first tripto nepal is it best to trek with company or hire guide & porter

[trekky48]

HI
As this will be my first trip to Nepal i am still pondering whether to trek to EBC with Intrepid travel in Australia for a 15day trek costing $1500 australian dollarswhich includes return flights to lukla & meals or with local based Adventure Thirdpole i know a few of you have recommended this company & i have spoken to Raj a few times for a 21 day trek to EBC/Goyko Lakes for 1400 U.S dollars total which includes all flights which i have to pay 100 u.s for guide & porter & meals i know its a individual choice, i like the idea of a group with pro's & cons i.e pro's been some one to converse with & different ideas & suggestions meeting different characters , cons been Group not getting on & personality clashes & ego's or would it be a better time with hiring a good guide & porter knowing the money would certainly benefit their family & enjoying their culture would be a great experierance,i know a lot of you are experienced in trekking & any suggestions would be greatly appreciated ,also rather than flying to Lukla is it no problem finding another option to starting the trek ,timewise i arrive in to Nepal 31st October & depart 30th november Regards Ronnie from OZ alias Trekky 48:)

[James]

trekky48,
It depends on you. Personally, between a solo and a group trek with folks I don't know, I prefer the solo option. I did my first Everest region trek solo (with Thirdpole) and loved it.

You will meet all sorts of characters, some good some bad, in the lodges at night and you may even find some like minded folks taking the same route that you will invariably end up in the same lodges for a few nights running.

The best part of solo trekking is that you can change your plans in a heart beat - you never know when your going to wake up and feel the absolute need to take an unplanned walk to the 5th lake at Gokyo. Even on my second trip with my wife and boys we added nights and changed routes to meet our needs. If you want to stay another day, you stay. If you want to change directions, you can. If you want to go faster, slower, shorter, longer, higher, lower.... you get the idea. The only night I had a little group envy was the last night in Lukla where the large groups had large loud parties, but that may have been sleep envy.

As for a Nepal agency vs. a western travel group, your $ will do more for the Nepali folks and you will have your own contact in Nepal for your next trek (Nepal is addicting, you'll want to go back). Keep in mind the groups will still hire a local agent you don't know to do the real work.

Concerning Raj and Thirdpole, I have used them twice -one solo trek and one family trek and have not been disappointed. For me, working with Raj is a big plus.

And last the math works, 15 vs. 21 days.

If you have any questions, send me a pm. Either way you will have a great trip.

[trekky48]

Hi James
Thanks for your reply & you raised some good points, firstly been solo does have its good points without the hassles of a group & like you said there's opportunties too meet fellow travellers at the lodges along the way ,Secondly you changed your plans along the way? was this with Thirdpole?as i thought it was a set route & did you book before you left home? or when you got to Nepal?any way its food for thought & once again thanks for you suggestions ,i"m getting pretty excited now as its drawing closer cheers Ron:)

[Petrus]

I suppose that even when James went with Thirdpole, the agency just provided him with a guide & porters without any set route or days (usually just a daily rate for the staff).

Going "solo" can be done several ways:

- just pick up your pack and walk. Cheap.
- hire a local lad to carry your pack (can be risky, unless a lodge etc guarentees him). Almost as cheap.
- hire a porter, guide or porter-guide from an agency. Safe, but you have to pay a bit more for the agency overhead. Recommended way to do it. Still there is no set schedule, basically you just agree the daily rate and trek as long as you feel like it. You pay all your own expences along the way, can deside where to go and where to stay.
- sames as above, but you pay a fixed rate for a "teahouse trek" and the guide pays all lodges & food. More restricting and the guide gets to choose lodges (best kickbacks).

[James]

QUOTE]Secondly you changed your plans along the way? was this with Thirdpole?as i thought it was a set route & did you book before you left home? or when you got to Nepal?[/QUOTE]

Yes both treks were with Thirdpole and both were well arranged before departure. Once you leave ktm, the only real limitations are your flight dates. Your pre-trip itinerary is only tentative even when you travel with a group. Weather, flight delays and sickness, trekker or staff, can and will change plans. It is a good idea to add a couple of days during and after your trek to allow some flexibility.

On our trip last year I added two extra days to a planned itinerary for a EBC, Cho la, Gokyo trek. On the way to EBC we took an extra night in Namche and Dughla to avoid any possible AMS issues. Even with two extra nights on the way to EBC we still could have stayed on the planned itinerary, but we decided to forgo Cho la and Gokyo as my youngest wasn't at full strength and added an extra night in Tengboche and between Namche and Lukla. While we missed out on Gokyo, the result was a great family trip and not an unpleasant march.

Petrus did a good job outlining the options, but for my Teahouse Trek experience I/we were able to select/approve our lodges and per our agreement paid to upgrade lodges on a few nights. $25 in Dingboche for private toilets, $25 in Pangboche for a private toilet and private propane shower and $15 for a really nice room with a killer view of Ama Dablam in Tengboche.

[Oli]

I would definitely recommend getting the personal trek plan from a Nepali agent/guide rather than paying a foreign company to hook you up with a "rent-a-crowd" group. Good advice from James & Petrus, go with Thirdpole on a rough and flexible itinerary at a daily rate and you'll be right on course for a great trekking experience.

[trekky48]

Hi All
Thanks Guys for your input i am 90% sure i with go with Thirdpole after all the good feedback ,do you think the price of $1400 U.S FOR THE 21day trek to EBC/Goyko lakes is too much or reasonable ? it equates to $1770 Australian or would be better to hire guide & porter cheers Trekky48:)

[James]

No, question - if you're trying to cut costs, then hiring a guide and porter on arrival in Lukla would be the cheapest way to go. That way you won't have to cover the guide's flight costs. Also, if your willing to give up going solo, then finding another trekker to share your porter, guide and room expenses makes a big difference in cost.

When comparing costs, remember to compare all the costs that are included in a package; such as lodging in ktm, Lukla flights (trekker and guide and sometimes a porter), welcome/farewell dinners, airport transfers and sightseeing. There is definitely a premium to having someone meet you at the airport, arrange your flights, arrange your lodging, to answer your pre trip questions, arrange your trek and to going solo.