“For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods; In whose hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also.  The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.” (Psalms 95:3-5)

The Israeli Embassy in Nepal initiated the establishment of a three kilometer hiking trail in the Himalayan Mountains, in cooperation with the Nepalese authorities and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund.  The paved trail will be called the “Israel Trail in the Himalayas.”

The Israel Trail passes through an enchanting forest in a nature reserve and overlooks the beautiful snow-capped mountains.  It is located in the Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park near Katmandu, the capital of Nepal.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Hanan Goder, the Nepalese minister responsible for national planning, and Aviv Eisenband, director of forestry and professional development at KKL-JNF.  Also present were some two hundred Israeli hikers, as well as members of the Shalom Club, Nepalese citizens who participated in an educational program about Israel and have remained connected since.

Following the ceremony, attendees took part in completing the trail, applying high-quality metal signs along the path identifying unique Himalayan tree species and affixing some 100 wooden steps to make hiking easier in difficult stretches.  Thirty local teenaged students joined the effort.

The event concluded with a group picnic in the natural surroundings.

Ambassador Goder noted that the local community would benefit from the trail, as it is expected to attract hikers to the area.  Thousands of Israeli hikers trek through the Himalayas each year alone.  A similar event will be held soon in Israel, inaugurating a similar “Nepal Trail” in a local KKL-JNF forest.