<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101116/637208209c7e80680e0b54cejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1119"/><figcaption>Takam village (above) in Dhaulagiri Municipality is a model for how federalism should function. Photos: JOY STEPHENS</figcaption></figure>Bal Bir Biswakarma from the village of Lulang at the lap of Mt Dhaulagiri in Central Nepal is a 68-year-old subsistence farmer, descendants of metal smiths who settled here centuries ago to smelt copper ore.When the copper ran out, he became a high altitude porter, summiting Mt Lhotse and even rock climbing in Wyoming in the United States. But, as Joy Stephens <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-clouds-are-lifting-below-dhaulagiri/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">writes in her travelogue</a> most of his life Bal Bir Biswakarma has been living hand-to-mouth in this Dalit village high up in the mountains.Since 2017, Lulang is a part of Dhaulagiri Municipality and elected Thamsara Pun as mayor who took the revolutionary step of moving the headquarter from the traditional power centre of Takam to Muna village to make it better accessible to the region’s indigenous and Dalit populations.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101116/637208239c7e80680e0b54cfjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="792"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>In the past five years, villagers have begun to see improvements in healthcare, education and jobs, thanks to political devolution gained through Nepal’s new federal structure. Pun is <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/all-politics-is-local/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">looking forward to fast-tracked local elections</a> on 18 May, and the chance to serve five more years.This is what federalism means in practice: giving voice to the voiceless, letting under-served communities take charge so they can better take care of themselves. Dhaulagiri Municipality is also a reminder to the squabbling political class in faraway Kathmandu, some of whom have prematurely declared federalism dead without even letting it prove its worth.Excitement about <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/think-nationally-vote-locally/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">local elections</a> is already palpable across rural Nepal, but a cynical and pessimistic political class in the national capital does not want to let go of power and resources. In fact, despite a federal Constitution, political decision-making is more centralised than ever before.While the rights of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/polls-in-the-time-of-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">local governments</a> are enshrined in the Constitution, it is not followed in the spirit with access to resources for them to actually perform.“Federalism is the sum total of everything we Nepalis have gone through, from various governing structures to the Maoist conflict, the Madhes Movement and everything in between,” explains Khimlal Devkota, recently elected to the National Assembly.“Federalism stands for stability, development and devolution and we had high expectations, expecting quick results,” he adds. “In some ways we have succeeded, people don’t have to rely on Kathmandu for everything. But the centre is still involved in everything from hydropower plants to erecting view towers.”The 2015 Constitution <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/trial-error-democracy,3713" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">devolved rights to local and sub-national governments</a>, but the necessary laws were not in place until after elections. This meant a confusing transition regarding jurisdiction which threatened to undermine past gains in areas like community forestry, public health and education.“Coordination between the governments, vertical and horizontal, is a pillar of federalism and so is functional demarcation,” says Balananda Paudel who headed the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission. “Our laws are riddled with lack of clarity in some places and elsewhere there is a problem of overlapping functions for different levels of government.”This results in a perpetual blame-game between different levels of government, and a lack of accountability. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-f-word/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Federalism</a>, therefore, is still work in progress and this year’s series of elections will hopefully result in greater devolution.One of the reasons federalism got a bad name is that in the past years, it also decentralised corruption. Of the 753 local governments, one-third have elected chairs and mayors who are contractors and have awarded themselves <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/hiding-their-head-in-the-sand/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">sand-mining</a>, road-building and quarrying  contracts.Which is why upcoming local elections are even more important -- to reward elected municipal governments who have worked for the people with another five-year term and reject those who did not.This might also be a time to question the purpose of retaining a parallel power structure composed of the District Administrations and the Chief District Officers. Its job of issuing citizenship papers and passports allows this unelected office of centralised bureaucrats to wield extraordinary power over ordinary people.Federalism has also multiplied central-level politics by seven. Bagmati Province recently set a new record with 70 mini-ministries in Hetauda to allow the coalition to keep power. Much of the last five years were wasted in <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/editorial/The-f-word-again,1426" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">endless debates about demarcation</a> of provincial boundaries and designating capitals. It took four years for Madhes Province to get its name, and Province 1 is still just a number.“We have made some headway in formulating laws and regulations, now we must bring it into practice, improving staffing for service delivery at local levels and promoting better coordination between and within levels by activating intergovernmental relations,” says Balananda Paudel.Just as democracy is only as effective as politicians, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/federalism-rule-of-law-and-the-judiciary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">federalism</a> too will only function if it follows the true spirit of devolution of power and resources to the periphery. It needs political will at the centre to provide technical and financial support – something we have not seen in the last five years.Says Khimlal Devkota: “Citizens should be placed at the centre of all decision making. This can be done only by nurturing and strengthening federal practice.”

