The Guerilla Trek is a newly explored and developed trekking trail which starts from Myagdi in Dhaulagiri zone in western Nepal and passes through the Rukum and Rolpa areas in the far-western districts, the seat of the Maoist rebellion.
The Maoist rebels launched a decade-long insurgency in Nepal in which more than 16,000 people were killed. The war ended in 2006, when the Maoists signed a peace pact with the government. In 2008 they joined mainstream politics through the Constituent Assembly elections, becoming the largest party in the
parliament.
The trail was unveiled with the launch of the “The Guerrilla Trek” guide book and map.
“The Guerrilla trek memorises the revolutionary history of Nepal,” said Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who launched the book and the map. “In many countries war is recorded for the memory of the future generation so that they can learn from it.”
The route passes through a post-conflict zone figuring prominently in Nepal’s recent history. The Rolpa and Rukum districts were Maoist strongholds during the conflict period. The rebels used the area to recruit cadres and train them while some of the major battles between government forces and the guerrillas took place in these areas.
The trek is divided into three separate routes that overlap one another, ranging from 14 to 27 day walks, depending on the choice of the trekker. It covers mountains in west and far-western Nepal traversing steep terrain crossing scenic valleys and breathtaking ridges where the Maoist built trenches, hatched battle plans inside caves and dragged their dead back from the
battlefields.
Over 200 were reported dead in overnight clashes in March 2004, when the Maoists attacked the Beni police post, one of the locations along the trail. Unofficial figures say 500 rebels and 250 security personnel were killed in that battle, with an equally high number of wounded.
“The trek will take you through dense rhododendron forests, offering dramatic Himalayan views along the way but you will also be struck by the abject poverty in these areas,” says Saurav Dhakal who walked the trail in March.
The mapping of the trail, which is also being called the Shangrila Trek, was started in September 2011. The book on the trail written by Alonzo Lyons was documented with the help of Maoists, police, the army and locals.
“The trail was historically called the Guerrilla Trail because the Maoists used it, but ‘guerrilla’ can be a strong word and be related to aggression,” explained Lyons. “I thought up the alternate name the Shangrila Trek for it because the trek takes you into a territory that hasn’t been explored for commercial purposes.”
The Maoists currently lead the caretaker government in Nepal. Over 6,500 Maoist combatants were brought under the peace process after the end of the war and remained in government-monitored encampments until very recently, when they were reintegrated into civilian life. Just over 1,450 combatants joined the Nepal army by the first week of October, putting an end to a much-debated peace process.
“I like to think of the Guerrilla Trek as the exact opposite of war tourism,” said Lyons. “There’s plenty of sunshine here now that the war is over.”
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