Nepal Trek & Adventure
For SINGLE WALKERS 25 to 39 Years
Sunday 6 to Monday 21 November 2011 (16 days)
Itinerary
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Sightseeing in Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath (a major Hindu shrine) and the giant Buddhist stupa at Bodhnat FAST FACTS:
- Visas required* Vaccinations required*
- Group size - Min 5, Max 16
- A single supplement is available
- Experienced, English speaking local leader
- Specialist gear required - walking boots, day pack, waterproof jacket*
WHAT YOU CARRY:
In your daypack you will need to carry extra warm clothing (depending on the altitude, location and weather), a rainjacket, water bottle, film and camera gear, valuables and personal items such as sunscreen, lip-eze etc. Porters carry all group gear and your trek pack.
TRIP GRADING - MODERATE:
On a moderate trek physical activity will generally not exceed eight hours in a day, and altitudes generally not exceeding 5,500 metres. On a moderate adventure the physical activity is sustained and travellers should be comfortable with occasional rough terrain. At any stage of a moderate trek you can expect long steep climbs and descents and a wide range of weather conditions. An example of an average day on moderate trek could include several ascents and descents of 500 metres or more, level ground is rare in the mountains.
TRIP PREPARATION:
To prepare for a moderate trek you should begin training at least three months before your departure. As a benchmark, an hour of aerobic exercise three times per week would be considered a minimum requirement. The best preparation is bushwalking involving relatively steep ascents and descents. If you can manage a couple of valley floor to ridgeline ascents per bushwalk, albeit with stops along the way, you know you can cope with a moderately graded trek. Speed is not important, stamina, confidence and rhythm are.
The post-monsoon period - From early September the monsoon rain starts to decrease. By mid-October through to mid-December the weather is usually stable with mild to warm days,cold nights and clear views. Daytime temperatures can reach 25 - 30 degrees celsius at lower altitudes and decrease as you gain height. Over 3000 meters the daytime temperatures can vary as much as 10 to 20 degrees celsius, and may be hotter or colder, depending on whether it is sunny or windy etc.
At night at lower altitudes, temperatures do not normally drop much, although as you approach November it does get colder and the days shorter. Up high it can drop sharply at night, from 0 to minus 10 or 15 and more when camped on the ice or snow.
MEALS DURING THE TREK:
We provide a full service while on trek. An important aspect of this service are the meals that are prepared for you and we are frequently complimented by returning travellers about the food provided. Ensuring that you stay healthy is one of our highest priorities.
The trek is accompanied by a trained cook as well as kitchen staff who provide you with three hearty meals each day. High levels of hygiene are engaged to ensure that our travellers stay healthy and fit. The cooking staff has mastered the preparation of a varied and balanced menu and there is always plenty of food for those who may like seconds. The cooks are trained to provide excellent food for vegetarians and anyone who has a limited diet including those who are lactose or gluten intolerant. Our meal inclusion on your trek is for your benefit and takes all the hassle, expense and worry out of your holiday.
Typically, you can expect breakfast to consist of muesli or cereal, eggs, local breads and pancakes and hot drinks.
Lunch will generally be vegetables, salads, bread, cheese pasta style dishes, tinned fish and meats and are normally eaten picnic style.
Dinner is always three courses and includes soup, seasonal vegetables, meat, rice or pasta and bread with some local specialties also in the mix. Dessert is always served after the main meal each evening followed by hot beverages.
ACCOMMODATION:
Kathmandu Hotel
The group hotel is The Raddison, Kathmandu
Lodge Accommodation at Chitwan Jungle Lodge
The lodge is well located in the park and is of comfortable, simple design. There are twin-bedded bungalows with private facilities but no electricity (fuel lamps are used for lighting). There is a central lounge area and an attractive dining area. The food is excellent - a combination of Western and the traditional Nepali cuisine. It is well located, deep in the jungle, with the night noises of the wildlife and waking to the early morning foraging of birds, monkeys and smaller animals.
Day 1 Arrive Kathmandu
You will be met by your group leader and transferred to the Radisson Hotel. Remainder of the afternoon is at leisure. A pre-trek briefing will be given around 5pm where arrangements will be made for the distribution of your kit bag, sleeping bag and down/fibrefill jacket. Evening drinks are held in the hotel for all World Expeditions clients arriving today. Drinks and snacks will generally be served from 6:30 pm until 7:15pm, and this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with your fellow group members before heading out to dinner.
