Insight Nepal | Nepal - Mystical Land of Himalayas

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TREKKING

'Trekking' in Nepal defines a term used for walking long distances along well-defined trails for about 4 to 6 hours a day. Trekking in Nepal almost always involves gradual to sometimes-stiff walk up and down hills and mountain trails to a specified destination. Trekking involves no technical skill and it can be enjoyed by anyone who is in a good physical shape and has a spirit of adventure. Clients are allowed to walk at their own pace giving them adequate time to absorb a multitude of experiences along the trail. Porters or yaks are provided to carry all the essential equipment, food and personal baggage. All clients need to carry is a light bag with personal items necessary for the day on the trek. Experienced English speaking Sherpa mountain guides, trained to handle individual needs as well as the unexpected, lead all our treks.

The days denoted in the itinerary are the trekking days only and overnight stops mentioned in the itinerary is subject to change at short notice by the trekking guide, who will make the final decision depending on the situation. We can also assist with any special tailor-made itinerary as per requirement. We would like to be your partner in your voyage of discovery.

WHO SHOULD GO ON A TREK?

If you are not ready to accept the fact that some of the basic amenities such as accommodation and food will be far from your expectations and that you will be deprived of comforts you are used to back home, then this trip is not for you.

Older people and those with respiratory and heart problems or any other health problems should consult their doctors before attempting any extended high altitude treks. If in doubt, we suggest you select an easier trip. You can always be more ambitious in your next trip.

Trekking in the Himalayas can be quite strenuous and you may have to go without a hot bath for days. Overnights will be spent in two men tents or local lodges, which can be quite cold during the night.

If you are an outdoor type with a good sense of humor, a spirit of adventure, physically fit and mentally prepared to sacrifice the basic comforts you are used to back home for the sake of adventure and discovery, then you will have an experience of a life time and most likely, you will be our next repeat trekker like most.

TYPE OF TREK

Treks can either be a budget LODGE TREK also known as TEA HOUSE TREK or an ORGANIZED TENTED TREK.

TEAHOUSE OR LODGE TREK
Teahouse or Lodge treks can be organized for popular trekking routes such as those in the Annapurna region, Everest region and Langtang region where local teahouses and lodges are available for night halts. During Teahouse treks, we provide a guide/escort and a porter for every two persons or as per requirement and all meals and accommodation will be in the best available teahouses.

ORGANIZED CAMPING TREK
These treks can be fairly strenuous. They take you to the wilderness in remote parts of Nepal where you have to be totally self-sufficient. You need to carry all camping gear and food to last you for the whole trek as you could be out of touch with civilization for days. These treks are recommended for experienced walkers, though mountaineering experience is not required. Our highly experienced Sherpa mountain guides, cooks, helpers and porters provide all logistical support. The number of our trekking staff members will depend on the group size and the remoteness and the duration of the trekking days.

All food is as fresh as practicable and professional Sherpa cooks will amaze you with the variety of Indian, Nepalese and continental cuisine they can prepare.

Following items/services are provided for organized trekking tours:
Two men tents with sewn-in ground sheets and zipper openings, an elongated canvas bag for your clothing, equipment and sleeping bag, dining tents, chairs and tables and toilet tents, etc. are provided during all our treks.

Note: We advice clients to bring their own sleeping bag for their personal comfort. If necessary, we will assist in hiring one from a trekking equipment store in Nepal.

A NORMAL DAY ON THE TRAIL

An average group size is maximum 15 members and minimum 2 persons. Our trek crew members consist of Sherpa mountain guides, cooks, helpers and porters providing all logistical support. Accommodation will be in large two men tents or local homes during organized camping treks. A guide and porters will be provided for Tea House treks and accommodation and meals will be in clean local lodges.

We have always been complimented for the good food that is prepared by our trekking cooks. Meals are a mixture of foreign and local food freshly prepared at the camp. For Teahouse trekkers, all meals will be provided at the local Teahouse.

You will walk at your own comfortable pace, which gives you ample time to explore the villages and to take photographs. Meeting and interacting with local people is also an interesting feature of a trek.

A normal day on any trek begins with a hot cup of coffee/tea and a warm bowl of water for washing at around 6:30 am. After a good breakfast, trekking starts at about 8am. Towards midday, there is a stop of about two hours for lunch. We make camp at about 5 pm. Campsites are normally selected near villages or at a picturesque site.

The fixed pattern of a normal day may change when you are crossing a pass or climbing a peak or due to any unforeseen reason that necessitates a change in the itinerary.

NORMAL GROUP SIZE FOR A TREK

We cater to both individuals and group trekkers. Organized tented treks require a minimum group size of 2 pax. It will be interesting to know that about eight to ten or more of our trekking crew members will be serving for a group of 2 to 4 trekkers, depending on the remoteness and duration of the trek. We like to keep our groups to a manageable size of Maximum 15 Pax per group, so that we can offer our best attention to each and every client. Teahouse treks can be organized even for a single person if necessary.

