Far-west prepares for large-scale mountain climbing expedition to promote tourism

Dhangadhi: Preparations are underway for large-scale mountain climbing in the Far West Province, where mountains above 6,000 meters have seen limited expeditions in recent years.

Students and instructors participating in the ‘Summer Skills for Professional Mountain Guide Course’ in the Api Nampa Conservation Area are set to climb Api Himal and Lhayul Peak simultaneously. Fourteen students will undergo a two-week practical training in the Api Himal area, after which 14 trainees and six instructors will attempt Lhayul Peak (6,395 meters), while a separate team of 13 students and seven trainers will climb Api Himal (7,132 meters).

Chief instructor Sanjeev Gurung said that the theoretical portion of the training was completed in Kathmandu. The Lhayul Peak ascent will follow a newly charted route, as the area has not been previously climbed. Following this, the team climbing Api Himal aims to promote tourism in the region.

The expedition is organized under an agreement between the Nepal Tourism Board, UNDP, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), and Api Himal Rural Municipality for operating the Summer Skills course. The students trained here are expected to work as mountain guides and assistant guides for other trekking and climbing expeditions. The training curriculum, prepared by NMA in collaboration with CTEVT, is led by coaches who have previously summited Mount Everest.

The teams were seen off from Kathmandu by Tourism Minister Badri Prasad Pandey on Friday and from Attariya by tourism entrepreneurs on Saturday. Maya Prakash Bhatta, founding president of NATA Sudurpaschim, said that efforts to open Far West’s peaks above 6,000 meters for climbing, initiated in 2010, are now coming to fruition.

Api Himal, first identified in 1899 and first climbed in 1960, remains largely untapped for tourism due to limited promotion, inadequate roads, and infrastructure. The foothills are rich in natural beauty, making the region a “virgin tourism destination.” The federal government recently decided to waive mountain climbing fees for two years at 97 sites in the Far West and Karnali to encourage tourism.

The expedition not only aims to train professional mountain guides but also to highlight the Far West’s vast tourism potential and attract more visitors to this underexplored region.