Trekking to EBC

[dafforne]

Hi
I would very much like to trek out to EBV via Gokyo lakes Cho-lo pass beg October 2004 - I need to arrange a porter/guide in Kathmandu - am single female - would people recommend setting out by myself or joining an organised tour and if so which one - am currently investigating Footprint Adventures - any advice gratefully received.

Cheers
SJ :)

[yakshaver]

If you intend to cross Cho La, and if it is your first time in Nepal, I would definitely recommend a guide.

If you want to choose an independent guide there are a couple of good sites linked to the front on this page to help you make your decision, which has well recommended guides:

http://www.nepal-dia.de/int__England/EV_porter/ev_porter.html

http://www.geocities.com/porterguides/contact.htm

The other way is to talk to a good Nepali trekking agency.

I recommend Santaman Tamang, whom I have employed four times, including April this year in my triop to Gokyo. Santaman is an exellent person, both proffesionally and personally.
His email is:
santamn@hotmail.com

If you want to go with an agency, a good one is Thirdpole Adventure Trekking, whom I have also employed on two of my initial treks in Nepal.
thirdpole@wlink.com.np

[Sharon]

I have been to Nepal 3 times, twice on my own. I recommend getting a guide through one of the websites that Yakshaver has recommended. Perhaps pick a couple of guides and then spend a half day with each in Kathmandu sight seeing this may give you a feel of who you are most comfortable with.

I find travelling on my own with Nepali staff gives you an experience which provides more insight into the people and their culture. Be sure to visit the website for porter protection.
http://www.ippg.net/ I have been on two treks, one where the company treated the staff very poorly not even remotely meeting the guidelines. On my next trek I organised with a guide myself and we exceeded the guidelines. What an awesome experience that was! The staff were thrilled with their job and we all had a amazing trip!

[Unregistered]

Hello, I recomend not going to Nepal at all. The country has obviously deterioated and greed and coruption has taken over the land. I know I just have returned from the kumbu were I was nearly murdered by two men. The loculs did nothing to apprehend the culprits and were more concerned with keeping the incident quiet as did the police. The home ministry does nothing and in fact is lying to westerners intending on going to Nepal. These acts like the unfortunate one that happened to me are becoming more common and the situation is going to get worse before it gets better due to the political sitution and corruption. I am not a doomsayer I just feel we owe it to ourselves to be informed. The country should be bouycated till they get a handle on the situation.

[yamseng]

Hey, how about giving us all a little bit more info eg where did this happen? how did it happen that you nearly got murdered? date? time? other witnesses? was anyone else trekking with you? Did you lodge a police report? Did you report this to your embassy?

Given some of the accounts I have come across about obnoxious and disprespectful trekkers I admire the tolerance of the Nepali people. How do we know that you are totally innocent and did not contribute to this incident?

[Unregistered]

This happened may 28 by Gokyo near the glaceir going to Cho la. Yes my embassy was involved because I was heliocoptered out. You can try to place blaim on me if like but I tell you this was an unprovoked attack. The two men conspired an abush and tried to crush my skull with large bolders. If you do not want believe me you can remain in denial about the lawlessness of Nepal and inorder to feed your fantasy of the country as a paridise. I suggest doing some more resaerch on the web and you will find that tourist being targeted is not as uncommon as we are led to believe and is a growing concern. I do not intend to be queit about this and continue the myth about Nepal as a Shangra La.

[Sian]

Hi SJ - Take Yakshaver's advice and go with a guide. I was trekking in the Khumbu at the beginning of the year, and althought I didn't cross the Cho La pass myself I was given the strong impression that a guide was necessary unless you had experience of trekking in the area. I can definitely reccommend Thirdpole as they were the company I used to hire my guides for the two treks. Contact Raj (thirdpole@wlink.com.np) who is a great person, and will do everything possible to organise for you the best trek possible.

I'd also like to say that this phorum is a fantastic way for trekkers to exchange information regarding trekking and travelling in Nepal, and that used properly, we can really help each other make the right choices. Any information regarding the current stability of Nepal is appreciated, but I think people should be careful how they present this information. I accept that being attacked like that in Gokyo was a horriffic experience and it certainly sheads a new light on the threat to trekkers in the country, but perhaps in future you should present your information in a less forceful and argumentative fashion?

Nepal is a beautiful country, but like many countries in the world it has it's problems. We can only hope that the situation will improve in the future.

