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Nepal trekking information.
Treks
Khumbu – Bus to Jiri or fly to Lukla then hike up to Namche Bazzar, capital of the Sherpa lands at the foot of Everest. The most popular trek is up to Everest Base Camp and an ascent of Kalar Patar. Visit the Buddhist Tengboche monastery for the Mani Rimdu festival in November. Explore the Gokyo valley with its sacred lakes and stupendous views of four 8000m peaks. Or a circuit of the region crossing the high passes or Cho La and Renjo La.
- Annapurna – North of Pokhara, from lush middle hills into high mountains. A circuit leads up the Maryangdi river to Manang, over Thorung La (5400m) to the Hindu temples at Muktinath. Down the Kali Gandaki on the Jomsom trail enjoying Gurung and Thakali hospitality. Up through spring rhododendron blooms to Poon Hill for a dawn Himalayan vista. Trek up into the very heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary for an awesome 360′ high mountain skyline. Upper Mustang is also tea-house trekkable with quite easy trails and amazing Trans-Himalayan scenery though it requires a restricted-area permit of US$500 per 10 days.
- Helambu Langtang – a short taxi ride from Thamel to the roadhead at Shivapuri leads to a trail through the middle-hills countryside of Helambu, either circuit around and return to Kathmandu or cross the pass to the sacred lake at Gosainkhund, descend and then hike up the Langtang valley beneath mountains that form the border with Tibet. Descend back to catch a bus on a rough road through Trisuli to Kathmandu.
- Manaslu – Unspoiled trails through remote villages and over a wild pass to circuit an 8000m mountain. Though trekkable since 1991, since 2010 this has become Nepal’s newest ‘tea-house’ trek with the building of a lodge below the Larkya La pass (5135m). Some lodges are currently still a little basic, so it remains for the adventurous, though without the need to camp. Manaslu area and the extremely interesting Tsum side valley are still restricted and need special permits and a guide.
- Makalu – Makalu base camp can now also be reached using tea-house accommodations, depending of the time of the year. Be aware that many times houses can be closed or booked for expeditions. Individual trekkers should carry a tent, stove and food. Of course mattresses and WARM sleeping bags are necessary, even in houses where a bed is most of the time a wooden tray.
Other more remote regions will require a bit more planning and probably local assistance, not least as the required permits are only issued via Nepali guides/agents. Camping is required on one or more nights.
- Kanchenjunga – far eastern Nepal on the border with India, accessible via flight or bus to Taplejung (Suketar – airport closed until end 2011), from Kathmandu 40min by plane to Bhadrapur with 10 hours by jeep or bus, or 24hrs by bus from Kathmandu. This is a strenuous trek through sparsely populated country to the base camps of the third highest mountain. Note: This trek can also be done by small adventurous groups as a tea-house trek. There is accommodation and food available in all villages, though Lhonak has very limited accommodation but a tent can be rented in Ghunsa from the KCAP official.
- Dolpa – Upper Dolpa is the remote Land of the Bon, almost as Tibetan as Nepali. Lower Dolpa is more accessible and can be reached by plane.
- Naar-Phu Valley is a hidden Tibetan valley just north of the Annapurna Circuit which was opened to visitors in 2002. Entrance is form Koto near Chame, and exit via 5300m high Kang La pass to Ngawal. A few basic lodges, but camping style trek still recommended. 9 days form Koto to Ngawal with two days in each major village Phugaon and Naar.
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Safe Journeys Adventure Treks
Safe journeys specialise in organising treks and adventure travel itineraries throughout Nepal and other destinations for a wide range of groups. With our extensive knowledge and experience we can create inspirational itineraries to meet the requirements of any group and take care of the entire trip so you can relax and let the experts take care of every last details.
Our commitment is to provide a personal service for each group we work with, and to operate customized private treks and tours to any of the destinations featured on our website. You choose the dates you want to travel and our land only package will include all hotels, camping or teahouse accommodation on trek, all internal transport and flights, UK and Nepalese guides and porters, all meals and use of any of our equipment.
Schools & Colleges
Many of our treks are ideal for school groups and we are able to customize any itinerary to meet any specific aims and objectives that a school may have.
A trek for a school group offers the exposure to new and stimulating environments and provides a valuable out-of-classroom learning experience as well as highlighting specific areas of the curriculum, e.g. Geography, Humanities and Religious Studies. It can also provide the opportunity for a specific case study. There is really no limit to the itineraries that a school group can undertake providing the group is well briefed and when necessary undergoes a certain amount of training and assessment.
We are fully aware of the responsibilities that both the school and teachers have with a foreign trip and we focus at the highest level on the health and safety aspect of our school programmes, especially as we will be in an outdoor environment and often in remote areas. We treat the safety of every group as our priority and make it our duty to ensure that their safety has been considered before departure and never compromised while overseas.
We are in the fortunate position of having close links with many organisations throughout Nepal who would benefit greatly from any form of help from a school group undertaking a project. We can easily find a project that would match all the aims and objectives that a group has and beyond.
On all of our treks teachers /group leaders are provided with complementary trek.
Safe Journeys have a dedicated team of experts:
Our UK guides and leaders are highly skilled, all have a lifetime experience of guiding and leading groups in the mountain environment.
Our staff have well honed people skills and are capable of dealing with all ages and abilities to deliver a high level of exciting, stimulating and powerful learning experiences. We use in-country Tour Operators employing experienced and qualified local guides and trek staff. Additionally, they have expertise in risk assessing at every level and you can be sure that you will be in the safest of hands for any of our treks.
The reaction from our school groups is consistently positive, enthusiastic and always very rewarding in terms of unforgettable experiences.
Please remember that it is essential to start the planning for any group (especially for schools) very early, preferably 9 – 12 months before the proposed departure, certainly if fundraising is likely to be involved.
Responsible trekking
- Trek legally. If you trek independently, you are not allowed to take any staff yourself by law. You need for this a Trekking Agency, the sole authorized to employ staff for foreign trekkers. Do not hire staff through hotels, “independend guides” unless they have a Trekking Agent licence or offer this services through an affliliated Trekking Agent.
- Please make sure you pack out all of your trash, including bottles and cans from goods consumed in restaurants. Bring the trash to the nearest truck-accessible road for the most proper disposal available.
- Trekkers are also asked to refrain from relying on bottled water, since there is nowhere to dispose of the used bottles. Filtering or treating your water will reduce the amount of trash left behind in this fragile environment. Iodine pills are a cheap, lightweight solution.
- Take the time to look at the pollution and lack of trash management all around you, from the trash-clogged rivers in the cities to the mounds of discarded beer bottles in the mountain villages. This is a country struggling with its rapid Westernization and hasn’t yet figured out how to dispose of its waste. Don’t contribute to the problem any more than necessary!
- After your trek you can give your clothes to the porters’ clothing bank which is managed by the KEEP association. This bank is located in Thamel at Kathmandu and provides clothes to the trekking porters.
- Travelers are encouraged to bring water purification tablets or water filters on the trek as this reduces the use of plastic bottles and also reduces the weight carried.
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