Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit 1

Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit

PO Box 3712 Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal March 27th, 2015

Mr. Lal Prasad Gurung Project Director Annapurna Conservation Area Project National Trust for Nature Conservation Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal

Dear Mr. Gurung,

I had the opportunity to trek the Annapurna Circuit this past fall and was absolutely stunned by the beauty of the area. However, I had the misfortune to be a part of the snowstorm that is now the worst adventure tourism disaster in Nepalese history.

I do believe that with some minor changes many lives could be saved in the future and I have sought to research the best cost effective strategies for ensuring a better outcome if such a storm were to happen again. Attached is my feasibility report on improving safety standards on the Annapurna Circuit.

The natural beauty of Nepal is its greatest treasure and the work the ACAP has done is great and I hope that you will be able to fulfill your mandate even better by increasing revenues through increasing tourism. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions or feedback at [email protected]

Sincerely,

Billy Yuning Fan

Billy Fan

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit

Feasibility Analysis of Better Safety Standards for the Annapurna Circuit

for

Mr. Lal Prasad Gurung

Project Director

Annapurna Area Conservation Project (ACAP)

Kathmandu, Nepal

Billy Yuning Fan

English 301 Student

March 27, 2015

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit

Table of Contents

Abstract - 4

I. Introduction - 4 to 8 A. Definition of the Problem, Description of Study Area and Parameters - 4 B. Purpose of the Report, Intended Audience, Possible Solutions - 5 C. Method of Inquiry - 6 D. Limitations of the Study - 7 E. Results and Conclusions – 7

II. Collected Data – 8 to 13 A. Interviews - 8 1. Interviewees 2. Findings 3. Interpretation of Findings B. Research of Infrastructure and Resources – 9 to 13 1. Trail Resources – 9 to 10 a. Definition b. Findings c. Interpretation of Findings 2. Budget Concerns – 11 to 13 a. Definition b. Findings c. Interpretation of Findings

III. Conclusion – 14 to 15 A. Summary of Findings B. Overall Interpretation of Findings C. Recommendations

IV. Appendices – 16 to 27

A. Photos – 16 to 17 B. Completed Surveys – 18 to 27

V. Sources Cited – 28 to 29

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Abstract

The Annapurna Circuit experienced the worst disaster in its history in October 2014. 43 people were confirmed dead with many missing even until now. There has been rampant speculation about why the consequences were so severe. This report seeks to find cost-effective solutions for the Annapurna

Conservation Authority (ACAP) as its budget limitations are quite severe. The ACAP has a mandate to improve conditions for the locals of the Annapurna region while promoting tourism and conservation of the natural area. By utilising existing infrastructure as information hubs, most importantly including daily weather information and emergency preparedness, trekkers, guides, and porters will be able to make better decisions and be safer during inclement weather. These solutions and not more expensive and involved ones were determined to be adequate through interviews with trekkers. The objective of the

ACAP should be to not only increase safety standards, but to do so without impacting the continually growing tourist industry in the Annapurna region.

I. Introduction

A. Definition of the Problem, Description of Study Area and Parameters

The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world’s most popular recreational hikes. The accessibility, stunning vistas and relative affordability attracts thousands of visitors each year from many different countries.

Trekking in Nepal has experienced a resurgence since the cessation of the civil war in late 2006, but recent accidents have highlighted a need for changes to ensure safety for both tourists and locals alike.

Nepalese tourism is at a critical juncture where continued lapses in safety, warning and information standards could discourage foreign tourism and cripple the tourism-dependent economy of the country.

It is important that the Nepalese National Trust for Nature Conversation and in particular the Annapurna

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Conservation Area Project not only ensure the safety standards are changed, but that they do not discourage tourism by over-regulating travel and discouraging increased tourist traffic to Nepal.

Several distinct issues contributed to the unprecedented death toll of the October 2014 blizzard that claimed the lives of 43 people, 21 of which were foreign nationals trekking the Annapurna circuit. The major issues to be addressed that could be fixed in a cost-effective manner are as follows:

 Prior to the storm there was no warning of inclement weather causing many to continue trekking

into unsafe areas.

 There was no accurate account of where people were located along the circuit, hampering rescue

operations.

 Virtually all forms of on-location communication were unable to continue through adverse

weather conditions resulting in poor transfer of information.

