Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary For those of you who don’t know me, I first came to Nepal in 1986 to work as a field doctor for the Britain Nepal Medical Trust (BNMT). I left in 1989 and have since then maintained close contact with many of my old colleagues. In 1997 I returned to … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary 3rd – 8th September Monday, 3rd September Walked along the Humla Kanali all day – crossing over a huge suspension bridge to the south side of the river, overgrown with nettles and ganga. We bought fish which we cooked that evening at our riverside camp below Ulapani. The local people … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Three: 9th – 16th September Sunday, 9th September Crossed Rara Lake in a canoe (of sorts!) this morning and then started climbing through pine forests and alpine meadows where sheep and cattle were grazing. As we climbed higher we walked through forests of rhododendrons, azaleas (sun Patti) and silver … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Four: 17th – 24th September Monday, 17th September We left our ‘unexpected’ campsite early and the porters had dal bhat before departure today – a new strategy! They all flew up the next hill! Today was our first 5000 metre pass, the Kagmara La – and we were walking … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Five: 25th September- 2nd October Tuesday, 25th September Left Faal on the two-day walk to Charka Bhot along the Panjyan river valley. It is a very bleak landscape here – massive hills of slate-grey shale. It rained/sleeted all afternoon with an icy wind. We are beginninjg to think that … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Six: 3rd – 14th October Wednesday, 3rd October Left Fedi (4200m) at 4am with Sonam (my porter of 10 years) to cross the Thorung La (5416m) before the wind got up. We crossed the pass at 8.30am after stopping for a ‘quick picnic’ of chapatis and boiled eggs at … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Seven: 15th – 18th October Monday, 15th October Walked from Dhunche (2030m) up to Lanabina (3900m). A beautiful walk through ancient pine and rhododendron forests where I saw two young deer (nilgar) on the path. We stopped halfway at Sing Gompa for lunch and some “seabuckthorn juice”. I had … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Eight: 19th – 28th October Friday, 19th October Today is “Nonami” and appears to be the day of the massacre of goats for the Dasain festival. As we passed through the villages of the Melemchi valley there appeared to be a goat slaughtered at every household, with the remaining … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Nine: 29th October – 5th November Monday, 29th October Left Phaplu for Booridarra- Glorious weather and a truly flat path. Nepalis will frequently tell you that the path is flat but as yet I have never found one! We stopped for lunch in Nelai and then climbed up on … Read more

Gillian Holdsworth’s Trans-Nepal Trek Diary Part Ten: 6th November – 15th November Tuesday, 6th November Woke to more rain. Pasang’s (Rosie’s porter) wife turned up with a bottle of raksi (local spirit) for our early morning drinking! Morning drinking is quite common in Nepal and not always very beneficial to either the individual or their … Read more