Helping to support our trek crews in Nepal

Due to the Covid pandemic, trekking guides and cooks working for The Mountain Company in Nepal have not been able to work since Autumn 2019. Due to the generosity of our clients, during 2020 we were able to send significant funds to help support our trekking crews and their families in Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan.

In late June 2021, we announced the cancellation of our Autumn 2021 trekking season in Nepal. Earlier this year, we were hoping to run our treks again in October and November 2021 to provide work to our trek crews. Sadly since then, the Delta variant of Covid has impacted Nepal in a serious way. It will not be possible for our trekking groups to return yet.

We have set up this fundraising effort to help our trekking guides in Nepal with the loss of income from the cancelled Autumn 2021 season. We plan to pay money to them in October and December 2021. There is no government support for out-of-work tourist workers in Nepal and there are very few other available jobs for them.

As a focus for our fundraising efforts the owner of The Mountain Company, Roland Hunter , will attempt to run The Dartmoor Way in one go over a distance of 108 miles. This trail is near our office in Dartmoor National Park in the South West of England. The timing of the challenge will be in September or October 2021, with dates to be confirmed.

The funds will be paid to our local office in Kathmandu (Nepal) and these will then be distributed to our 22 guides and cooks. If we meet our target of £7,000 this will be split equally making approx £320 per person. This money will be used for living expenses such as rent and food for subsistence until international travel resumes again in 2022.