 Authorities did not provide adequate disaster response due to lack of resources and inefficient

organization.

Without addressing these issues properly tourists will be discouraged from traveling to Nepal, hurting the local economy. Thus far the response has been concerning due to the misidentification of the issues that led to such a high number of fatalities and missing persons. It is important to avoid discouraging future tourism by making trekking cost-prohibitive or by not increasing safety standards sufficiently.

B. Purpose of the Report, Intended Audience, Possible Solutions

The purpose of this feasibility report is to give recommendations in order to better safety conditions on the Annapurna circuit without compromising the budding adventure tourism industry in Nepal. These recommendations will be based on response from trekkers that have direct experience with adverse conditions in Nepal, and my own recommendations based on research of park authorities and conservation organizations.

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To adequately protect future tourists, porters, and guides from the hazards of trekking in the Himalayas and to promote continued tourism to Nepal, all the aforementioned problems must be addressed.

Budgetary concerns are prominent and any solutions must keep in mind the limited resources available to the Annapurna Area Conservation Project. Fortunately, I believe most issues can be addressed with simple and cost-effective fixes. One possible solution is to utilize current checkpoints and improve the transfer of information both between these checkpoints and with the main ACAP office. Setting up better guidelines for the function of these checkpoints would also provide trekkers with a warning system for inclement weather.

To assess the feasibility of modifying these checkpoints to address the problems outlined, it is necessary to answer the following questions:

1. What infrastructure is available in terms of checkpoint locations, communicative abilities and

possible upgrades at reasonable cost?

2. How quickly could changes be implemented to ensure a safe trekking environment without

disruption of tourist activities?

3. Would these changes be sufficient or would more expensive upgrades to Nepal’s disaster

response system be necessary to ensure a higher safety standard?

C. Method of Inquiry

My primary data sources will include interviews with trekkers that were involved in the most recent disaster and consultation with the ACAP Authority. Some internet-based research will be required to determine budget limitations of the ACAP authority. If tourism in Nepal is to survive the bad publicity that came with the 2014 Nepalese snowstorm disaster, action is needed to improve safety standards in a cost- effective and non-prohibitive manner. If the problems outlined above can be addressed and better

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit practices can be implemented the Annapurna circuit will continue to be a global draw for adventure tourists.

D. Limitations of the Study

To understand the limitations of what can be done to better safety standards on the Annapurna Circuit, it is important to understand the budgetary concerns of the ACAP authority. Important infrastructure such as better search and rescue that exists in North America is simply not a possibility in Nepal. The governing body of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, the National Trust for Nature Conservation, is a non- profit organization that does not receive regular funding from the Nepali government. The NTNC relies on the fees it collects from trekkers and donations from domestic and international bodies in order to maintain the trail.

The recommendations of this study will therefore be limited to easily implemented and cost-effective ideas that focus on organization, information, and preparation in order to mitigate future casualties in case of inclement weather. The changes recommended are intended to allow continued access to the

Annapurna circuit without reducing the volume of tourist traffic that the ACAP depends on for funding.

E. Results and Conclusions

Changes to current practices are absolutely necessary to restore confidence in the Nepali government.

The minor changes suggested capitalizing on existing infrastructure should be easily implemented within the budget constraints of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project. By utilizing current security checkpoints to relay information to both search and rescue authorities and trekkers alike. By ensuring records are more meticulously kept and hikers will not be able to proceed without checking-in, there will be much less ambiguity with missing persons. Prominently displayed daily forecasts will also forewarn trekkers of inclement weather, a simple measure that has the potential to save a lot of lives. Checkpoints will be more prominent so there is no opportunity for trekkers to pass by them. Any budget shortfall from

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit these improvements will be obtained through increased usages numbers from the promotion of tourism through better safety. Simple, cost-effective solutions are all that are needed to ensure a safe environment in the future.

II. Collected Data

A. Interviews

1. Interviewees

 Frank Somerford*

 Jonathan Potter*

 Maxym Pendyshchuk

 Nataliia Grynko

 Sierra Rowe

 Matt Adams*

 Dawson Vlessides*

 Lars Arvidson

 Chris Anderson*

 Carly Francis

* Indicates applicants that responded in time for the writing of this report.

2. Findings

There were several themes that consistently came up in the responses to interview questions.

