In 1965, Lieutenant Colonel James Owen Merion Roberts (1916-1997) became the first person to introduce trekking in Nepal. Colonel Jimmy Roberts was himself one of the most brilliant explorers of the mountains in the twentieth century. The highly decorated British Army officer gained the name of “The Father of Trekking” in Nepal. His innovative ideas focused at making the experience of the mountaineers simpler and more comprehensive. It was because at that time, during the initial commencement of mountaineering in Nepal, mountaineering was a challenging activity where travelers had to struggle a lot. The ideas implemented by him included providing tents and Sherpas to hikers, as the Sherpas could guide the hikers through the harsh and alienated regions of the Himalayas. The modernistic idea was successful and justly adopted by many. Due to this, the mountaineering field in Nepal opened for everybody as the wide Himalayan range became easily accessible. After the implementation of his ideas, mountaineering in Nepal transformed into a crowd-pulling activity.
Nowadays, trekking activities in the mountains have become part of famous adventure sports, as each year thousands of travellers in Nepal try their luck at reaching the summit of one of the tallest mountains of the world. Travellers walk for around six and seven hours every day, traversing through the complex terrain in remote areas, with porters or yaks/donkeys carrying their equipment and backpacks until they reach their destination, which is usually the base camps of mountains. Trekking, after going through a lot of modification with time, now comes with many facilities and you can also choose from the various destinations that Nepal offers. Back then, you could only reach the mountains via long and tiring treks, but with advancement in technology and passage of time, new options have come up that take you directly to the mountaintop via helicopter rides. You also get the benefit of healthcare facilities which help when the oxygen levels drop as you go further up in the mountains. The added services also include delicious regular meals, sleeping bags, and warm accommodative tents to give comfort to the travellers. The trekkers can also carry their personal package that has camera equipment, clothes, snacks, etc. If we look back at how it all began with Colonel James Owen Merion Roberts, only then we can truly appreciate the evolution of the trekking industry in Nepal. The updates in the trekking industry have also improved the number of trekkers, as more young and old people can opt for trekking now. This improvement is in contrast to the situation back in the time of Jimmy Roberts, when he first ascended to the Lookout peak of Masherbrum (The 22nd highest mountain in the world) in Pakistan. At that time, he went on the trek without any other camaraderie assisting him, as he was accompanied only by his Gorkhali companions.
The accomplishments of Jimmy Roberts include the selection for the 1940 British Mount Everest Expedition (The expedition got aborted later), a feat that he shared with Bill Tilman (considered as the first trekker of Nepal). The first mountaineering expedition that aimed at making the first ascent of Mount Everest was the British Mount Everest Expedition. The expedition was conducted in 1922 and was the first one to use oxygen bottles while attempting to climb Mount Everest. Roberts and Tilman both were in the expedition team of 1940 which was unfortunately called off. During the meeting between King Tribhuwan and Boris Lisanevich, who was a Russian ballet dancer and was running a club in India, Boris convinced the king that the people in India would love to visit Nepal. On top of that, he told the king that the people would also pay for the experience and that the country would make benefit from such visits. The Russian ballet dancer, who was an emigre to Nepal, established the Royal Hotel in Nepal. His purpose behind establishing the hotel was to accommodate visitors that sought trekking tours in Nepal. The Royal Hotel was the first hotel opened in Nepal. Soon, the visitors began to take delight in the environment of Nepal and thus, the prospect of trekking in Nepal increased. In 1965, Jimmy Roberts established Mountain Travel, the first trekking company in Nepal that also became a role model for the travel adventure industry.
Thanks to the efforts of Jimmy Roberts and Boris, hiking and trekking in the mountains of Nepal has become an activity filled with fun and enjoyment. The booming industry helps in generating revenue and popularizing the culture and tradition of Nepal.