Most Inspirational Moment
Just being in the Himalayas is inspirational!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader was Jaite (Ajay) Tamang and I can't praise him enough. We all felt in very safe hands. He was always aware of our health, asking us every morning if we had headaches etc. He constantly gave us advice on what was best to eat for energy/altitude and he constantly reminded us to drink lots and lots and to keep warm. But not only was he an excellent leader, he was also an excellent ambassador for his country. His enthusiasm for it was catching. He pointed out flowers, animals, mountain names and gave us a brilliant insight into true Nepali life. It was obvious he was proud of his country and we felt proud to be there. Our other guides, Lakpa Sherpa and Suresh Tamang were equally as wonderful. They carried our bags when we were ill, always had a smile for us, and basically were at our beck and call. They were happy to do anything for us without the slightest grumble. I don't think there was a lazy bone in their bodies. They worked so hard, but seemed so happy and proud to be doing the job they were doing. It was a pleasure to be with them. Our Yak man, Phura Sarki Sherpa had healthy looking animals and our bags always arrived outside our rooms without any problems or fuss.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1: We went in the trip in mid April so I can only account for the weather in this month, but you have to be prepared for ALL weather! We started in boiling heat for the first 3 days. I really burnt my arms, so make sure you have high factor sun cream and use it! We also encountered snow, wind, freezing cold and torrential rain. Layers are without doubt the way forward. Lots of them!
2: I took a small bottle of febreeze and this was really nice to freshen up things that were starting to get a bit smelly! We didn't shower the whole 11 day trek, so clothes do get very dirty. Everyone's in the same boat though, so it's not so bad. I looked like a yeti when I got back, but it all added to the sense of adventure.
3: Make sure you have a couple of toilet rolls. There are none in the loos. However they can be bought in all the lodges, right the way up. Ladies, (sorry men) take panyliners, they are very useful. I read this tip from another review and was grateful I did. You'll understand once you're there!
4:We definitely did NOT need £25-£35 a day. I suppose it depends on the individual though. I took my own snacks for trekking (sweets, cereal bars, Kendal mint cake) so didn't need to buy anything like that and I didn't bother with wifi. I charged my phone/camera 2 or 3 times (about £2 an hour) Meals on average cost about £4 (more for meat dishes, less for soup) Hot drinks were about 50p.
5: I didn't expect the altitude to hit me as much as it did. It's really hard to explain the feeling, but be prepared to feel at least a bit 'weird' particularly from Dingboche upwards. I'm reasonably fit, and was determined to get there and I did, but it was by no means a walk in the park. Mental determination is almost as important as physical ability. If you're fit and determined and you don't get too ill, you'll make it. The trek starts off quite pleasantly, but definitely gets harder and the days get longer the nearer to EBC you get.
6: I had a little 'bum bag' type thing which had my camera, snacks and tissues in, and the others in the group all said what a good idea they thought it was. It meant I could take photos without having to stop or ask someone to help get it out of my rucksack and access sweets at any point! It really was useful.
7: A few if us had a platypus/camelback and again, I would really recommend it. You have to drink a lot to help prevent altitude problems and it was nice to be able to access water without having to ask someone to pass my bottle to me. But a cap for the mouthpiece is a good idea as every time I put my bag down, the mouthpiece got dirty.
8: We got boiled water at night in a metal water bottle, used it as a hot water bottle, then it was ready to drink the next morning. It was so nice having that extra warmth when we went to bed! It is FREEZING at night.
9: I was a bit worried about loos. In the first few days of the trek you stop every couple of hours at a lodge for tea/lunch, so there is opportunity then. Later on, when lodges are less frequent, there are rocks and bushes! In some ways this is more pleasant than actual toilets. Just ask your guide and they'll point you to a good 'wee wee' rock (as our guide always put it!)
10: At the end of our trek, we were asked by our leader to not throw away anything. Any old clothes we were thinking of throwing away/sweets/toiletries/shoes etc we didn't want were divided up in front of us and given to our 3 other guides. They were grateful of our old things and had I known, I might've taken some other old things to donate.
11: Make sure you inform your bank if you are thinking of taking out money from a cash machine in Kathmandu! I didn't and they blocked my card. Was a nightmare trying to get through to them and sort it. Probably best to take cash and exchange it at either the airport in Kathmandu or at a money exchange in Katmandu. £300 was plenty for us.