Meals: nil Meals: b Meals: b,l,d Meals: b,l,d Meals: b,l,d Meals: b,l,d Day 7 To Kooker 2590m. Walk approx 6 hours. Meals: b,l,d
Day 8 To Humaal 2950m. Walk approx 4 hours. Meals: b,l,d
Day 9 To Guhe 3680m. Walk approx 5 hours. Meals: b,l,d Day 10 Day hike to Mardi Himal Base Camp. Walk approx 6 hours. Meals: b,l,d
Day 11 To Kooker 2590m. Walk approx 5 hours. Meals: b,l,d
Day 12 To Landruk 1600 m. Walk approx 3 hours. Meals: b,l,d Day 13 To Ghandruk 1940m. Walk approx 4 hours Meals: b,l,d
Day 14 To Pokhara. Walk approx. 5 hours Meals: b,l,d
Day 15 Fly to Kathmandu. Meals: b
Day 16 Trip concludes in Kathmandu. Meals: b
Day 2 In Kathmandu (1330m)
This morning a sightseeing tour takes in the key attractions in and around Kathmandu. In the afternoon you have time to explore Patan, Bhaktapur, and the lesser-known towns that dot the valley on foot, by bicycle or trishaw. The area has an amazing range of fascinating highlights, whatever your interest. Excellent bookshops, extensive markets, and novelty and handicraft shopscontrast with fantastic centres of cultural and spiritual significance - Kathmandu has more World Heritage sites than any other city in the world.
Day 3 Meet in Kathmandu and drive to Chitwan Jungle Lodge.
This morning we depart Kathmandu for the drive to Chitwan. We generally arrive in time for lunch and partake in an afternoon activity such as a guided walk, elephant ride or a visit to the observation tower.
Day 4 Game viewing at the Park
Early this morning, we travel out on elephant-back to see the one-horned rhino. It is a great mode of travel as it allows us to move quietly through the bush and is a great vantage point for viewing. We return by 8:00 am for breakfast. Mid morning, we take a ride in dug-out canoes on the Rapti River, a good site for birdwatching or viewing crocodiles in the warmer months. We return for lunch and take a swim or wildlife walk during mid-afternoon, or possibly another elephant ride. If we are lucky, this evening's entertainment will be a stick dance performed by the local ethnic tribe of the Terai, the Tharu people.
Day 5 Transfer to Pokhara 980m
We complete our last activity, and after breakfast transfer by road to Pokhara, Nepal's second largest town and our first night's camp.
Day 6 To Australian Camp 1900m. Walk approximately 6 hours.
We drive a short distance passing a Tibetan Refuge Camp and then commence our trek. We immediately leave the main road and ascend steeply towards the ride where we gain panoramic views of the Annapurna mountain range in the distance. The scale of the imposing mountains astounds us as gaze at the adjacent peaks of Machapuchare (6993m), Hiunchuli (6441m) and Annapurna South (7219m). Following a ridge through fields and clumps of bamboo we soon arrive at a pleasant location for our picnic lunch at Dampus. Villagers greet us with "Namaste", the traditional Nepalese greeting as we pass through Chetri and Brahmin settlements and onto the ridge top. After lunch we head towards our camp, which offers us opportunities for sunset photographs.
The views from our campsite are excellent, and morning generally offers the best opportunity to view the huge peaks. As we walk, the peaks of the Annapurnas will be visible through the scattered rhododendron forest, offering a sample of the trek to come. As we reach Deroli (2200m) we can get our first views of Dhaulagiri, the world's 6th highest peak. We take lunch at Forest Camp, and after your longer uphill morning session, this afternoon will be a more gradual ascent to camp.
We wake this morning to even more spectacular mountain views. As we are not moving camp today you have a choice to relax at camp and savour the views in the vicinity, or join a day hike to Mardi Himal Base Camp. The options are of course weather dependent, but which ever you choose you will be well rewarded with an exceptional day in the mountains. As you climb you get closer to the gigantic face of Machapuchare. If time allows, you may be able to traverse close to the glaciers, or view the giant sanctuary of Annapurna 1 or Annapurna 4.
Our destination today is easily seen across the valley, the attractive Gurung village of Ghandruk, We descend the valley floor through terraced fields and cross steel suspension bridge to commence our ascent. As we trek up the staircase, we enjoy the beauty of Himalaya at a relatively close range and observe the glaciers flowing from them to form the river below us. It really is a magnificent location and a photographer's delight. On our leisurely approach along these ridges we savor the magnificent scenery with fine mountain views. Ghandruk is the second largest Gurung settlement in Nepal and provides a further insight into the lifestyles of villages that have traditionally provided the backbone of the famous Gurkha regiments. The afternoon can be spent at leisure, or take a tour of the old village.
© arendezvous travel & leisure
2012