Apa Sherpa and his team members who are walking the 1,700 km long Great Himalaya Trail resumed their trek from Khandbari Thursday.

The team comprising Apa Sherpa, Dawa Steven Sherpa, Saurav Dhakal and Samir Jung Thapa were welcomed in a traditional manner by a score of people at Khandbari. This included the senior officials of the Government of Nepal, FNCCI (Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industries), NFJ (Nepal Federation of Journalists), representatives of different political parties and civil society.

Amidst a public felicitation ceremony Apa said, “It is important to develop roads but let us make sure that we do not destroy the traditional trekking trails.” The team has already walked 242 km in last 17 days. They began their historic trek on GHT from Ghunsa, the eastern most destination of the trek to pay respect to the conservation pioneers who lost their lives in a tragic helicopter accident back in 2006.

Talking about the experience so far Dawa Steven Sherpa said, “the impacts of the Climate Change can be seen clearly along the trail. It is lessening the agricultural productivity and causing massive landslides hence threatening the existing trails that are already fragile.”

The Climate Smart Celebrity Trek on the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) began on 15thJanuary and will finish in early May 2012 when the team will reach Darchula in Far-western Nepal. The team is carrying the Nepali flag handed over by President Dr. Ram BaranYadav during a public function in Kathmandu before their departure.

The trek is organized to highlight the impacts of climate change in the Himalayas and to promote the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) as the best trekking trail in the world- offering trekkers the possibility to experience extremely rich cultures, breathtaking landscapes and diverse range of flora and fauna.

GHT-CSCT is organized by Himalayan Climate Initiative with support of the Government of Nepal, particularly the office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.
It is also supported by DFID, British Council, SNV, NTB and TAAN. The event has received support of corporate partners Geo-Eye, Asian Trekking, North Face and Dell.

This event has earned extensive media publicity and recognition among development organizations and the private sectors. Prashant Singh, Founder and CEO, HCI and the Event Lead for GHT-CSCT said “the collaboration to implement this trek is immense with the government, development agencies and private sector all supporting it substantially.”

In regard to the CSCT trek, The British Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said, “The GHT trek will help develop tourism and provide employment as well as education which in return will help improve the lives of the in some of the remotest regions in the world.” nepalnews.com