Nepal alone

[Steve83]

Hello,

I just found this found this forum and im looking for some general advice. Im going to Nepal in September of this year for 3 months although I may spend sometime in India aswell.

While I am there im intending to do some trekking. As I will be alone I was wondering what advice people have people trekking alone. I am not adverse to the idea of joining an organised tour but I would prefer to keep costs down as much as possible and I like the idea of setting my own itinerary. I have experience walking throughout Europe but when it comes to walking at altitude I am, for all intents and purposes a complete novice.

So really want I want to know is...

- Join a tour or go it alone? How much more does it cost to go with a group and is it really much easier?

- If going it alone how easy is to simply arrive and find good guides/porters?

- Are there any particular regions/routes people suggest for first timers (or even ones to avoid)

As you may be able to tell im still in quite an embryonic stage of my planning, aside from booking my flights nothing is set in stone and I am completely open to suggestions.

If any of the answers to these questions are anywhere else on this site then please, feel free to point me in the right direction.

Thanks in advance!

[Sharon]

I would not bother with an organised trek I have been there on 7 different treks. Sometimes I have had one or two friends with me while on the others I have been alone. The flexibility of being on your own is gereat. On one trek we decxided to go to thge Mani Rimdu festival in Tengboche on the spurr of the moment. On others I have headed elsewhere if the wetaher wasn't good. THe reality of joing ing those big tours is less money lands in tghe hands of ordinary neplais who need it the most.

I have two guides I have used jangbusherpa3@hotmail.com and pembal15@yahoo.com
They are both great.

[keanu]

steve
sept-october is a festival season in nepal and perfect time to trek. as per my own experience, annapurna base camp is perfect for the first timer..not only this trek is rich in scenic beauty, you will also get an opportunity to by-pass innumerous gurung villages and appreciate their culture and tradition...plus its a festive season so you may well be lucky enough to infilter and join the locals like we did. other famous route includes: annapurna circuit, everst base camp, manalsu trek (which is rapidlly gaining lots of popularity these days).

i can't comment on whether to trek with group or alone coz some trekkers may prefer to have company of other fellow trekkers throughout their journey and share their experiences and some may not. Personally, i prefer to trek on my own (with local guide) as this gives me plenty of opportunities and freedom to enjoy and appreciate the nature & its beauty...and stop wherever i want to. you may also have to consider ur own personal health and safety and to keep it up with large group members may be downfall (as some one in the group may or maynot be fitter as you are & vice versa).

yakshaver or oli can recommend you some good guides, as they had done innumerous trek in the past.

[Escher]

Lots of answers in the FAQ at the top of the page. Some stuff about whether guides or porters are needed here:-

http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6886

http://www.trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3704

I would recommend Gokyo in the Everest region and the Annapurna Circuit. These can be done on your own, but it would be best to hook up with someone. There will loads of people trekking then and it won't be hard to find someone to trek with. Post here in the Trekking Companions forum. You could also get a guide or porter, the choice is yours. Seek a recommendation form someone here. Read up about altitude sickness and always follow the recommended ascent rates. Nepal is a very easy place to just turn up in a go with the flow.

[Oli]

Hi Steve,

My advice would be that whilst Nepal is a fine place for traveling alone you'd best plan to have some company when trekking up in the mountains. The chances are that you'll be just fine and not really *need* the company, but if you do have a mishap and things go wrong then its a great help and comfort to have someone at hand.

For example -
If you should slip and fall off the track you buddy could rescue you or get help, but on your own it could be days or weeks before someone notices you missing.
If you should have a problem with AMS then be aware that ataxia is one of the most significant symptoms and is very hard to self diagnose. If someone has AMS and they need to descend then they must not do so alone as their condition could deteriorate before they get safe.

These are not things that are more likely to happen if you trek alone, but having company will drastically reduce the dangers should they occur. Trekking is Nepal is comparatively safe and easy, but trekking alone is more risky wherever in the world you may be.

