Krishna Prasad Kafle is a newly elected President of Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA)- Annapurna Chapter Pokhara. He is also a CEO and Managing Director of Variety Trekking House in Pokhara. We have caught him for a small chitchat about his future plan as a executive head of NMA Pokhara. Excerpts:
First of all, tell us your future plan as a president?
I am planning to create an environment of having ownership of International Mountain Museum (IMM) among the people from Pokhara. At the same time, our chapter is thinking of joining Pokhara Tourism Council to become a member organization. More than that, conservation of Phewa Lake, management of footpath and systematic parking in Lakeside are also my key plans which I will bring into implementation, cooperating with my seniors.
Government is making withdrawal plan over the royalty-rights of NMA Peaks; what are you thinking about it?
The Supreme Court of Nepal has already revoked the government plan to withdraw the NMA peaks. We have heard that the former government’s tourism minister had decided to take back the NMA peaks again. It will be unfair if the recent decision is imposed on 33- now reduced to 27 NMA peaks that are the major source of income to NMA which is one of the major stakeholders and contributors in Nepal’s tourism development and promotion.
NMA Annapurna Chapter hardly seems in mountain rescue and search activities that are the parts of NMA concerns; why?
We- Annapurna Chapter has very limited budget however we are doing our best cooperating with Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal (TAAN) and its Western Regional Association Pokhara. I am planning to talk to my center NMA to have some funds in our chapter to do such activities in the time of emergency. Certain portion of income from IMM could be allocated to Annapurna Chapter.
There are so many tourism related private agencies in Pokhara but we have not found the mountaineering related activities operated from here; why is it so?
You are right. We couldn’t find any Pokhara based mountaineering agency however there is a mechanism of providing peak climbing permit from Pokhara. The situation is that no tourist has come to Pokhara to take climbing permit from here yet.
Do you have any plan of development and promotion on mountaineering related products?
Yes I have. We are thinking of launching training on peak climbing in Pokhara in my tenure.
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