Latest news with #mountainviews
BBC News
13-05-2025
- BBC News
Why the mighty Himalayas are getting harder and harder to see
I grew up in Nepal's capital watching the Himalayas. Ever since I left, I've missed sweeping, panoramic views of some of the highest mountain peaks on time I visit Kathmandu, I hope to catch a glimpse of the dramatic mountain range. But these days, there's usually no main culprit is severe air pollution that hangs as haze above the it's happening even during the spring and autumn months, which once offered clear skies. Just last April, the international flight I was in had to circle in the sky nearly 20 times before landing in Kathmandu, because of the hazy weather impacting visibility at the hotel I checked in at was at a reasonable height from which mountains are visible on a clear day – but there was no such day during my two-week from the major vantage point of Nagarkot, just outside Kathmandu, all that could be seen was haze, as if the mountains did not exist."I no longer brand the place for views of 'sunrise, sunset and Himalayas' as I did in the past," said Yogendra Shakya, who has been operating a hotel at Nagarkot since 1996."Since you can't have those things mostly now because of the haze, I have rebranded it with history and culture as there are those tourism products as well here."During an earlier trip a year ago, I was hopeful I would be able to see the mighty Himalayan peaks on a trek in the mesmerising Annapurna region – but had hardly any luck there either. Scientists say hazy conditions in the region are becoming increasingly intense and lasting longer, reducing visibility is formed by a combination of pollutants like dust and smoke particles from fires, reducing visibility to less than 5,000m (16,400ft). It remains stagnant in the sky during the dry season - which now lasts longer due to climate to September is the region's rainy season, when Monsoon clouds rather than haze keep the mountains covered and visibility March to May and October to November were the best times for business because that was when skies remained clear and visibility was with rising temperatures and a lack of rain, and worsening air pollution, the spring months are now seeing thick haze with low visibility. Those conditions are beginning as early as December. 'No sighting means no business' Lucky Chhetri, a pioneering female trekking guide in Nepal, said hazy conditions had led to a 40% decrease in business."In one case last year, we had to compensate a group of trekkers as our guides could not show them the Himalayas due to the hazy conditions," she addedAn Australian tourist who has visited Nepal more than a dozen times since 1986 described not seeing the mountains as a "major let-down"."It wasn't like this 10 years ago but now the haze seems to have taken over and it is extraordinarily disappointing for visitors like me," said John KC, the provincial chair of the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal in the western Gandaki province, says the trekking industry is in deep trouble."Our member trekking operators are getting depressed because no sighting of the Himalayas means no business. Many of them are even considering changing professions," he told the BBC. On the Indian side, near the central Himalayas, hoteliers and tour operators say haze is now denser and returns quicker than before."We have long dry spells and then a heavy downpour, unlike in the past. So with infrequent rain the haze persists for much longer," said Malika Virdi, who heads a community-run tourism business in the state of Ms Virdi says tourists are persistent - with many who didn't catch the mountain range returning to try their luck western Himalayas in Pakistan have been relatively less affected by the haze because the mountains are relatively far from locals say that even the ranges that were once easily visible from places like Peshawar and Gilgit are often no longer seen."The sheet of haze remains hanging for a longer period and we don't see the mountains that we could in the past," said Asif Shuja, the former head of Pakistan's environmental protection agency. Hazes and dust storms increasing South Asian cities regularly top lists of places with highest levels of air pollution in the health across the region has been badly impacted by the toxic air, which frequently causes travel disruption and school and industrial emissions, dust from infrastructure construction and dry gravel roads as well as the open burning of waste are major sources of air pollution is compounded by soot from massive forest fires - which are increasing due to a longer dry season - and the burning of crop residues after the harvest by farmers in northern India, Pakistan and conditions keeping warmer air above cooler air trap these pollutants and limit vertical air movement - preventing pollution from dispersing."Hazes and dust storms are increasing in South Asia, and this trend is projected to continue due to climate change and other factors," Dr Someshwor Das from the South Asia Meteorological Association told the 2024, the number of hazy days recorded at the airport in Pokhara, a major tourism hub in western Nepal, was 168 - up from 23 in 2020 and 84 in 2021, according to Nepal's department of hydrology and meteorology. Experts believe the Himalayas are probably the worst affected mountain range in the world given their location in a populous and polluted could mean the scintillating view of the Himalayas could now largely be limited to photographs, paintings and postcards."We are left to do business with guilt when we are unable to show our clients the mountains that they pay us for," said trekking leader Ms Chhetri."And there is nothing we can do about the haze."
Globe and Mail
12-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Toll Brothers to Host Model Home Grand Opening at its Venado Valley Community in Carson City, Nevada on May 17
CARSON CITY, Nev., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Toll Brothers, Inc. (NYSE:TOL), the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, today announced the grand opening of Venado Valley, a new luxury home community in Carson City, Nevada. This private enclave of 40 new single-family homes offers beautiful mountain views and spacious floor plans within walking distance of historic downtown Carson City. Home shoppers are invited to attend the highly anticipated model home grand opening event on Saturday, May 17, 2025 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1693 Venado Valley Circle in Carson City. The event will feature Tahoe's first and only wood-burning pizza oven on wheels, light refreshments, and music while exploring the new professionally decorated and landscaped Toll Brothers model home. Visitors will also get an insider look at available home sites plus quick move-in homes. For more information and to register for the Toll Brothers model home grand opening event, visit 'We are thrilled to unveil this special luxury community that truly has it all, from its stunning location that is minutes from all that Carson City has to offer to exceptional home designs that meet the unique needs and desires of our customers,' said Donna O'Connell, Division President of Toll Brothers in Reno. 'Venado Valley is set to become one of the most sought-after addresses in this vibrant area.' Homes at Venado Valley feature single-level designs ranging from 2,129 to 2,337+ square feet of living space with exceptional features including 3 to 4 bedrooms, 3-car garages, soaring 10-foot ceilings, well-appointed kitchens, covered patios, and ample storage. The homes are designed with distinct Modern Craftsman, Modern Mountain, and Modern Ranch architecture, and include charming front porches and enhanced front yard landscaping. Homes are priced from the upper $600,000s. Offering tranquil small-town living in the scenic valley of the Carson Range, Venado Valley provides an ideal setting for every lifestyle with walkable access to nearby shops and restaurants in Carson City's historic downtown and an array of outdoor recreation that takes advantage of the spectacular natural beauty of every season. For more information on Venado Valley and to join the interest list, home shoppers are invited to call (855) 400-8655 or visit About Toll Brothers Toll Brothers, Inc., a Fortune 500 Company, is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes. The Company was founded 58 years ago in 1967 and became a public company in 1986. Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol 'TOL.' The Company serves first-time, move-up, empty-nester, active-adult, and second-home buyers, as well as urban and suburban renters. Toll Brothers builds in over 60 markets in 24 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington, as well as in the District of Columbia. The Company operates its own architectural, engineering, mortgage, title, land development, smart home technology, and landscape subsidiaries. The Company also develops master-planned and golf course communities as well as operates its own lumber distribution, house component assembly, and manufacturing operations. Toll Brothers has been one of Fortune magazine's World's Most Admired Companies™ for 10+ years in a row, and in 2024 the Company's Chairman and CEO Douglas C. Yearley, Jr. was named one of 25 Top CEOs by Barron's magazine. Toll Brothers has also been named Builder of the Year by Builder magazine and is the first two-time recipient of Builder of the Year from Professional Builder magazine. For more information visit From Fortune, ©2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All rights reserved. Used under license.
