Mountaineer Jean-Marc Nowak is considering treks to help the Nepalese with Monaco Aide et Présence
A trek within everyone’s reach and which could be a source of economic development for the Nepalese while respecting nature. This is the audacious idea of Jean-Marc Nowak and Monaco Aide et Présence (MAP) which will materialize next fall to benefit from the best weather conditions.
For his twenty-first trip to the wild and little-known region of Rigaonn located 80 km from Kathmandu, the mountaineer, in conjunction with the Monegasque humanitarian association and Nancy Dotta in charge of actions in Nepal, went on a reconnaissance beyond of the last perched villages and a defined route which allows you to discover the Himalayan chain without a living soul.
“It was a very nice surprise with the discovery in particular of a sumptuous ridge of 5 km, ignored by trekkers, which offers a breathtaking 360° panorama of the high Himalayan peaks: Manaslu 8,163 m, Annapurna 8 091 m, Ganesh Himal 7,422 m, Paldor, Langtang 7,225 m and the nearby high mountains of Tibet”, notes Jean-Marc Nowak.
No tourist on the route
“In Nepal, trekking is the first economic source, continues Jean-Marc Nowak. But the circuits have become highways for hikers. Result: tourists do not experience the adventure they hope for and the environment is now deteriorating. On the planned route, there are no tourists.
On the sidelines of his expeditions through the highest peaks in the world, Jean-Marc Nowak has been collaborating with Nancy Dotta since 2009 to help villagers from the Tamang people of Tibetan origin find new sectors of activity so that they can be self-sufficient. .
“After integrating (and sometimes rebuilding, following the earthquake of April 25, 2015) schools, clinics and homes, after setting up education programs for young people, professional integration of women, after the creation of “a botanical trail and an eco-club to raise local people’s awareness of respect for their environment, the time has come to give villagers the means to stand on their own two feet”, rejoices Nancy Dotta who plans to test the trek this year.
“We want to offer residents the opportunity to make guest rooms and become porters or cooks for trekkers”, explains Jean-Marc Nowak.
From tropical forests to eternal snow
This trek is also a proposal to all Monegasques and residents of Monaco and neighboring municipalities to be the first to operate in this humanitarian project.
And no need for specific training, assures Jean-Marc Nowak. “It’s easy compared to the big Himalayan treks which take much longer and turn up higher.”
The altitude, from 1,800 to 4,450 meters, will have no consequence because acclimatization will be very gradual.
A travel proposal that goes off the beaten track
“The walks will not last more than five to six hours a day to take advantage of the local population and the contact with the Tamangs. Then we will criss-cross a magnificent ridge of 7 kilometers before descending to a river. The camping sites are defined and the water of the glaciers, indispensable, is everywhere present. We will then cross forests of rhododendrons and giant fir trees with the Annapurna range in the background. The views are magical. The trek stops at 4,450 meters. Those The easy ascent of this belvedere allows you to discover a high mountain environment whose itinerary is ideal for a first experience at altitude.The trek ends with a crossing of the Langtang National Park.This environment offers a great floral and animal diversity. which is part of the tropical forests to the eternal snows.You can meet there in particular red pandas, snow leopards and Langurs monkeys which inhabit this immense vegetal space. tall. “
Here is a travel proposal that goes off the beaten track and offers the opportunity for a new kind of humanitarian action.