Mudslides Claim 30 Lives in Nepal

The monsoon season has brought yet another tragedy to the beleaguered people of Nepal. Yesterday, heavy rains caused massive mudslides near Pokhara, which caused damage to numerous villages and claimed the lives of at least 30 people. 

Sadly enough, the mudslides mainly occurred in the Annapurna region of the country, where the popular Annapurna Circuit was just reopened for visitors. Fortunately, the summer monsoon season is not a popular one for foreign visitors, and few travelers are on the trail at this time. Still, the last thing Nepal needed at the moment was the loss of more life due to a natural disaster. 

It has been a very difficult year and a half in the Himalayan country. In 2014, the climbing season on Everest was halted after an avalanche claimed the lives of 16 workers on the mountain, which at the time was the single deadliest day in the mountain's history. Then, last fall, a freak blizzard descended on the mountains, killing more than 40 trekkers and stranding hundreds of others. That was followed up by the deadly April 25 earthquake – and its aftershocks – that took place this past spring, killing nearly 9000 people in the process. That disaster triggered another avalanche at Everest Base Camp which killed an additional 19 people there. These tragic mudslides are now just extending the misery even further. 

According to the article linked to above, search and rescue teams are combing through the mud today in search of survivors and bodies. But their work is being hampered by the fact that they don't have any power tools to help speed things along. Instead they are forced to use shovels and even dinner bowls in their efforts. For a country that is already stretch thin in terms of resources, this type of challenge was the last thing it needed. 

One has to wonder at what point the Nepali people have suffered enough. It has been a trying 15 months or so, and it doesn't seem like things are going to get better anytime soon. There is still a lot of damage that needs to be repaired from the earthquake, which will take years to completely overcome. Hopefully the embattled nation will catch a break at some point, and can start to get on with the process of getting back to normal life. 

Nepal Reopens Annapurna Circuit

One of the best trekking routes in the world has reopened in Nepal after being closed for the past three months following the devastating earthquake on April 25. Earlier today it was announced that the Annapurna Circuit is ready to receive hikers once again after an independent inspection team certified it safe for foreign visitors.

In the wake of the disaster, the Nepali government hired a California-based structural engineering company called  Miyamoto International to survey the Annapurna trail, as well as villages, tea houses, and other structures along its length. After an exhaustive study, the firm says that it found that less than 1% of the route, and 3% of the teahouses, had suffered any damage from the earthquake.

The news shouldn't come as much of a surprise, although it is good to know that the Annapurna Circuit is safe. The initial earthquake took place in the Kathmandu Valley, destroying homes, historical sites, and sometimes whole villages in the process. But the epicenter was far from the Annapurna region, which obviously suffered very little from the natural disaster.

A major aftershock hit Nepal just a few days after the April 25 quake. That one had its epicenter in the Khumbu Valley region, which is closer to Everest. Miyamoto is still surveying the trail to Everest Base Camp – the other popular trekking route in Nepal – and will release its results on that inspection soon. It is expected that the damage will be greater in that area, but that the trekking route will be reopened as well.

Nepal sees about 140,000 visitors each year just to hike these two routes. As the country struggles to rebuild, you can understand why it would want to reassure travelers that these areas are safe. Tourism dollars will play a big role in getting the country back on its feet, and this is a good step in rebuilding that industry. With the fall trekking season now just a couple of months away, it will be interesting to see how many people return, and how many stay away.

Video: Climbing Annapurna Spring 2015

Alexander Barber spent the spring climbing season on Annapurna in Nepal, attempting a solo summit without the use of supplemental oxygen. He was able to reach as high as 7000 meters (22,965 ft) before the April 25 earthquake changed everything. This video chronicles his early efforts to climb that very difficult mountain, and his experiences with assisting in the rebuilding and recovery process following the disaster. This is a personal account of a lost climbing season in the Himalaya, and the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.