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Afghanistan Tours Bring Visitors to Mountains
Wednesday, 28 Feb, 2010
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The Wakhan Corridor
A Scottish company is promoting Afghanistan as a trekking destination.
Dundee-based Mountain Unity is a social enterprise that was established in 2009 to help provide marketing support to economic development initiatives taking place in the Hindu Kush and Pamir mountains.
Mountain Unity’s David James, a former soldier, said the area known as the Wakhan Corridor was widely regarded as the safest part of the country.
The mountains of Afghanistan were popular with many climbers until the Soviets invaded in 1979.
Mr James, 37, who completed two tours in Afghanistan with the British Army, said he had started Mountain Unity as a social enterprise, with all profits ploughed back into the Wakhan.
Said Mr James: “We are very aware that on the face of it this would appear to be a fool hardy thing to do in a country that is suffering from an insurgency. However the Wakhan is almost completely isolated from the rest of the country with the only access provide by a single dirt road that is frequently closed by landslides and floods.”
“There are numerous police check points along this road that provide security. The Wakhan has remained entirely peaceful during the current military campaign. Visitors can gain direct access to the Wakhan by a border crossing with Tajikistan which means they do not have to pass through any of the less stable areas of the country.”
“The Wakhan is distinct from the rest of Afghanistan and was not even part of the country until the British created it as a buffer between the British empire in India and the Russian empire to the north as part of the ‘Great Game’.”
The people of the Wakhan are a different ethnic group and speak a different language from the rest of the people of Afghanistan. They live isolated lives that have been spared the violence of war.
However one in three children will die before the age of five and the women of the entire province of Badakhshan suffer the highest recorded maternal mortality rate in the world. Extreme poverty is a major factor in both these shocking statistics.
In the 1960s and 70s many mountaineers came to the area to take advantage of the excellent weather and climbing conditions. This provided the local men with an opportunity to earn money as guides and porters which radically improved their quality of life.
Some of the mountaineers who had benefited from the hospitality of the local people in the 1960s returned in 2003 as an act of goodwill and solidarity. Since that time mountaineers and trekkers have been safely returning in small numbers and have provided much needed income to the local people.
Said Mr James “We need to be clear that the Wakhan is not a destination for holiday makers but is suitable for experienced trekking and mountaineering expeditions who are capable of making their own security and medical emergency contingency plans."
“Visitors are welcomed guests of the Afghan people who are renowned for their hospitality and care of travellers. Guests are mindful and respectful of the customs of the local Muslim people and this interaction between people of different faiths has lit a small flame of hope in a country blighted by war.”
“We hope that this project will provide the people of Afghanistan and the world at least some sense that things can improve. We hope that you as members of the press will report our project in a way that reflects our intentions for something good to happen in a country that has suffered so much.”
Valere Tjolle
Valere Tjolle is editor of the 2010 Sustainable Tourism Report Suite details at:www.travelmole.com/stories/1141006.php
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