Trekking
Trekkinng and Mountaineering in Nepal
Preparing For Trek
FAQ about trek
Trekking Seasons
Trekking
Permits
Trekking Itineraries
Mountaineering
Personal equipment check
list Altitude Sickness
The best way to experience Nepal's unbeatable
combination of natural beauty and cultural richness is trekking. Trekking does
not mean mountain climbing but refers to waling on trails. Neither you need any
advanced training nor have to be very sportive. So anyone with a pair of strong
legs and adventurer spirit will enjoy the thrills of trekking in the foothills
of Nepal Himalayas.
Types of trekking
Trekking can be reduced to
two primary approaches: camping treks and lodge treks.
Camping trek
This is a massive arrangement, rather expensive but the only way to
enjoy the trekking in real sense. We provide all camping and kitchen equipment.
Porters carry your gears and foodstuff. Sherpas set the camp and , cook serve
meals. Sirdar controls the porters and takes all administration. Sirdar,
obviously is the captain of the team.
Lodge or teahouse trek
In
the Annapurna, Langtang and Everest region, basic lodging and food facilities
are mostly available. The guide decides the lodges for overnight stay and
meals. In winter and summer, lodge treks are better to avoid the inclement
weather. In autumn and springs, the lodges are over crowded and can be difficult
to find a place to throw in.
Preparing for a trek
In all kinds of trekking in Nepal, you will require to walk 5 to 6 hours
daily on uneven trails, which demands physical fitness as well as mental
preparedness.
On the basis of trail condition, altitude, glaciers and
passes, trekking routes have been classified from 1 to 5 grades;1 stands for an
easy route where as 5 for hard.
One with cardiac and pulmonary history
is required to take the advice of a physician before participating a trek.
It's recommended that you have some knowledge about altitude sickness,
its symptoms, prevention and remedies.
Your insurance policy should
cover for helicopter evacuation expenses in the case of serious illness,
accident or if you are stranded in any remote area due to inclement weather
conditions.
We provide tents, mattresses, dinning table food and all
kitchen equipment but you have to bring your personal trekking gears. Click on
the personal equipment checklist for list of personal clothing and trekking
equipment.
Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you can also buy or rent trekking
gears.
Some trekking regions provide with lodging and fooding facilities
and tenting equipment are not really a need. If you want a light travel, you can
buy or rent the trekking gears in Kathmandu upon arrival.
Personal equipment check List
For all treks
Foot
wear
Trekking boots with spare laces.
Camp shoes
Socks
Clothing
Down or fiber-filled jacket
Jumper or file
jacket
Hiking pants
Water proof jacket or puncho
Umbrella
Sunhat
Other equipment
Rucksack and
duffel bag
Sleeping bag
Flashlight and batteries
Miscellaneous items
Toilet articles and towels
Toilet
paper
Small knife
Sunscreen lotion
Medical and First air
kit.
For treks going above 4000m
Foot wears
Mountain trekking boots
Woolen socks
Light cotton socks
Clothing
Insulated pants
Windbreaker
Wind pants
Thermal underwear
Woolen hat
Gloves
Gaiters
Miscellaneous items
Sun glasses
Sun block for lips
Optional equipment
Camera and lenses
Lens cleaning
equipment
Films
Binoculars
Books to read
Altitude Sickness
Altitude sickness, often known as
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a very important medical consideration while
trekking in Nepal. The symptoms of AMS are as following.
Nausea,
vomiting
Loss of appetite
Insomnia/sleeplessness
Persistent headache
Dizziness, light headedness, confusion
Disorientation
Weakness, fatigue, lassitude, heavy legs
Slight swelling of hands and face
Breathlessness or irregular
breathing.
Less urine output
Prevention of AMS
Acclimatization-After a 1000m ascent, stay one more night for
acclimatization.
Do not make rapid ascent.
No alcohol, no
sleeping pills, no smoking, no sex
Drink more fluid 3-4 liters day-clean
water, boiled and filtered or medicated, tea, coffee, soup, and juice
No
heavy backpacks. 10 �E2 kilograms OK.
Climb higher, always sleep lower
Ascend less than 300m a day above 3000m of altitude.
Never trek
alone
Treatment of AMS:
Descent is the best remedy; do not wait
for the helicopters or medical help
Three medications have been proven
useful.
Diamox-125 mg can prevent mild symptoms of AMS.
Nifedipine ordinarily used to treat heart problems and high blood
pressure.
Descomethasone, an important drug to carry for emergency use.
Trekking seasons:
Trekking in Nepal can be
undertaken throughout the year depending on the region. There are 4 seasons in
Nepal each of which has its distinct attraction to offer.
Autumn (Sep-
Nov): the best season offering excellent weather and tantalizing mountain
views.
Winter (December- February): ideal season for trekking at lower
altitude, generally below 3000m.
Spring (March-May): the second best
trekking season. The temperature is quite moderate, especially the rhododendrons
are in complete blossom and the the mountain views are excellent..
Summer ( June- August); this is the favorite season to trek in the rain
shadow areas like Mustang, Upper Manang and Dolpo. These places are out of reach
of the rain clouds because of the huge mountains and are unaffected by the
monsoon. This season is also recommended for forest researchers and botanist.
Warning-raincoats and insect repellents are strictly necessary in this period.
Trekking Permits and National Park Fees.
All trekkers
require a trekking permit to visit Nepal�s interior regions, which are not
connected by highways. Recently the Annapurna, Langtang and Everest regions have
been declared " permit free" areas; but National Park or Conservation Area fees
are still applicable. We process the trekking permits and national park
entrances at immigration offices in Kathmandu or Pokhara.
Permit
Fees:
Kanchanjungam, Makalu, Dhaulagiri, Ganesh Himal, Lower Dolpa USD
10 per week for the first four weeks in a year and USD 20 per week thereafter.
Manaslu USD 90 per week in autumn and USD 70 per week rest of the
seasons.
Humla (simikot- Yari)USD 90 for the first seven days and USD 15
per day thereafter.
Upper Mustang and Upper Dolpo USD 700 for the first
10 days and USD 70 per day thereafter.
National Park Fee:
Most
of the trekking regions are also national parks or Wildlife Reserves or
Conservation Area. A separate fee of NRS 1000 (approximately USD 15) is required
to pay for national parks and wildlife reserves and NRS 2000 for Annapurna
Conservation Area.
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