Picking your Trek ??? and other Nepal Sports Travel Tips

Theme: Hiking

OK -- you have decided to go Trekking in Nepal !! ---------------- So which trek do you pick ???
This will depend on a variety of factors including
1) -- How Fit are you ??
2) -- How much time do you have ??

Next do you go on an organised Trek or Trek independently ??
Again this will depend on certain factors
1) Is Organised Trekking your " Thing " ?? -- Remember if you choose to go on an organised trek then you will loose most of your independencey -- How far You choose to walk each day, If you wish to take a day off for either illness or if you perticually like a place, Where you choose to spend the night, Where you choose to eat ---- just to name a few things !!??
2) How much money do you have availabl / want to spend ??
3) Certain areas such as Upper Mustang you will have No other choice but to go " Organised " because there is No accommodation available -- But Remember IF you wish you can still organise your own trip then at least you are in charge of most of the above points !! BUT Most importantly you can dictate the size of the group !!

My Recommendation would be to Think Long and Hard about the Trek that YOU wish to go on -- Then Research the Trek Fully and then allow yourself sufficient time so that you don't have to Rush, So that you can spend Ample time acclimatising when you reach altitude, So that you can take the occasional day off for whatever reason and Most Importantly -- So that you can ENJOY Your Trek !!!

2008 -- I am 100% Sure that the information in this tip is still as good now as when I wrote it in 2004 -- Happy Travels in Nepal -- Rob


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Theme: Hiking

OK -- Now you have Decided where you are Trekking --So the Next thing to decide is when to go !!!!!??
The Main Trekking season is September to November -- Undoubtedly this is the best time to go for Settled weather and Great Clear views of the Mountains BUT you will have the down-side of larger crowds on the trail
Next How High are you intending going ?? -- If you have picked the Annapurna Circuit then you have to cross Thorung La at 5540m so you don't want to get up to Thorung Phedi only to find that the pass is Blocked with an early / late snow !!
The Spring Trekking season ( late February to April ) is my Personal favourite -- Less people than the Autumn and the additional advantage of ALL the Beautiful Spring Flowers !! -- There is a down-side however and that is the weather isn't quite so good with clouds often building up by mid-day obscuring the High Mountains !!
All I can suggest is to weigh up All the pros and cons and make the decision that suits YOU Best !!!
Happy Travels in Nepal -- Rob

2008 -- I am 100% Sure that the information in this tip is still as good now as when I wrote it in


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Theme: Hiking

Both treks have there own merits so it is difficult to say that one is better than the other, the AC is a longer and harder trek, it usually takes around 18 days to complete and involves walking up one valley ( Marsyangdi), over a high pass (Thorung La), down another valley (Kali Gandaki), then over a high ridge (Poon Hill), The advantages of the ABC trek are that you walk through a lot more diverse terrain, You see the changing landscapes and cultures, from paddy fields at Besisahar, passing through different crop belts as you gain altitude, then into forest and finally you trek above the tree-line and cross the pass. The culture also changes as you gain altitude from Nepali to Tibetan. However the AC is Slowly changing as road building progress up the valley towards Manang and there are now jeep roads all the way down from Muktinath to Beni in the valley of the Kali Gandaki, But you can avoid most of these and keep to the old trekking routes so don’t let that worry you to much, Maybe the time to do the AC is now before the road building is completed though !!??
Once you reach Manang you Must spend an extra night there to aid acclimatisation, otherwise you increase your risk of AMS. Then after Manang you should only gain 300m per day, so take 2 days to reach Thorung Phidi, Then it is a hard day crossing the pass to Muktinath !!
After Muktinath you have an easy few days following the Kali Gandaki down as far as Tatopani before “The Sting in the Tail” and the hike up to Ghorepani (Poon Hill). It is a good idea to visit the Hot Springs at Tatopani in the morning as they are a lot less crowded and a lot cleaner then, then set off up towards Ghorepani after lunch and take a day and a half to get there – you will find this a lot more pleasant than trying to get up there in one day !!. From Ghorepani trek down to Birethanti and spend a last night there before the short trek (maybe one hour) to the road head at Nayapool and the bus ride back to Pokhara.
The AC is a shorter trek, around 10 days setting off from Phidi, it is classed as an easier trek, but don’t be fooled into taking it lightly as it is still hard enough ;-) You start off by crossing a ridge from Phidi to Ladruk (Two days), cross the Modi Khola at New Bridge (No Bridge !!) and then follow the valley up to ABC – however the trek does involve a lot of ups and downs as the path takes in the villages of Chomrong and Sinuwa which are both high above the river, there is only one path after Chomrong so you have to return the same way but can divert after Chomrong and trek out via Tadopani and Ghorepani (Poon Hill) to extend your trek up to about 2 weeks. From Ghorepani you can either trek out as per the AC, or trek down to Tataopani in one day to take advantage of the hot springs, then either walk down to Beni or catch a jeep, From Beni you get a bus back to Pokhara.
The ABC is a lower trek so less risk of AMS, but you still have to take care and only gain the statutory 300m per day after Himalaya Lodge.

