Despite growing interest among travellers, only a few visitors actually make it to Mount Hponkanrazi in Kachin state due to road problems, according to an official from the Trekking in Myanmar and Icy Mountain Travel Agency.
With air tickets hard to buy amid many enquiries, the number of actual comers is low and the first trip to the icy mountain will start on 17 December.
“Many people have inquired about this trip to the icy mountains. But, they cannot come due to the availability of air tickets and the current situations. People will come from Yangon for the trip on 17 December. They have to take risks under the air ticket issue,” he said.
The agency is also organizing two New Year trips on 24 and 28 December and is negotiating the departure dates depending on the conditions at Putao airport.
Among the icy mountains in Myanmar, Mount Hponkanrazi is the easiest one to climb and the fresher climbers should try this mountain first, he suggested.
“Among the icy mountains in Myanmar, Mount Hponkanrazi is easy to climb. The first-time climbers should start with this mountain. Other ice-capped mountains are much harder than Mount Hponkanrazi. It used to take over ten days to reach Hponkanrazi, but now you can get there in a week, thanks to better roads,” he said.
For foreign tourists, the agency has to get permission first and if it is granted, it will arrange special trips for them.
MT/ZN