Sonia Awale

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

Power to the periphery

<figure><img width="1500" height="1125" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7b69c7e80680e0967dajpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption></figure>The Nepal Himalaya has seen a spurt in expeditions this spring, largely because of the backlog of the past years, and possibly because of the global publicity generated by the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nirmal-purja-on-his-viral-everest-photo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘traffic jam’ photographs of 2019</a>.  Climbing on Everest, for instance, was affected in 2014 and 2015 due to the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2014/04/26/the-winter-of-our-spring/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Icefall avalanche</a> and <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2015/04/25/massive-earthquake-rattles-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">earthquakes</a>,  2016 was slow because of the lingering impact of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2015/09/25/unofficial-blockade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the blockade</a>. And 2020 was a wipeout because of the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/everest-trek-closed-open-closed-open-again/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pandemic</a>.There are a record-breaking <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/mt-everest-city/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">42 expeditions with nearly 400 foreign climbers on Everest</a> this spring. But while Everest gets all the attention, there have also been 44 climbers on four expeditions on the north face of Annapurna I, and many of them are doing it in tandem with Dhaulagiri which has five expeditions with 35 members.Many of them started early in the season on <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/annapurna-base-camp,3697" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Annapurna</a> and have now moved on to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-clouds-are-lifting-below-dhaulagiri/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dhaulagiri</a> to climb it before the monsoon arrives. There has also been the same siege-style commercial climbing of the two eight-thousanders that is more reminiscent of Everest, with guides moving up first to fix ropes and taking clients up the mountain. <img width="933" height="683" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121156/636ce7b99c7e80680e0967dbjpeg.jpg" alt="">In fact, there were so many relatively inexperienced climbers this year on Annapurna that even easier sections had to be fixed, which meant that the lead team ran out of rope high on the mountain. The expedition then radioed for a helicopter that dropped rope, oxygen, food and other supplies at nearly 7,000m on the north face of Annapurna. A helicopter also lifted a Taiwanese climber suffering frost-bite from Camp III to Base Camp.This use of helicopters has led to more criticism about the over-commercialisation of Himalayan mountaineering, and some climbing bloggers have contrasted it with the pure pioneering adventure of the French expedition of 1950 on Annapurna. But it was also this that allowed 68 people to summit the 8,091m peak by 16 April without a single fatality—all the more remarkable because Annapurna has the highest ratio (32%) of deaths on any mountain in the Himalaya. Of the 68 who got to the top this season, 14 were women, and among them six were Nepali.It helps that Dhaulagiri is just across the Kali Gandaki Valley and so close to Annapurna that climbers just moved across for the second climb. Most Annapurna summiteers are also on Dhaulagiri, where fresh snow had delayed climbing till early this week.While most, including 82-year-old Carlos Soria and the six Nepali women, are on the easier north ridge route, there are some veterans attempting the never-climbed northwest spur of Dhaulagiri which at 8,167m is the world’s seventh-highest mountain. Many of the climbers on the northwest ridge have tried to get to the top on this route several times in the past.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-other-abc-trek/">The Other ABC Trek</a>, Bimal Kadel

Annapurna Dhaulagiri double-take

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111156/636cd9529c7e80680e092e94jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1125" height="1500"/><figcaption>The summit of Mt Everest taken in 2019 by Karma Tenzing. In the foreground is the remnant of the Hillary Step that came down during the 2015 earthquake. Photo: Karma Tenzing / Nepali Times Archive</figcaption></figure>A year to the day after Nepal went into its first Covid-19 lockdown on 23 March 2020, climbers are back at Mt Everest Base Camp as high altitude guides start fixing ropes and ladders up the Khumbu Icefall.The Department of Tourism says nearly 300 foreign climbers are expected to attempt climbing Everest this year, and the numbers are high because of pent-up demand as well as the Chinese side of the world’s highest mountain being closed indefinitely.Many mountaineers had cancelled their plans after Europe went into a second coronavirus wave, and with Nepal requiring a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-should-now-allow-visa-on-arrival/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">7-day hotel quarantine on