MYAGDI, Nov 8: Tourist arrivals at Annapurna Base Camp and the Maurice Herzog Trail in Narchyang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, Myagdi, have increased with favourable weather during the Dashain and Tihar holiday period.
The 4,050-metre-high base camp, situated beneath the 8,091-metre Annapurna I, has been attracting domestic and international visitors. Panchakunda Lake and the Maurice Herzog Trail have also seen increased tourist activity.
Around 200 Nepali, Indian and other foreign tourists have been visiting the base camp daily since Dashain, according to Tej Gurung, an advocate of the Maurice Herzog Trail.
“Since the trail was spared damage from the monsoon-related disasters in October and remains safe, young people and working professionals have chosen Annapurna Base Camp as a holiday destination,” Gurung said. “Restaurants and campsites along the route are packed.”
The growing number of visitors has raised expectations among tourism entrepreneurs in Beni, Bhrung-Tatopani and Narchyang, as Annapurna Base Camp gains recognition as a trekking destination.
Manita Rayamajhi, a professor at Myagdi Multiple Campus who recently returned to Beni after visiting the base camp with her family, said the two- to three-day trip offered an accessible trekking experience with scenic views and adventure.
Temporary facilities have been set up at several points along the route from Humkhola to the base camp to serve the growing number of trekkers. Tea shops, eateries and hotels provide meals and accommodation, while shelters have been built at Sandhikharka, Bhuskate Mela and around Panchakunda Lake.
Basic tourism infrastructure has also been developed at Humkhola, Futfute Waterfall, Guphaphat, Bhuskate and Panchakunda. The facilities include drinking water supplies and toilets. Funds from the federal and provincial governments and the rural municipality have been used to repair the trekking route and suspension bridges.
The base camp also features statues of Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal, the first climbers to summit Annapurna I, alongside their Nepali companion Sonam Wangchuk Sherpa. An open air museum has also been established at the site.
A tourist information centre was opened last week at Basbot, which serves as the entrance to the trail.
Lok Bahadur Fagami, chairperson of Ward 4 of Annapurna Rural Municipality, said the trekking route was named after Maurice Herzog, who led the first successful expedition to Annapurna I.
Annapurna I, regarded as Nepal’s senior-most mountain, is accessible through the Maurice Herzog Trail. The journey begins with an approximately 20 kilometre drive from Narchyang through Dobhan and Chhotepa to Humkhola, followed by a trek of around 21 kilometres.
Reaching the base camp from Humkhola takes approximately two days on foot. Futfute Waterfall, Panchakunda Lake and views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks are among the main attractions along the route.
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