SATV, Kathmandu, Aug. 26 - The trekking route to the base camp of Mt. Annapurna I in Narchyang of Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, Myagdi, has reopened.
The Maurice Herzog Trail, which begins at Humkhola, resumed operations after landslides caused by heavy rainfall were cleared from the trail and the Narchyang-Humkhola road was reopened.
With the reopening of the trail, the number of domestic tourists heading towards the base camp of 8,091-metre Mt. Annapurna I has started to increase. The Narchyang-Humkhola road had been blocked at several places by landslides, disrupting vehicular movement.
Tej Gurung, a local tourism entrepreneur and campaigner for the Maurice Herzog Trail, said the trail was reopened after hydropower projects operating in the area cleared landslides along the road from Besi village in Narchyang to Humkhola, allowing vehicles to operate.
“For the Annapurna Base Camp trek, travellers have to cover 21 kilometres by vehicle from Besi village to Humkhola, the starting point of the trekking route. During the monsoon, floods and landslides damaged several sections of the road. With support from the hydropower projects operating here, the landslides were cleared and the road repaired, allowing the trekking route to reopen,” Gurung said.
He said tourists have started reaching the base camp following the reopening of the trail. Domestic tourists began arriving for trekking after the beginning of Bhadra (mid-August), he said.
With the arrival of tourists, hotels and restaurants that had closed at various points along the trail have also started reopening, Gurung said.
He said trekkers visit the route during the monsoon because the waterfalls along the trail look particularly attractive during the rainy season.
Temporary structures have been built at various locations between Humkhola and the base camp to make the journey easier for tourists. Tea and snack shops, as well as hotels offering food and accommodation, are in operation. Shelters have been built at Sandhikharka, Bhusket Mela and around Panchakunda Lake.
Tourist facilities including drinking water and toilets have also been developed at Humkhola, Futphute Waterfall, Guphaphant, Bhusket and Panchakunda. The rural municipality has upgraded the trail.
The base area can be reached by travelling 22 kilometres by vehicle from Pokharebagar, the centre of Annapurna Rural Municipality, to Humkhola, followed by a 21-kilometre trek.
The area has recently developed as a tourist destination because of its natural attractions, including Futphute Waterfall, Panchakunda Lake near the base camp and views of the mountains. From September to November, the area receives a large number of domestic tourists.
Mt. Annapurna I was first climbed on June 3, 1950. A four-member team led by French mountaineer Maurice Herzog, including Louis Lachenal and two Nepali Sherpas, successfully climbed the mountain, marking the beginning of the era of mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas.
Statues of first climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, along with their Nepali support member Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa, have been installed at the base camp. An open-air museum has also been established there.
The trekking route was named the Maurice Herzog Trail after the first climber, Maurice Herzog.
