Preparations underway to open new trekking route in Myagdi

KATHMANDU: Preparations are underway to open a new trekking route connecting Mudi, Gurja, Rughachour and Jaljala in Myagdi’s Dhaulagiri Rural Municipality, with authorities aiming to launch the trail from the coming winter season.

Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Mahabir Pun said the route is expected to add a new dimension to Nepal’s natural, cultural and adventure tourism. The trekking trail will run from Mudi in Ward No. 4 to Jaljala in Ward No. 2, based on a recent feasibility study supported by the Department of Tourism.

Describing it as a “virgin route,” Pun urged tourism entrepreneurs and local communities to prepare for its operation. He said the government would support the construction of essential infrastructure, including rest areas and suspension bridges, along the trail.

A team led by Chitra Tilija, chief of the minister’s contact office in Beni, conducted feasibility studies of the proposed Mudi-Gurja-Jaljala route, the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek, and a trekking trail linking Dowa in Annapurna Rural Municipality to Chimkhola via Raghuganga Rural Municipality. The study was carried out over the first three weeks of Asar, and the report was submitted to the minister and the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation last week.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation has allocated Rs 30 million for the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek project in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84. An additional Rs 2.1 million has been earmarked for feasibility studies of trekking routes, including the Mudi-Gurja-Jaljala trail.

Local residents have welcomed the initiative, saying it could help revive tourism and generate employment opportunities.

Bijay Gharti of Mudi said the new trekking route would create jobs and new sources of income for local communities.

The proposed trail, which links the Dhaulagiri region with the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, is considered to have significant potential for nature, culture and adventure tourism. Mudi is home to Magar and Dalit communities, while Gurja, often referred to as a “hidden village”, is inhabited by the minority Chhantyal community as well as Dalit residents.

Ward Chairperson Yam Prasad Gharti expressed confidence that the new trekking route would promote tourism while boosting the local economy in the Dhaulagiri region.