SEASONS FOR TREKKING

In general, the best trekking season extends from early October until the end of May. Days are normally warm while nights can be cool to very cold (depending on the altitude). December till February can be very cold and higher altitudes get snow at this time of the year, making some passes above 5000m quite un-crossable.

The monsoon lasts from June till August. Rains and cloudy days characterize the monsoon in Nepal, especially in the lowlands and the mid-hilly regions. But this time of the year is perfect for trekking in the rain shadow regions north of the Himalayas such as Upper Annapurna regions, Mustang, Dolpo, Humla, Jumla and Rara lake regions of northwestern Nepal. This is also certainly the best time for Tibet treks and tours. For Tibet treks, the best season would be from April till October.

TREK GRADING

The grades should be used as a guide to help you decide on the type of trek you wish to do. If in doubt, we suggest you select an easier trek or approach us for any advice you need. You can be more ambitious in your next trip. Please remember that you are not here to compete, but to have a holiday of a lifetime. We assure you that we will do our best to make your holiday a memorable one.

Easy Treks : Interesting treks designed for those willing to do an introductory trek in Nepal. Ordinary physical preparation should be enough. An easy trek by Nepalese standards though it does involve climbing up and down hills. The trails do not exceed 2,900m in altitude and the walking duration is about 4 to 5 hours a day.

Moderate Treks: Suitable for those with more time to spare and for those who are reasonably fit and ready to walk 6 to 7 hours a day and reaching 4000m at the most. Physical preparation such as regular walking is suggested.

Adventurous Treks : These treks are reasonably demanding and require all participants to be fit and in excellent health. Normal walking duration is 7 to 8 hours a day. The trek also involves high altitude treks of over 4000m, which will occasionally reach above 5000m. Some treks included here will, in part, be well away from villages on ill-defined mountain trails. No mountaineering experience is required and it can be managed by a very fit first timer willing to rough it out a bit. Physical preparation however, is necessary such as jogging and regular walking for a couple of months before your trip.

Here we include all Tibet trips primarily because of the rigors of the climate and overall altitude, varying between Lhasa at 3,700m/12,000ft, to high pass crossing, by vehicle or on foot in excess of 5,000m/16,000ft.

Climbing/Strenuous Treks These are very demanding treks suitable for veterans and hard-core adventurers. The trek will involve crossing high mountain passes of over 5,400 meters and trekking peaks of 5,500m to over 6000m. Mountaineering skills and knowledge of using climbing equipment such as ice axe, crampons, etc is a must. Special permits are necessary for climbing trekking peaks and medical certificates are required prior to acceptance on any climbing treks.

FITNESS

It is extremely important to be in good physical shape before you embark on a trek. It is equally important to mentally accept that the comforts of home will be absent. You will miss some of your favorite food and will have to do without hot showers at the end of the day. In the wilderness, things may not work out as you planned. If you are not willing to forgo your usual comforts, you will not enjoy our holiday and we suggest that you search for an alternative holiday.

The more physically fit you are, the more easily your body will adapt to hiking in the Himalayas. Resistance to cold and sickness is also increased. We suggest you begin a fitness program at least three months before your departure. Cycling, swimming, jogging, squash, tennis, etc. will help. Most people in good health who have prepared physically will have no problem in enjoying themselves.

ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS (AMS)

Also known as altitude sickness, Acute mountain sickness can become a serious problem to some. It results through failure of the body to adapt to high altitude. It can affect anyone regardless of age or fitness. It usually occurs once you pass 1,800m above seal level. In general, you should not ascend more than 300m a day after you reach the height of 3,000 to 4,000m until you have acclimatized. Poor acclimatization results in headaches, nausea, and sleeplessness, irregular breathing and swelling of fingers and glands. Most people get over the initial symptoms quite soon. In the worst conditions, the only way to fight altitude sickness is to descend as fast as possible. A descent of 1,000m normally brings about rapid recovery. We have planned our routes carefully to ensure proper acclimatization. Cases of mountain sickness are rare on our trips. However, we stress that anyone who develops a headache at high altitude to consider it as an early symptom of mountain sickness and inform the trek leader immediately. People may have headaches for other reasons, but the possibility of mountain sickness cannot be ignored.

CLOTHING

Whatever the trek and whatever the season, light clothing for warm weather is needed since even at high altitudes days are warm when the sun is out. You will need adequate warm clothing if you spend much time above 3000m in winter, plus items like snow gaiters, snow goggles and woolen cap.

A LIST TO HELP YOU:

Please note that the list is just a reference to help you pack. You are the best judge as to which items you will need and how many.

