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| Flight Deals |
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| Kathmandu- Pokhara |
$93 |
| Kathmandu-Lukla |
$116 |
| Kathmandu - Bhairahawa |
$110 |
| Kathmandu - Bharatpur |
$85 |
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Tea House Trekking: In this type of trekking you are travelling in areas which are populated with many small villages, though the areas can sometimes be quite remote , the villages all offer some standard of tea houses. A tea house is normally a family run affair, similar to a small hotel; a tea house offers the trekker accommodation and food. Rooms are normally basic with one or two beds. Sometimes bathrooms are attached sometimes they are on a share bases. Most teahouses offer some degree of hot water, though this depends entirely on solar power, so really its up to the sun. Depending on the tea house, some supply blankets, some don’t. All teahouses will have a common room for dining with a heater around which you can get warm and dry your clothes. All teahouses have a kitchen and will prepare meals tea and coffee for you. It may also be possible to purchase beer, snacks such as chocolate and mineral water. Most teahouses have water filter in the common room which you can use to top up your bottles. As with hotels, obviously the standard varies. When trekking with a guide through a company, your tea house accommodation will be booked in advance for you and the standard will be the best available. When trekking alone esp. in peak seasons, you can experience difficulty in finding vacant tea houses esp. in the more popular areas. Tea house trekking is a comfortable and convenient way of trekking.
Camping Trek: During a camping trek you will be accommodated in tents and all meals will be provide for you form the camp cook site. Toilet facilities will be provide in the form of pit toilets and washing facilities will be minimal. When organized by a company, everything will be provided for you as well as the porters to carry everything you need. Camping is a fun and social way of trekking esp. in large groups. If trekking independently on a camping trek, you should note that In populated areas you may be camping on sites near to tea house which means that toilets and showers may be available to you (you rent the site from the tea house for a small cost) and food and fuel supplies can be readily purchased or you can dine in a teahouse.. In remote areas you will be in the wilderness and no such facilities will be available, it is necessary to carry all required food and supplies with you. You should be well researched and prep pared on such trips. Though if trekking in a group a company will take care of everything for you.
Pony Trek: For those people that may have low levels of fitness or physical disability or are not inclined to go trekking it is possible to organize pony treks to some areas. This is a great way for you to experience the breathtaking beauty of the mountains. These treks can either be tented or teahouse depending on your desires. Ponies supplied are small but of strong statue. When you organize though a company, they will provide the ponies for you that are sound and healthy condition and come with experienced handlers. If organizing this yourself, you should make sure the beast you hire is of sound condition and good health and its handler is experienced, some ponies can be quite temperamental.
Mountaineering & Peak Climbing: This is the most extreme form of trekking in Nepal and requires a high level of fitness and experience and specialized equipment. Nepal, having some of the world’s tallest mountains is a popular destination for peak climbing. When undertaking such activities, you must be part of a registered mountaineering team which is supported by a licensed company. You must obtain the relevant permits and permission before under taking such an expedition. There are companies in neap l that can organize all this for you. |
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To trek you do not need to be a super athlete nor a mountaineer but a few weeks of training, prior to arriving in Nepal, will enhance your experience. It will not be more enjoyable spending the trip of a lifetime struggling to walk the trails every day when a little sensible preparation before you arrive would make the trails so much more rewarding.
So it is important to be in good physical condition before you start your trek and the best way is to do a lot of walking. Try to spend an hour a day on the road. Walk upstairs rather than take a lift, if possible, walk or cycle when you would normally drive or ride a bus, take the dog for a walk. Jogging and aerobics will also hand. Running a few miles most days is probably the best single physical activity, which will hand. It doesn't have to be too complicated. While you are training you can also be breaking in those new trekking boats that may otherwise give you blisters on the first day out on the trail. Those who are planning to climb one of the trekking peaks need to be physically very fit. |
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When trekking in the Himalaya there is always a real danger of mild to serious problems related to altitude. The complaints are collectively known as Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).
It is important that trekkers understand that they will be affected to a greater or lesser extent when they ascend to altitudes over about 3000 meters. As you climb higher the atmospheric pressure falls and the amount of available oxygen also falls. The body will adjust to cope with this by altering the characteristics of your blood in order to utilize better the lower oxygen levels available to it. This process takes time and can vary from individual to individual. Indeed, individuals can experience different rates of acclimatization on separate visits. So, having acclimatized well on a previous visit is no guarantee of quick acclimatization subsequently.