[Unregistered]

Hi there ,
Namaste.
Seems you are really interested to do Everest trek on october.Ya you have choosen really nice trek and great time for the views.So could you please contact me at bhatta_2004@yahoo.com for further more information.Thanking you and hearing from you pretty soon.
Dhan

[Unregistered]

Hello,

A friend and I plan on doing this trek in October as well. We have hired a guide and made arrangements ourselves. Would be happy to share info as you need.

bchnboi@yahoo.com

d

[yakshaver]

"Undregistered", I'm sorry to hear about your incident. Certainly bad stuff, and not something you want to happen during your holiday... I don't doubt that the reaction of the police can be what you describe; bureaucracy can be like that, unfortunately... Please give us more details, especially if you talked with the lodge owners in the area, what did they say, what was their reaction. Attacking a western tourist is a serious matter, and the locals don't want to jeopardise their livelihood (heavily dependent on tourism) by supporting thughs and thievs.
There is the sad case of the young British tourist Gareth Koch who has dissapeared in March this year, and has not been found yet, in an area near Chukkung (off the main trail, and not near Cho La, but still...). He was trekking by himself. You may want to corroborate your details about the people with attacked you... Who knows, it may throw light onto the young Koch's case, and in this sense it may be vital information.


Without trying to minimise this incident, horrible I am sure, cases like this have not been reported with any degree of regularity in Khumbu. Even in Annapurna (in the infamous area around Dhampus) cases of people having their property stolen are reported only once a couple of years or so...
I would not rush to generalise. I have trekked to Gokyo in April, and met many people on the way, as well as emailed with a couple who've trekked around the same time. No one has reported anything.

I would suggest that trekking with a good guide is quite safe. Also trekking with other tourists, and not alone.

[Unregistered]

It neaver stops amazing me how people are so willing to turn a blind eye and remain in la la land when it comes to Nepal. You should get real and do some research!!! My incident is not as uncommon as you think and the Nepal government and touist industry lead us to believe. Damphus is so bad people trek around it and Nepalis avoid it also. One of the men that helped me who is a Nepali guide told me this is the third time he has come accross this kind of situation one other time was in the Kumbu!!! the other was at Chitwan and the person was not as fortunate as me she was hacked to death! Even trekking companies are getting in the game of ripping off tourist or setting up single women to get raped. Lets stop believing that Nepalis are childlike and peace loving. With globalization comes greed corruption and dispair and we as tourist contribute to the suffering when we waltz in and treat Nepal like it is our private outdoor theme park. I do not appreciate your attitude that if I was alone then what should I expect this only feeds the complacency that will give this kind of criminal activty a licence!

[dafforne]

Guys
I have just logged on to read replies to my original message and am upset to read about the attack in the Khumbu region. However, I have trekked in Nepal on a number of occasions and have always found the Nepalese to be a gentle race with no desire to either rape or murder people.

I can appreciate that the attack was distressing in the extreme, but I do not feel that writing a tirade of abuse against the Nepalese in a forum such as this is either helpful or constructive in portraying the current situation that the Nepalese have found themselves ie. under house arrest/attack from the Maoist.

A request - please no more posts on this subject.

Thanks

[suresh]

Hi, I am planning to do the EBC trek end Sep / begining Oct. I had been to Tyangboche during my last trip in Oct 2002. I have been recommended a Guide/Porter called Dhan by an elderly couple from UK. I wouldn't mind sharing. Experience has shown that trekking with a more people is fun and helpful.
Kind regards

Suresh

[dafforne]

Suresh
I have decided to check out the situation when I get to Kathmandu - I am going to trek in Mustang on 11 Sept or 2 wks and on my return will decide whether to go out to EBC - I can highly recommend a guide who I have used in the past Santosh - gurung_santosh@hotmail.com he was brilliant - we hired a couple of porters from the same organisation and I could not recommend them more highly.

Keep in touch if you are in Kathmandu at end of Sept and perhaps we could mt to discuss our plans etc.

Regards
Sally

[suresh]

You are absoultely right. It's best to gauge the situtation once in KTD. I will be leaving for India on 14th Sep, visiting my parents and then head for KTD on 23rd. I just read about India's co-operation towards the maoist problem. Catch 22 situtation. I would be very grateful if you could take some time during your stay in KTD to let me know how things are. You could post a reply in this forum or contact me surpat@hotmail.com

I wish you a wonderful and peaceful journey to Mantang.

