A landlocked country draped along the central Himalayas, Nepal is 553 miles (885 km) long and from 56 to 137 miles (90 to 220 km) wide. The country rises from a narrow strip of jungle in the south through the middle hills and up to the towering peaks of the Himalayas. Eight of the world's ten highest mountains are in Nepal, including Mount Everest. You could travel the length of the country in a day if there was a level road - in reality it would take several months to cross Nepal from east to west, and it would be mostly on foot.

Nepal is incredibly diverse. In one country there is hot lowland jungles, decidous forests filled with oak, birch and alder, valleys full of rice terraces, alpine meadows, vast, icy peaks and high-altitude deserts above the reach of the monsoon. This means there are as many ecosystems and the amount of different animals and insects is breathtaking. Neapl has more species of butterflies than the whole of the continental USA. Nepal has dozens of different ethnic groups all with their own beliefs, language and customs.

'Up' is the way of life in Nepal. The mountains that create Nepal's stunning scenery means that life is hard for often isolated mountain communities where the road can be ten days' walk away, or more. Life is especially hard for women who spend much of their time and energy collecting fuelwood and water.

Hemp can be a useful way to generate much-needed income. We buy yarn and cloth grown and woven in the rural west of Nepal, direct from the farmers, and for a fair price.