Trekking Nepal

AMADABLA

SUN BLOCK a good quality sun-block in conjunction with the right head gear and clothing can make for a burn free trek. Your skin will dry out so some form of cream will not go amiss and can help cracked and sore fingers.

BOOTS don't go out and buy a new pair of leather boots, that old battered pair as long as still waterproof will not give any problems at all. The new pair will give you blisters and you will end up walking in your trainers. New foot pads are an excellent idea and can give a surprising amount of extra comfort to old boots.

SOCKS do go and buy new wool mix socks, three pairs is about right, the thicker the better, but make sure they fit with your boots. Thin socks can be worn especially at the end of the days trekking.

TRAINERS yes do take a pair of trainers; a lot of the time they can be ideal for trails, as long as it's dry.

SANDALS I have not trekked in the trekking sandals as they seem to allow your feet to get filthy but are a treat to change into after a hard days trekking.

TEE-SHIRTS and UNDERWEAR cotton Tee-shirts tend to dry slowly and smell, so a nylon or other man made fibre is preferable and will dry quickly and keep you cooler. Higher up layers of course are the answer, but I object strongly to the outrageous prices that are charged for the high tech garments so resort to thin wicking garments and fleece pullovers brought cheaply and discard able at the end of the trek.

GLOVES take at least two pairs of gloves; a thin pair for general use and handling cameras, etc. and make sure your warm pair really are as fingers on some routes can be exposed to frost bite. The thick all wool Dacks are very good as even when wet they are warm.

HEAD GEAR take the biggest sun hat you can find. Never mind how silly it looks; high up with the high intensity ultraviolet burning your face off you will be glad to have the choice to wear it. Of course a good warm wool or fleece hat is essential on those cold frosty mornings.

HEAD TORCH the new L.E.D. head torches made by companies such as Petzl are outstanding, very light-weight, the bulbs won't blow and they only take small batteries and so save a lot of weight. Do take an alternative torch as well though; they are very desirable and easily lost.

UMBRELLA yes! I always take a collapsible umbrella. It works very well low down keeping the sun off and is a lot cooler than a sun hat, it is also very useful in the rain enabling you to walk along without having to put on the rather warm Gortex jacket. A plastic Poncho can be brought in Kathmandu for about 200R. This can also keep both you and your rucksack dry in a downpour.

MEDICAL ADVICE try the MASTA web site www.masta.org Its comprehensive in its advice. You should have a comprehensive medical kit. If you are not going on an organized trek one of the essentials as far as I'm concerned is antibiotics. If you find you have a bad dose of diarrhea and/or sickness a course of Cyproxin will cure the problem in a couple of hours. Also it is an outstanding for curing chest infections. If I feel I'm going down with a chest infection on my way to altitude I tend to take a course sooner rather than let an infection get a grip. Above 4,500 meters your body is slowly degenerating anyway so it's no good waiting for things to get worse. Leave your sightseeing till the end off the trek, you should aim to be out of Kathmandu as quickly as possible that's were you will pick up a stomach bug or flu.

SLEEPING BAG after the Kanchenjunga trek when I brought a new sleeping bag that turned out to be under filled and therefore well below the specification I vowed never again to be that cold. A good four or five season down sleeping bag is essential, it's much easier to keep cool than trying to get warm with a underrated bag. I also have a Polartek type liner which can be used at lower altitudes to sleep in or for additional warmth in extreme situations.

SKI STICKS although I'm not a general user of these implements there are occasions where they can prove very useful such as steep assents and descents and they are light.

PORTERS now you have got all this gear; take a look at the average porter he will be doing most of the trek in flip-flops with no socks at all carrying from 30 up to some 80 kilos. If you are going high make sure your porters are properly equipped. Don't make the mistake of kitting them out in Kathmandu, they will have sold most of the gear before you even set off. Porters do die on the high passes, many of them are not used to high altitudes and come from the lowlands seeking work. There have been times when my porters have suffered with the altitude so do not think they are immune just because of their carrying capacity. I try and carry as little as possible, remember you are giving employment to someone in a very poor country so why struggle when you can pay about two or three pounds a day to have the bulk of your load and usually one other carried for you.

THE COOK food becomes the most important part of the trek so do go out of your way to make sure you have a good cook and I do not hesitate to interfere to make sure the hygiene is right; basically they have no idea about hygiene. Towards the end of a long trek you will find them wiping the dishes with a filthy black towel and that's when you go down with the trots. Take a new tea towel for each week of the trek and burn the old one. If you are keeping up with the cook and cook boys you are going too fast. The Cook and his staff have to be the fittest members of a trek, packing up and often leaving last, passing everyone to be ready at the next stop with a meal and hot drinks.

