Driving in the hills in the far west of Nepal.

The road is narrow and drops away steeply on one side. Winding where possible around the hills, but at times plunging into deep valleys only to rise again to 11 or 12,000ft.and into the mists and low cloud. It rained all night; a slow persistent cold rain, which, added to the monsoon a few months ago will mean the already loose slides, will have come down onto the road. We stop in a village beside a group of men huddled together drinking the hot sweet tea Nepali’s love. “Is the road open and will we get through?” we ask. They talk together occasionally pointing to our vehicle with their chins. “Yes, with your 4 wheel drive you will get through”.

More bends, more climbing then a few busses and trucks are parked, we tuck in behind. Sure enough a large landslide has all but closed the road. The drop to the river now brown coloured, evidence of slides further on is a good 1000ft.below. With others we tumble the manageable boulders over the edge. Occasionally a loose stone comes hurtling down from above. We clear a path just wide enough for a vehicle, its loose and bumpy; our driver is ready and accelerates through. It’s with thankfulness we climb aboard. Winding on hour after hour we pass lonely groups of houses, some serving tea and snacks, some much too close to the edge and are in danger of further slides. What kind of world economy is it that forces people to scratch out a living in situations like this?

Another landslide this time its loose sand and gravel that has blocked the road, huge pine trees lie on their side felled by the slide towards the river below. A bus is stuck in the middle. Some 30 people are pushing from behind, others are pulling on a rope tied to the front, and some are rocking the bus to help it grip the soft surface. In a cloud of black exhaust fumes it’s free. The ruts are filled in, and the now long queue of trucks and busses on either side gets moving again. We have been delayed a few hours but so what? For the people living in these remote regions where everything is brought in by road, a blocked road is more than an inconvenience; it’s a serious threat to their way of life. Perhaps later this week or next week the bulldozer will reach them. Until then this drive becomes a lot more dangerous. More rain is forecast.