ate a simple buffet dinner on the porch of a lodge overlooking the Rapti River. Surprisingly, the air was filled with a lot of smoke. Our local guide told us that the smoke results from local people burning the undergrowth across the river after the thatching harvest. Apparently, the local people have used this burning proces for centuries. One person in our group with respiratory problems was so affected by the smoke that she had to wear a mask.

On our

KBK on elephant

first full day at Chitwan, we ate a leisurely buffet breakfast served on the porch of the lodge. Then several of us were greeted by about four elephants ready to take us for a ride. Each elephant was controlled by a mahout, who used his bare feet on the elephant’s flopping ears as though they were the accelerator of a car. My stepfather Hal and Susan and I all climbed into a platform on a single elephant and set out in a caravan with the other elephants to cross the river to the grasslands and sal trees on the other side. I was a bit nervous as our elephant trudged across the river with four of us on his back. Are we really going to make it across or are we all going to end up in the river? Pretty soon, though, our elephant was lumbering confidently up the muddy bank of the other side of the river and I was holding on for dear life loving every minute.

Sitting atop the elephant was almost like being in heaven looking down at what was going on in the world. Because the elephant did not frighten the other animals, we

Elephant in river

were able to get much closer to the wildlife in the park than we could have if we had been in a jeep. And we were protected from the snakes and other things we might have encountered if we had been walking.

Our mahout was much more experienced and therefore better at sighting things than we were. The first thing our mahout pointed out was a family of spotted deer. Hal kidded, “We came half way around the world to see deer? We have these in out backyard!” (In fact, he and Susan have been trying to keep the deer from eating their shrubs.) We also saw a family of bison at Chitwan. Bison sightings must be relatively rare, because our mahout got visibly excited and kept saying, “Very lucky chance! Very lucky chance! What thrilled me the most, though, was encountering a family of rhinos, including a little baby.

Chitwan National Wildlife Park was created in 1973, and about 22,000 people were removed from the area. Previously, Chiwan had been a hunting preserve. The last big Chitwan hunt was in 1939, when a party that included the British Viceroy killed 120 tigers, 38 rhinos, 27 leopards, and

Rhino in Chitwan

15 sloths. Currently, there are only 50 breeding pairs of tigers — and we didn’t see any tigers at all on our elephant rides. I really hope that ecotourism succeeds in helping Nepal preserve its wildlife and other natural wonders. I really felt a little sorry for the elephants that had to carry us around, but perhaps if they weren’t doing that, they’d be dead. And their mahouts might not be able to survive either.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve adjoins Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung districts in the Dhaulagiri Himal range in West Nepal. Putha, Churen and Gurja Himal extend over the northern boundary of the reserve. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve was established in 1983 and was gazetted in 1987. Management objectives of the reserve allow sports hunting and preserve a representative high altitude, ecosystem in Western Nepal. The reserve extends over an area of 1325 km2 and is the only hunting reserve in the country to meet the needs of hunting for Nepalese and foreign hunters of blue sheep and other game animals . Local people depend on the reserve to meet their requirements of timber, fuel-wood, fodder, and pasture.

The Tibetan refugee camp near the reserve headquarters has put more human pressure in the forest. Every year livestock grazing activities begin from February and last until October. More than 80,000 livestock enter the reserve for grazing. The majority of people belong to the Mongoloid race, including Mugar, Thakali and Gurung, Amalgamation of different ethnic groups has resulted in a mixed pattern of cultures.

Features
The higher elevations remain snow-capped throughout the year. Altitudes vary from 3000 m to more than 7000 m. The flat meadows above tree line (4000 m), locally known as Patans, are important for animals like the blue sheep and other herbivores. The reserve is divided into seven six blocks for hunting management purposes. The reserve is surrounded by villages on all sides except the north.

Climates
The monsoon fasts until the beginning of October. Day time temperatures are very low during winter due to strong winds. Higher elevations remain covered with cloud in the morning; later clouds are cleared by the wind. Snow may occur even at low elevation until early April, however, it soon melts. The best time to visit the reserve is March-April.

Flora & Fauna
The reserve is characterized by alpine, sub-alpine and high temperate vegetation. Common plant species include fir, pine, and birch, rhododendron, hemlock, oak, juniper and spruce. Pastureland occupies more than 50 % of the total area of the reserve at higher elevation.

The reserve is one of the prime habitats of blue sheep, a highly coveted trophy. Other animals found are: leopard, goral, serow, Himalayan tahr, Hirnalayan black bear, barking deer, wild boar, rhesus macaque, langur and mouse hare. Pheasants and partridge are common and their viable population in the reserve permits controlled hunting. Endangered animals in the reserve include: Musk deer, Wolf, Red panda, Cheer pheasant and Danphe. The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation issue the hunting license.

Facilities
Local people are allowed to collect limited quantities of fuel-wood for their home use. Visitors are requested to be self-sufficient with fuel (Kerosene) before entering the reserve. Since no medical facilities are available in the reserve, it is suggested that visitors carry a comprehensive first-aid kit including medicines for intestinal disorders. Two hotels/lodges catering simple Nepali foods are located at Chhyantung near Dhorpatan.

How to get there
Public bus service is available from Kathmandu to Tansen-Tamgash Gulmi from where the reserve HQ is a three-day walk via Burtibang. Air service links Baglung from Kathmandu and Pokhara. The reserve HQ could be reached in 4 days walk from Balewa-Baglung.

Public bus can be taken to Baglung from Pokhara followed by 4 days walk via Baglung Beni – Darbang  -Lumsung and Jaljala to reach Dhorpatan. Chartered service helicopter may be available on request from Kathmandu.