Kind regards

Suresh

[Suresh]

After reviewing your earlier message, I gather you should be back from Mustang around end Sept. That will suit me as well. I could postpone my travel plans for Nepal to 1st week of Oct. I would be very welcoming your suggestions and plans afte your trip to Mustang. Meanwhile, i would have more time to spend with my family.

Kind regards

Suresh

[Unregistered]

are you american? people all over the world are concerned what people from your country (a few, a lot dunknow) are doing. i don´t want to go into politics and stuff, and no offense but i know many us folks that pretend to be canadians abroad. and americans (people from belgium as well) pay more when they meet rebelpeople in nepal. it´s just not save going some places coming from the states. did you consider this? please delete this post if anyone gets upset about it.

[Unregistered]

This message is to the guy attacked near the Cho La pass.

Hi, it's Richard here. I think it must be you who I spent a pleasant evening with in Labouche and then bumped into you when you were walking up to Gorak Shep. Then we met in Thamel after you were 'coptered out.

I hope that you are recovering OK from that terrible incident. We never got around to exchanging email addresses.

Best wishes

Richard from the UK

[Unregistered]

It is not my intention blast Nepal or crucify the Nepali people. your requist that you do not want to hear about it is understood. You don't want me to corrupt your personal reality of Nepal and thus influence your self agrandiosing vacation to the Kingdom. My answer to you is no I won't be quiet about it and your request is just the denial I have talked about. Wake up!!

Thanks signed nearly murdered in Nepal


Guys




I have just logged on to read replies to my original message and am upset to read about the attack in the Khumbu region. However, I have trekked in Nepal on a number of occasions and have always found the Nepalese to be a gentle race with no desire to either rape or murder people.

I can appreciate that the attack was distressing in the extreme, but I do not feel that writing a tirade of abuse against the Nepalese in a forum such as this is either helpful or constructive in portraying the current situation that the Nepalese have found themselves ie. under house arrest/attack from the Maoist.

A request - please no more posts on this subject.

Thanks

[Unregistered]

if you wann go to trek in nepal and ebc please be free to write specific question in Adventurethidpole trek. you can contact in : thirdpole@wlink.com .np

[Unregistered]

if you wann go to trek in nepal and ebc please be free to write specific question in Adventurethidpole trek. you can contact in : thirdpole@wlink.com .np
and you can visit:adventurethirdpole.com
expeditionnepal.com

[Unregistered]

Hi Richard,
yes this is Chris we met on the trail and at the lodge in Laboche. Thanks for the messege. How are you doing? I really enjoyed meeting you and the conversation over tea and hot chocolate. That evening is one of my best memorys of the trip not withstanding the horror I experianced a few days later unfortunatley. I hope we can keep contact

Best Regards Chris


This message is to the guy attacked near the Cho La pass.

Hi, it's Richard here. I think it must be you who I spent a pleasant evening with in Labouche and then bumped into you when you were walking up to Gorak Shep. Then we met in Thamel after you were 'coptered out.

I hope that you are recovering OK from that terrible incident. We never got around to exchanging email addresses.

Best wishes

Richard from the UK

[Unregistered]

Hi Chris it's Richard here

I'm doing fine back home in Leeds in the U.K.

It would be great to keep in touch

My home email address is richard.lawton4@ntlworld.com

Regards

Richard

[mieke]

Hi to you both, Christopher and Richard,

I'm hoping both of you will get back here and read this message, because you may not receive this reply automatically. As for the OP and her complaints about using this thread for a serious warning: .*.*.*.*.*.*.*. (censored).

Chris you registered and posted on the runboard for missing British trekker Gareth Koch. His father David, meanwhile back in Kathmandu after trekking the Khumbu himself with his wife and a few others incl. a truly reliable Nepalese guide, has tried to get in touch with you - but to no avail so far.

Here is a link to his reply this morning (the 2nd) in your post there "want to help":
http://com4.runboard.com/bgarethkochlostinnepal.fmainchat.t17

Please get in touch with him, PLEASE!

And to Richard: although I'm in no way officially connected to the case of Gareth Koch, I can very well imagine that reading how you met with Chris you too should PLEASE get in touch with the parents of Gareth Koch, or with Det. Insp. Geoff Webb who is in charge of the official investigation by the Thames Valley Police (if you have not already done so).
Mr. and Mrs. Koch are scheduled to fly back to the U.K. on Tuesday October 19.

Richard I will send you this reply to your e-mail address as well.

kind regards & take care both of you,

mieke (Netherlands)

e-mail (fyi): mammadeluxe2@hotmail.com