Consistently it was reported that there was an atmosphere of confusion and a lack of information throughout the storm and in the aftermath. Specific problems that could be easily addressed that were

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit part of my own observations included the need for daily local weather forecasting and more stringent accounting of the numbers of trekkers, porters and guides and their locations. Interesting points that I did not initially consider included somehow informing trekkers of what to do during inclement weather. One of the main factors behind the high number of casualties was people leaving both during and immediately after the storm and dying of exposure or in avalanches. These surveys are included as Appendix B.

3. Interpretation of Findings

From the interviews it was clear that the Annapurna Circuit is not viewed as a trek that is beyond the pale of similar treks throughout the world. None of the trekkers though mandatory guides or GPS trackers were a necessity and in general trail facilities were found to be well-supplied and had generally good maintenance and infrastructure. There was a consensus that minor changes such as daily weather, mandatory registration at existing ACAP checkpoints and better means of communication between these checkpoints and emergency response authorities would be sufficient in order to prevent loss of life in the future. It was also mentioned that education of trekkers on emergency procedures in the case of inclement weather could be useful. I believe that this is a worthwhile suggestion and that it could be easily included in the materials given with the trekking permit. This information may seem logical, but it is not always apparent what the best course of action is in the middle of a storm.

B. Research of Infrastructure and Resources

1. Trail Resources a. Definition

It is important to have an awareness of what resources are available for information distribution and quick response to disaster. The main hubs available for immediate improvement are the currently operating ACAP checkpoints. Some minor but very important changes to these checkpoints could have

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit prevented many deaths in the most recent snowstorm. The below figure of the circuit highlights the towns where checkpoints exist currently. Currently these checkpoints are only used to ensure the usage fee has been paid and to keep a non-digital ledger of those hiking the circuit.

Figure 1 Modified Map of the Annapurna Circuit showing locations of major checkpoints (Boy).

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit b. Findings

The current locations of the checkpoints would be sufficient in order to keep an accounting of hikers and provide weather updates on a semi-daily basis. However, in order to give daily updates for weather it would be useful to utilize existing tourist information stations as weather information stations as well.

There are 19 tourist information centers and 11 functioning checkposts, but the issue with these stations is that they can be easy to miss. c. Interpretation of Findings

It would be simple to create a barrier to ensure that all trekkers had both paid the fee and are accounted for. It also would be useful to hand out pamphlets and maps at these stations that would inform trekkers about what to do in case of inclement weather or a storm. In summary, these stations as well as the clean water stations that virtually all hikers utilize for fresh water would make great distribution points for daily weather information, disaster preparedness information and to account for trekkers’ whereabouts. The hiker sign-in would be kept at the checkpoint and be made available immediately in the case of emergency. Only a few of the stations have the capacity for digital records, but this is something that would likely be created in the near future as the infrastructure in the area improves.

2. Budget Concerns a. Definition

The National Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal, which is the overseeing body for the Annapurna

Conservation Area Project, is a non-profit organization that is responsible for fee collection and maintenance of the Annapurna Circuit. As a non-profit with no reliable funding from the Nepali government, the NTNC is limited to only monies collected from trekkers and donors (Gurung). This limited funding means that any improvements to safety standards must be very budget conscious. In the October

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit snow storm few helicopters were made available by the Nepali military and any additional search and rescue aircraft were provided by the Israeli government. Israel had a vested interest in the disaster because the majority of trekkers in Nepal are Israeli (Ho).

Figure 2 Income Sources by Percentage of ACAP (Conservation Finance Alliance) b. Finding

The ACAP authority published a document detailing its objectives, activities and finances. Their mandate is as follows:

“To achieve sustained balance between nature conservation and socio-economic improvement in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) thereby assist National Trust for Nature Conservation in achieving its goal."

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Their goals include “conserving the natural resources of ACA for the benefit of present and future generations”, “bringing sustainable social and economic development to the local people” and

“developing tourism in such a way that it will have minimum negative impact on the natural, socio- cultural and economic environments (Gurung).”

The source of revenue of the ACAP has been changed over the years. There has been less coming from private donations, but the ACAP authority has managed to fill its philanthropic role by continuing to develop internal revenues in the form of funding from tourist fees (Conservation Finance Alliance).