arrival</a> in Kathmandu. However, the government’s decision on Sunday to waive quarantine for tourists with vaccine passes means the numbers might go up.In 2019, there were 381 foreign climbers on Mt Everest, and many of them bunched up during a two-day weather window on 22 May, creating a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nirmal-purja-on-his-viral-everest-photo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">traffic jam below the summit</a>. Because of the bad publicity, Nepal revised its rules and required those attempting Everest to have climbed at least one Himalayan peak above 6,500m high.The re-opening of Mt Everest and other mountains in Nepal this climbing season has finally provided a ray of hope to hundreds of thousands of lodge owners, porters, cooks and expedition employees <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/where-have-all-the-guides-gone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">who have been without income</a> for a year. Even so, the fear that the second wave hitting India may come to Nepal like last year has prompted the government to issue public warnings about masking up and avoiding crowds.There are altogether 30 expeditions attempting Mt Everest, and some of them including a 15-member team from the Bahraini Royal Guard have already completed their quarantines and established Base Camp on <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/on-thin-ice-in-the-khumbu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Khumbu Icefall</a>.“The climbers are moving in all kinds of supplies, from food, tents, gear to stacks of oxygen cylinders to Base Camp,” says Mingma Sherpa of Himalayan Trail Blazers, an expedition support company.Mira Acharya, the head of the Mountaineering Divison at the Department of Tourism told Nepali Times that all climbers have been asked to strictly follow safety and health protocols. She added: “We have opened up this spring only after ensuring that all back-up support is in place for health and safety of climbers and support staff as well as search and rescue and other security measures.”However, the government’s announcement last week that climbers would not be allowed to post on social media photographs of themselves on the mountains without permission has made Nepal the laughing stock of the world for coming up with yet another absurd and un-enforceable rule.“As usual the Nepal government is not trying to solve the real problem,” said one mountaineer who did not want to be named. “It should be the crowds of amateurs who should be stopped, not taking pictures of them. This is censorship.”Acharya from the Mountaineering Division, however, clarified: “There has been a great deal of negative coverage about Everest … this is an attempt to prevent that. This is rule is applicable to expeditions on other mountains as well.”Despite the predictable bungling, Nepal’s mountains are still a great draw, and the fact that there so many other expeditions on mountains besides Mt Everest proves the point. There are climbers this season on other eight thousanders like Lhotse, Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu, as well as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/what-is-it-about-ama-dablam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ama Dablam</a>, Nuptse and other lesser peaks.With the onset of March, there has been a surge in applications for climbing permits and flight bookings. “Tourism businesses are hoping that the economy that has been suspended since the beginning of the pandemic will pick up now,” said Dipendra Karna of Buddha Airlines, which has seen a healthy growth in domestic traffic.<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-allows-royal-himalayan-expedition/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bahrain’s Royal Guard</a> was the only foreign expedition to receive a special permit to climb Manaslu during the pandemic, and acclimatised on Lobuje is the Khumbu before that.The team has returned to scale Mount Everest in April-May, and according to the team's Instagram, all members of the Bahraini <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-building-a-highway-to-everest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Everest</a> team were vaccinated before flying in. However, it also brought 2,000 doses of the Chinese Sinovac to inoculate the people of Samagaon in Upper Gorkha, but the vaccine has not got approval from the Ministry of Health yet.On Everest, Kami Rita Sherpa hopes to make his 25th <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/mt-everest-grows-by-86cm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Everest summit</a> this spring, while Lukas Furtenbach of California-based guiding company, Furtenbach Adventures is assisting 22 climbers in five teams, two of them on Everest.Three Nepali women, Maya Sherpa, Poornima Shrestha and Sharmila Syangtyan will be climbing Annapurna I from the north side. Annapurna is the tenth highest mountain in the world, and regarded as one of the most dangerous in the Himalaya, mainly because of avalanche and rockfall danger. One in three climbers attempting the peak does not make it down alive.Meanwhile, Slovak climber Peter Hamor and Romanians Horia Colibasanu and Marius Ganu are gearing up for Dhaulagiri, and another attempt to complete their 2019 route along the formidable northwest ridge of the world;’s seventh highest mountain. Also on Dhaulagiri northwest ridge is Carla Perez from the US.

