Tips for Trekking in Nepal

Trekking in Nepal is one of the most exotic adventures you can ever experience in your lifetime. The diverse landscape of Nepal offers you some of the best trekking trails with splendid views of the mountains, hills, and rivers.

Once you decide to go for trekking, you need to make sure that everything is prepared. You wouldn’t want to spoil your adventure because of some minor mistakes. Therefore, these tips below can help you enhance your marvelous journey without any possible obstruction.

Plan contingency days for Nepal Trekking.

The climate in Nepal is unpredictable and keeps fluctuating. Some days might not be favorable for mountain viewing, trekking, and even flights may get delayed. Therefore, it is wise to have 2-3 contingency days.

Even if the weather remains favorable throughout your trek, you won’t regret having a few extra days to spend in Nepal. You can explore the lively streets of the city and explore the traditional monuments and do some shopping in the local shops.

Local guides and porters

You have to have a guide and porter while trekking. The local guides of the trekking regions are knowledgeable, familiar with local culture, tradition, and people. They will provide you insights into the culture and monuments you see throughout the way. Get yourself a porter if you don’t want to carry your luggage.

By hiring local guides, you will also be contributing to the country’s economy and helping people earn for their livelihood.

What is Sherpa? Learn about the local communities

Sherpas are the Nepalese residing in the mountainous region of Nepal. They are highly influenced by Tibetan culture and follow Himalayan Buddhism. As the main attraction of the region is tourism and there are no other options for employment, most of the population is engaged in guiding and porters. But it is not appropriate to address all the Sherpas as guides and porters.

Encounter with Yaks and pack animals while Trekking

The Yaks and Dzomos (a hybrid of yak and cow) are furry animals with massive horns that play a vital role in the lifestyle of the Himalaya people. Due to the rugged topography, there is no transportation facility. Thus these animals help in carrying goods and other commodities to and fro the village to lower towns.

You will encounter these animals as you climb higher over 3000m.

Drinking water while trekking

There are many villages with purified water stations. You can fill up your bottles for a price. The tap or groundwater is good to avoid unless you purify it well. You can carry a water filter and purification tablets. Bottled water is quite safe to drink but before you buy one make sure to check the packed date. It is better if you get 2 one-liter bottles or a hydration bladder to fill the water.

Buddhist customs on the trail

Most of the Himalayan regions follow the Buddhist religion. You will see many colorful prayer flags and Mani walls along the way. You can also tie one if you wish to. The sound of these flags flickering with the wind will give you some kind of peace and calmness. It is a form of paying respect to the culture by keeping your right side close to the sacred idols and objects.

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

You might suffer from acute mountain sickness if you’re trekking to a higher altitude. The oxygen level is low in those higher altitudes so you might suffer from nausea, breathlessness, and others. Walking slowly at your normal pace is advised to avoid altitude sickness. If any kind of symptoms you see while walking, take immediate medication and rest until you feel normal. Do not go any further if you don’t feel better.

Personal Hygiene

It is not possible to take a warm water shower every day in Nepal during the trekking. Even if it’s available, it will be extremely expensive as there are no sources of boiling or heating the water. You can prepare yourself for a sponge bath once a week.

Other must-have items for a trek

Mount Face Nepal suggests you to not miss taking these items with you on your trek to Nepal:

• First aid kit
• Personal medications
• Vitamins
• Headlamp with extra bulb and batteries
• Antibiotics for upper respiratory and stomach illness
• Toilet paper
• Hand sanitizer and plenty of it.

A digital camera with plenty of batteries as there will probably be a shortage of electricity at a higher altitude and you wouldn’t want to miss taking pictures of the panoramic views of the mountains and scenery.

Luxury items for the trek

You may carry these following items as well to make your journey more fun:

• Solar charger as there will be a shortage of electricity in the remote villages.
• Kindle, GPS, and other electronic gadgets.
• Cell phone
• Munching items such as bars, chocolates, dry fruits, etc.