Things you always wanted to know about trekking in the Himalayas but didn't dare ask.
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Things you always wanted to know about trekking in the Himalayas but didn't dare ask. |
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What gear do I need to go trekking in Nepal? To trek the Annapurna Circuit a minimum of gear is required. The climate is mostly dry, being on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. The Circuit is well provided with lodges, spaced (so it seems) about 10 minutes walk apart. The lodges serve reasonable food. They provide twin bedrooms, you are expected to have a sleeping bag and provide the padlock for the door! The recommended clothes are based on the author's own experience of this trek and also his many years of mountaineering experience. The climate on the trek varies from the warm and damp at low altitude to the cold and dry higher up. When it is windy it is dry . The rationale behind the clothing list is that you will only launder your socks, underwear and shirts during the trek. If you hang you laundry on the outside of your rucksack it can dry in the sun as you walk. Thus you need two sets of these items. The essential items are:
The nice to have items are
How will I carry all this stuff? You will find that the stuff listed above should weigh no more than eight kilogrammes. If that's too heavy or you want to take a kitchen sink you can hire a porter or a porter-guide. A porter guide can be hired in Besisahar (for Annapurna) or Jiri and Lukla (for Everest) for around US$8 per day. What are the distinctions between a 'guide' and 'porter-guide' and a 'porter'? A guide will show you around, but will not help you carry your gear. With this guide book you should not have any problem with navigation. A porter will carry your gear inexpensively, but will not be able to speak English. A porter guide is a member of the Trekking Workers' Association of Nepal. A porter guide generally speaks good English and will carry a limited load, up to around 15 kilograms. His experience of the circuit will enhance your holiday. He will also be able to translate for you, if necessary. The cost for a porter guide was around US$8 per day, inclusive of meals and accommodation. The best way to find a guide is to ask your lodge owner to find you someone. Look for someone with written references.
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One political party in Nepal, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), has abandoned participation in parliamentary democracy and is fighting a 'peoples war' against the Nepalese government. Consequently there is a civil war ongoing in Nepal at present. The Maoists appear to have significant support and appear to control the country apart from Kathmandu, Pokhara and the Khumbu Everest Trekking region, which are controlled by the Government of Nepal headed by King Ghanendra. No trekkers have been harmed during the conflict - both sides recognise the need for the revenues that tourism brings. Both sides are taxing tourists. You may therefore find that the Maoists may expect you to pay their trekking tax - keep the receipt! There is, in our opinion, no reason for tourists to be concerned about the Maoists. YetiZone believes that the culture of Nepal is unique and worthy of preservation for future generations. We believe that the conflict should be ended by peaceful means in order to protect the people of Nepal and their culture. For this reason we do not support outside governments providing armed support for either side. We believe that the conflict can be and should be resolved by the Nepalese people themselves, and are confident of their ability to use their own skills and resources to overcome the challenges they face on the path to peace.
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Do I need to join an expedition to go trekking in Nepal? No, you do not need to join an expedition to go trekking in Nepal. It is a common misconception, dating from the times of the early Himalayan mountaineering expeditions, that travel in Nepal is arduous and requires vast amounts of equipment, planning, porters and military style organisation. Even for an extended 300 kilometre trip around the Annapurna Circuit, an expedition is most definitely not needed. Do I need to go on an organised holiday to go trekking in Nepal? No, you do not need to join a holiday organised in your home country. The Annapurna Circuit path is easy to follow as is the Everest trek ad the Langtang Helambu trek. There are many lodges for you to stay in along the way. For many though, an organised holiday is ideal for a first trek. The views are the same however you organise your holiday!
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Do I have to use a Nepalese trekking agency or guide? Not unless you want to. To trek in the Annapurna, Langtang and Everest regions, it is not compulsory to use a Nepalese trekking agency or guide. In Kathmandu you will see many agencies offering to organise trekking. These organisations will arrange your park entrance fee and find a guide and porters. However, it is easy to get your own park entrance permit, and is one way of meeting other intending trekkers. Secondly, the guide may not be an employee of the agency, and the service he provides may not have been agreed. It is common to find trekkers whose guides have suddenly decided to shorten the trip once the trek has started. Guides may demand more money, and a porter to carry their personal gear, and a reduced itinerary. The guide may not consider himself to be providing a service to you. Do I need to find people to go trekking with me? It's great to travel as part of a group, but also fine and safe to travel alone. As so many people trek these days, you may find that you team up on the trek itself with people you meet and find that you get along with. The person who is good company in Kathmandu may not be such good company on the trek. But of course there is no reason why you should not meet up with people in Kathmandu or Pokhara, or visit Nepal with friends from your home country. If you are on your own and would like to team up with others, like so many things in Nepal , what you need will turn up at just the right time.