That said, you do not need to trek with a large group, and if you are independently minded you may not enjoy the trek so much in the company of Rent-a-Crowd. As you are going to be there around peak season you should be able to get hooked up with (an)other independent trekker(s) on a similar itinerary.
Failing that you should secure the services of a "Porter/Guide", a Nepali with passable English, some knowledge of the trail and helping carry some of your load - it will cost a few hundred dollars but I am sure many will agree it is money well spent.

Everest and Annapurna are ideal first time treks, especially if you aim to hook up with other trekkers. Or if you prefer to plan something away from the crowds with your own guide then also consider Langtang & Helambu.

Three months is plenty of time - you could arrive in Kathmandu, make all you arrangements there, do a trek or two and still have time left over for India, even allowing for the very relaxed and laid back pace. Let me offer a potentially useful phrase : "Bistari, bistari. Hatar chaina" means "Slowly, slowly. There is no rush" :)

I arrive at the end of November, if you are still in Kathmandu we might meet up for a beer.

Oli

[Steve83]

Thanks for the replies, it's all really good advice.

I will most definitley not be joining a trekking tour now as I cannot see any advantages to it which hiring a guide does not afford you. Also, as I will be there for a while and without a set itinerary Im sure I will be able to find other people to trek with if needs be.

Another query I have thought of is what size rucksack do people usually trek with? As I will be travelling around Nepal/India I was considering taking my 60/75 litre bag but this seems like it may be a little excessive to be lugging around the Himilaya's! If needs be Im sure I can downsize my travelling bag to 50 (maybe even 40) litres. I know if you employ a porter then the this isnt really and issue - except for feeling guilty about seeing someone carry a load of unnecessary gear up a mountain! Do people normally leave caches of unrequired gear at the start of treks? What kind of facilities are there to do this if you need to?

My other questions regarding guides/porters which I couldn't see elsewhere is about accomdation/salary (if that is the correct word?). Does the daily rate you pay them include accomdation and food for both of you or do you pay for your own on top of that? I know they often take you to places where they know the owners and can therefore get a good deal but how does tihs aspect of the relationship work?
Also if anyone knows the roughly how much (or how little) it costs per day currently for travellers in Nepal (inc food, accomdation and travel expenses) I would greatly appreciate it. The guide book I have is hopelessly out of date (2002) and says you could expect to spend between £3.50 - £10 per day (just double those to work out the US $ equivalent ;) ) depending where you are in the country. Or if anyone has recommendations of more up to date guide books, again, I would greatly appreciate it :)

Thanks again!

[keanu]

i took my 70L rucksack and still found it congested..but then it really depends on what you want. you got to remember that weather is not always bright and sunny hence you need to take couple of extra undies, socks, t-shirt, warm kits like gloves, thermals etc and it really fills things up easily. others may find it comfortable of having porter to carry your good, but we carried our own. it was bit heavy but then, no pain - no gain. we manage to lose 7kg during 2 weeks trek.

[Oli]

Packing is as much about weight as about volume. You should decide what you need for your travels and use a bag that will hold that but little else besides. If you have spare capacity then you'll be tempted to fill it, and it's the last few liters/kilos that are least useful and make you think "why did I bother with this?" If you have a porter then you'll just be carrying a day bag, and then decision is what you need at hand and how much else you expect to be lugged around on your behalf.

A sleeping bag will be the bulkiest item, and then a few items of spare clothes. Do take a few comfort items but try to avoid packing everything that you might need. There are several threads in these forums discussing kit lists, but its a very personal choice. Packing light is a fine art, and I'm not much good at it, maybe Escher has better advice.

You can certainly dump a load of you traveling gear that you wont need on the trail with your hotel in Kathmandu (or Pokhara, for Annapurna trails) and it'll be waiting for you on your return. Hotels have no problem doing this as it means you'll be staying with them again. Also if you do the Annapurna circuit and finish with an excursion up to ABC then you can leave things you don't need for the next few days at Chomrong.

