Construction of tourism infrastructures along ‘Maurice Herzog Trail’ about to complete

BENI, November 28: Construction of basic tourism infrastructure along 'Maurice Herzog Trail' has neared the completion phase. The Trail is named after French alpinist Maurice Herzog who was the first to reach the top of Annapurna I in 1950.

A trekking route, resting places and other necessary structures have been constructed targeting the Trail that serves as the access route towards the base camp of the 8,091 meters tall Mt Annapurna I in Myagdi, the district in Gandaki Province With the development of infrastructures, now the base camp is two days' walk from Narchyang of Annapunra rural municipality-4.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation had allocated Rs 28 million to undertake the project that had begun last year. The trekking route begins from Humkhola as transport facility from Narchyang is available up to here. Six thousand five hundred stone steps are the part of a 14-kilometer constructed along the Trail, according to Trail Construction Committee local coordinator Tej Gurung.

Gurung who is also the chair Annapurna Conservation Area Management Committee, Narchyang said the track of trekking was identified some 10 years ago. The Nilgirikhola Hydro Power Project had built a13-kilomter access route from Dobhan to Humkhola. The construction of the road shortens the trip to the base camp.

The newly developed trekking route comprises suspension bridges at Chhotepa, Humkhola, Phutphute Spring, Bhusket, and Dharmashala while the construction of resting places is on the progress at six locations. Railing has been fixed at the geographically challenging points. As of date, the overall progress is 70 percent and the project is likely to be complete within the next two months, it is said.