Kathmandu, Apr.23:Raid Gauloises, the organiser of Trans Himalaya 2000, revealed the route of the around 800 kilometres cross country race – beginning on April 30 this month – in a formal inauguration ceremony of the adventure tourism event here today.
The race-route was not made public for the last five months after the idea of the Trans Himalayan sporting event was declared last November.
Starting from Shegar Dzong in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, the race, initially comprising of trekking and mountain biking, will cross several small Tibetan villages reaching the highest point of the entire race (5,150 metres) in the Tibetan Plateau. Proceeding ahead to the south through the Lhasa-Kathmandu road (known as the highest road of the world), the event-participants, on horse-back and bicycles, will enter Nepal through Kodari – the Nepal-China border and custom point.
With an almost vertical climb-down till Dolalghat, the race, comprising of activities like white water swimming, canoeing, rafting and canyoneering, will take a left turn toward the east reaching places like Manthali, Harkapur, among others, along the Sunkoshi River. Then again descending to the south reaching Rajbiraj, the adventurers will carry on trekking and biking toward the west to reach their final destination — Janakpur.
The 69 teams, participating in the event, will have to pass through 43 check-points at different points in the route to reach the 44th one at the finishing point. There will be four headquarters and assistance camps in the entire race route. The race includes seven sporting activities: trekking, horse-riding, mountain biking, white water rafting, canoeing, rafting and cayoneering (climbing against water falls). The organiser expects the race to be over by 10 to 12 days.
Inaugurating the event today inside a jam-packed Birendra International Convention Centre’s auditorium among participants and organisers donning T-shirts and shirts inscribed on them “Raid Gauloises”, Tarini Dutta Chataut, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, expressed government’s full support to the mega-event.
“It is a matter of pleasure that during this event, participants are going to use non-mechanical means. Such a sportive adventure activity based on non-mechanical gears and equipment is leading human interest closer towards nature urging to maintain the natural environment.”
He further added that the government’s policy is to promote adventure tourism as well as to preserve and protect the country’s nature, cultural heritage and environment.
Patrick Brignoli, President of Raid Gauloises, a Paris based organisation, said that Nepal will benefit tremendously from the promotion the adventure tourism event will generate in the international market. “There are 69 teams from 18 countries participating in the event and 120 journalists from around the globe covering the event. So, naturally the promotion for Nepal is going to be big.”
According to Brignoli, around 10 million people from around the world have been surfing the internet to know about Trans Himalaya 2000 everyday. The participating teams, he said, have paid US $ 40,000 each to contest in the event. “The winner of the event will be awarded US $ 20,000.”
As part of the safety and rescue measures for the event, Brignoli said that there would be 15 medical doctors at different places in the race route. “We will also have four helicopters stand-by for rescue operations.”
This is the tenth time Raid Gauloises is organising the cross-country adventure event. Nine previous ones have been organised in different countries every year since 1989.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony, Michel Lummaux, French Ambassador to Nepal, said that the event is a great opportunity for Nepal for its publicity as a tourist destination. “Apart from the other attractions, the sights of kind and friendly Nepalese people will be a memorable experience for the participants.”
Offering his vote of thanks, Rajendra Bantawa, Managing Director of Great Himalayan Adventure, the local liaison of Trans Himalaya 2000, said that different inistries’cooperation has been crucial factor to make the necessary preparation for the event.
The participants in the event are scheduled to leave for Tibet this Tuesday.