An encounter with the Great Himalayan Trail in Nepal

The Great Himalayan Trail (GHT) in Nepal offers a great challenge for the hikers and travelers on earth. GHT is one of the longest and highest footpath trails on earth that may incredibly prove to be dramatic and traumatic in traversing the entire topography of Nepal from east to west in the shadows of the world’s highest peaks.

GHT is not a technical climbing, yet you need to be intrepid enough to cross several difficult and challenging high passes which tend to be above 5,000 meters above sea level. In addition to it, it is not everybody’s cup of tea to go through a monotonous journey of ups and downs which takes around 120-150 days in all.

Most of the climbers would prefer to climb a single mountain peak and take pride in vanquishing the peak and like to retreat to cozy camps after that victorious summit and relax rather than taking up the cudgels for this long, difficult and the tiresome trip of GHT.

However, you may be one of those climbers or trekkers who may not be satiated with simple climbing of a single mountain peak. You must have the zest and zeal to do something different beyond what is an ordinary and common phenomenon.

Highlights of GHT 

The starting point: Kanchenjunga located in the eastern border of Nepal and India.

The ending point: Humla in western Nepal on the border of Tibet.

Total Journey covers: 1,700 km (1,056 miles)

Total Sections: 10

Shortest Section: Langtang (18 days)

Longest Section: Makalu to Everest (34 days)

Time: Around 120-150 days. 

Best time to hike: September to November and March to May

Difficulty: Challenging 

Accommodation: Tea houses and camping

GHT entails trekkers or hikers to traverse most of the trekking routes of the Himalayas in Nepal, which include Kanchenjunga Trek, Everest region, Rolwaling, Langtang, Helambu, and Makalu base camp, Ganesh Himal, Annapurna, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Dolpo, Rara to Humla Simikot.

The GHT is one of the most difficult, strenuous and challenging trail in the world for which very few motivated, intrepid and inspired adventurous hikers can only come up to encounter this Himalayan challenging trail. An expert local guide is a must before embarking on this longest and hardest trail in Nepal.

As Nepal government has proclaimed Nepal Visit 2020 with the advent of New Year 2020, it is expected that many intrepid climbers or trekkers would be ready to get across this GHT to kiss the challenging difficulties in 2020.

GHT has at least 10 varying sections ranging from Kanchenjunga to Humla. The trail traverses through the varied subtropical forest to high altitude, ecosystem, tribal villages of multi-ethnic communities and religious communities such as Hindus, Buddhists, and Tibetan Refugees.

The history of GHT dates back to the 1950s when Nepal for the first time opened its borders and territories to the outsiders and influx of outsiders began as a new phenomenon.

This year was the beginning of the influx of western pioneers who wanted to face off against the world’s highest mountain in Nepal that followed the ascent of Mt Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

It was in the year 2009 that GHT was started after complete research, documentation, and mapping works by the experts. GHT is, of course, a great event that enables you to encounter highest passes, pristine cultures, valleys, gorges and astounding mountain views including Mt. Everest across the GHT trail.

There are two GHT routes. One is upper and the other is the lower route. The upper route of the GHT route begins from Ilam, Taplejung 1820m and the lower route of GHT begins from Tharpu (1300m).

The upper route covers the high altitudes such as the Sherpani Col (6146m) pass, footsteps of Tenzing Hillary trail Mt. Everest area. The lower route passes through villages, valleys, the forest at an altitude of 3700m. This route offers incredible diverse landscapes, beautiful flora and fauna, multi-ethnic cultures, snow leopards, red pandas, etc.

A Dolpo

Swedish female climber Maria Theresia Zwyssig, who recently dared to venture through the GHT trip in Nepal remarked, “GHT in Nepal is a life teaching experience for me.”