Tourism is one of the major occupations of Nepal due to its natural resources and its beauty. Aside from other activities in tourism, the trekking history of Nepal and mountaineering has its own space in tourism sector of Nepal. While trekking and mountaineering is at its prime today, it also had its dawn, and it was always not like this. Started from a handful of attempts by unique individuals out of pure passion led us to this day.
Trekking History of Nepal
Today trekking in Nepal is at its peak. Thousands and thousands of internal and foreign tourists are here for trekking. Annapurna circuit trek, Manaslu trek, Mardi trek, Everest base camp are one of the most popular trekking routes of the country and the list just goes and goes on.
While talking about the trekking history of Nepal, the trekking heavens trekking journey started back in 1965 when colonel James Owen Merion Roberts. Shortly he was also known as jimmy Roberts. He was a retired army officer. While he was in Nepal, he saw great potentiality in the country due to its unique geographical condition and resources.
It was his idea to provide travelling package including guide Sherpas, tents, maps and guide books. This formula became a sudden hit and, in some form, even used today. It was also colonel Jimmy Roberts who opened Nepal’s first trekking company Mountain Travel. By the birth of Mountain Travel the birth of officially Trekking as an occupation was introduced in Nepal.
The second milestone on trekking history in Nepal was achieved by the help of Bill Tilman. He carried out various trekking expeditions around the country. Everest, kaligandaki, Helambu were some of his expeditions that led the world to discover what a trekking gem Nepal was. Then with the help from king Tribhuvan a Russian ballet dancer named Boris Lissanovich opened the royal hotel. During that period, the royal hotel with its yak and yeti bar became the junction of the trekkers inclined to visit the mountains.
The journey started like that made the trekking company what is it today. Started from handful of trekkers in late century, now in 2019 alone 171542 trekkers visited Nepal for trekking in various areas.
Mountaineering History of Nepal
Nepal is the country of mountains. Nepal alone has 7 mountains that exceeds the 8000m range. Also, in the top 10 highest peaks in the world Nepal alone has 8 of them with Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha) being in the top.
While talking about the mountaineering history of Nepal has began in the early 1920’s. Geroge Mallory and Andrew Irvine in the 1920’s first attempted to climb the world’s highest peak mount Everest. The official first attempt to conquer the majestic mountain was attempted by them. However, they could not return from their last adventure. But they are this attempt became legendary tale to mountaineers. In the 1999 body of the late Geroge Mallory was discovered by the climbers.
Despite the attempts not Everest but Annapurna I was the first climbed mountain of Nepal, and this was achieved by group of French people led by Maurice Herzog in 1950. Later in the year 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa climbed the Everest for the first time creating a history. After this daring success, more and more climbers were attracted by the majestic mountains of the country.
Likely, after the Everest gradually attempts were made to climb other mountains also some becoming successful and some not so much. Then Mt. Makalu was climbed in the year 1955, Mt. Cho Oyu was climbed in 1954, Mt. Lotse was climbed in 1956, Mt. Dhaulagiri in 1960, Mt. Manasalu in the year 1977 gradually.
As the year went by the number of mountains climbing attempts increased in the country. In year 2019 only 876 total successful summits were made of mount Everest with 11 deaths.
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