The views from Both treks are Awesome so not a lot to help you choose there.

So it all depends on how much time you want to go trekking for and what your own personal tastes are.
Whichever trek you choose, I am Sure that you will have an Excellent time – Just Enjoy


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Theme: Hiking

The Annapurna Circuit is Still an Excellent Trek - But the time to do it is now, before the road building gets any further up the Marsyangai valley, You will read all sorts of reports about this road building, a lot of people paint it as Much Blacker than it actually is, The road had got as far as Syange when I was there in the spring 2008, It does somewhat spoil the look of the valley, but you won’t hardly notice most of it as the trekking route is on the other side of the valley most of the way. Once above Syange then you are into Awesome Country – But unfortunately this road is due to creep all the way to Manang over the next 4 or 5 years.
There is now a jeep road down the valley of the Kali Gandaki all the way from Muktinath to Beni, again you can avoid most of it by careful route planning, but the good news is that there are only a handful of jeeps use it every day – But no doubt this will change in time – However more Good News is that there is No plan to build a road from Tatopani over Poon Hill to Nayapool – So that at least is one part of this Excellent trek that Will remain untouched !!
So hence my advice – Do it Sooner rather than Later !!


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Theme: Hiking

To go trekking in Nepal it is Necessary to buy a Trekking Permit Before you set off trekking !! These are best bought in Kathmandu, The fee for trekking in the Annapurna region is currently 2000 Nepalese rupees and you will need two passport size photos. Simply go to the office ( On Thamel Chouk ) fill in the forms, hand over your money and photo's and you will be issued with your permit there and then !!!

2006 -- Although I didn't actually manage to get on a trek on this, my latest trip to Nepal, I can confirm that the office is still in the same building but it has now moved upstairs -- It is now at Street level in the middle of the building, you turn in half way along it. I aren't sure of the current prices for trekking permits however !! -- Happy Travels in Nepal -- Rob

2008, For Trekking Annapurna (AC or ABC) You must have your permit before you enter the park, you can buy these in either Kathmandu or Pokhara However if you are trekking either Everest or Langtang region you now pay your park entrance fee at the Park gate
In addition to your ANCAP Conservation Fee you now also need a TIMS registration document, Nirmal at HMA got me mine, but I have been told that you can pick them up at the ANCAP office at the same time that you pay your ANCAP Conservation Fee

2008 second update
It is now possible to arrange TIMS and ANCAP Fees in Advance through Nirmal, Drop him an email for details, But basically he will arrange both permits for you for a fee of around $45 including the price of the Permits. You will have to email him your passport details, then you attach the photographs and pay the fee when you arrive – This is a Great Service and might well save you a day or two !!


