Nepal-Oman Friendship with Everest Climbers is the brainchild of Nepal Ambassador H.E. Dornath Aryal, who roped in community and Embassy staff members for hiking in the early morning of May month summer, reports Vinod Raghavan
It was a pleasant Weekend morning, as many felt May month would be extreme heat, but it was cool and fresh winds blowing lazily, and for hiking it was the best time to explore Oman’s rich beauty of mountains and its surroundings, as the hikers assembled around 5 am, at the scenic Riyam Park in the old city of Muscat for hiking on the rocky mountains, was organized by the Nepal-Oman Friendship Hiking.
The Embassy of Nepal in Muscat, led by His Excellency Dornath Aryal, had been planning for the hiking event for quiet sometime, as Nepal Embassy has been organizing the Mount Everest Day every year with various programmes, this time decided for a Hiking trip under the able leadership of Nadira Al Harthy, the first Omani women to summit Mount Everest in the year 2019 as part of the Nepal-Oman Friendship Hiking programme.
The event aimed to foster friendship, promote wellness, and encourage environmental awareness among the Nepali and Omani communities, was a big success, as over 50 enthusiast hikers’ assembled around 5 in the morning and within 20 minutes a short briefing of do’s and don’t’s by Nadira Al Harthy, explained to the gatherings including children and women was well received by the assembled hikers. Some amongst them were school children – Abhinav and his little sister Ayeshi.
The Ambassador was accompanied alongwith his better half, Madam Swadesh Aryal, who too guided the young children to put their foot safely on the narrow patches of the treking route. For this children hiking was not new, as they used to climb mountains in their home country in Nepal, and enjoyed the beautiful scenic view from top of the mountain, could see the blue Arabian sea amidst the brown mountains and above the light blue sky and the morning sun gently rising from the far off mountains, was a treat to watch.
Nearly two-hour-long hike brought together a diverse group of participants, including Nepal Embassy officials and their family members, representatives of Nepali community organizations and renowned social media influencers also joined. The US based Erin Coyle, a teacher at the National Hospitality Institute, was the first to reach at the Riyam Park, was thrilled to join the hiking, besides, teaching, she is passionate about travelling and exploring new places across the globe.
Emergency safety measures including ambulance were arranged through the Foreign Ministry of the Sultanate of Oman. Prior to the hike Everest Climber Ms. Nadira Al Harthi briefed participants on important precautions and safety tips for hiking. Another mountaineer who has been frequently visiting the mountains of Nepal Fathiya Al Zadjali, came all the way from Mabellah, which is nearly 100 km drive and with her bubbly nature and experience climbing the mountains, she too shared tips to the gatherings.
All participants enjoyed the scenic hiking trail, which offers stunning views of Oman. Since the route mostly faces north, it is suitable for hiking in the early morning and evening even during the hot season.
As part of the environmental awareness initiative, participants also took part in collecting plastic bottles and other litter along the route, reinforcing the message of ecological responsibility.
After completing the hike, Ambassador Aryal expressed gratitude to all participants and shared his own experiences of hiking on the trail. He admired the captivating views of Oman, the colorful rock formations, water-filled streams, and the presence of plants along the route. The volunteers did good job as they collected trash and plastic bottles and papers spread along the path was a good experience said Anirban Ray, journalist and filmmaker.