The mechanics of acclimatization are not well understood but it has been proved that a number of factors have a positive effect. By far the most important is regulating your rate of ascent when traveling in excess of 3000 meters above sea level. As a general rule you should not gain more than 400-500 meters a day and have a rest day every fifth day. Maintaining a good fluid intake and urine output has also been proved to be effective in combating the effective in combating the effects of altitude. The dry air of the mountains tends to dehydrate you so an increased fluid intake is necessary. Try to drink at least four liters of water a day. Prophylactic medication should not be required to aid acclimatization unless specifically prescribed by a physician skilled in the treatment and prevention of altitude sickness. Fitness may have some effect on speedy acclimatization but being young and fit does not guarantee immunity. The only age concern is for the very young who may not be able to describe their symptoms to their parents. For this reason it is unwise to take very young children to altitudes above 3500 - 4000 meters. Symptoms of AMS may be mild or severe and the victim can develop severe symptoms very rapidly if the mild effects are ignored. The initial symptoms of AMS are as follows:
- Nausea, vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Insomnia/sleeplessness
- Persistent headache
- Dizziness, light headedness, confusion
- Disorientation, drunken gait
- Weakness, fatigue, lassitude, heavy legs
- Slight swelling of hands and face
- Breathlessness and Breathing irregularity
- Reduced urine output
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Preventions of Altitude Illness :
1. Having a sensible itinerary is the most important way to avoid altitude illness. It is recommended to climb not more than 1000ft (600m) a day above an altitude of 10,000ft (3000m). If the terrain is such that this is not possible, one need to have two rest days e.g. 2 rest days are recommended at Namche Bazaar where 2000ft (600m) are gained in 1 days from Phakding for most itineraries. Having flexibility with 1-2 extra days built into your schedule will allow you to rest when you are not feeling well and help avoid altitude illness. It also helps to ‘climb high’ and ‘sleep low’.
2. Use of Diamox- Diamox blocks an enzyme in the kidney and the blood acidic which is interpreted by the brain as a signal to breathe more. Diamox therefore enhances the physiological response to altitude by increasing the rate and depth of breathing and it also acts as a mind diuretic. Side effects of the drug are: tingling of fingers and toes and tingling around mouth. Sulfa allergic individuals are recommended not to take this drug but it has been used safely by sulpha allergic people by first trying it at home before field use. Prophylactic dose of Diamox is ½ of a 250mg tablet twice a day. Use of Diamox will not make the symptoms of altitude illness if it is to occur. Start taking Diamox the day before ascent to 10,000 ft (3000mt), continue it through your ascent to higher altitudes and stop when you start descending.
3. Other preventive strategies: Gingko Biloba at dosage of 60mg three times a day has been found useful in preventing altitude illness. More studies are going on using Gingko. This may be an alternative for Sulpha allergic people who cannot take Diamox. Salmeterol (Serevent) inhaler used to treat asthma can help prevent HAPE and may be used by HAPE susceptible prophylactically.
Treatment :
For mild symptoms, one can stay at the same altitude to see if symptoms will resolve and ascend when symptoms have resolved completely. Diamox can also be used to treat mild moderate symptoms. If symptoms persist or worsen at this altitude, descent is required.
For severe symptoms i.e. HACE or HAPE, descent must begin immediately whenever feasible. Helicopter evacuation may be essential for descent unless there is rapid improvement with medical treatment and walking down is feasible. Physical exertion even when it is for descent can be detrimental for patients with HAPE. Severe HAPA patients should be carried down if helicopter evacuation is not possible.
Other treatment modalities to help through during descent-
• Diamox:- Dosage: One 250mg tablet two or three times a day. This is generally useful for mild-moderate AMS.
• Dexamethasone: Very potent steroid. Used in High Altitude Cerebral Edema or HACE temporarily to facilitate descent. This drug improves the symptoms without improving acclimatization. It is not recommended to ascend while still taking this drug. Dosage: 8mg initially then 4mg every 6 hours.
• Nifedipine- Useful in HAPA by lowering pressure in the pulmonary blood vessels and thereby decreasing fluid in the lungs. Dosage: 10 mg three or four times a day. Very potent drug that is generally used in treating high blood pressure.
• Oxygen- Very useful particularly for HAPA.
Three golden rules to avoid dying from altitude illness-
1. Learn the early symptoms of altitude illness and recognize when you have them. Remember, you may be the only person in a group with symptoms.
2. Never ascend to sleep at a new altitude with any symptoms of AMS.
3. Descend if your symptoms are getting worse while resting at the same altitude. |
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Nepal Trekking Grades:
All treks in Nepal are given a trekking grade. This is a guide to how the going is along the trek it refers to the difficulty and the fitness you may require.
On our web site we have listed five trekking grades here follows a description and what you may expect along the route.
Easy: A trek with an easy grade is suitable for all levels of fitness and age groups. It’s ideal for couples travelling with young children. The trails will be easy without any excessive long up hills or step gradients. An easy trek is normally at lower altitudes and in milder weather so less equipment is used. These treks are normally within easy access of roads and main towns in case of emergency. On an easy trek a days walking is rarely more than 5 hours. Easy treks are normally short covering 1 to five days.
