POKHARA, Nepal - Twenty years ago, the three Chettri sisters began a mountain trekking company. It wasn't easy.

"The men said this is a business for the men and we should leave it alone," said Lucky Chettri. She is the oldest sister in the 3 Sisters Adventure Trekking Co. Trekking is a long hike, usually over many days.

The male owners of the other companies threatened the women and bullied them. They even falsely accused the sisters of stealing. "They would even accuse us of trying to take away food from their table," Lucky said.

Now the sisters' business is booming. And they have a waiting list of Nepalese women who want to become mountain guides.

Time For New Traditions

Nepal is still a traditional country. Men still control many things. But Nepalese women, like the Chettri sisters, are gaining more power.

In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to climb Mount Everest. It took another 40 years before the first Nepali woman reached the mountain peak. Since then, women have made progress in many areas.

In 1990, few Nepali women were lawmakers. In 2008, one of every three lawmakers were women. Also, some laws that were unfair to women have been changed. One of them let only sons inherit their parents' property. Daughters got nothing after their parents died.

The number of women in trekking and mountain climbing is also higher, said Shailee Basnet. In 2008, Basnet led a Nepali women's team to climb Everest. Because of the Chettri sisters, there are many more women guides, she said.

Women guides have become a normal thing now, Basnet said.

Making A Great Idea A Success

The Chettris began their company about 20 years ago. They had heard that some foreign female trekkers were threatened by male guides.

"These girls were really afraid," and they felt unsafe, said Lucky, 48.

The sisters once led trips themselves. But they had trouble finding other women to lead groups. The women had to know about trekking, speak English and be willing to spend days away from home. They decided to bring the women to Pokhara and train them for six months.

Nicky is the youngest sister. She said that at the beginning it was very unusual for the women to join the training program. The women had to be willing to leave their homes for many days. "Some thought it was against our culture because women are expected to be at home doing household work," she said.

But soon the word spread. The women liked earning their own money, Nicky said. They didn't like depending on their husbands.

Gam Maya Tilicha, 25, once planned to become a teacher. But she is now a full-time guide at the company.

"I never imagined that I would be a trekking guide. But the income is very good and I like what I am doing," she said.

Many Students Want To Train

The sisters accept 40 students every six months. The students are given free housing, food and clothing.

The guides make about $3,000 a year. This is not a lot of money in the United States, but it is a good salary in this poor Himalayan nation. Monika Rai is a 19-year-old student. She hopes it leads to something better.

"I am here to learn the skills of trekking and English language," she said. Rai hopes to become a guide. Guides make the most money.

The Chettris have 150 women guides. They lead nearly 1,000 trekkers a year from around the world.

Mountaineering and trekking is a big business in Nepal. Nearly half the foreign visitors to Nepal come to explore the mountains. About 340,000 of them went on treks last year.

Many of the visitors are single women. They prefer a female guide. One of them is Sophie Whitwell. She is a 25-year-old from London who signed up with 3 Sisters.

"I would definitely want a female guide," she said. In case of a problem, "a female guide is just as capable of walking to the next town to get help or make a phone call."