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Can I go trekking on my own? Yes, there is no reason why not. But do not anticipate a solitary mountain experience as a result. There will be lots of other trekkers around. As a lone trekker, you will not be held back by other people's ailments, such as blisters. The downside is that if you yourself are ill, you will be on your own. However, be warned, do not camp alone. What about women trekkers? Be sure to travel with a trusted companion. Do not allow guides or porters to share your room at the lodge, even if they claim there is nowhere else for them to sleep. (Unless of course you want them to!) Be sure to wear modest clothing - long skirt and longsleeved blouse. Observe what the Tibetan women wear. Repect other people's cultures. You'll get a lot more respect from the Nepalese women too. (Note that men should wear modest clothes too - long trousers and long sleeved shirt, although not many bother ) How many people go trekking in Nepal? Each year around 10,000 people complete the Annapurna Circuit. The Everest region is slightly less popular. Numbers are somewhat down at present owing to the assasination of the Nepalese Royal Family, the Maoist rebellion, September 11th and now George Bush's irrational war with Iraq. Do I need to take a tent? No. There are plenty of lodges to stay in. The rooms are twin rooms. You provide your own sleeping bag, and padlock (from your home country) for the door. Do I need to take months off work to go trekking in Nepal? No, although the Annapurna Circuit, including the Annapurna Sanctuary is 22 days long, it can be done faster, but you are there to enjoy the mountain views. An allowance should be built into an itinerary for obtaining trekking permits, bad weather, illness and rest days. You should allow one day to obtain a permit, 1 day in 10 for bad weather, 1 day in 10 for illness and once a week to rest. Many people neglect to take rest days, and find themselves too tired to enjoy the experience. The Langtang trek takes around 15 days. I'd set aside at least 20 days to visit the Everest region. Will I need to learn Nepalese? No, most Nepalese who are in regular contact with tourists speak some form of English. The younger Nepalese may be quite fluent, although with strong accents! Nepali is similar to Hindi, rather like Norwegian is similar to Swedish and Danish. Both Nepali and Hindi (as well as Gujarati and Punjabi) are derived from Sanskrit. They are sister languages. Is the food in Nepal safe to eat? Mostly! Although some people do experience stomach upsets in Kathmandu, remember a Nepalese visiting the USA would have a similar problem. Once on the trek, most people have no problems. Is the water safe? Outside of Kathmandu and Pokhara, there are no water treatment plants. So the water is mostly untreated, however, it does mostly come straight from the clouds! However, some of it does not, and of course, you can't tell the good water from the bad water. There are several approaches to ensuring safe drinking water. These are, drinking tea, treating water with iodine, ozonated water, filtered water and drinking beer (my favourite). Tea is boiled, so it's safe to drink. Lodges are so frequent that you can rely on tea drinking in the most popular areas. You can treat water with iodine tablets - this kills most of the nasty bugs. You can buy iodine tablets in outdoor stores, and in Kathmandu. In the Annapurna region, ozonated water is available which is also safe. You can take your own water filter, but why bother carrying it? Some people supplement tea with bottled beer, but this is not recommended whilst ascending to high altitude. Coca Cola is also available, in bottles from Kathmandu, and in aluminium cans from China. What are the toilets like? The toilets are usually rather like the French 'hole-in-the-floor' type, although they do not usually flush. Take your own paper on the trek, which you can buy in Kathmandu. Be careful with your balance at first. Don't fall in! Where will I stay in Kathmandu? The tourist trap in Kathmandu is called Thamel. There are lots of small hotels here. From the airport ask the taxi drivers to take you to the Kathmandu Guest House. There are lots of hotels around here, including the Garuda, Marco Polo, Kathmandu Peace Guest House, etc. How do I get to Kathmandu? On a plane. Consult your favourite airline. You may also come overland to and from India and from Tibet.
Do I need to carry a first aid kit? If you are a doctor or nurse, then you should carry a first aid kit . We know you won't be able to resist stocking it up with all the latest goodies from your place of work. Other trekkers should take any regular prescription medication plus some aspirins for altitude headaches and some sticking plaster for cuts grazes and blisters. 'Compeed' which is a proprietary blister patch is also recommended. If you have a more serious problem, seek out a nurse or doctor from amongst the other trekkers. They sometimes try to remain incognito, but they can't help talking to one another about work! |
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