Moderate: A moderate trek will include some longer climbing or greater distances to be covered during the day. The trails may include some steep rocky stair cases or scrambling through close forests. These treks require a basic level of fitness and can also be suitable for families with children of aged people.
Moderate to strenuous: A moderate to strenuous trek requires a medium level of fitness. During these treks you will be required to walk up to 6 hours in one day. The trails will not always be clear and may at times be narrow and steep. You will be at times quite high in altitude so should be prepared for colder conditions and occasional snow. Moderate to strenuous treks are normally in well facilitated areas but at times you should be prepared for minimal facilities and amenities, esp. if it is a camping trek. And you will be more isolated from major roads and towns.
Strenuous: A strenuous trek requires a high level of fitness and some basic mountain trekking experience will benefit you. You should expect the trails to be steep and narrow in some places. It may involve some scrambling over rocks or through tree roots. It will involve extended periods of uphill and down hill trekking. A strenuous graded trek usually means you will be trekking up to higher altitudes; there fore you should be prepared for walking in snow and extreme weather conditions. On some days you may be required to walk extended periods of time due to the remoteness of villages and suitable camping sites. Amenities and facilities will be less and you will be further away from main roads and towns.
Very strenuous: This kind of trek is the hardest and requires a high level of fitness and some previous trekking experience. It will require you to trek at greater altitudes, sometimes above 5000m and there will be extended periods of climbing uphill. The trails will be steep and rocky and a small amount of climbing may be involved. Also you should expect to be walking in snow in some places and be prepared for extreme weather conditions. These kinds of treks are generally in remote areas with less facilities and amenities. You need to be thoroughly prepared and with experienced guides in these situations. Also in some places where you are required to cross passes you may be required to walk in excess of 8 hours per day.
Trekking grades means explanation and description of the route where the trekkers are travelling. Mainly there are five trekking grades in Nepal. They are as follows: Easy, Moderate, Moderate to Strenuous, Strenuous, and Very Strenuous. |
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Nepal Trekking Equipment List
Certain basic trekking equipment is essential on all routes Depending on the area and season, I will provide you with a comprehensive list of necessities. Many of the items on the list are available in Nepal. Here are some recommended Equipments List for trekking in Nepal Himalayas.
Clothing
- Lightweight walking boots.
- If new one is being bought, " walk them in" to avoid blisters. Also bring spare laces.
- A pair of track shoes. To wear in the camp at night or when your boots are wet.
- Warm jacket. Fiber fill or down should be adequate. This is especially essential during winter, from December to February.
- A rainproof jacket with hood or a poncho. Get the one that is guaranteed waterproof.
- Woolen shirts and thick sweaters. During winter months, December through February these items are essential.
- Thick sweaters can be purchased in Kathmandu.
- A pair of lightweight/ heavy weight trousers. Jeans are unsuitable to wear on treks. Cheap loose cotton pants are available in Kathmandu.
- Heavyweight trousers are useful higher up in the mountains in the morning and at night.
- Windproof/ waterproof trousers are necessary on all treks going above 10.00ft.
- Thermal underwear. Which is excellent to sleep in at night in the winter months.
- A tracksuit useful for wearing in camp and in the tent.
- 2 pair of loose fitting long shorts/skirts.
- 1 lightweight long sleeved -shirt is particularly suitable for avoiding sun burn.
- A woolen hat to wear in the morning and at night. During winter it is an essential item.
- A sunhat and ensure it has a wide brim to cover the face and neck.
- A pair of gloves. Leather with lining and woolen are best.
- 1 pair of sandals to wear in the cities and in camp.
- 2 pairs of thin and 2 pair of thick woolen socks.
- "Underwear" normal quantity and swimming costume, hankies.
Equipment and Accessories
- Duffle bag or kit bag to carry to gear while trekking.
- Daypack: This is a small rucksack to carry personal requirement for the day e.g. toilet items, camera, film towel, soap, a book etc.
- Water bottle.
- Snow glasses and sunglasses.
- 2-4 large plastic bags to separate clean clothes from dirty ones.
- 6-10 smaller plastic bags to dispose garbage.
- Wallet and /or money belt with compartment for coins.
- Toiletries with large and small towels.
- Toilet paper can be by in Kathmandu and some villages in the mountains.
- Small headlamp and/ or torch with spare batteries and bulbs candles and lighter to burn toilet paper.
- Snow gaiters essential during wither and all treks going over at other times.
- An umbrella (optional), which is quite useful to as a sunshade and useful when it rains.
- Reading materials, camera and film, game items (optional), note book, rubber band, pen and pencil, envelopes, a diary, a calendar, a pocket knife, binoculars (optional), a small pillow or headrest (optional). Thermoses (optional) - an inflatable sleeping mat, trekking map, adequate quantities of passport photographs.
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