Nepal's Mountains Summon a New Tribe of Women Trekkers

By Miriam Fisher, Womens Feature Service

Nepal draws trekkers from around the world, desperate to get a taste of the exhilaration that Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay must have experienced when they reached the summit of the 8,847-metre-high Mt. Everest for the first time. Interestingly, over the years, the number of women trekkers adventurous enough to take on the wild has been increasing.

Whether there are those looking for an exciting holiday or those who want to escape the humdrum or those who simply have some "free time" on their hands thanks to the current global recession, women are definitely hitting the nature trail big time.

When Hong Kong-based Chinese fashion designer Poon Wing Man, or "Pam", 27, received the ubiquitous pink slip, she positively thought the sky was the limit! Being laid off gave her the perfect excuse to take a break from the city and indulge in the five-day Poon Hill trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal. "Having spent my whole life living in a big city, I did not really have the chance to get away from the commercial world and experience country life. I tried to reconnect myself with nature. Enjoying the beautiful landscape was the main purpose of the trek," she says.

Poon Hill offers spectacular scenery as well as a look and feel of the local villages. "During the trek, I not only realised but experienced first hand that life can be very basic yet very happy. Without the Internet, mobile phone or television there were more interactions with people," reveals Pam.

While it may have been Pam's first trek in Nepal, Bangladesh-born US resident and cashmere company owner Naila Sattar, 39, has been a regular on the 18-day Annapurna Circuit and has successfully completed the day-long Helambu trek several times. In fact, Sattar loved her time in Nepal so much that she has been living and working in the country since 2002.

Located in central Nepal, the Annapurna region is very popular with trekkers as the area is easily accessible, hotels are plentiful and there are several trekking options, including picturesque short treks of one to four days.

"I can't fully articulate what I was looking for on my Annapurna trek. I wanted a new experience. I wanted to prove to myself that I am tough and strong and capable. I wanted to be out in the high mountains, away from cell phones and computers and TVs," says Sattar.

But Sattar is not alone in her quest for challenge and adventure. Canadian photojournalist Kristin Johnston's first trek to Poon Hill with her sister in April last year inspired her to return - she did the Namche Bazar trek in February 2009. But, the 25-year-old's first trek remains her most memorable one. "I did the Poon Hill trek because I was told by the locals that it was the best time to do this short trek. The flowers were in full bloom and it was the most spectacular scene I had ever experienced. I think I went because I wanted to challenge myself on a physical level. I had already done a 10-day meditation exercise in order to challenge myself mentally, and it (trek) seemed like the natural thing to do next," says Johnston.

When Israeli filmmaker Mira Arad, 35, needs a dose of inspiration, she heads to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) or Langtang and the Frozen Lake or the Poon Hill. A 12-year veteran of the trail, Arad feels that her time spent in the lap of nature cleanses her mind. Her first trek was to the ABC was in 1997. She recalls, "I saw the most unforgettable rainbow at night. It was white. I don't know what it was but it was unbelievable!"

This reaction to the splendid natural beauty is not uncommon. American Sara Holcombe, 24, a photojournalist, trekked to the Thuman village in Rasuwa District, North Nepal, along with some locals as part of an assignment. "I remember looking over cascading green mountains and valleys and seeing goats, buffaloes and houses made from clay and wood all dotted with the iridescent reds, yellows and oranges of saris working the land and I thought, 'This could be heaven'," she says.

Talking about her own emotional reaction to the snow-covered Throng-La Pass, which is part of the Annapurna Circuit, Sattar says, "Crossing the Throng-La Pass was unforgettable. I'd never climbed that high (5,416 metres) before, and when I reached the summit of the pass, I began to cry. But my guide made me stop crying because we were wasting valuable time! We needed to get to Muktinath (which is the next town after Throng-La and is well-known for its sacred Buddhist and Hindu shrines) before nightfall."

Despite the risks, not one of these women has ever had second thoughts about their trips. But they all suggest some basic precautions: Keep an eye on your belongings; be clear about the services you expect from the guesthouse or hotel you are staying in; approach the trek well-equipped with good, worn-in hiking boots; and be prepared for basic toilet conditions. The common problems they have faced include fitness issues, Acute Mountain Sickness and, sometimes, disagreements with trekking partners.

Trekking the ABC, Australian nurse Ashlyn Smith, 31, admitted to having differences of opinion with her partner. But her greatest challenge was getting over the blisters in he feet. But despite the extreme discomfort she soldiered on. "For me the whole experience was incredible. The only problem I really faced was I got blisters three days into the trek. It was agony but you can't turn back," she says.

Holcombe was surprised by her own ability to take physical strain. "Even though I had to make the trek to Thuman village three times to complete the story I was working on, I think I did pretty well. I remember walking with a tiny Nepali woman and thinking, 'She'd have to sit around waiting for me to climb up to her, making the uphill trek in double time'. It was her village we were travelling to. But as we kept going higher, despite the huffing and puffing, I wasn't slowing her down. This was very rewarding for me," she says.

Despite the strain, the women say that getting a chance to experience the sheer magnificence of nature and also interacting with the local people is very rewarding. For Johnston, "the teahouses along the way with the mini-fireplaces where we could warm up were so unique. Buying a beautifully painted walking stick in a small hill town, taking rest stops with the women porters, having bucket showers and then putting on warm pajamas, reading in bed, falling asleep early and waking up with the sun to share tea with everyone at the guesthouse," are the experiences she will always remember fondly.

Sattar sums up the rewards of trekking, "I think everyone should go on a long trek. It brought home to me how small we really are, and how badly we need to develop a deep respect for nature; something that goes beyond just recycling and remembering to turn off the lights when we leave the house. Nature is awe-inspiring and humbling. I saw old Nepali women walking the trail in their worn-down flip-flops. They left me in the dust. Nothing like such a reminder to set someone straight!"

Womens Feature Service covers developmental, political, social and economic issues in India and around the globe. To get these articles for your publication, contact WFS at the www.wfsnews.org website.