Trekking in Annapurna, Everest / Khumbu, Langtang and Restricted Area of Nepal

Whether you begin your trek at a roadhead or fly into a remote mountain airstrip, a large part of it will be in the Middle Hills region at elevations between 500 and 3000 metres. In this region, there are always well-developed trails through villages and across mountain passes. Even at high altitudes there are intermittent settlements used during summer by shepherds, so the trails, though often indistinct, are always there. You can easily travel on any trail without the aid of ropes or mountaineering skills. There are rare occasions when there is snow on the trail, and on some high passes it might be necessary to place a safety line for your companions or porters if there is deep snow. Still, alpine techniques are almost never used on a traditional trek. Anyone who has walked extensively in the mountains has all the skills necessary for an extended trek in Nepal .

Though some treks venture near glaciers, and even cross the foot of them, most treks do not allow the fulfilment of any Himalayan mountaineering ambitions. Nepal 's mountaineering regulations allow trekkers to climb 18 specified peaks with a minimum of formality, but you must still make a few advance arrangements for such climbs. Many agents offer so-called climbing treks which include the ascent of one of these peaks as a feature of the trek. There are a few peaks that, under ideal conditions, are within the resources of individual trekkers. A climb can be arranged in Kathmandu if conditions are right, but a climb of one of the more difficult peaks should be planned well in advance.

Camping Treks: Camping Treks allow us to stter away from the most use tourist trails even on easy, low-altitude treks. This is because we travel as a self contained unit, carrying our food & camping gears, using the quite village trails leading through terraced rice paddies, magnificent forests and glacier valleys. Provide support staffs (Guide/Cook/Kitchen boy/Porters or Yaks)

Tea house or Lodge Treks: Some areas are so popular with trekkers that a network of lodges of teahouse has developed. Many even have electricity lodge treks are offered on the main trails of the Everest, Annapurana and Langtang regions of Nepal and are in populated areas. These treks include guides and porters or Yaks who carry your personal gear, leaving you to carry only a small dry pack. You are free to choose your meals from local menus.

Trek Highlights 2008/2009

Everest / Khumbu Treks Gokyo Lake & Everest Base Camp Trek Kongde The Super Everest Trek Everest Classic Trek Challenging Mera and Amphu Lapcha Pass Trek Island Peak ( Imja Tse) 6187m. Trek and Climb Cultural Trek to Sherpa Land Gokyo Renjo Pass Trek Rolwaling Khumbu Trek

Annapurna Treks Annapurna Circuit Treks Annapurna Sanctuary / Annapurna Base Camp Trek Ghorepani Poonhill Trek Jomsom Muktinath Trek Disover Mysterious Nar Phu Trek Discover Siklis Trek

Langtang & Helambu Treks Langtang Alpine Trek A Classic Helambu Trek Ganesh Himal Trek

Restricted Area Treks Mysterious Mustang Lo Mantang Trek Manaslu Circuit Trek Dolpo Trek Dolpo Mustang Trek Dolpo Jumla Trek

Remote and Forbidden Route Treks Dhaulagiri Exploration Trek Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek Makalu Base Camp Makalu Sherpani Col Trek Rolwalling Valley Trek

Trip Grade

1. Grade A (Easy):
These trips can be enjoyed by anyone who leads a reasonably active life. The walking parts are easy & pleasant at a relaxed place and rarely exceed 6 hours.

2. Grade B (Moderate):
These trips include (3-7 hours of walk a day and are mixture of some larger & short walks. However the participants require a higher level of stamina.

3. Grade C (Challenging):
These trips are a combinatin with strenuous and moderate walks requiring 6-8 hours of walk a day, reaching altitudes above 5,000m.

4. Grade D (Mountaineering):
These trips are regarded as the most strenuous and as genuine adventure. With more than 8 hours of walk a day, these trips require high level of Psychological and Physical Stamina.

A Trek Requires Physical Effort:

A trek is physically demanding because of its length and the almost unbelievable changes in elevation. During the 300-km trek from Jiri to Everest base camp and return, for example, the trail gains and loses more than 9000 metres of elevation during many steep ascents and descents. On most treks, the daily gain is less than 800 metres in about 15 km, though ascents of as much as 1200 metres are possible on some days. You can always take plenty of time during the day to cover this distance, so the physical exertion, though quite strenuous at times, is not sustained. You also can stop frequently and take plenty of time for rest.

Probably the only physical problem that may make a trek impossible is a history of knee problems on descents. In Nepal the descents are long, steep and unrelenting. There is hardly a level stretch of trail in the entire country. If you are an experienced walker and often hike 15 km a day with a pack, a trek should prove no difficulty. You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy the hiking can be if you only carry a light backpack and do not have to worry about meal preparation.

Previous experience in hiking and living outdoors is, however, helpful as you make plans for your trek. The first night of a month-long trip is too late to discover that you do not like to sleep in a sleeping bag. Mountaineering experience is not necessary, but you must enjoy walking.

Why Trekking in Nepal?

The Himalaya , the "abode of snows", extends from Assam in eastern India west to Afghanistan . It is a chain of the highest and youngest mountains on earth and it encompasses a region of deep religious and cultural traditions and an amazing diversity of people. A trek in Nepal is a special and rewarding mountain holiday.

Just as New York is not representative of the USA , so Kathmandu is not representative of Nepal . If you have the time and energy to trek, don't miss the opportunity to leave Kathmandu and see the spectacular beauty and the unique culture of Nepal . Fortunately for the visitor, there are still only a few roads extending deeply into the hills, so the only way to truly visit the remote regions of the kingdom is in the slowest and most intimate manner - walking. It requires more time and effort, but the rewards are also greater. Instead of zipping down a freeway, racing to the next "point of interest," each step provides new and intriguing viewpoints. You will perceive your day as an entity rather than a few highlights strung together by a ribbon of concrete. For the romanticist, each step follows the footsteps of Hillary, Tenzing, Herzog and other Himalayan explorers. If you have neither the patience nor the physical stamina to visit the hills of Nepal on foot, a helicopter flight provides an expensive and unsatisfactory substitute.

Trekking in Nepal will take you through a country that has captured the imagination of mountaineers and explorers for more than 100 years. You will meet people in remote mountain villages whose lifestyle has not changed in generations. Most people trust foreigners. Nepal is one of only a handful of countries that has never been ruled by a foreign power.