WWF Travel Blog

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As an ecotourism planner, American Wendy Lama lived in Nepal for 15 years, helping communities, park staff and trekking agencies manage the impacts of tourism and promote improved local livelihoods and conservation of natural and cultural resources through community-based ecotourism.

Given her expertise on the region, we turned to Lama to help us design an ideal itinerary for our first trek through Nepal this October. We spoke with her about her love of the South Asian republic and what trekkers can expect during our journey.

How did your passion for Nepal develop?
 Nepal is my second home. I lived there from 1984 to 1999, during which I worked in mountain areas to promote ecotourism – that is, tourism that helps local people appreciate the value of protecting their culture and the natural environment.

Of course, Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, but it is because of the Nepali people that most visitors return time and again – and why I love Nepal. Nepali people are extremely hospitable and good natured. I always look forward to returning to Nepal to see friends, to see familiar shopkeepers and sometime I even meet porters with whom I trekked 25 years ago!
 
How has Nepal changed since you first visited? 
In the mountain regions, unfortunately life has not changed much. The rural populations still have a difficult life farming on the steep Himalayan slopes without roads, electricity or piped water. Tourism has brought significant improvements and opportunities to people living in the popular trekking regions, such as Everest and Annapurna, but less so in the outlying areas.

Nowadays, the government realizes that trekking tourism is an important key to rural economic development. I’m presently involved in helping to plan the development and promotion of tourism in remote regions so that those peoples can also enjoy a better life.
 
Why is now a good time to visit Nepal? 
Nepal has recently come out of a difficult period of political turmoil, when tourism and people alike suffered. There is a renewed enthusiasm for receiving foreign guests, and more trekkers on the trails means that villagers again have a source of income. Fall is the favored time to trek in the mountains, when skies are generally clear and mountains seem close enough to touch.

Wendy in Nepal

What usually surprises people about Nepal? 
The friendliness of the people, above all. On a trek, visitors are surprised at how good and abundant the food is and how the Sherpa people live at such high elevations. Many people are also surprised that Nepal’s elevations range from around 300 feet to more than 29,000 feet.

How should people prepare for our trek? 
Begin walking and hiking regularly, wearing the boots that you intend to wear on the trek and carrying a day pack with 10 to 12 pounds of gear – the same amount you’d carry on the trek. Essentially you’ll carry only your personal items that you need during the day, including your camera, water, a jacket, binoculars, etc.

Gradually increase your hiking time and frequency, with longer hikes of 5 to 6 hours each. And add running or biking every week. Be sure to hike, run or bike on hills. If you are working out on a piece of equipment like a StairMaster, you’ll be working your uphill muscles but not your downhill muscles. Best to get outside and get both sets in shape.
 
What is the most physically challenging part of the trek? 
The hill at Namche is fairly steep, and coming on Day Three of the trek, it is the first major climb of the trip. Many people take this slowly, as they aren’t yet fully acclimatized to the elevation (11,300 feet at the top of the hill).

The trick in hiking at altitude is to establish your own pace and stick to it. Don’t try to match others’ pace. You’ll never be left behind! There will always be a Sherpa assistant guide behind the last person.
 
What is typically the tour highlight for travelers? 
There is a great feeling in the sense of accomplishment that comes with trekking: Reaching the top of a hill, looking back at how far you’ve covered in a day, having nothing to think about but where you put your foot next. It is very freeing.

Provided the skies are clear, which they generally are, seeing Mt. Everest is often a highlight. The flight into and out of Lukla is also pretty exhilarating.
 
What separates this trek from others around the world?
The chance to see the highest mountains on Earth – and not just Mt. Everest, but two others among the top 10 peaks in the world, Lhotse and Cho Oyu. You’d stand beneath these giants and look straight up two miles into the air to their summits. Where else could you do that? 

Unlike many mountain treks elsewhere, people live in seasonal settlements up to 16,000 feet. The Sherpa culture is rich in Buddhist beliefs and iconography. Carved mani prayer stones adorn the trails, and colorful prayer flags flutter from bridges and the smaller peaks’ tops. The physical and cultural landscapes complement each other, and the spirituality of these sacred lands is pervasive.

Join WWF’s Active Adventure tour, Trekking Nepal, which runs October 10-29, 2010.

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