CLIMBING I am not a experienced climber but I would say that unless you are confident of your ability take at least a climbing guide with you, he should know the routes and be as proficient as yourselves. Although some of the Trekking Peaks like Mera Peak are technically easy you are still at high altitude and invariably you are pushing on owing to time constraints. It is a serious undertaking and many of the other so called Trekking Peaks are definitely only for the very experienced and proficient climber. Remember climbing up is the easy bit, getting down again is another matter, if in doubt take advice and always have a rope just in case. On the Chulu Pass I watched as climbing Sherpas were searching for the body of a Japanese climber who had gone climbing on his own.

RUCKSACKS if you are going to carry weight make sure your rucksack has a broad supporting waistband; that is where the weight should be located. The length of the back is also very important and the actual weight of the sack. Every little bit of weight at altitude makes a difference so that huge cheap monster sack from the market might not feel such a good idea plodding up a steep incline high up. I learnt my lesson on Mera Peak, a small lightweight but strong sack for higher altitudes is essential. I  say  again, with a broad waist band, but I have found a lot of difficulty getting a 30 kilo light sack able to carry weight. Stuff Bags, I am  renowned for not being very organized but with a little forethought a stuff bag for each category of clothing clearly marked on the outside can save much rummaging around.

DOWN JACKET if you have not got one, hire one in Kathmandu, it's one of the best ways to keep warm and I class it as an essential piece of equipment.

GAS your gas mix will differ at altitude. There can be problems with regulations flying it out but it can be brought in Kathmandu at a price. Check direct with your trekking agent, he might get you a good stock and save a lot of hassle.

MONEY do not send money or any items of value by post to Nepal. It will go missing. Even if you can get someone to act as a currier for you, it is difficult to find someone trustworthy to pass on valuables. Remember you can hire a porter for as little as 150 Rupees a day about £1.50. We seem like millionaires with all our expensive equipment and gear though violent crime is not a problem, it's just that bribery and corruption are the norm. The large banks in Kathmandu will accept credit cards to draw money. 

TENTS if you hire a tent check it out thoroughly before leaving Kathmandu. It's too late up the trail to find it's leaking water and the zips are knackered.

TREKKING AGENTS

Classic Journeys

was Classic Nepal

I joined their Kanchenjunga Trek in 1993 and have kept in touch since, always finding them very helpful.

Noel Walsh and Ann Brooks

www.classicjourneys.co.uk

info@classicjourneys.co.uk

I have changed my mind on the way to go about trekking. I would suggest that you negotiate a fixed cost for the organizing of the trek then pay for the rest of the trek direct; porters wages, food, etc then you can be sure that the money is going on the trek and not into an agent's pocket. This is how we organised the Mera Peak and Island Peak Trek but you may find some resistance as this is not the normal way of doing things.

Costs

Expect to pay 200 Rupees a day for a porter

A Cook about 250 a day

A guide 250 to 300 Rupees a day

Your negotiations should include a figure for the hire of the trekking kit and tents.

I will never use this agency again. Out of some 135,000 Rupees only 55,000 was sent on my trek in 2002 so I had a hard time. Also I had paid Nima some 220$ U.S. to get some 50 school books and pens to the school at Sedowa. I still have no proof they ever arrived. In 2002 I took 40 books and pens to a new school at Shimbuk, it cost just 700 Rupees. Corruption is rife in Nepal and westerners are now treated with contempt, the main motive being to take as much off you as possible.

Dealing direct with agents in Kathmandu can save money.

shangrilatreks@hons.com.np

OTHER USEFUL WEB SITES

FLIGHTS

I have used K.E. Adventure Travel to Organize my flights for the last few treks but this time, 2002, was a fairly last minute arrangement with my having to pick up my tickets from the airport. Baggage allowance was only 23 kilos so on flying back I got caught with 7 kilos excess and it cost  me 175$ US. Check your weight allowance and insist on at least 30 kilos. I checked the internet just before leaving. I could have saved £100 by booking at the last minute. As it was the 2002 flight with Gulf Air it was the most expensive I have had to pay; £580. Many flights have been taken off the Kathmandu route.

David Ketley

Dunge Valley Hidden Gardens
& Hardy Plant Nursery,
Windgather Rocks, Kettleshulme,
Nr. Whaley Bridge, (Stockport)
High Peak, SK23 7RF,
ENGLAND
Tel / Fax: 01663 733787

E-mail me at david@dungevalley.co.uk