Spring returns to Nepal’s mountaineering

https://youtu.be/-9rP1yNydLs<h2>Beat the crowd to Khayer Lake</h2>Sewa Bhattarai in MyagdiThe Ghorepani-Poon Hill Trek? That is so last century. Now that road access makes the scenic viewpoint easily reachable with a night stop, more and more trekkers venture on up the ridge to Tadapani, Khopra and the hidden holy Khayer Lake.This extension to the traditional Poon Hill hike is worth it even for those who have done Ghorepani-Ghandruk Ridge before. Strike off the path through rhododendron forest at Tadapani to Mulde Peak for a overnight stop, and then it is another day’s walk to <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=15474" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khopra.</a> An alternative route from Ghorepani is to descend to Swanta and up again to gain the ridge.The only warning to trekkers is to make sure there is a tea house as night falls, and to keep your eyes on the narrow trail because the views of Annapurna, Machapuchre and Dhaulagiri are so dramatic. <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/mulde-peak,1759" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mulde Peak</a> itself is about 700m higher than Poon Hill and beats the view from there by leaps and bounds. The view of a full moon rise from behind Machapuchre is an out of this world sight.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29d59c7e80680e0458ebjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1050"/><figcaption>Photos: SEWA BHATTARAI</figcaption></figure>Khayer Lake with Annapurna I peering over the ridge (pictured above) is a further 5-6 hours walk away with a small temple of Khayera Bharani sacred to the local Magar community. Hindu pilgrims from down valley also walk up to the lake on Janai Purnima festival in July-August.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/go-take-a-hike/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Go take a hike</a>, Sewa BhattaraiDuring the monsoon, the slopes are ablaze with fresh flowers and you do not want to step on them and spoil the beauty. Shepherds graze herds of sheep on the fresh young grass, and people buy sheep from them to sacrifice at the Khayer Bharani shrine.At this time of year, the lake is partially frozen and the ground is still brown and barren. The trekking season has not started yet, so the trails are deserted.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29da9c7e80680e0458ecjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1050">“About twenty years ago when this area was uninhabited, we used to see big groups of foreigners trek up to the lake to camp and bring their own food and we saw the potential for a lodge here,” says Bhakta Tilija, who operates the lodge at Khopra Ridge. Word about the ethereal beauty of Khayer Lake is now spreading and in the trekking season the dozen rooms at Khopra are full, and so are the outhouses made for porters and unsuspecting Nepali guests.Social entrepreneur and rural internet pioneer <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/kundadixit/2013/02/19/innovating-a-new-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mahabir Pun</a> founded the lodge in 2007 with prize money from his Ramon Magsaysay award. The proceeds from the lodge go to a school in the nearby Paudwar village. He has set up a string of eight other lodges in the area, including in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Wonders-of-Nepal,1240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mohare Danda.</a>“We know that we need to expand the facilities, and we are looking for funds to build another lodge,” Pun told us. “Mostly, tourism does not benefit the local community so much. We try to get the community to run the lodges and plough the profits locally.”<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29dd9c7e80680e0458edjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="1050">Proceeds from the lodges have been invested in building a 50KW micro hydropower plant, which supplies electricity to the lodges for lighting, heating and wifi routers. “Eventually we intend to make the lodges smoke-less zero carbon,” says Pun.As the better travelled destinations become passé and remote ones become more attractive, Khopra Ridge (pictured, above) is poised to rival the more popular ABC Trek this spring.And with the road access now making the Annapurna Circuit less pristine, Khopra and the neighbouring Mardi Ridge to the east will be attracting more visitors. The question is how soon the facility will manage to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/GUEST-COLUMN/nepal-trekking-needs-a-quality-upgrade,383" target="_blank" rel="noopener">keep up with the influx</a>.<h2>Gosain Kunda's Six Lakes in Spring</h2>Sikuma Rai in Rasuwa<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29e19c7e80680e0458eejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"><figcaption>DIVINE REFLECTIONS: Many people do not know that besides the main Gosain Kunda (pictured) there are six sacred lakes in the vicinity. They are Nilkantha, Barda Kunda, Rakta Kunda, Chandra Kunda, Ama Kunda and Surya Kunda.