20,694 trekkers visited the Annapurna Circuit in 2014, which is down for the first time since the civil war

(Pokharel). This is undoubtedly because of the negative publicity of the snowstorm and this will threaten the revenues of the ACAP. c. Interpretation of Findings

As part of the final objective of developing tourism with minimum negative impacts, I think it is vital to develop these simple cost-effective solutions to ensure the continued economic benefits of tourism on the Annapurna circuit. The conservation area project does many wonderful things with the money it receives from trail revenues and it would be a small portion of the budget to institute these modest upgrades. No additional personnel or equipment would be required, just better communication and development of procedures. By developing these safety measures the Annapurna Circuit will continue to be a destination for trekkers, increasing revenues and allowing ACAP to continue to fulfill its mandate and improve the lives of those that live in the Annapurna conservation area.

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III. Conclusion

A. Summary of Findings

The ACAP authority has continued to receive increased revenues from trekkers traveling on the

Annapurna Circuit since the 1980s and less from donations (Conservation Finance Alliance). The financial resources exist to produce the modest improvement required to the checkpoints and otherwise there is only a necessity to develop better procedures in order to improve safety conditions. Interviewees mentioned that it would be useful to have weather information in order to promote better decision making, materials that could instruct trekkers about the best course of action in case of emergencies, and for the checkpoints to have better accounts of people’s whereabouts.

B. Overall Interpretation of Findings

After evaluating the budgetary situation of ACAP, I believe that it would be quite feasible to enact the changes that are required to ensure better safety standards. The existing checkpoints, converted into mandatory stops, existing information centers and even clean water stations would make for excellent hubs of information. The major action required would be to simply come up with procedures for distributing information. This could be as simple as phone calls or a quick internet search (where possible) each day to update a weather information board. By doing these weather updates and distributing disaster preparedness information we can easily and economically address the problems outlined originally. The interviewees were adamant that further and more expensive interventions would not be necessary and were not standard practice in other popular trekking areas.

C. Recommendations

Mr. Gurung, I highly recommend that changes in information distribution are made in order to give trekkers, guides and porters up-to-date weather and emergency preparedness information. By ensuring

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit that everyone using the Annapurna Circuit has the information to make safe decisions and secure shelter in the event of a storm, we can prevent the casualties of the October 2014 snowstorm from occurring in the future. It is also important not to over reach in terms of requiring mandatory guides and GPS trackers.

As demonstrated by the interviews, it would discourage a lot of trekkers from coming to the Annapurna

Circuit and the added cost to them would not directly benefit ACAP. By ensuring a safe, but adventurous trekking environment the ACAP can increase the number of tourists and therefore revenue. The increased revenue from further growth in tourism is important in fulfilling ACAP’s mandate of helping the local people, economy and society. The lack of growth in tourism from this most recent year highlights the desire for better safety standards on the Annapurna circuit and these changes could ensure continued prosperity for ACAP.

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IV. Appendices

Appendix A: Photos for Background

3 An example of an existing ACAP checkpoint

4 An example of ACAP permit, the main source of income for the NTNC

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5 From zero centimeters to over two meter of snow in a twenty four hour period. Forty three confirmed deaths from exposure or avalanche with many more missing highlights the need for better information and weather warning systems on the Annapurna Circuit.

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Appendix B: Completed Surveys

Name: Frank Somerford

On the 14th of October 2014 Nepal experienced the worst trekking disaster in its history, with 43 confirmed deaths and many still missing. As a trekker on the Annapurna circuit at the time of the snowstorm, you are uniquely qualified to discuss what information and safety protocol could have helped to prevent so many casualties from occurring. This questionnaire is intended to give you an opportunity to explain what information and infrastructure was available to you and how you think ACAP could improve these systems in the future. Thank you for your time.

Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014

Where were you for the duration of the storm? Tilicho Lake

What facilities did you have? A modern lodge, but the toilets were frozen and it was overcrowded.

What information was available to you during and after the storm? Not much. There was one satellite phone that had really poor reception and a bunch of people were trying to use it all at once. Some people got helicopters but we didn’t get any news. There were lots of rumors.

What do you believe contributed to the high numbers of casualties? After we got back to Manang we heard that a lot of people had died because they got caught in the storm while they were hiking. I think that seeking shelter in the storm became difficult for them. We were lucky enough to have already found the lodge at the start of the storm.

What information would have helped you assess your situation and determine a course of action both prior to and after the snowstorm? Well, it would have been nice to have a weather forecast and some way to call people.

