Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Royal Mountain Travel Magazine Issue 1 | Page 22

Eastern Nepal
The
Makalu
Barun
National
Park

This park offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the
Himalayas. The rewards of trekking here are great, but hard
won - it’s remote, wilderness country and for the experienced
trekker. The trail to Makalu base camp takes you deep into the
high Himalaya and while the giant of Makalu, The Great Black,
looms above you, Everest, Lhotse and Baruntse are all in view.
While the GHT links directly with the Kanchenjunga section via
the remote Lumbha Sambha, and to the Everest section via the
challenging three cols, most will experience the Makalu section
of the trail via the verdant Arun and Barun river valleys. The
trailfromTumlingtariseitherascendingordescending,thereare
really no flat walking sections. It’s arduous trekking.
However, the natural surroundings are stunning. The upper
reaches of the trail resemble the Yosemite Valley – towering
polished granite cliffs capped by hanging glaciers, overflowing
with waterfalls.“Breathtaking—it made you stop, I was in awe,
the landscape was just that dynamic.” The lower reaches of
the trail are renowned for their lushness. “It was so rich. The
rhododendronforestshadthemostvibrantcoloursI’veeverseen
– from scarlet and fuchsia to the purest white. It is the prettiest

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January 2012 - Issue 1

hike I’ve done in a long time,” says Robbie Klimek, a Makalu
summiteer from USA. There are plans to dam the Arun River
for hydropower. If the Makalu section sounds appealing, trek it
now before it changes

Fast Facts
r 25 species of rhododendron
r 47 types of orchids
r 440 species of birds
r 75 species of mammals
r Clouded leopard
r Red panda
r Asian golden cat
r Forests span five bioclimatic zones from
tropical through temperate to alpine.