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Phone: 977 1 5526571 / 73
Address: PO Box 7312, Kathmandu, Nepal
Website: info@kmtnc.org.np
Other Contact: email Nirmal - n2@vianet.com.np

Theme: Hiking

Trekking EBC, ABC, AC and Langtang are all “teahouse treks”, normally people tend to either do it entirely independently, Hire a Guide or Porter or join a group.
I will try and go through each option giving pro’s and con’s so you can decide which option suits you best

Teahouse trek
This is the least expensive way to trek and you have the most flexibility as you plan your own stops, if you are tired you simply stay an extra night somewhere or stop trekking earlier than you had originally planned, also if you are feeling fit then you can continue further than planned – as long as this doesn’t infringe on the very important rule for AMS, once reaching 10,000 feet take one full day to acclimatise and then only gain 1,000 in altitude per day
However You have no support if things do go wrong

Hire a Guide Porter/Guide or Porter
If you don’t want to trek independently a much better solution is rather than joining an Organised Group to hire a Guide or Porter/Guide and maybe one porter between two trekkers (When I say Guide I mean a guide with a Government License – a Porter Guide doesn’t usually hold one and is in effect a guide in training, his English might be a little limited but he will be keen, knowledgeable and he will carry a certain amount of your belongings and is cheaper than the government licensed guide, a porter is just that, no guiding experience, usually no English and just there to carry your belongings – 1 porter usually carries 2 trekkers belongings)
By hiring your own staff, you are entirely in charge of your schedule, you can either walk quicker, slower, stop and start when you want, eat when you want and pick your own accommodation and can learn some more about Nepal, Culture, Language and facts about the areas you are trekking through as well as providing some much needed employment to a local person.

To work out your prices you must factor in
1) Your transportation costs
2) Your staff transportation costs (Nepali nationals get a huge discount on flights)
3)Staff fees
a) The professional trekking guide with government license holder cost US$.20.00 to 25.00 per day.
b) The strong Porter cost US$.10.00 to 12.00 per day
c) The Porter/Guide cost US$.15.00 to 20.00 per day

Above cost includes insurance, food, accommodation, salary.
4) Your own food and accommodation costs – typically this will work out around $25 per person per day

If you work out how many days you wish to trek for, add in your flights and other costs then this will give you a really Good idea of not only how much your trek will cost you, but exactly where you money is being spent !!

Join a group
The Most expensive option and the one with the least flexibility, you Must keep up with the group or get left behind, Most times the money you spend isn’t spent in the areas that you are trekking through, you tend to stay in tents but are well looked after, the food tends to be better than you get in the teahouses but you are really paying for that privilege !!

If you decide to go down this route then it is better to use a local company because at least by doing that the money stays in Nepal and it works out at a fraction of the price of paying for such a trek in your home country with no major reduction in service as a lot of international companies sub-contract the guiding and porters out to a local company in any case !!


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Theme: Hiking

For people with a reasonable level of fitness I would allow 10 to 11 days – I have listed how we did this trek below.

1) Leave Pokhara in the late afternoon by taxi to Phidi and trekked to Dhampus, arriving there late afternoon
2) Dhampus to Ladruk – about ¾ days trek crossing one ridge then mainly downhill to Ladruk
3) Ladruk to Chomrong- about ¾ days trek downhill at first to cross the Modi Kosi at “ New Bridge” (No Bridge!!) and the Steeply uphill to Chomrong
4) Chomrong to Bamboo – about ¾ days trek, Steeply downhill on steps, the steeply uphill to Real Sinua and then downhill again to Bamboo
5) Bamboo to Himalaya – ½ day steadily up
6) Himalaya to Deurali -- ½ day steadily up
7) Deurali to MBC - -- ½ day steadily up
8) MBC – ABC – Doban - Full day, up early, breakfast at ABC then return downhill all the way to Doban picking your pack up at MBC when passing
9) Doban to Chomrong -- ¾ day with one up and over and a pull up to Chomrong

From Chomrong I trekked towards Poon Hill but you could trek Chomrong to Ghandruk – ¾ day down and back up and then Ghandruk to Nayapool ½ day downhill then bus back to Pokhara

10) Chomrong to Tadopani - Full day - You cross one small ridge, then it is considerably up, initially through terraced agricultural land, then into forest before finally reaching Tadopani
11) Tadopani to Ghorapani (Poon Hill) ¾ day - first down through forest, then you undulate through a mixture of agricultural land and more forest, one small up and over then generally downhill into Ghorapani.
12) Either Ghorapani to Birethanti or Tatopani – both ¾ day treks and downhill all the way
13) From Birethanti to Nayapool – 1 hours hike and then bus back to Pokhara
From Tatopani to Beni by jeep then bus back to Pokhara

Personally I would opt for the Tatopani route and as long as you aren’t tight on time then have a day off there to take advantage of the Hot Springs


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Theme: Hiking

Personally I would say that with a 3 week timeframe you should pick either EBC or Annapurna – To try and attempt them both would be at the least Very Difficult.
Of the 2, I would probably opt for trekking The Annapurna Circuit for the following reasons.

