Welcome to Trailblazer author Jamie McGuinness' current trekkers updates.

Current Nepal news relevant for trekkers and travellers

Have a Trailblazer book and want to check for changes or been away from Nepal for a while? Here is the latest on trekking and tourism-related news.

Shameless advert: we run great treks in Nepal, Tibet and Ladakh, see 'Our treks'.

Reviewed and updated March 2010.

New TIMS permit fee

The concept behind the "Trekkers Information Management System" in theory has some uses; in practice much of what was planned has not been implemented, eg writing your name, date and TIMS permit number only at police posts instead of all your passport details. Instead it is a way of subtly pushing trekkers to go with a company; to trek individually either you have to go to a company office to get the permits or journey around Kathmandu. Now the push is even less subtle. If you trek with a company, the new TIMS permit fee is US$10, and if you want to trek as an individual it is US$20. Is this fee government-sanctioned? It is Nepal Tourism Board sanctioned, but government sanctioned - I am not so sure.

Here is TAAN's spin on it:

An agreement on TIMS (Trekkers’ Information Management System) was signed between NTB and TAAN. According to the agreement ( which will come into effect from April 1) a charge of $10 per head will be levied for trekkers booking through agencies and $20 with VAT per head for independent trekkers. The amount collected thus will be used for the welfare of tourism sector workers, exploration of new trekking trails and for funding the infrastructure development on trail routes. This will also control illegal trekking operations and ensure the safety and security of the trekkers through the mechanism of Prompt Information Service (PIS) . Individual trekkers will be given green TIMS cards while trekkers going through companies will be given blue cards. Prachanda Man Shrestha, CEO of NTB and Bachchu Narayan Shrestha, first vice-president of TAAN signed the agreement on 18th March.

Trekking safety

This is covered by the Nepal security section of Our treks. It is updated frequently.

Everest 5th edition out!

Yes, the fifth edition of "Trekking in the Everest Region" is out an available around the world, and in Kathmandu.

Local comment

For the most accurate although opinionated views and jabs at government, scan the Nepali Times, a weekly of the highest standard.

Dodgy advice

Current: Newly arrived in Kathmandu often your hotel staff are very interested in your trekking plans and if you mention that you are thinking of going alone, the stories come out. "Oh, too dangerous", "oh, you will lose the way", and come and see my friend (who has a trekking company), basically are ALL bullshit. Trekking alone is easy and basically safe, and especially with our guide books, there is little chance of getting lost.

Comment

While it is fashionable to blame crippling debt, international aid, the World Bank and others for the third world status of Nepal, this is wrong. Nepal has only itself to blame (as do most developing countries). Democracy, which arrived in 1990, has not yet bought any significant benefits to the country, and is unlikely to. The parliament has proved to be extremely corrupt with nepotism rife and mostly geriatrics heading it. Coalitions have never worked, neither has a majority since factions spend their time infighting to get a share of the pie. The civil service is barely any better and the top appointments are all politically motivated. The cynics view is that any complaint against the ideas of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank is a veiled complaint that they are cutting off the easy money. Because of this all-consuming greed no debate is ever transparent, nor can any change to the system be viewed simply as an improvement. There are always loopholes, traps and contradictions built in, naturally to the advantage of the arbitrator - the ministry concerned, and it always takes palm-greasing to solve. The only reason Nepal can't be considered a no hope African country is it isn't in Africa.