PHUNGLING, SEPTEMBER 14

A team of trekkers, including two foreign nationals, has started trekking the Great Himalayan Trail, one of the popular trails of Nepal.

The four-member team is led by Maria Andre from Slovenia. The team started the trekking from Taplejung district for Ghunsa, according to locals.

The Great Himalayan Trail is a trekking route that goes through various mountainous areas within Nepal covering a distance of around 1,700 kilometres and passes through eight mountains. It is becoming one of the best, ambitious and challenging treks for tourists at home and abroad. It stretches from Taplejung to Darchula.

Earlier, Andre successfully scaled eight mountains, including Mount Everest. Andre, who in 1991 successfully climbed Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, has reached Nepal to trek the GHT.

'They are planning to complete the trekking within 115 to 120 days,' said Ensuhang Rai from Solukhumbu district who is a guide to the team of trekkers. 'It costs an estimated amount of from Rs 5 to Rs 6 million for a four-member team of trekkers,' he added.

'The team will go from Lumbasubba mountain to the Makalu Base Camp of Sankhuwasabha district through the Kanchenjunga Base Camp to Olanchung Gola as part of the GHT,' said tourism entrepreneur Tenzing Nupu. 'It requires around 150 days to complete trekking on the Nepali trails under the GHT,' said a guide Santosh Tamang.

The trekkers' team has headed for Hangdewa-Mitlung-Sinwa-Chhiruwa from Phungling. A week earlier, the local people bid farewell to a team of three foreign tourists who embarked on a trek to the GHT. The team of trekkers includes two German nationals and one Australian.

A version of this article appears in the print on September 15, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.