Langtang Himalayan Marathon

Langtang Himalayan marathon, racing through Nepal's breathtaking landscapes.

Alpkit customer and Kathmandu resident Samuel Johns takes his Gourdon 20 on a Nepalese marathon.

LANGTANG HIMALAYAN MARATHON,Kyanjen Gompa, Rasuwa, Nepal

People say silence is boring. People say nature is boring. People say there is nothing to see.

In the depths of the sub-tropical forests of Langtang Valley, in the heart of the national park, the silence was eery. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Footsteps beating the paths and skidding on the dirt of steep trekking tracks. Rasping breath. The deep inhales of high altitude running. A race starting at 3,900m in the heart of the high Himalaya, Rasuwa, northern Nepal.

Boring. Dead. Empty. Couldn’t be further from the truth. The jungle was teeming with life - grey monkeys overhead swinging from branch to branch, peering down at passing runners. The inevitable squawk and glide of golden eagles and other birds of prey, circling above the canopy of trees. Donkey muck all over the paths. Dodging long trails of porter donkeys, carrying essential supplies up and down the valley - caravans of eight or ten donkeys, or even more.