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are many parts of Nepal into which the entry of foreigners
is strictly controlled. Many treks that may be suggested on
a map are in restricted areas and you either cannot get a
permit for those regions or must travel with a liaison officer
and pay for a special permit. Some areas specifically closed
to foreigners are: Walunchung Gola, Rolwaling and the route
to Nangpa La in Khumbu. When planning your trek, assume that
these areas will remain closed. Don't count on a last-minute
change in the rules. Police checkposts are numerous in the
hills and police will turn you back if you try to trek into
a restricted area.
Officially there
are no longer any restricted areas in Nepal. The immigration
office rules now state that "trekkers are not allowed
to trek in the notified areas previously known as restricted".
Rather than get involved in all this semantic complication,
the term "restricted" is used here to refer to
places that are closed to trekkers, or open to trekkers
only when accompanied by a policeman (a liaison or "environmental"
officer).
There are many
reasons why the restricted areas exist. In most cases, it
is a hangover from a time when the border with China was
more sensitive than it is now. Environmental groups, particularly
the Nepal Nature Conservation Society, are pressuring the
government to keep some places closed for ecological reasons
to avoid both cultural and environmental degradation. Because
trekkers require assistance when something goes wrong (accident,
illness or theft), the government restricts some areas because
it doubts that it could provide the security that trekkers
need. There are also political reasons for some restrictions.
In the 1970s, for example, the Jomsom trek was closed because
a major foreign-aided military operation had been mounted
there in support of the Khampas in Tibet.
There are many
influences on the decision to open or close certain parts
of Nepal to foreigners. Recent changes have liberalised
both trekking and climbing, and there is considerable pressure
to open more areas to trekkers. You should check with a
trekking agency or the central immigration office before
planning an unusual trek.
Fees for treks
to restricted areas range from US$70 per day (with a 10
day minimum) for Mustang to US$90 per week for Humla and
Manaslu. You must also pay for a Nepal government official
to accompany you throughout the trek.
Permits &
Formalities
A trek to a restricted area must be arranged as a fully
equipped organised trek through a registered trekking agency
using tents, sherpa staff, cooks and porters. The trekking
agency arranges the permit through a series of applications,
guarantees and letters, a process that requires about two
weeks and can be started only 21 days before the arrival
of the group. You may not trek alone; there must be at least
two trekkers in each group. For some areas there is a limit
to the number of trekkers per season. There is no system
of advance reservation, and no clear indication of what
will happen if the quota is reached the day before you make
an application.
Each group is
assigned an "environmental officer" who will accompany
it during the trek. Despite the fancy name, what you will
get is a Nepalese policeman who you must equip, insure and
take on the trek. The liaison officer is supposed to handle
all the formalities with police and government offices en
route
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