 |
|
|
|
|
Planning
Information for a printable version..click here A typical day on the trail One of the great joys of trekking in Nepal is to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and relax with the simple day to day routine of life on the trail. Each morning after packing our bags and having a good breakfast, we set off on the day's walk. All we need carry is a small day pack containing water bottle, camera, sun cream, hat, rain jacket and warm jumper, just in case. The porters will carry the rest of our gear for us. The porters carry about 30kg and will walk ahead of us. If you choose to take less than 15kg then that will leave a little room for more spring in their step! These are amazing people. After walking for 2-3 hours we stop for lunch at around midday. The afternoon's walk is generally shorter and we usually arrive at our destination in time for afternoon tea. The remainder of the afternoon can be spent exploring the village, doing a bit of washing or simply relaxing with a good book. On some days we will arrive at our destination by lunchtime and the entire afternoon will be free. After dinner, the evening will often be
spent playing cards and reliving the day's adventures, before heading
off to bed for a well-earned sleep. All your meals (apart from snacks and soft drinks) are paid for as part of the trek. We will eat at teahouses and, although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, you should be aware that the menu is not normally extensive. Most teahouses offer a variety of rice and noodle dishes, as well as soup and seasonal vegetables. Dal Bhat (A dish of rice, pickles and lentils) is the mainstay of most Nepali people and often the safest thing to eat and can be very very tasty. Can I recommend you consider becoming a vegetarian for the trip (I can show you a great place to have a yak steak sandwich in Kathmandu upon your return if you are hanging out for meat!) A variety of cereals, bread and egg dishes are generally available for breakfast. The morning drink of choice is black tea (which we can guarantee has used boiled water) although other options are hot lemon and coffee although you may be disappointed by the quality. Can I recommend you drink black tea or herbal tea to reduce the risk of drinking coffee with water that we don’t know has been boiled…. If you enjoy herbal teas bring along a box of your favourite flavour. There will also be plenty of snacks available such as biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks and in some areas you will find fresh fruit in season. I would suggest that you perhaps think about bringing some chocolate bars or muesli bars from home for snack foods. Can I also suggest you bring some raro sachets if you find the taste of iodised water although there is a wonderful water purifying system now called Potable Aqua Plus which is a two step system that also removes the taste of iodine. (a little more expensive but worth it) Where do we stay? Okay! Trekking lodges are not hotels. They are basic buildings with rooms and we like to choose the best we can to ensure you have a good nights’sleep. A lot now have double rooms and that is what we are going to be aiming for. They will be nicer than you imagine. The toilets are “Asian sqat style” sometimes with porcelain bits to put your feet on but more often than not just a concrete pad with a hole in the ground. Its basic that’s for sure. If you have never used one of these be prepared…especially your nose! My trick was to have a dollup of perfume on the collar of my fleece so that when I went in I would bury my nose into it to try and cope with the sometimes overwhelming toilet smells. Inside the toilet are usually two often metal containers or buckets. One is to put your toilet paper and santiary products into and the other is full of water with a cup in it. Nepali people do not use toilet paper and this water is also used to “flush.” Please bring your own toilet paper and sanitary products unless you are happy to buy some of the harsher pink Chinese variety found in Nepal. This is where the sanitising hand gel is really going to come into its own. Please can I mention the essential nature of antiseptic hand gel. I cannot emphasize enough how important this stuff is for keeping our hands clean and germ free. Ask a chemist for it. Western brand Tampons can be difficult to come by sometimes so bring your own brand along. Every day we will send either a runner or the porters ahead with our gear to secure rooms in lodge in the next village. We will do our best to find the best lodges but please don’t expect the Hilton up there. The lodges have a common room or dining room where we can congregate at the end of the day and for mealtimes. These are heated at night sometimes using an open cooker under the table (it works but keep your feet well away.) It is usually quite cold in the evenings above 2300m so a warm sleeping bag is essential. There is nothing worse than being cold so if you are able to borrow a three season bag off someone….great! In the Kathmandu Valley it does not get so cold although towards the end of October and November there is a chill in the air up higher around 2100m (Nagarkot). A Day’s on the Trekking Trail We will generally try and be on the trail by about 8:00-8:30am. Breakfast orders are taken the night before and breakfast time agreed upon. Keeping a little water handy the night before for teeth brushing in the morning is a good idea. Can I suggest you bring along a packet of baby wipes for your morning “wash.” There will likely be a tap at the lodge as well so a cold splash over the face is also possible to start the day. I tended to wash at the end of the day when there was a little more time and the solar showers have had time to get warm. If not we will organise a bowl and we improvise! Its all part of the fun. Sports towel are the best for trekking as they absorb lots of water and dry quickly while hanging off your pack during the day. The porters will be ahead of us. We will be accompanied by the sirdar/guide who I will get a chance to know before the trek. This man will be responsible for keeping us on the right track and also telling us a little about the valley. I will do a little swotting up too but you get a lot out of just looking around and observing. We will have filled up our water bottles before leaving and we will amble along in our own time until perhaps 10-11am for a hot lemon drink stop and rest. (any drinks or snacks you buy along the way you will have to pay for like fanta and coke…but remember to wipe the tops of those bottles!) Lunch stop will probably be about 12:30 or whenever we get to a suitable lodge or eating place. Depending on how much we need to cover that day we should reach our destination by mid-afternoon. This is the time to unpack and get things ready for the night. Lodge owners provide padlocks for rooms but can I suggest you bring your own and a couple of keys (to share with the person you are sharing with). Now is the time to wash away the sweat of the day and perhaps wash some polypropelene/undies/hankies etc (don’t forget to bring some clothing washing liquid) Now is also the time of day to take stock, have a hot drink, read a book, relax and reflect. We will also take your order for dinner in the late afternoon so that the lodgeowner can plan for the meal (we are a big group so we need to give them a chance). We will eat usually
around 6pm followed by cards, reading, chatting…whatever….oh
yes and your breakfast order. This is the time of day when a warm down
jacket (can rent this in Kathmandu from about $NZ 2 a day) warm socks
and fluffy trousers and a good torch come into their own. A couple of
candles and some matches are also a good idea for your room to save
on batteries in your torch. |
|
|
|
|||
