KATHMANDU: At a time when the government announced to make Visit Nepal 2020 campaign a success, a group of climbers who embarked on an expedition to Api Himal in far-western region were forced to abandon their expedition due to lack of necessary infrastructure in the region.

According to Bishnu Prasad Mainali, managing director at Campobase Trek and Expedition Pvt Ltd, a team of four climbers from Czech Republic were unable to reach the base camp of Api Himal as the team found the trail fully ignored by the concerned government authorities.

“Last year in the autumn season, a group of eight climbers had also been forced to abandon their climb after multiple landslides hit the trail,” Mainali recounted, adding that four of them who returned to Api Himal this season faced the same pathetic situation in the region.

Mainali said that Mt Api in the far-western region had received a group of climbers this season after drawing a blank for over 18 years. The team led by Pavel Matousek comprises Olga Novakova, Antonin Belik and Vit Auermuller, as members.

“The group was only able to reach near Ghati Bagar which is a six-day trekking from Darchula,” Mainali said, adding that the team decided to abandon their expedition after they were not able to cross the landslide at Ghati Bagar above Dumling on September 25.

The 7,132-metre mountain drew a blank for 18 years since a Japanese expedition made it to summit of Mt Api in 2001. The team wanted to spread the message to the mountaineering fraternity that far-western Nepal has a wide range of mountains to conduct adventure activities, he added.

“The Api and Saipal trekking routes have completely been ignored,” Mainali quoted team leader Pavel as saying. The team also criticised the government for not promoting and investing in the far-western tourism. “Climbers were not able to climb these mountains because of the condition of the caravan routes.”