There is talk about requiring mandatory GPS trackers and only allowing guided hikes… How do you feel this would impact your desire to trek in Nepal? I probably wouldn’t go if you had to go with the guide. That would have been too expensive for me and there are plenty of other places to hike in the world without restrictive rules like that.

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In comparison with other treks you have done, would you say that the Annapurna Circuit requires these extensive safety measures? No, I think what happened was unfortunate, but you get freak storms and bad weather everywhere.

What changes would you like to see made in order to improve safety on the Annapurna Circuit? It would have been nice to know the weather and to have had some information while we were at the lodge going stir crazy.

Additional Comments:

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Name: Matt Adams

Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014

Where were you for the duration of the storm? I was in Tilicho lake and then I slept outside while hiking out.

What facilities did you have? I was staying at the new lodge and then just a sleeping bag, camping mat and a fire.

What information was available to you during and after the storm? Nothing really, we didn’t know if anyone was coming and I was getting really tired of playing cards after 24 hours.

What do you believe contributed to the high numbers of casualties? I think that even the guides didn’t know what to do in that storm. We heard that a large group was told to venture out into the storm and the guide took them for a large amount of money only to end up lost and have a number die in the cold.

What information would have helped you assess your situation and determine a course of action both prior to and after the snowstorm? Weather information. It also seemed like no one knew who was missing or what was happening after the storm, so a proper accounting of people’s whereabouts would have helped.

There is talk about requiring mandatory GPS trackers and only allowing guided hikes… How do you feel this would impact your desire to trek in Nepal? I wouldn’t go.

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In comparison with other treks you have done, would you say that the Annapurna Circuit requires these extensive safety measures? Not at all, compared to the other treks in Nepal it is the most established by far.

What changes would you like to see made in order to improve safety on the Annapurna Circuit? I don’t think many changes would be needed, except that people need to have the right gear: a coat, etc. I guess up-to-date weather would make a big difference too.

Additional Comments:

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Name: Jonathan Potter

Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014

Where were you for the duration of the storm? I was staying in Tilicho Lake in the main lodge.

What facilities did you have? There was enough food and basic amenities, though space was at a premium because it was overcrowded with people.

What information was available to you during and after the storm? At first we were worried about being able to continue, but the snow kept falling and it really caught us off guard. It just didn’t stop and we had no idea how severe it was until the next day. It was obvious that the trail would be impassable after that amount of snowfall.

What do you believe contributed to the high numbers of casualties? This would be purely speculative on my part, but I do think that less people would have left during the storm if they had known how severe the weather would be.

What information would have helped you assess your situation and determine a course of action both prior to and after the snowstorm? A weather forecast would have been invaluable. We probably never would have left for Tilicho Lake had we known how severe the weather was going to be. Staying in Manang for the storm would have been much safer and we would have been less isolated. As it was, we had enough food to be comfortable for the three days we were trapped, but towards the end the lodge was definitely starting to be depleted.

There is talk about requiring mandatory GPS trackers and only allowing guided hikes… How do you feel this would impact your desire to trek in Nepal? Of course having mandatory GPS trackers would be safer, but I’m not sure how feasible it would be. The costs would be quite high both for the Nepali government and

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Improving Safety Standards on the Annapurna Circuit trekkers. As for mandatory guides, I am not sure that would really benefit anyone. It might not even mean extra business for the porters and guides as the amount of traffic on the trail would be decreased.

In comparison with other treks you have done, would you say that the Annapurna Circuit requires these extensive safety measures? The only hikes I know of that have mandatory guides are ones that are in delicate historical areas such as the Inca Trail in Peru. In that case, I believe this is more for preservation of the structures rather than for safety of the trekkers. I think it would be unnecessary to have really restrictive regulations for the Annapurna Circuit.

What changes would you like to see made in order to improve safety on the Annapurna Circuit? Better information infrastructure is necessary. The addition of a communication network between checkpoints would be helpful and this would make it easier to relay relevant information such as weather and information on hikers.

Additional Comments: As with any disaster I think the response will be too severe and not much change is required in order to ensure better safety. I honestly hope that the changes aren’t overreaching because it might ruin the experience of hiking in the Himalayas.

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Name: Chris Anderson

Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014

Where were you for the duration of the storm? Tilicho Lake

What facilities did you have? Slept on the floor of a lodge.

