Hiking Hearth to Hearth in Nepal: My Story at Outdoor Japan

One of the farmers we met on the Gurung Heritage Trek in Nepal.

Our trip to Nepal was one of the most unforgettable experiences of my life, and not least among the memories is a hike we took on the Gurung Heritage Trek. Ours was a shortened version led by a friend who lived in the area, and it was incredible. I could have stopped in every village and talked with every farmer, but we never would have made it anywhere in a timely fashion. The farmers there, though, are diligent, careful, inventive, and thoughtful, like farmers everywhere.

I was particularly impressed at their outspokenness about GMO seeds and their rejection of them. "These seeds don't grow," said one farmer, waving a dismissive hand at packets in a pile nearby. She had saved seeds from plants the year before and planted them. Nothing grew. If the plants did grow, they did not bloom and set fruit. I had experienced this myself, but to see someone whose livelihood and survival depended on these seeds express disgust was more powerful than any article or movie could be.

Read more about my experience in this issue of Outdoor Japan's Traveller!