Trekking in Nepal.

There are two tourist seasons in the country: from March to early May, and from October to November. In the spring there are fewer tourists and everything is a little cheaper, in autumn the colors are brighter and the air is more transparent. If the track passes by the lakes, it is better to choose autumn, in the spring the lakes can be under the snow. Otherwise, there is no fundamental difference.

It all depends on the route, but the main tracks do not require special skills and some special training. Trekking is within the power of any healthy person in normal physical form. Nevertheless, if the route passes at an altitude of more than 3500 m, it is worth at least a couple of months before the trip to begin to train endurance: running, swimming, skiing or cycling.

From two weeks. The bigger, the better. It will not be boring.

This is one of the safest countries for tourists in the world. Crime is almost absent here.

You need to fly to Kathmandu – the capital of Nepal. Tickets cost between $ 600 and $ 1,000, depending on the airline and travel dates. Buying tickets in advance is always cheaper.

A visa is issued upon arrival in the country. It costs 25, 40 and 100 dollars for 15, 30 and 90 days, respectively. Bring a pen to fill out the questionnaire and a couple of 2×4 photos.

We need to take a taxi (costs 3-4 dollars) and go to the tourist region of Thamel. There you will find hotels, restaurants and a million travel agencies. There are other places to live in the city, but for the first time it is better to stay in Thamel.

For the first time, classic routes around Annapurna, to the Everest base camp, tracks in the Langtang area are perfect. For the second time or more experienced tourists, the track around Manaslu, Tsum Valley, is suitable. And the third time you will already know everything yourself and you will not need advice.

In order for you to be allowed into the travel area, you need a permit. Permits are different for different territories. For example, a pass around Annapurna costs about $ 40, and around Manaslu about 120. For some routes, you need TIMS – a traveler card. You can get permits and TIMS on your own at the tourist office in Kathmandu, or assign this to a travel agency for a small commission. In any case, at least half a day should be laid on paperwork.

If we talk about popular tracks, you will spend the night in guesthouses (or lodges) – simple little hotels in the villages. Eat there. Consequently, you do not need to take tents, burners, pots and food with you. The menu is simple but full. In some tracks there is almost no meat, keep this in mind.

Having a shower is difficult. Water is either heated by the sun (they came to the guesthouse earlier than anyone on a clear day — they were washed in hot water), or it is a bucket of hot water, or just cold water from a hose in a special room. The higher the guesthouse, the lower the chance of finding a hot or warm shower. There is light in almost all guesthouses, mainly energy from solar panels or micro hydroelectric power stations. Outlets are not everywhere, but the hosts can charge your device for a small fee. Mobile communication is everywhere on the plain, in the mountains local operators work on popular tracks, you can even connect the Internet.

In Nepal, there are routes that are not allowed without a local certified guide. For example, the track around Manaslu. A guide costs $ 20-35 per day. Other tracks can be visited independently. Whether or not to take a porter is a private matter. Porter is able to carry up to 20 kg of your cargo, thereby greatly facilitating the journey. But the porter needs to pay $ 15-20 per day. It is customary for local staff to leave a tip at the end of the trip.

Bring two pairs: trekking boots or sneakers and durable sandals. For easy routes, shoes should be lightweight: do not take climbing boots with welts for cats and stiff soles. You can also bring light slippers or flip flops with you so that your legs rest in them in the evening after a long transition.

Everything is quite standard for trekking: two sets of thermal underwear, thicker and thinner, windproof trousers, a membrane jacket, fleece jacket, down jacket, hat, gloves, several pairs of trekking socks.In spring and autumn there is little rainfall, the sky is clear. But sometimes it rains in the valley or snow in the mountains. The bottom is hot, up to + 30 ° C, but the higher the colder. At night, it can be up to -10 ° C, during the day just above zero. Consider this when choosing equipment.

A backpack, trekking poles, sunglasses with a protection category higher than three, a headlamp.

On popular tracks (to the Everest base camp, around Annapurna, Langtang, Pun Hill) you can do without a sleeping bag – there are warm blankets in the guesthouses.However, the lodges are not always clean, so you can take any simplest and easiest sleeping bag or even an insert. But there are tracks where you need a warm sleeping bag, because guesthouses and lodges on the route are very simple and they don’t give out blankets there. For example, this is a track around Manaslu or in the Zum Valley. Take a sleeping bag with a comfort temperature from -5 to -10 ° С. A rug is not needed; there are beds everywhere.

For most tracks – no. But there are routes where you can’t do without it, for example, a track around Dhaulagiri and climbing the “trekking” peaks of Island Peak and Mera Peak.

Yes. There it is of three types:

 

  • original new – at European prices;
  • the original used one is cheaper, but you have to look for it well;
  • counterfeit local tailoring – for ridiculous money, but you can only buy something simple, such as fleece or bandanas. But we don’t advise buying something high-tech like a membrane jacket or even more shoes.

Insurance is required! But not for formality. In Nepal there is modern medicine for tourists, helicopters fly for those who are in trouble. For all this to work, you need insurance that covers the risks of what you plan to do there.

In Nepal there is no ebola, yellow fever, dengue. Isolated cases of malaria are noted, but only in the jungle on the border with India. Typhoid, hepatitis, cholera are rarely seen diseases.

There are poisonous snakes, but they are extremely rare and mainly on the plains in the jungle. And there are almost no insects that bite people, even mosquitoes will have to be searched.

Intestinal infections. In Nepal, you cannot drink water from streams: you need to either boil it, or filter it, or buy bottled water. Plus, follow simple hygiene rules: wash your hands thoroughly, refrain from fruits without natural packaging (bananas and tangerines can, apples can not), eat in checked places.

There are hundreds of restaurant and every individuals enjoy the food. Its very simple: Every tourists and locals eat there, the chance of poisoning is less.

A couple of lines here can not get off, this is the topic of a separate article. I will tell you the basic rules of acclimatization. Do not climb more than 700 meters per day. As soon as you have exceeded 3,000 m, begin to carefully monitor your feelings. If you feel weakness and a headache – do not sit in the guesthouse’s room, but go outside and take a walk. Before further climbing, make a couple of acclimatization exits: climb 500-700 meters, spend half an hour or an hour there, go down to the place of spending the night.

A standard set of tracker: an elastic and simple bandage, a lot of adhesive, a warming ointment, anesthetic. Means from intestinal infections do not interfere. At will – disinfecting tablets for water.

There are conditions for any type of outdoor sports: kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, paragliding … There is even mountain running. In Nepal, about a dozen international sky running races are held annually, for example, the Everest marathon – the highest mountain competition in the world with a start at an altitude of five thousand meters. And if you are tired of extreme sports, you can visit the sights – the ancient culture of South Asia will not leave anyone indifferent.

Sure! And after the second and third. The author of this article has been to Nepal for nine times and cannot stop at all. As one of the slogans of the tourism industry of Nepal says, “One time is not enough!”

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