What information was available to you during and after the storm? Virtually nothing. Even after the weather cleared up there was very little information available to us. The lodge we were at had a satellite phone, but service was very poor and the phone was in constant use by people arranging evacuation.

What do you believe contributed to the high numbers of casualties? A rare storm combined with a lack of knowledge.

What information would have helped you assess your situation and determine a course of action both prior to and after the snowstorm? If people had known about the incoming weather and what to do in case of a blizzard there probably would have been a lot less people dead or missing.

There is talk about requiring mandatory GPS trackers and only allowing guided hikes… How do you feel this would impact your desire to trek in Nepal? I would probably choose to do a different hike if I was required to have a guide.

In comparison with other treks you have done, would you say that the Annapurna Circuit requires these extensive safety measures? I haven’t done many comparable hikes, but I’ve never been required to have a guide before.

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What changes would you like to see made in order to improve safety on the Annapurna Circuit? Better communication systems would help a lot, but barring that perhaps being better educated about what to do in inclement weather would be useful. If everyone stayed indoors during the storm a lot more people would have survived.

Additional Comments:

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Name: Dawson Vlessides

Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014

Where were you for the duration of the storm? I was hiking in Tilicho Lake and it starting snowing on our way down

What facilities did you have? Bed, sleeping bag, food and lots of tea

What information was available to you during and after the storm? I didn’t even know anything happened when we hiked out. When I was told it made the news in Canada I found out that my family had reported me missing, there was reporters that wanted to talk to me and there was a lot of misinformation.

What do you believe contributed to the high numbers of casualties? I think no one knew what was going on

What information would have helped you assess your situation and determine a course of action both prior to and after the snowstorm? Some way to contact the outside world, some way to know the weather

There is talk about requiring mandatory GPS trackers and only allowing guided hikes… How do you feel this would impact your desire to trek in Nepal? I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t more expensive, but I don’t think the mandatory guides would make it safer

In comparison with other treks you have done, would you say that the Annapurna Circuit requires these extensive safety measures? I can’t think of anywhere in Canada that has requirements like that. I mean, it was a really out of nowhere storm, but if there was better weather info, I think it would have been okay.

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What changes would you like to see made in order to improve safety on the Annapurna Circuit? I don’t think they should change much. Daily weather would have saved a lot of lives.

Additional Comments:

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Sources Cited

Boy, Ramblin. "Nepal's Annapurna Circuit: Is It Still Worth Doing?" Ramblin Boy. 23 June 2013. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. .

Conservation Finance Alliance. "Building a Secure Financial Future: Experience of Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), Nepal." Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Gurung, Lal Prasad. "Annapurna Conservation Area Project." Annapurna Conservation Area Project. National Trust for Nature Conservation, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. .

Gurung, Lal Prasad. "Achievements Fact Sheet." Annapurna Conservation Area Project. National Trust for Nature Conservation, 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. .

Ho, Spencer. "Official Says Nepal Rescue Botched as Hopes Fade for Missing Israeli Read More: Official Says Nepal Rescue Botched as Hopes Fade for Missing Israeli." Times of Israel 19 Oct. 2014. Times of Israel. Web. 20 Mar. 2015. .

"Backpacking Safety & Stewardship." Parks Canada - Banff National Park. Parks Canada, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Mar. 2015. .

Nelson, Dean, and Sam Dodge. "Nepal Trekkers 'kicked out of Lodge during Snow Storm' Blame Local Greed for Eight Deaths." The Telegraph 17 Oct. 2014. The Telegraph. Web. 18 Mar. 2015. .

Pokharel, Santosh. "Tourists from 120 Countries Trekked Annapurna Circuit in 2014." Tourism Kathmandu 2 Mar. 2015. Nepal Republic Media. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. .

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Interviews

Adams, Matt. "Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014." E-mail interview. 9 Mar. 2015.

Anderson, Chris. "Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014." E-mail interview. 9 Mar. 2015.

Potter, Jonathan. "Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014." E-mail interview. 9 Mar. 2015.

Somerford, Frank. "Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014." E-mail interview. 9 Mar. 2015.

Vlessides, Dawson. "Safety Standard Questions for Annapurna Trekkers Caught in the Snowstorm on October 14, 2014." E-mail interview. 9 Mar. 2015.

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