1) As this trek starts low you get a lot of diversity of scenery as well as different cultures, Starting the trek walking through paddy fields, then grain terraces, then grazing land, Into and out of forests and then Way above the tree line approaching and crossing Thorung La.
2) The trek takes you through 2 different valleys, One narrow and steep and the other more open and level, The Kali Gandaki is said to be the deepest valley in the world. Then the little sting in the tail of Poon Hill and one of the best mountain viewpoints in the Annapurna region
3) Because of the road building in the area, the time to do this trek is now as in the next few years when the road gets up to Manang this trek will, If not ruined, Certainly Badly Scared.

Normally AC takes around 18 days, Besisahar to Nayapool (a couple of hours from Pokhara on the bus) but it can be cut down by a couple of days by catching a jeep from Jomsom down as far as Tatopani. This would leave you opportunity for a bit of sightseeing around Kathmandu as well as a couple of days off relaxing at Pokhara at the end of your trek


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Theme: Hiking

Personally, Even though it is Slightly more expensive I would say it is Far Better to hire your Staff (Guide – Porter / Guide and Porters) through a Reputable (And preferably well recommended) Agent than it is to try and hire them hire them off the street or en-route yourself.

The Good and Reputable Agents do a Great Job, For the trekker and for their staff, My preferred agent, (Details on travelogue entitled “A Very Important Decision”) sub-contracts his staff form a list of Experienced porters and guides that he has put together over the years, Thus he makes sure that All the staff that he supplies are well known to him, they are all trustworthy and excellent at their jobs. Yes – he does take a commission, But this is agreed between the porters and guides and himself and is only a small percentage of their salary.

From the trekkers point of view, this practically guarantees that the staff that you hire are up to the job, You have the opportunity to interview them Before you head off on your trek and assess their suitability.
They are trustworthy, they have good clothing, boots etc, they have insurance and the price that you pay covers Everything that has been agreed.
Particularly If you are a first time visitor to Nepal, then it also takes a lot of the pitfalls and hassles out of finding your own suitable staff.

From the porters and guides point of view, a Good and Reputable agent keeps their staff as near to fully employed as they can, Often at the end of one trek they are off on another within a couple of days, they can then spend this small amount of time off relaxing with there families as opposed to walking the streets looking for their next job


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Theme: Hiking

Personally I think that it is always better to keep the Guide and your own trekking food and accommodation expenses separate.
In my opinion these “packages” can lead to greed, as trekkers end up ordering much more food that they can ever eat because they think that it has already been paid for, where as the reality is that the more that they eat / waste, the less wages that are left for their Guide

Typically your own costs will work out at around $25 per day, This includes your food, accommodation, snacks and even the occasional beer / fizzy drink and bar of chocolate – . But again Not your airfare or park entrance.
You could get away with less than $20 per day but this would mean drinking only water / tea and having a repetitive diet and no treats !!

I have used the same agent in Kathmandu for my trekking for the past 15 years / 7 trips to Nepal and his staff prices are as follows

The professional trekking guide with government license holder cost US$.20.00 to 25.00 per day.

The strong Porter cost US$.10.00 to 12.00 per day

The Porter/Guide cost US$.15.00 to 20.00 per day

Above cost includes insurance, food, accommodation, salary.

Above cost does not includes transportation by air / surface, tip, guest insurance

The Typically quoted "Package" price is around $55 per person for an all Inclusive price including guide and your own food and accommodation. So there isn’t a great deal of difference in the price of the two, However by Not taking the “Package” it means that you can control the lodges that you stay in and both the times and amount of money that you spend on the food that you eat.


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