History

A short history of cross Himalaya trekking

Not many people have walked the length of the Himalayas in the last few decades (and written about it). However there have been some expeditions with the goal either of traversing Nepal or going further trying to traverse the greater Himalaya range.

In 1980, one ‘inspirational’ Mr Shirahata is mentioned in the classic book “Trekking in Nepal” by Toru Nakano as having walked the length of the country from ‘east to west’ in Nepal but no further references or information has been found.

In 1982, Arlene Blum and travel and adventure writer Hugh Swift became the first westerners to complete a 4,500 km great Himalayan traverse across Bhutan, Nepal and India. Starting from the eastern border of Bhutan, Swift and Blum, climbed up and down the Himalayan range over 6,000m passes and down to river valleys at 600m, gaining and losing an average of 1,000m each day to reach Ladakh. This is documented in her book – Breaking Trail.

In 1983 two British brothers, Richard and Adrian Crane ran the Himalayas, from before Kanchenjunga to beyond Nanga Parbat in less than 100 days. According to the Crane’s book, “Running the Himalayas”,

In 1980 an Indian army team set out from Arunchal Pradesh in India’s north east corner and, after one and a half to two years of travel along a high mountain route, they finished their journey just north of Leh in the Ladakh region of the Karakorams…. it progressed in ‘relay’ fashion and possibly no one member stayed with the expedition for the full course.

They also met the British Women’s Trans-Himalayan Expedition who set of from Sikkim in January 1983 and used buses where necessary on their journey. The Crane’s were however travelling super-light. One rucksack, one sleeping bag, one set of clothes, one pair of shoes, and shared between us: map, diaries, camera, penknife, water jar and two plastic teaspoons. No guides, no porters, no shelter, no food, no water. And we would be running. Looked at logically, the idea was preposterous.

Then nearly two decades later in 2003, Rosie Swale-Pope ran the length of Nepal, and early Great Himalayan Trail route, with a support team, doing an estimated 1,700km in 68 days to raise money for the charity Nepal Trust.

Dr Gillian Holdsworth walked a similar route in 2007 which is documented on the British Nepal Medical Trust website.

Between 2008 and 2011 Jean-Claude Latombe walked a winding trail across Nepal in two sections of 56 and 53 days. His website has a wonderful collage of images of the people and landscapes he encountered.

In 2010 Sean Burch completed a route across Nepal in 49 days with the help of Nepal Trust in 2011 Shawn Forry and Justin Lichter walked an unsupported trek of 57 days across Nepal.

What is the trail?

Until recently the trail remained an undefined idea – there was no one, logical trail.

In 2006 the Dutch development agency SNV and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu proposed developing an official Great Himalaya Trail from near Kangchenjunga in the east to Api-Saipal in the far west of Nepal. If opening up wild and remote parts of the country could attract trekkers away from the busy areas like Everest, it could benefit more of the 1.8 million people living in the mountains.

Their plans are moving ahead involving all of the affected stakeholders: from renowned mountaineers and trekking guides to the Nepal Tourist Board and the Trekking Agents Association to the village Development Committees in the remote areas the trek passes through.

However it was early 2009 that truly gave birth to a Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal. Robin Boustead supported by his wife Judy Smith and friends who walked the trail in stages beginning in September 2008. It took a lot of research to identify a true high-alpine route that was feasible for trekkers. Robin said:

“If someone gathered enough information on that area, it would be a great trek for everyone”

Robin was that someone and he has documented his route meticulously using GPS. The route, distances, elevations, water sources, villages and camp sites will all be detailed in a guide book to be released early 2010.

Still, the Great Himalaya Trail is new and will evolve over the coming years through the preferences and suggestions of trekkers completing the route or sections of it. This is why it is so exciting to get on the trail now.

 

Glance of Great Himalayan Trail