Myagdi, Dec 6 

All necessary ground works were being undertaken to open the trekking ‘Maurice Herzog Trail’ in Annapurna Rural Municipality-4 in Myagdi district at the earliest, according to the rural municipality.

The trekking trail that links Narchyang in the rural municipality with the base camp of the Annapurna I (8,091-metres) is named after Maurice Herzog, the French alpinist who was first to reach the summit of Annapurna I in 1950. A team comprising representatives from the rural municipality, Nepal Tourism Board and Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) had recently conducted a field study for the same. The rural municipality Chairperson Dambar Bahadur Pun, Chief Administrative Officer of the rural municipality Nabin Subedi, TAAN Gandaki Province President Sushil Poudel among others returned on Saturday after the field visit.

The rural municipality Chair Pun shared that they were effortful to promote the Maurice Herzog Trail so as to attract as many as tourists. “We were preparing to launch the Trail on the occasion of the ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ but the Covid-19 pandemic affected the Project,” said Pun, adding that they were coordinating with the tourism entrepreneurs to draw as much as tourists to the Annapurna Base Camp.

TAAN Gandaki State President Poudel is hopeful that the Trail which was as rugged and as ‘wild’ as in the time of Maurice would be a new brand for the trek to the base camp. The rural municipality here has prepared a map of the Trail while the Department of Tourism has already awarded the contract for the construction of the Maurice Herzog Trail. From Narchyang, it takes three days to reach the base camp via Chotep, Humkhola and Bhusket. Other supporting physical infrastructures such as suspension bridge, stairs and basic trekking trail have been built. “The Trail is the shortest route to the base camp and is relatively safer,” informed Narchyang Rural Municipality Chair Tej Gurung.

Earlier, trekkers had to tread the treacherous trail for a week from Kunjo in Mustang district to reach the base camp that is situated at the height of 4,600 meters above sea level.