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The word 'trekking' was picked up by British
mountaineering expeditions in Asia and spread to Nepal.
Nepal officially opened its backcountry to tourists in
1964. Trekking in Nepal means a walking trip following
trails, many of which have been used for communication
and trade for many years.
Trekking is not mountaineering. Some of the popular
trekking trails are used by mountaineering expeditions
on their approach marches, but most are used by Nepalese
for everyday travel and trade. A trekking trip can be
any length you choose - there are popular short treks
around the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys which only take
a day to complete, there are short treks of two or three
days, or there are longer treks lasting from a week to a
month. You could even string a series of popular treks
together and walk for months on end. On the trails and
along many routes, the villages and their people can be
as interesting as the scenery, as you meet people from
many of Nepal's wide diversity of ethnic groups, The
outgoing nature, general friendliness died good humor of
the Nepalese are often commented on by trekkers.
Colorful festivals can make trekking at certain times of
year even more enjoyable.
There is no question that Nepal offers some of the most
spectacular and beautiful scenery in the world. Of
course it's the mountains that are best known and the
exploits of mountain photographers have made Everest,
Machhapuchhre, Ama Dablam, and other huge mountains
instantly recognizable to keen trekkers all over the
world. Nepal has a near monopoly on the world's highest
peaks - eight of the ten highest are found in Nepal and
a number of the popular trekking routes offer you
wonderful views or even visits to the base camp used by
mountaineering expeditions. The mountains may be the
most obvious scenic attraction, but trekkers soon find
there are plenty of other treats for the eye. The hill
country is often breathtakingly beautiful with pretty
little villages, attractive houses, neat fields and
interesting temples. As you climb higher and the
subtropical lowlands give way to meadows, stretches of
forest, swift flowing rivers and deep canyons before you
reach the cold and often barren regions at the foot of
the great peaks. The views change with the seasons,
whether it is the cycle of planting and harvesting or
the brilliant displays of wild flowers in spring and
autumn.
Some of the trekking itineraries of Nepal Mountain
Trekking:
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