Re: trekking alternatives
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Re: trekking alternatives
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In Reply to: trekking alternatives posted by Richard Thompson on January 30, 2005 at 01:30:22:
I did a 2 week trek in that area north of sybaru Bensi this past April. We came out in Trisuli after never seeing another foreign trekker. Some of the Villages only spoke Tamang. We went expedition style and had a fabulous time.
: I was in Nepal for all of November and December, going to the Solu/Khumbu and Langtang regions.
: Trekking by ones self in the Langtang region in late December is a bit of a bummer. Only a couple tourists on the trail each way. I'm not a social animal, but I had my choice of lodges in which to be the only tenant. The only places of real interest in the valley proper was Langtang and Khanjing Ghompa, as well as the valley above Khanjing Ghompa. Gosenkund is woth the stop, and the view from Larabina Yak is awesome.
: Want to present a couple suggestions for alternatives to the normal trekking visit. The area to the north of Shapru Besi is trying to catch some of the tourist trade. I was in a village called Briddem (about 3 hrs from Shapru Besi) twice. They have a formal homestay program, although I don't know how one takes advantage if you don't book as part of a larger group.
: There are other places on a circuit that would take 4-5 days to complete including Tato Pani (hot springs). The area doesn't have the tourist infrastructure, so a guide would be almost mandatory. Might be more interesting than walking from one lodge to another.
: I got caught in a bundh just after Christmas. Delayed my return to Shapru Besi by one day because of strike. When I did get the bus, we only got as far as Dunche before the bus had to stop again. The short story is that I wound up walking to Triuli with a group from an NGO that was there to pick up a little girl whose mother was dead and whose father was handicapped.
: This group is called INFO-Nepal and has a web site at INFONEPAL.org. There are about 4 people full time in Nepal with coordinators in the US, GB, AUS, Netherlands, et.al. and they currently sponsor about a dozen children at boarding schools. In adddition, they have other projects such as a resource center in Chitwan. Their projects are funded by placing "volunteers" throughout the country. Programs range from short term "culteral exchange" (esentially home stay tourism), to extended periods with program similar to what the US Peace Corps does. That is, health, agriculture, and teaching support to local villages. There is a charge to place clients, but this is how they raise funds to support their other projects. The current problems in Nepal have reduced the number of foreign participants by about half to a level that is less than needed to sustain their programs.
: While I mention this particular group because of personal knowledge, I am sure that there are other similar groups, both in Nepal and in other countries. The actual fees were about the same as it would cost to trek for a similar period of time. Less if you were using a guide or catered tour. Consider it. It might be much more rewarding than trekking from tourist lodge to tourist lodge eating rice/noodles/potato/soup with vegetable/egg/mushroom.