DIWAS GURUNG: TRAVELING SOLO

Rara Lake at the backdrop. All photos by Diwas Gurung

By LB THAPA

Diwas Gurung is a 28-year-old young man, and he calls himself a solo traveler. He has already paddled with his mountain bike the entire length and breadth of the country in 42 days. Among others, he has also paddled Ghale Gaon, Sirubari, Lwang Ghalel, Bandipur, Gorkha, Lumbini, Sauraha Chitwan, Dharan, and Ilam, and the list is long. Moreover, Diwas has also paddled from Pokhara to Sikkim with a message to donate blood to save lives. 

As far as trekking is concerned, he has walked through the entire area of the Annapurna Circuit in 42 days, Annapurna Base Camp in 9 days, and the Guerrilla Trek in 35 days. Perhaps his toughest trek was from Kagbeni, Mustang, to Rara Lake and Jumla in 52 days. During all this trekking, he was all alone. 

Upper Sera village, East Rukum

" Until 2015, even remotely, I had not thought that one day I would spend so much time paddling my mountain bike and trekking all of the popular trekking destinations in the country. A big change came in my life when Nepal was rocked by a powerful earthquake in 2015 that took the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and damaged property beyond imagination", said Diwas Gurung. 

Seeing so many people wreathing in pain and getting no timely assistance, Diwas Gurung and his close friends immediately rushed to Barpak, Gorkha, and started helping the local people with all possible means available to them. After spending a few days in Barpark, Diwas continued traveling to other places where earthquakes had wreaked havoc. 

"Most of the roads were damaged, and therefore I had to walk thoroughly to access the earthquake-hit areas, and this way, without my knowledge, I had already started trekking in my life. After the quake, when life returned to a bit of normalcy, I decided to paddle across the country, make people aware of the earthquake, and help the quake victims. But in recent times, I've paddled with the message of Donate blood to SAVE life", said Diwas. 

Diwas Gurung with kids at Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

Walking through the lush green meadows of Upper Dhorpatan.

Diwas Gurung is an active member of the Nepal Voluntary Blood Donors' Society, Kaski (NVBDS) and he has already donated his blood 30 times. While paddling from Mechi to Mahakali, he stopped in different cities and went to schools and colleges to encourage them to donate blood. 

"I traveled to all possible places where my mountain bike could have taken me. And wherever I went, I encouraged the youth to donate blood to save precious lives. People listened to me because they saw my selfless commitment and dedication to the service of humanity, which was without any vested interest. In the meantime, I always remained thankful to several local, regional, and national media for supporting my mission through their media", acknowledged Diwas. 

Over the last couple of years, Diwas has been extensively trekking with the purpose of encouraging domestic tourism. "We must take a lesson or two from a series of recent incidents that took place at home and abroad. Nepali tourism cannot and should not depend solely on foreign tourists. We need to mobilize internal tourists to a large extent. With that message in my mind, I started trekking to every popular trekking destination in the country, and I have been doing it sincerely". 

Among the many hair-raising experiences Diwas had collected during the solo trekking, one such experience was during the Mission Karnali. 

"I had given the name Mission Karnali because my mission was to highlight the natural beauty of Karnali and its friendly people to the world. It was 52 days of trekking from Kagbeni, Mustang, to Rara Lake, Dolpa. I traveled across the Mustang district, and I was on the outskirts of Shanta village, the last village in Mustang. Then suddenly the weather changed, but I still wanted to move ahead. Something held me back, and I decided to stay until the weather got better. The weather further deteriorated, and it lasted for four consecutive days. Thank God there was a tin roof shed that protected me all those four days. Had I moved ahead, ignoring the weather conditions, today I would not be here to tell you this story", said Diwas. 

At the main gate of Debahariya Botanical Garden Dhangadi, Kailali.

Diwas Gurung’s latest trekking experience was a trek to the Annapurna Circuit. It was a 14-day trek that he started from Besisahar to Tatopani, Beni. This was by no means an easy trek. He faced many ups and downs all the way across the Annapurna Circuit. 

"While passing from Thorangla Pass, all of a sudden I lost my balance and fell down to a 200-meter cliff and turned unconscious. When I opened my eyes, I found I was lying on the sand bed. And beside me, the river was flowing with all its might and ferocity. I received some bruises but did not sustain any serious injuries. I searched my bag, which was the only source of my survival, but it was nowhere. When I had lost all hope of finding my bag, suddenly my eyes fell on a red-colored strip that popped out in the rock crevice. My happiness knew no bounds when I pulled out the red strip, and it was none other than my bag", revealed Diwas. 

Reaching at Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve.

Making his own food at Tangtunge Odar, Dolpa.

Just a week ago, Diwas completed the Guerrilla Trek. A month-long Guerrilla Trek was also full of challenges. He started this trek from Beni, Dhorpatan, and ended in Libang, Rolpa. This route is much more popular as a Guerrilla trek because, during the civil war, Maoist guerrilla fighters used this route to avoid military confrontation. 

"My walk across Dhorpatan was full of amazement. The natural landscapes of Dhorpatan are indeed breathtaking. I clicked hundreds of photos, but still, I wanted to click a few more. During the trek, most of the time I spent my nights in my tent, and I made my own food on my gas stove. I continued walking for days without seeing a single human being. Occasionally, I would feel high altitude sickness, then immediately stop walking and begin chewing a piece of ginger, which I always carry in my bag. Finally, anyhow, I completed the trek in 35 days". 

Diwas has always been advised to travel in a group or at least take a friend while going for long-distance trekking. However, Diwas has his own philosophy. He says, "I know solo trekking is fraught with many known and unknown dangers. Still, I prefer solo trekking. The luxury and freedom available with solo travel cannot be found in-group trekking. While I’m solo trekking, I make my own plan, make my own food, and take my own decisions", opined Diwas proudly. 

Passing through Phidim, Panchthar.

The way Diwas has taken up trekking and cycling with complete dedication, his endeavors have definitely attracted many young people at home and abroad. Maybe directly or indirectly but Diwas has been helping to promote Nepali tourism. And the message of blood donation has only made his travels even more meaningful.

Note: All photos by Diwas Gurung

LB Thapa is the editor and publisher of The Hemingway Post, a literary magazine. 

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