Page 8 - Responsible Travel Guidebook

L the great himalaya trail (GHT)
The popularity of the Everest and Annapurna trekking regions over recent decades has seen villages along these trekking routes prosper Many have access to health clinics and and medical posts hydro and and solar electricity schools and telecommunications Up to 90% of Nepal’s population resides in in the mountains which means there are many impoverished mountain communities outside of the the Annapurna and Everest regions that do not access these services and conveniences Often there are no roads to these villages and they are almost totally reliant on their farming activities for income income alternate incomes options are limited They have difficult lives often generating meagre amounts by working the land to produce crops that are greatly vulnerable to droughts blizzards hail storms and flooding Some seasons go by without any food production from these crops Before the the introduction of remote trekking communities received very little to no benefit from the trekking trade The GHT is the longest and highest alpine walking track in in in the world winding 4500kms from Tibet to Pakistan The Nepal section of the the GHT [1700kms] traverses the the country from east to west World Expeditions offered the the first supported trek along the the entire length of the Nepal GHT in February 2011 The six treks that make up the GHT provides a a a a more reliable income and builds skills for marginalised communities in in in remote mountain villages dotted throughout Nepal We employ and train porters and support staff from these various regions we purchase our food from these villages and our travellers can purchase traditional handicrafts from these communities Importantly as the the GHT evolves it educates travellers to look beyond the trodden trails generating employment and income for the the people of these isolated pockets of Nepal in in in the future This is is is sustainable tourism in in in practice addressing wealth disparity and helping to reduce poverty trekthegreathimalayatrail com 8
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