If you hire a porter/guide then I think the best arrangement would be for you to agree a daily rate and each pay your own food & lodging expenses. Your guide may recommend lodges but you are free to choose differently (not an option with a tour group). The subject of expenses and wages are discussed in other threads, but as a very rough guesstimate you could reckon on £10-15/day for you, and $10-20/day for a porter/guide (plus a traditional tip of 15-20%). In Kathmandu you could spend a lot more, away from the tourist areas then a lot less.

As for guide books - my favourites are the TrailBlazer guides for their excellent tail notes, and the Lonely Planet is a good all round guide.

[Petrina]

Thanks for the question and answers here. All have been very helpful to me also. I am intending to do the Annapurna circuit mid-Nov and as a female who will be travelling alone am looking at all the options (researching here in fact!) safety being an issue of course. What I do know is that I defo want to have the trek arranged in advance and to do it more or less on arrival as I will be hooking up with a friend afterwards. I have a little trekking experience from my time in South America a good few years ago now so would consider myself more or less a novice! Any more advice you can give? Do you think I'll be ok If I do it alone with a guide/porter or do you think in my case it would be better to go with a recognised company in a small group. I have seen on the internet a company called Unique Path Trekking & Expeditions also in Lonely Planet they recommend a company called Chhetri Sisters Trekking who can provide female guide/porters. Any comments. Or can anyone recommend anybody too me. Thank you! Px

[Oli]

Hi Petrina

The best think about trekking in Nepal compared with South America are the teahouses & lodges all along the trail. They make for a very easy style of trek.

There are pros & cons to hooking up with a group vs having your own porter/guide. What's best for you and your circumstances isn't so easy for others to judge. I have not trekked with the Chhetri Sisters but I've met people (single ladies) who have spoken very highly of them. Get in contact and explain your trekking needs, you don't have to commit until you get there and discuss details in person. They may be an ideal choice or at least provide a decent yardstick by which to measure other options.

Oli

[yakshaver]

Petrina,

I just returned from a mini trek in Bolivia, and as Oli says, I find South America a differet trekking place to the "classical treks" in Nepal (like the AC you're thinking about, for example). The AC has plenty of lodges and quite a few villages to go through, so you won't be alone, not in mid-November.
You'll meet plenty of other trekkers, usually make trekking friends and sleep more or less at the same lodges every evening etc.
Someone has posted here in the past about Chetri Sisters in Pokhara, and the recommendation was good, from what I remember.

On the other hand Sharon (a longtime contributor and seasoned trekker from Canada) and I have used the our own guides and porter-guides for a number of treks now, and would be able to recommend some excellent people (that we respectively know for a number of years). Please write Sharon or me a private message, if interested.

[yakshaver]

Steve,
Regarding the daily rates for the porter- (more or less in line with what Oli says) the rate would include your helper's wages, food and accomodation on trek. Usually they get the last two for free or just for a nominal fee, since they're bringing customers to the lodge.

You have to pay your own food and lodging. The lodge people also prefer you to eat at that particular place, as they make usually more money on the food you eat/drinks you drink, than on the accomodation.
So they frown upon you going to eat elsewhere...

[nikky]

Hi Petrina, Read your note with interest as I'm in a similar situation - doing some research, going alone, Oct/Nov not sure whether I should book with a group from Oz, although I'd prefer to go with a local guide because from what I've read, think it would be a more enriching experience.

Oli's comments were interesting, so will follow them up. Hope you find a good solution.:)

[Boulia]

Hi Nikky

saw a couple of your other posts, I am not sure if your international flight if booked but thats one thing I would recommend you do pretty quickly as thats a busy time and even in May when i booked for my next trip many of the lower fares were not avaiable for a departure in 3rd week of Oct.

Cheers