atmosfair continues its trip in Nepal and hikes from the “old” Climate Trek about 50km northwards to look out for the Langtang Valley. 5 years have passed since the tremendous earthquake hit Nepal. Also the Langtang Valley was badly hit in 2015. Almost 250 people, including tourists, lost their lives in the valley due to the many landslides caused by the earthquake.

Since then and now, a beautiful trekking route is slumbering there. atmosfair’s idea is to build on that existing trek by equipping the partner lodges with renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies while at the same time increasing the comfort of the lodges. In detail, the lodges will be equipped with biogas plants, solar-thermal and photovoltaic systems, as well as efficient cook stoves for cooking and heating and water treatment systems. It is important to note that the increased comfort standards, like warm showers and heated rooms, are not provided at the expense of the environment, because the technologies allow an energy efficient and friendly solution to that.

In close cooperation with the tour operator Hauser Excursions and the local travel agency Tenjin Eco Treks, atmosfair has now brought 8 lodges on board of the new project.

First steps

At the end of December 2019, our long-standing local partner, the engineering office Scott Wilson Nepal, drove to the Langtang Trek together with our project manager Bimal B.K. and carried out a comprehensive inventory of the partner lodges. During this process, the experts from Scott Wilson looked at the current architecture of the lodges, the demand for environmentally friendly energy technologies and also the standard of comfort the lodges offer to date.

The Langtang Trek

After the successful implementation and positive feedback of the first Climate Trek in Helambu, it is now only reasonable to draw on the valuable experiences by expanding this successful project to a new site. The new trek starts in Syaphrubesi, continues via Sherpagaun, Thansyap, Mundu and finally ends in Kyanjin Gompa.

New year, new trek

As with the first trek, atmosfair is planning to cooperate with schools and small health stations along the Langtang Trek to support their independent and climate friendly energy supply and to enhance a more efficient energy use.

In spring 2020, our responsible project manager, Janine Adler, will visit the Langtang Trek to meet the new partners and concretize the future plans for the second Climate Trek.