Annapurna Planning

Ethics, Impact, and Running

Over the last several days I’ve been planning out my trip to Nepal a bit more. In addition to thinking about logistics (how will I get from point A to point B? Where will I stay?), I’ve also been considering the impact I will have socially, economically, and environmentally. I feel like this is especially important to do following the earthquakes that struck Nepal in April and May of 2015.

According to ethicaltraveler.org, tourism acounted for 8.9% of Nepal’s GDP in 2014 and supported 1.1 million jobs. Money from tourism can help the people of Nepal continue with recovery. So that’s good, right?

Here are few other things I’ve been thinking about…

• Water purification and single use plastic water bottles. I don’t take single-use plastic water bottles on runs or fastpacking trips and won’t be buying them in Nepal. When I run, I usually just carry a few liter-sized platypus containers of water and in the Sierra that is all I’ve ever needed. They are light, easy to refill and pack down really small. I think for this trip I’m going to (finally) invest in a SteriPEN and take some Chlorine Dioxide tablets as backup (I’m allergic to Iodine).
• Porters/Guides. From everything I’ve read, I’m not the only person with questions about whether or not to hire a porter and/or guide. I have read that hiring guides/porters is good because it gives local people jobs and I think for more standard treks it’s a really great option. But I’m pretty used to running with a pack and will probably only take a 20–25 liter pack with me on this lil’ adventure, so it just doesn’t make sense to hire a porter. And, while I’m still on the fence about this, I am looking for a particular kind of solo challenge and am not planning on hiring a guide. I am, however, planning to eat all of my food and stay in the tea houses along the trail, which is another way to support local economies.
• Trekking Companies. I’ve been looking into trekking companies and have been in touch with 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking. 3 Sisters is a woman-owned company that was started by three sisters from Nepal in 1998 and which is associated with a nonprofit organization that trains women in Nepal to work in adventure tourism. (It’s a win-win!) They have been incredibly helpful and generous with their time and advice and I’m really glad that they’ve agreed to help me with lodging and transportation before and after my run.

And running? I’ve been doing a bit of that. I love running up and down hills (and stairs) in San Francisco before work. It’s not a trail, but the views are pretty good…