Abode of the Gods – Tales of Trekking in Nepal

This book arrived on my desk at an opportune time, I have been thinking a lot recently of a visit to Nepal or India and have been following news about the Nepal earthquake with interest.

Firstly, one of the main reasons you should buy this book is that Kev has generously donated all the proceeds to the Earthquake appeal through Community Action Nepal. So even if you don’t really enjoy trekking books the chances are you know some-one that does. I definitely have several relatives that will be receiving this book in their Christmas stocking.

Secondly the book is a delight to read, the 8 treks are in chronological order from Kevs early treks around Kangchenjunga, Annapurna and Manaslu to the more recent and remote treks to Dolpo, Api and Mugu. They also cover the whole country from East to the Far West and range from honeypot treks to very remote corners of the country.

I loved Kev’s easy style of writing and I was truly drawn into his world of peace, quiet and beauty as well as the love of hiking through rugged and wild spaces. That’s not to say that the book isn’t a resource for people wanting to visit the region as there is a wealth of information if you look for it. In fact with the book and map you could easily follow his routes as his descriptions are quite vivid. What makes the book special though is the interactions Kev spends with the local people. He goes out of his way to live in the moment and interact with all people from teahouse owners, farmers and children alike.

Each trek is accompanied with a map that shows the direction of the trek complete with little images of the walking sections, the major passes, the highest peaks and other snippets of information. There are also plenty of stunning photographs showing all manner of delights from snow-capped mountains to wooden shacks and lot’s of people in between.

This is a lovely book written by an author with outstanding knowledge of the area, if you are looking for a comprehensive guide, complete with names of teahouses, lodges and other detailed information you are going to be disappointed. If, on the other hand, you are looking to share an adventure with man who loves nothing more than to trek to remote corners just for the sheer pleasure of it and to see what’s there you will be delighted.

SRP £19.95       Available from Cicerone.