</figcaption></figure>Gosain Kunda is a place to avoid in July-August when tens of thousands ascend to the holy waters at 4,380m for the Janai Purnima festival. But now is the time to go as the winter snow starts melting, the rhododendrons start coming out in full bloom, and the trails are relatively deserted. You will have the mountains, and the lakes, all to yourself.Being so close to the city, the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/buzz-gosainkunda,639" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gosain Kunda</a> trek is a quick getaway for trekkers and pilgrims. The forest path may look easy at first, but it can be a grueling two-day climb from Dhunche at 2,090m on the highway.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29e49c7e80680e0458efjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800"><figcaption>Nilkantha. Photo: AVIV ADHIKARI</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29e79c7e80680e0458f0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="800"><figcaption>Barda Kunda. Photo: RAVI RAUT</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29eb9c7e80680e0458f1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"><figcaption>Rakta Kunda. Photo: RAVI RAUT</figcaption></figure>Gosain Kunda can be either a destination, a stopover, or a traverse. As a destination, it can be done in a relaxed way in five days, giving oneself enough time to acclimatise and take in the views. It is better not to rush it.Trekkers can also just stopover in Gosain Kunda and continue along a narrow path around a steep spur and descend to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-reincarnation-of-a-holy-valley/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Langtang Valley</a> two days away. As a traverse, hikers from Dhunche can cross the pass and descend to Helambu and back to Kathmandu. Or, if you really want to punish yourself, you can do that route counter-clockwise. The trails are now much more stable after the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/aint-seen-nothing-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">earthquake</a> four years ago.The simplest itinerary is to take a 5-7 hour bumpy jeep ride to Dhunche, and if you want to get away from the sound of trucks, head off immediately to Deurali for the night. Those relatively more fit can climb on to Sing Gompa at 3,250m, a smallish settlement with tea houses and a monastery. It also has a government dairy outlet run by Chatra Bahadur Tamang where you can stock up on yak cheese.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-tamu-trek-trail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Tamu Trek Trail</a>, Jit Gurung<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29ee9c7e80680e0458f2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="933"><figcaption>ChandraKunda. Photo: RAVI RAUT</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29f19c7e80680e0458f3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1400" height="934"><figcaption>Ama Kunda. Photo: SIKUMA RAI</figcaption></figure>After morning breakfast in Sing Gompa the trail goes up and up to Lauri Binayak (3,700m). More and more of the mesmerising vista of Ganesh Himal, Langtang Lirung, and Manaslu become visible as you gain altitude, and the scenery energises exhausted walkers. This time of year, rhododendron buds are popping open all over the forest.The really steep bit comes after Lauri Binayak, and this is where the pace will get slower on the endless uphill. The tea shops at Gosain Kunda look deceptively close, and it is still another few hours of hard slog to reach the ridge to look down at Saraswati Kunda.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110811114/636a29f59c7e80680e0458f4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="693" height="417">When you get there, you find that Gosain Kunda is not one but a series of lakes at over 4,380m. The air is thin and crystalline, and the mirror surface of the lakes reflect the sunset in all its hues. The stunning views, the sacred energy of the spot, and the exhilaration of the climb will make even the most non-religious person slightly spiritual. For true Hindu, Buddhist or Animistic believers, however, this is a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-power-and-pull-of-pathibhara/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pilgrimage</a> of a lifetime.Those still not sated by the view can <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/trekking-in-Nepal-turns-50,2658" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trek</a> on to Lauribina La (4,610m) to inspect six other lakes, and the trip is rewarding and therapeutic as the lakes hidden behind ridges glisten like jewels in the sun.There are 108 lakes in the Langtang National Park region but more are popping up due to global warming, and many do not even have names yet.

