Tour Operators Adapt to Climate Risk After Fatal Himalayan Disasters

Photo Credit: Intrepid Travel The Himalayas are at a tipping point. An avalanche at a Himalayan base camp on September 27 left at least 15 dead as staff were fixing ropes ahead of a trek of the Himlung Himal peak in Manang district. The avalanche came a month after flooding downstream from Nepal’s Langtang national park, near the Himalayan border region with Tibet, which devastated towns and popular tourist areas. The flooding was caused by glacial rock and ice collapsing, registering a tremor magnitude of 5.2, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It carried a huge mass of water, mud, rock and ice. At least 1,455 people died, with at least 5,285 more still missing as of October 5, when authorities told Reuters they had ended search and rescue efforts. The incidents come ahead of peak trekking season. Glaciers are melting 65% faster than they were a decade ago, according to a report published after the Nepal-Tibet flooding. As they retreat, they leave behind “unstable lake