Nepal trekking agencies doubt Annapurna safety report
FILE - In this Oct. 24, 2014, file photo, trekkers watch the sun rise over the Annapurna Range, right, in central Nepal, as viewed from Poon Hill, above the village of Ghorepani. (AP Photo/Malcolm Foster, File) A Nepal association of trekking agencies is criticizing an assessment report that found trails around Mount Annapurna safe for hikers following April\’s devastating earthquake.
Kit Miyamoto of the California-based engineering firm Miyamoto International said on Thursday that the only hazards were found at three spots and appeared to predate the quake. It said that only about 3 percent of the accommodations on the 200-kilometer (125-mile) route were damaged by the April 25 earthquake.
Nepal\’s government, hoping that visitors will return in September, welcomed the assessment.
However, mountaineering and trekking operators say the study was done in haste, covering a huge area and without consulting anyone in the business.
SOURCE: AP
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