Lamjung and Gorkha districts of Gandaki province plan to develop a new trekking circuit, untouched by the motorable roads, to attract visitors.

The five-week-long trek includes winding pathways through beautiful mountain villages reaching up to 5,000 metres above sea level. The proposed route is divided into two sections—a three-week-long route and a shorter two-week route.

The proposed circuit is named Buddha Himal-Himalchuli Great Lake Circuit Trail and will pass through the highlands and touch the foot of mountains in northeast Lamjung and northwest Gorkha.

The circuit will have two trails, said Yubraj Adhikari, chief of Dordi Rural Municipality.

The first one will be a high-altitude trail which will take 21 days to complete.

This trail will start from Dona in Lamjung and pass through Meme Pokhari to end at Rubina La Pass at 5,000 metres. The trail also passes through the base camp of Buddha and Himalchuli mountains.

The next trail will be at a lower altitude—reaching up to Lipe-Baraha Pokhari at an altitude of 3,200 metres. The trail will take 13 days to complete.

“Both trails are yet unexplored. Therefore, it will be a new destination for tourists looking for adventure,” said Adhikari.

Adhikari, Arjun Gurung, chief of Marshyangdi Rural Municipality, Dhan Prasad Gurung, chief of Dudh Pokhari Rural Municipality, Deepak Sapkota, chief of Ajirkot Rural Municipality in Gorkha and Dhan Bahadur Gurung, vice-president of Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN) Gandaki chapter signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the circuit, on behalf of their respective organisations.

Rainas Municipality and Besisahar Municipality in Lamjung and Naso Rural Municipality in Manang will also coordinate to develop the project.

According to the MoU, the local bodies will allocate the budget for the project in the upcoming fiscal year starting mid-July.

TAAN will help to bring in tourists through attractive packages.

“A large number of tourists are looking for new trekking destinations untouched by motorable roads,” said Dhan Bahadur Gurung, the vice president of TAAN. “We need to develop more trails to attract more tourists.”

Gurung also added that TAAN has been working on the development of tourism in the mountain region for the last 45 years and it has initiated several programmes to develop tourism in Lamjung and Gorkha in association with the local bodies.

However, the locals are worried about the increasing encroachment of motorable roads on the trekking trails.

Annapurna Circuit—the most preferred trekking route in the region—has been increasingly trespassed by motorable roads.

Several efforts have been made to develop alternative trails, but they have been able to generate little excitement among trekkers.

“The tourists are looking for an alternative as motorable roads have touched the existing trails,” said Gurung, chief of Marshyangdi Rural Municipality. “We are hopeful of attracting tourists to this trail. It's untouched by motorable roads.”