Places of interest
Dhorbaraha a Hindu religious place on the banks of Uttarganga River near Dhorpatan, is in Fagune block. Every year on the day of “Janai Purnima” in August, a religious fair is held here which many local devotees attend. The magnificent view of Dhaulagiri Himal from Barse, Dogari and Gustung blocks are exceptional, Seng and Sundaha block are rich in wild animals. Finally this region  Popular for  Dhorpatan Hunting Trek.

Mountaineering in Nepal

Fortunately mountaineering in Nepal is no longer limited to the exhibition heroes of old who scaled the Himalayan summits.  The exhilaration of climbing is now open to everyone.  For this reason, one of the most popular reasons for visiting Nepal is to partake in mountaineering activities.  Nepal is home to 8 of the world’s highest mountains.  The highest of them all is Mount Everest. In 1953, Hillary and Tenzing reached the summit of Mount Everest and hence paved the way for others to flood to Nepal in their thousands to try and capture some of the exhilaration of climbing these beautiful peaks.

It is worth noting however, that mountaineering in Nepal can be extremely dangerous due to the height of the mountains and the inherent dangers which climbing them poses.  As an example, almost as many people have lost their lives trying to climb the Annapurna massif (with the highest mountain being the tenth highest mountain in the world) as have actually reached the summit.

It is essential therefore that you join a reputable trekking organisation if you are intending do to any mountaineering or climbing whilst in Nepal.

If you wish to climb one of the lower Himalayan peaks then the majority of trekking associations in Nepal do not require you to have previous mountaineering experience.  However, they do recommend that you are in good physical health prior to joining. The trekking associations will all give you initial training on the use of climbing apparatus and on techniques such as rope handling.

The length of expeditions depends on the peaks being climbed. Mountaineering exhibitions to Nava Khang in Langtang valley often last approximately three weeks. You may be able to see more than one peak during an exhibition of the Annapurna massif in just over a month.
To climb one of the mountains in Nepal, it is necessary to apply for a permit from the Ministry of Tourism’s Mountaineering Section in Kathmandu.  It is likely that many mountaineering associations will do this on your behalf.

Fun Facts about the Himalayas

Did you want to know some fun and simple facts about the Himalayas? Then read ahead. Some of these fun facts are amazing and will certainly not disappoint.

Simple facts and information relating to the Himalayas has been widely requested via our Nepal site. For this reason, the following information was compiled with the intention of creating some simple facts and figures relating to the most beautiful range of mountains in the world.

Fact One:

When translated, the Himalayas means the ‘abode of snow’!

Fact Two:

The Himalayas formed approximately 70 million of years ago following a collision between India and Asia via the Indo Austrlian and Eurasian plates.  This tremendous collision resulted in  the beautiful Himalayan range for which Nepal is now so famous.

Fact Three:

75% of Nepal is covered by the Himalayas

Fact Four:

Although the Himalayas is the highest mountain range in the world, it is also the youngest.

Fact Five:

The Himalayas in Nepal contains over 250 beautiful peaks which all exceed 6,000 meters in height.

Fact Six:

31 of the Himalayan peaks exceed 7,600 meters

Fact Seven:

Of the fifteen highest mountain peaks in the World, nine of them are contained within the Nepal Himalayas

Fact Eight:

Mount Everest (8,848 metres), the highest mountain in the world, is part of the Himalayas in Nepal.  Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first people to climb Mount Everest in 1953.

Fact Nine:

The Himalayas is formed by three key ‘bands’ all of which are parallel with each other.  The highest peak of mountains from within these three bands is the Great Himalayan Range.  The Great Himalayan range has an average height of 4,570 meters

Fact Ten:

There is stunning geographical variation in the Himalayan mountains.  The geographic variation is incredible as individuals travelling through the Himalayas can experience jungles to green vegetative landscapes

Fact Eleven:

Although Nepal is famous for the Himalayas, this beautiful range of mountains also reaches into China, India, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Pakistan

Fact Twelve:

Another well known fact is that the Himalayas is the source of the Indus Basin, the Yangtze Basin and the Ganga-Brahmaptura which are three of the worlds primary river systems

Fact Thirteen:

The Himalayas are geologically alive!  The southern front moves approximately 20 mm a year and it is estimated that in 10 million years time, the Himalayas will have moved approximately 1,500 km into Asia

 

Camel Ride in Sauraha, Chitwan!

Now you no longer have to reach a desert to ride a camel. Yes! People can now enjoy the experience of riding a camel here in Nepal itself. Thanks to the initiative of an entrepreneur named Keshab Khanal in Chitwan’s Sauraha, a new addition has introduced as a recreational activity in Chitwan besides national park visits.

It was nearly eight years ago when the now 38-year old Keshab Khanal entered hotel business as a mere gardener. But now, everything has changed for Keshab. After the hotel owners were impressed by his skills and dedication, Keshab slowly rose through the hotel ranks, and tried his hands on numerous tourist and hotel ventures.  Seeing that he could, run his own business later, Keshab eventually opened up a new hotel himself.

But one small thought changed everything for Keshab. During his hotel business, Keshab came across numerous tourists who were willing to spend thousands of dollars to go to Rajasthan in nearby India for camel-riding. Seeing the prospects of opening a similar tourism industry here, Keshab started rearing camels then onwards along with his hotel business. Keshab brought two camels into Nepal two years ago from Patna’s Chhaprah district at the rate of 80,000 Nepali rupees each. With just an investment of 150 thousand rupees, Keshab started his new camel riding business in Sauraha.

That small investment bore him good dividends. Keshab easily garnered his invested amount through his new business in just few months. Similarly, he made a mark among Chitwan’s hotel businesses by using his own organic farm to run the restaurant of his hotel.

He allows tourists coming to his hotel to ride the camel for free while charges others for a nominal fee. Currently, Keshab rears an all total of 5 camels in Sauraha and plans to further expand his business.