Holy Waters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsMi4Zs-KrEAt 7,193m <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/gurja-himal-tragedy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gurja Himal</a> is not high by Himalayan standards, and is dwarfed by the rock and ice pyramid of Mt Dhaulagiri to the east. The mountain is nonetheless impressive because of its imposing south face, rising nearly 4km vertically above the valley below. One of the last villages near the mountain is Gurja Khani, a fascinating settlement tucked away in splendid isolation in the Dhaula Valley. This area of Nepal is still untouched by roads, and much of the traditional architecture and way of life remains. Steep canyons make the valley impenetrable from below, and the only access is on foot over a 3,300m pass.  <figure><img width="2736" height="2446" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171144/636936be9c7e80680e03fdf9jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>The imposing and unclimbed South Face of Gurja Himal rises nearly 4000m vertically from the valley below. Photos: JOY STEPHENS</figcaption></figure>Near the wind-swept pass is a tea shop, and it is the last place you would expect to find a family of five, including a baby. Siddhi Man Biswakarma and his wife own the teashop, and because it is the only resting place between Lulang and Gurja Khani, they do brisk business.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/setis-gorgeous-gorges/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seti's gorgeous gorges</a>, Hermann WarthThe Biswakarmas set up shop five years ago to serve the mule trains, but as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/gurja-himal-tragedy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trekkers </a>to Nepal try to find new and untraveled areas, there are now tourists who also stop by.“Nowadays we get foreigners as well. And during last year’s election, some politicians spent the night here while campaigning,” recalls Biswakarma, who makes about Rs500 a day and plans to add rooms. He has also invested in two horses which he will rent out to those who want to reach Gurja Khani.  <figure><img width="1500" height="2000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636936c29c7e80680e03fdfajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Since it has not been exposed to commercial <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/bringing-in-two-miilion-tourists,3551" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tourism</a>, the Gurja Himal trek is a place where the Fair-Tread trekking model is being tried out over the past five years. It is based on the same principles as the fair-trade label on foodstuff, and urges trekkers to think about the impact they leave on the local people and economy.Fair-Tread takes into account who benefits from tourism expenditure, and tries to maximise its impact on poverty-reduction and social justice. More of the expenditure is designed to benefit those who need it most, without undermining their self-sufficiency and dignity.Commercial trekking mostly involves booking online with a trekking wholesaler in Europe or elsewhere, who sub-contracts to a Kathmandu company. This means that up to half the expedition expenditure never makes it to Nepal. Of the other half, much of it stays in Kathmandu and does not trickle down to places like Gurja Khani. <figure><img width="1500" height="979" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636936c59c7e80680e03fdfbjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>On the popular <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/everest-garbage-caravan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everest </a>and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/everest-garbage-caravan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Annapurna </a>areas, trekkers either camp or stay in purpose-built lodges established by companies in Kathmandu. Camping treks may be environmentally friendly, but their contribution to the rural economy is minimal, since the fees are paid to the trekking agency, and most of the food is sourced from outside. In contrast, even a poor family can invest in and profit from a homestay. In Gurja Khani, Belmoti Pariyar started her aptly-named Jivan Ko Bato (Road of Life) homestay with one tiny room and a single bed. Now she has enlarged that room and added another so that she can accommodate four paying guests. Her guest book shows visitors from Brazil, Switzerland, Canada, the UK, and Nepal. ‘The best momo ever,” one trekker, a retired British Army colonel who stayed here a month, wrote. He taught Pariyar some English words, and she is happy that her homestay provides supplementary income to pay for her daughter’s school. Lulang, on the south slope of the pass, is an unusually large village of Dalits and has three homestays. “People respect me more because they see that I have a steady income from my rooms, they even chose me to be the Chair of our Tourism Committee,” says Rati Maya Biswakarma proudly.Most visitors here are blissfully unaware of caste discrimination in Nepal, and the ignorance means that they could be indirectly supporting it. Dalits have not been able to benefit from tourism as much because they have not become guides in numbers proportionate to their population. The only tourism-related occupation easily accessible for them is low-paid portering.  <figure><img width="1936" height="2592" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636936c89c7e80680e03fdfcjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Porters are usually not salaried employees of trekking agencies but hired on a daily-wage basis. They often lack accident insurance and adequate clothing for high altitudes. Lal Chhantyal, a licensed guide from Gurja Khani, says uncertainty of income is the biggest problem.The trekking season is short, and the cost of renting a room in Pokhara in the hope of getting work is exorbitant. Fair-tread trekking aims to ensure that porters and guides are recruited locally, properly equipped, and paid a fair wage. Fair-Tread also emphasises respect for the environment, local culture, and traditional skills. Tourism has often brought modern materials and architecture because trekkers demand rooms with attached bathrooms and modern plumbing. Villagers then perceive these facilities as superior to the traditional architecture, artisanal skills and artifacts they have. Jhak Bahadur is the elected chair of the Gurja Khani council, and his main emphasis is on health, especially to reduce the high maternal mortality rate. Because of its remoteness, women with childbirth complications die because they cannot reach the nearest health post in Lulang in time. Jhak Bahadur says building a road would impact on trekking, a ropeway would make transportation easier, but the cost is too high. Nobody owns the views of the Himalaya, but surely the people who live in their shadow deserve to benefit from our visit. www.offthebeatentreks.orgJoy Stephens has worked in Nepal for 20 years as a researcher in education and trafficking. She is the author of Window onto Annapurna (1988, Victor Gollancz). <h2>Gurja Himal tragedy</h2> <img width="640" height="951" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636936cc9c7e80680e03fdfdjpeg.jpg" alt="">The disaster which struck the Korean expedition on 10 October brought Gurja Himal (7,193m) and this inaccessible region of Nepal to world attention. Two months after the disaster, there is still uncertainty about what caused the Base Camp at 3,500m to be blown away, killing five Korean and four Nepali climbers. Gurja Himal is one of the westernmost peaks in the Dhaulagiri massif and has an unclimbed south face that soars nearly 4,000m above the valley. The Korean expedition was led by veteran mountaineer Kim Chang-ho who is famous for being the first Korean to summit all 14 eight-thousanders without bottle oxygen. Disaster struck even before the climbing began, and since no one survived. It was probably an avalanche like the one pictured below coming down the face. Locals who helped retrieve the bodies said there was no ice or snow at Base Camp, and the bodies had been blown across the river to the opposite slope. Tall trees in the narrow valley had snapped in half, and videos taken by the rescuers show scars from what look like an air blast preceding an avalanche that roared down the face.  <figure><img width="1057" height="506" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171148/636936cf9c7e80680e03fdfejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Villagers say they told the expedition to establish Base Camp lower at 3,000m to avoid angering the mountain’s guardian deity which they say does not tolerate people defecating nearby. Over the years, they report that several locals have died near the same spot. Sita Chhantyal, sister of one of the local guides who died in the disaster, said the expedition did everything to propitiate the deity, sacrificing a chicken and a goat. She added: “But they made the mistake of locating the camp too close to the mountain. It made the god angry.”Rescuers talk of the bodies flung off the mountain, yet in the camp site, they found crates of eggs unbroken. Chhantyal said in amazement: “Not even one egg was cracked,” Joy Stephens in Gurja Khani

Trails less travelled

<figure><img width="791" height="708" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933749c7e80680e03df9djpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>The imposing South Face of Gurja Himal in the Dhaulagiri Range rises narly 4km vertically from the valley below. Photo: JOY STEPHENS</figcaption></figure>The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8JpH2-pjmI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disaster which struck the Korean expedition on 10 October</a> brought Gurja Himal (7,193m) and this inaccessible region of Nepal to world attention. A few weeks after the disaster, there is still much uncertainty about what caused the Base Camp at 3,500m to be blown away, killing five Korean and four Nepali climbers.  Gurja Himal is one of the westernmost peaks in the Dhaulagiri massif and has an imposing and unclimbed south face that rises almost 4,000m vertically from the valley below. The Korean expedition hoped to be the first to climb it, and it was led by veteran mountaineer Kim Chang-ho who is famous for being the first Korean to summit all 14 eight-thousanders without bottle oxygen. Disaster struck even before the expedition had started climbing the mountain, and since no one survived we really do not know what happened.Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/tragic-start-to-himalayan-spring-nepal,3695" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tragic start to Himalayan spring</a>Locals who helped retrieve the bodies said there was no ice or snow where the Base Camp was, and the bodies had been blown across the river to the opposite slope. Tall trees in the narrow valley had been snapped in half, and videos and photographs taken by the rescuers show scars from what look like an avalanche from the rock face above. <figure><img width="1057" height="506" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221107171132/636933779c7e80680e03df9ejpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Locals recalled that there had been a massive thunderstorm with hail-stones in the area, and there is speculation that the storm whipped up tornado-strength wind that was funneled up the valley. Others said the position of the bodies and remains of the tents are consistent with an air blast from an avalanche that roared down the face, and the reason no ice was found was that it had melted by the time rescuers got there.Villagers also have another explanation, and say they told the expedition to establish their Base Camp lower at 3,000m so to avoid angering the mountain’s guardian deity which they say does not tolerate people defecating nearby. Over the years, they report that several locals have died near the same spot.Sita Chhantyal, sister of the local guide who died in the disaster, said the expedition did everything to propitiate the deity, sacrificing a chicken and a goat. She added: “They made the mistake of locating the camp too close to the face. It made the god angry.Rescuers talk of the bodies flung off the mountain, yet in the camp site they found crates of eggs unbroken. “Not even one egg was cracked,” Chhantyal said.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-oxygen-of-mountaineering/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The oxygen of mountaineering</a>, Ted Atkins