Ian Whittaker aims to become only the second Briton to complete the epic trail since it was commercially launched in 2011

Yorkshireman will celebrate his 60th birthday 5,120m above sea level

The 1,700-kilometre long Great Himalaya Trail returns at the end of the month and 59-year old Ian Whittaker, from Yorkshire, aims to become only the second person from the UK to complete the so-called 'trekking's holy grail' since it was launched in 2011.

Exclusive with World Expeditions, the Full Nepal Traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail goes up to 6,190 metres above sea level and offers stunning views, including 8 peaks of more than 8,000 metres along the way. An undertaking not for the faint-hearted, it can be broken into seven smaller stages, from 18 to 34 days – however, Ian has committed to the full trek, which takes five months.

It was at the end of 2015 when semi-retired Ian, having just returned from the Snowman Trek in Bhutan, first heard about the Great Himalaya Trail:

“I only found out about the Great Himalaya Trail as a feasible, supported trek when the World Expeditions brochure dropped on my doorstep. I was instantly drawn to it and, once I read about it in more detail, I started making tentative enquiries. Initially I committed only to the first three sections but in the end I signed up for the whole distance!”

Born and Bred in Leeds – he now lives on the edge of Bradford with Pennine Moors – Ian's love for the outdoors started as a 14-year old, when he spent nearly a week camping with school near Coniston in the Lake District.
    
Now semi-retired, he has always been active, both walking and cycling, but with family life taking over it was not until his late-40s that he managed to realise his dream of going to Nepal. Since then, he has returned to the Himalaya repeatedly, completing the Annapurna Circuit on mountain bike, finishing the strenuous Rolwaling Trek, riding from Lhasa to Kathmandu and reaching the K2 Base Camp in Pakistan.

Commenting on signing up for this year's Great Himalaya Trail, he said:

“I just love being in the mountains – the physical challenges, their natural beauty and the company of like-minded folk – and I find there is some element of spiritual attraction to the Himalaya. I think – and my wife would probably agree – it is an obsession!

Whilst I do not dwell on it, nature can be very cruel but I am not afraid of the mountaineering challenges, as I know the Sherpas will make this as safe as is practicable.

Friends and family have been very supportive – many are in awe of the scale of the challenge, though some think I must be crazy”!

The Great Himalaya Trail 2017 starts on 26 February and finishes five months later, on 27 July.

Ian will be spending his 60th birthday, on 17 June, while on the trail: coinciding with day 112 of the trek, he will be far from any crowds, crossing the remote Niwas La Pass, 5,120m above sea level.

If successful, he will be only the second Briton to complete the Full Nepal Traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail since it became commercially available in 2011. So far, the only person from the UK to have done so is an amateur trekker from Epsom, Surrey, on the year it was launched (a British couple that committed to the Full Traverse in 2012 had to abandon for medical reasons while on the trek).

The Nepal Traverse of the Great Himalaya Trail – the longest and highest alpine walking track in the world once complete – became first available through World Expeditions in 2011, which remains the only specialist operator to offer commercially. Winding between the largest mountains and remotest communities on the planet, the Great Himalaya Trail will ultimately connect five Asian countries (Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan) but at the moment only the Nepal section (1,700km) is available to traverse, as it is the only part that has been walked and mapped thoroughly.

EXCLUSIVE WITH WORLD EXPEDITIONS The Great Himalaya Trail – The Full Nepal Traverse 2017: Launches 26 February 2017. £20,990 per person, including all accommodation, internal transport, meals and fees. Joining in Kathmandu. Similar dates in 2018.
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For more information and bookings please visit www.worldexpeditions.co.uk or call 0800 0744 135.
 
World Expeditions' policy ensures there are no local payments. Prices do not include international flights, however these can be arranged on request.
    
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Notes for editors:
One of the very first operators in what is now becoming a very popular area in travel, since its inception in 1975 World Expeditions has earned itself an outstanding reputation as a world leader in small group adventure holidays and cultural journeys. World Expeditions remains independently owned and a truly global company, with seven offices around the world, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The two factors that distinguish World Expeditions from its competitors, the number of inclusions and the exceptional value of its trips, can be found today in more than 500 stand-alone itineraries across all continents, escorted by expert leaders and meticulously designed for those travellers who want to 'take the paths less travelled'. Always innovative, it was, among others, the first operator to offer cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980), Tibet (1981) and Japan (1999). As of 2011 World Expeditions is the only commercial company to offer the Full Nepal Traverse of the newly mapped Great Himalaya Trail.
Exclusive to World Expeditions, a number of permanent eco-campsites, designed to increase travellers' comfort levels, are in operation in the Himalaya (Everest, Annapurna); new design-led campsites can also be found on the iconic Larapinta Trail in Australia. The European division of World Expeditions, activity holiday specialists UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions, cover over 20 countries, with more than 400 stand-alone itineraries, from short four-day breaks to longer two-week trips. The World Expeditions Travel Group consists of 10 travel brands in total, also including Adventure South, Australian Walking Holidays, Great Canadian Trails, Huma Charity Challenge, Tasmanian Expeditions, World Youth Adventures and Yomads.