From someone in the villages son who runs a trekking company suggesting ways to donate towards the Nepalese floods to his clients
Nepal Floods: Current Situation and How to Help
"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." by Martin Luther King Jr.
Nepal - Tibet Flooding Update
I am sure that you have already heard about the recent disaster near the Nepal–China border. On August 26th, a destructive flash flood surged down the Trishuli valley, destroying homes, bridges, and roads across the Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts of Nepal. Like so many of you, I've been watching with heartbreak following this catastrophic flood. I am deeply saddened by this tragic event. My thoughts are with every community in Nepal facing the long road to recovery.
The current focus in Nepal is rescue, recovery, and supporting displaced citizens. Backed by thousands of deployed personnel from the Armed Forces and Police, the government response has been remarkably strong. Credit goes to the new Prime Minister, Balen Shah, and his government who have moved very fast to take control of this situation.
To better understand how this flood happened, I suggest reading this assessment by Austin Lord from The Stimson Center. Austin brings deep expertise to this region, having worked extensively in Rasuwa and witnessed major disasters firsthand—including the 2015 Langtang Village destruction during the earthquake. Among the blizzard of social media posts, his analysis offers context and clear insights into the factors surrounding this event.
Our Trekking Crews In Nepal
Our Kathmandu office has spent the last few days reaching out to our trekking crews to ensure everyone is safe. While we don't operate trips during the monsoon, some of our team work with other companies on Mount Kailash treks in Tibet, where poor connectivity makes communication tough. Sadly, we recently learned that Bikas Shrestha—a trek assistant and the brother of our senior guide Bal Shrestha—is missing. He was staying with a group at a hotel near the Kyirong border with Tibet when the floods hit. We are sending all our thoughts and support to the Shrestha family at this challenging time.
How To Help Nepal
A number of you have been in touch asking if there’s a way you can help Nepal with a donation in their time of need. We consulted with on-the-ground contacts in Nepal and two organisations stand out as the top choices for donations:
Nepal Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund: Operated by the Government of Nepal with strict auditing oversight and zero administrative overhead, ensuring 100% of donations directly fund relief efforts.
British Red Cross Society: A UK charity with strong links in Nepal. Actively managing search-and-rescue, emergency shelter, and evacuations on the ground.
Long-term recovery—rebuilding homes, infrastructure, and communities—will require sustained support long after media attention fades. The most effective way to help is to donate to immediate relief efforts today, and commit to supporting long-term rebuilding efforts in the months ahead.
Impact On Autumn 2026 Trekking Season
The floods are devastating, but it is worth pointing out that the damage is localised along one major river corridor in Nepal (Bhote Khosi and Trishuli rivers). The flood damage is geographically contained. Major travel destinations across Nepal including Kathmandu, Pokhara and Chitwan, remain accessible and open to visitors. The Prithvi Highway from Kathmandu to Pokhara, which was blocked earlier due to mud and debris from the Trishuli river flooding, has now reopened to traffic.
According to the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal (TAAN)’s recent report all trekking regions are currently open apart from Langtang and Ganesh Himal (fortunately we don’t have any groups in these regions for Autumn 2026). TAAN confirmed that the other main trekking regions remained unaffected by the floods. These include Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Everest, Rolwaling, Helambu, Annapurna (Manang and Mustang), Dhaulagiri, Dolpo, Humla, and the Far West areas. The Manaslu region, including Tsum Valley, is also open with an alternative access road that avoids a damaged bridge over the Trishuli river.
Like other international operators, we plan to run our full program of trekking holidays in Autumn 2026. I am currently in the UK and will fly to Kathmandu on September 24th, staying in Nepal until November 23rd. As usual I live in Nepal for two months during our busy Autumn season which means I will have access to the latest information that we can use to safely run our treks.
We have been running treks in Nepal for 21 years and have experienced several significant events during this time, such as the Covid pandemic, the 2015 earthquake, the Maoist insurgency and several severe weather events. Your support is very important to a country dealing with recovery from a disaster like this. Nothing will boost the morale of our Nepalese friends more than a visit in person, whether you are already set to travel later this year or planning a future journey. Your presence gives not only moral support, but your spending directly boosts the local economy too.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Kathmandu. Trek on!
Roland Hunter | The Mountain Company
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