Boots : Recommended good quality light/medium weight boots with gripping rubber soles and high enough to provide good ankle support. It should be comfortable with two pairs of socks on. Make sure your boots are well broken in.
Socks : 6-10 pairs; A few pairs of wool/wool-mix socks and several pairs of cotton socks.
Trousers : Light cotton/wool trousers that are not tight fitting. Jeans not recommended. Breeches are excellent. Army-navy surplus cotton trousers and dungarees, and thick woolen pants for higher altitudes are good.
Tracksuit : Very useful being warm but light.
Shorts : Cotton shorts for the lower altitudes. A loose skirt is an adequate alternative to shorts for women.
Shirts/blouses : T-shirts, cotton and cotton/wool-mix shirts, and pure woolen ones for higher altitudes.
Sweater : One woolen sweater.
Underwear : Regular underwear for warm weather, thermal underwear for colder, higher altitudes.
Headgear : Woolen cap is essential for higher altitudes; Also sun hat for protection against sun.
Down jacket : Good quality down jacket with hood for high altitude or winter treks. This can be hired in Nepal if required.
Neck-scarf : Thin cotton neck scarf protects neck from sun and it can also be wet to cool you.
Wind/rain protection : Wind/rain proof wear that should "breathe" or condensation will wet you from inside. Rain pants are also helpful as wind pants. An umbrella is useful for rain and as a sunshade.
Gloves : Woolen gloves or mittens for colder, higher altitudes.
Over-trousers : Wind/water proof over-trousers of light nylon, essential.
Snow gaiter : Essential at high altitudes where there is snow.
Sunglasses : Sunglasses are a must for any trek, snow goggles for high altitudes.
Plastic bags : Rather useful to wrap clothing, sleeping bag, everything.
Torchlight : A good flashlight with extra bulbs and batteries.
Water bottle : Another essential item, aluminum bottle is best.
Slippers/thongs : Useful at campsites.
Day Pack : A daypack with padded shoulder straps and a wide waist belt is suggested. Daypack is necessary to carry your daily essentials only.
Duffel bag : Heavy-duty long (about 36 inches long) canvas or nylon bag is most practical for porters or yaks to carry your luggage during treks.
Sleeping bag : A three-season (spring-summer-autumn), mummy-style down or fiber filled bag rated to about 10 to 15 deg. F.
Inner sheet : A silk or cotton inner sheet for the sleeping bag.
Sleeping pad : A full-length foam pad for extra comfort.

Optional Items : Safety pins, sewing needle and thread, scissors, thermometer, tweezers, rubber adhesive (for minor repairs of shoes, etc), one duct tape for repairs, nail cutter, pocket knife, lighter, camera, walking stick, plastic map-holder, playing cards, and medicine kit, tampons or sanitary napkins and moist napkins, etc.

Snack food : You can carry some dry fruits and nuts, chocolate bars and candies, etc. Do not over load yourself, as all meals will be prepared fresh in the camps

FIRST AID KIT

It is important to carry a basic first aid kit. It is always a good idea to get a dental checkup before you leave on a trek. Kindly consult your doctor for the right drugs and for appropriate dosages.

A LIST TO HELP YOU:

ANALGESICS/ANTI- INFLAMMATORY
Aspirin / Acetaminophen, or Paracetamol: for minor pain, colds and fever.
Ibuprofen : for pain relieve and anti – inflammation.

ANTIBIOTICS
For infections of skin, chest, urinary tract, inner ear, sinus infection, eyes and intestinal infections, etc.
Eye drops (very important)

ANTIDIARRHEA AND GASTROINTESTINAL MEDICATION
Anti-diarrhea/dysentery and stomach cramps
Antacid tablets
Anti –worm medication
Laxative
Oral dehydration salts
Anti- vomiting Medication

ANTIHISTAMINE : for all forms of allergies.

DECONGESTANTS AND RESPIRATORY MEDICATION
Nasal spray or drops
Throat lozenges
Balms

HIGH ALTITUDE MEDICATION :
Acetazolamide : to prevent symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS).
Bandages and Dressings and handyplast: for sprains and cuts (minor or major). Handyplast or adhesive strips to put over minor cuts or blisters.

BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, AND BURN TREATMENT
Adhesive medicated strips
Cloth adhesive tape
Wide elastic bandage
Sterile gauze pads and gauze rolls
Cotton buds and rolls.
Burn treatment medication
Disinfectants for small cuts and bruises.
Lip and face cream and also sun blocking lotion.

INSURANCE AND SAFETY

SAFETY
All treks are planned to ensure full client safety and each day's schedule leaves you with time to explore and enjoy the trek, relax and to acclimatize.

Though we have not had any serious cases of emergency as yet, unforeseen incidents beyond our control cannot be ruled out. We assist with immediate arrangements for rescue by land or air if the need arises.

INSURANCE
Our cost does not include insurance of any kind. It is recommended that travelers obtain a comprehensive insurance covering personal injury, loss and damage of property and also tour cancellation.

It is requested that all passengers are properly insured specially for high altitude treks, to include rescue operation by air or land as the cost for any rescue operation is not included in our cost.

Director’s Note