Humla Trek | Great Himalaya Trail | Pyala Travel - Introduction

Great Himalaya Trail : Humla Trek

This trek is part of the Great Himalaya Trail, a chain of hiking trails in the Nepal Himalayas. The trails are developed within a sustainable tourism project and are well of the main touristic treks. You will sleep in homestays or basic guesthouses. A  once-in-a-lifetime-experiencein Nepal.

The “Great Himalaya Trail” (GHT) is one of the longest and highest trekking trails in the world. It spans the length of the country from Darchula and Humla in the West to Kanchenjunga in the East and is packaged and promoted into one of the world’s great walks. Nepal’s GHT comprises 10 sections, each a distinct destination with a unique blend of scenery and cultural heritage. The GHT has a huge potential in becoming a globally significant tourism brand, providing a boost to Nepal’s tourism industry and associated support sectors. As a "path for development", a major objective of the Great Himalaya Trail concept is to bring tourism benefits and improve livelihoods of poor communities in remote mountain regions. Through the GHT Development Programme (GHTDP), the Government of Nepal is working closely with the tourism industry, NGOs and host communities to ensure that the GHT is managed in line with responsible tourism best practices, generating vital jobs and income for local communities along the trail and contributing to the conservation of the country’s natural and cultural heritage.

While Humla in northwestern Nepal is quite famous as the gateway to Mount Kailash in Tibet, very few people know that very close to Simikot (the headquarters of Humla) lies a beautiful hidden valley, the Nyinba Valley.  Entering the Nyinba Valley is like stepping back in time. In the small villages century-old Tibetan Buddhist traditions are still an important part of daily life. The trek will take you to the Buddhist monastery of Raling Gompa, which is beautifully located at the bottom of Crystal Mountain. Leaving from Kathmandu, it’s an 8 day trip, but it can be shortened or extended, depending on how many hours you decide to walk per day.

 
Nyin Valley
The population of the valley is Tibetan. In the valley is in fact even more aithentic 'Tibetan' than Tibet itself. Here Tibetan is spoken with a local accent. The locals here call themselves Nyinba, the people of the Sun, and the Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism with the direction Nyingmapa is their faith.
Traditionally, the people here are the traders with Tibet Plateau and southern Nepal. The men took their caravans across the Himalayas, the Tibetan plateau for salt, wool and borax or southern Nepal for cereals and rice. For that reason, the Nyinba had developed a secure family system that we call here polyandry. It was originally a matriarchal society where the woman marries several brothers. The woman not only has authority over the household, she also is responsible for the proper maintenance of the gods and Nagas. She is regarded as the hub of the household.

Festivals
It is worthwhile to visit the valley during festival time. There are two festivals that catch the eye: the Mani Festival in winter and Saga Dawa Festival in Raling Gomba in spring (May).