Khumbu from Tumlingtar

[pushkamik]

Anyone interested in trekking into Khumbu,Namche , Kala Patar etc Starting Feb24/25? from Tumlingtar,
Would like to do this teahouse style, i have Porter/guide Pasang arranged,
,but my friend from London .has had to cancell at last minute so now change of plans.

I am older British in my fifties and have been to Nepal 5 times before ,last was EBC in 2006, also with Pasang.
I'm very flexible , have good sense of humour, share costs ,etc Anyone fancy this or maybe any other trekking possibilities? Regards MICK

[thesilvertops]

Hi

I've put a scanned copy of the "Official" leaflet on the Salpa-Arun trek on my PBase site here:

Salpa-Arun Trek (http://www.pbase.com/thesilvertops/salpa_arun)

I hope the resolution is sufficient for viewing/printing. Choose the "Original" option from the choice of picture sizes at bottom right of each picture. I don't think this booklet is available any more. I obtained my copy in 2000!

There has been discussion of this route on the forum before so might I suggest you try this link to that discussion:

Salpa-Arun trek discussion (http://trekinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19902&highlight=Tumlingtar)

If you contact Rich by email he may send you his pdf guide to his recent hike of this route. (see 3rd message on the first page of this discussion)

Hope this is of help,

[rich]

Thanks for posting that brochure Silvertops. I knew of its exitence but had not seen this before. Looks interesting and well presented, although i fear it may be a little out of date, but that doesn't really matter. I shall trawl through it for any valuable info to add. I think I have the guts of it covered.

Mick, feel free to drop me a line for my .pdf guide for this trek.
PM or rich<dot>beatson<at>gmail<dot>com

r.

[thesilvertops]

The Trailblazer Guide "Trekking in the Everest Region" by Jamie McGuinness has a section on this trek with sketch maps. See pages 232 to 247 (4th Edition). This guide is usually available in Kathmandu. I don't know how up-to-date this description is. The 5th edition of this book has just been published so my page numbers are probably wrong for the new book.

[pushkamik]

Dear Silvertops and Rich,
Thanks for your help and good information i,ll be arriving in Kathmandu on Feb22 and hope to fly to Tumlingtar on 24th if Pasang can sort out the tickets.
Will let you know how it all went when i get back.

[Landfall38]

We completed the trek to Tumlingtar from Jiri last December (2008).
It is now 6 weeks since we completed our trek. Our memories are becoming "rosier" (funny how the bad ones disappear with time). Nevertheless, it was a very tough hike, especially from Pangom to Tumlingtar. (The Jiri-to-Kharikhloa section, which we had done before in 1998, now seems comparatively luxurious and easy compared to Pangom to Tumlingtar.... Yes, Lamjura seems easy after trekking to Tumlingtar)

While a tough hike that direction; I expect it to be much tougher in reverse (ie from Tumlingtar).

Rich's description of the Salpa-Arun trek is excellent -- I've been meaning to "update" but work here at home has been exhausting.

Basically:

Even with our (excellent) guide (and friend) Dorjee, we had trouble getting "edible" lunches on the trail (i) between Pangom & Najing (teashack near river made undrinkable mud tea which all three of us tossed -- didn't want to try their food) ; (ii) Between Sanam and Jau Bari; and (iii) especially between Phedi and Kartike Pul. Made for long tiring days -- luckily we had many granola bars. Oranges (suntala) were great -- at times they seemed to save me.

Here is the list of villages with Lodges available as of December 2008:


[Note: except for the lodge in Pangom and lodges in Tumlingtar, lodges on Salpa-Arun trek are very basic, far below the basic trekker standards in Khumbu or Annapurna]

- Tumlingtar (Arun Lodge is excellent)
- 1 or 2 between Tumlingtar & Kartike Pul (not really needed)
- 1 Kartike Pul (imho the worst; "basic" is being kind)
- none between Kartike Pul & Phedi
- 2 at Phedi (lodges side by side -- basic)
- 1 at Jau Bari (nice folks -- good cooks)
- 2 at Sanam (Gompa Lodge food inedible)
- 2+ at Gudel
- 1 at Bung (Sagarmatha; good -- meet the toilet pig) [the Pumori was open as a bar and doesn't seem to have rooms avail anymore -- we asked]
- 1 at Boksam Gompa [nice folks -- good food]
- 1 at Najingdigma [Namaste Lodge very basic but great folks (say Hello to Rinje), good food and good feelings]
- none at Gai Kharka
- 1 at Shibuje
- 1 [Trekker's Lodge] open at Pangom (2 other lodges owned by one person apparently are never open)

Best of luck -- have fun. It IS a tough trek with very basic :eek: facilities until you hit the Khumbu. But sights are great and friendly people who will be very curious/interested in you (especially the kids). They gave us many fun memories.

[Kcooker]

Two of us are headed up to Makalu starting in Tumlingtar starting as close to Feb. 25 as we can. We arrive in Kathmandu late Feb. 22 and will leave as soon as we get a permit and plane ticket to Tumlingtar.