Trekking trails reopen in Nepal

Kathmandu,  23 July 2015 (Reuters): Nepal reopened its most popular trekking trail to tourists today after international experts said it was safe, three months after two devastating earthquakes led the government to close most hiking routes.

Miyamoto International, a California-based structural engineering company, said in a report that quake-related damage in the Annapurna region “was very limited”.

Less than 1 per cent of the route and 3 per cent of guest houses along the Annapurna circuit were damaged, it said, adding the report for the Everest region would be completed shortly.

Nepal had asked the company to assess the safety of its most popular tourist trekking trails, including in the Everest region, after the twin earthquakes killed almost 9,000 people and shook mountains.

Among the victims were scores of climbers and guides.

The Annapurna and the Everest region receive more than 140,000 hikers, or 70 per cent of all climbers and trekkers who visit Nepal each year. The 240-km Annapurna circuit takes almost three weeks to complete.