Trekking in Nepal

Trekking History

The person who created the trekking history is Colonel Jimmy Roberts, who introduced trekking to the world in 1965. He spent many years of his life walking on the hills of Nepal. He introduced trekking as a package that included tents, Sherpas, guides and cooks. This made Nepal and the Himalayas open their doors to the world and it became an instant success.
The same formula for trekking exists even today. People travel in groups through the hills and mountains, walking for five to six hours each day with all their equipments being carried by the porters or yaks. Good quality meals are provided along the treks with warm sleeping bags and comfortable tents. The trekkers only carry a personal pack with camera, day clothing and snacks. Walking for days on end might sound daunting, but actually it is not that difficult. Anyone can trek and age is not a barrier! The most important attribute to enjoy the trek and Nepal, in general, is to have the right attitude and a positive frame of mind.
Bill Tilman was the first trekker in Nepal who took part in several treks including the Kali Gandaki, Helambu and Everest. His feats are described in the Nepal Himalaya, a mountaineering classic that has been reprinted by the Seattle Mountaineers as part of the Tilman collection, the Seven Mountain-travel books. Another early visitor was Maurice Herzog, who led a French expedition to the Annapurnas in 1950.
During king Tribhuvan's visit to India, the king met Boris Lissanovich, a Russian ballet dancer who was running a club in Calcutta. Boris convinced the king that people would like to visit Nepal and would actually pay for the experience. Soon, a few well- heeled ladies flew from Patna to Katmandu's Gaucharan (cow field) in an Indian Airlines Dakota. Boris accommodated them in his new establishment, the Royal Hotel. The women were charmed by Boris and the exotic kingdom of Nepal. Thus, Nepali tourism was born. The Royal Hotel and its Yak & Yeti bar became the meeting place for climbers from the 1950s until 1971- when the Royal Hotel was closed.
Colonel James OM Roberts was the first person to realize that trekking would appeal to tourists. Jimmy Roberts had spent years in Nepal attached with the British residency and accompanied Tilman on his first trek. In 1965, he took a group of ladies up the Kali Gandaki and founded Mountain Travel, the first trekking company of Nepal which became an inspiration for the adventure travel industry.

History of the Nepalese Himalayas

Forty million years ago, a collision between two plates of the earth’s crust resulted in the creation of the earth’s highest mountain- the Himalayas. The magnificent range of the Himalayas harbors breathtakingly beautiful scenery and dramatic environment. The high Himalayas, which constitute a spectacular mountain scope, is able to attract any one who is in search of challenge and grandeur.
The beauty, mystery and majesty of these mountains are mainly due to the thick layers of ice and snow that perpetually cover them up. Since time immemorial, the Himalayas have captured the dreams, desires and the imagination of human beings. Even the early Aryans looked up to these mountains as the abode of gods and goddesses and as extraordinary objects of beauty, scenic grandeur, peace and tranquility. These towering mountains have aptly been called the “Top of the World” and “The Third Pole” on the basis of the fact that they constitute the latitudinal extremity.
Nepal, renowned all over the world for its scenic and panoramic peaks, is the land of supernatural beauty and a real paradise for nature lovers.
In 1852, the highest mountain in the world was determined by and later named after Sir George Everest. Even after the determination of Mt. Everest, no climber had scaled the mountains of Nepal until 1949. There is no doubt that the history of trekking in Nepal started after people climbed mountains and took part in the various expeditions of many majestic peaks.
In 1949, the Swiss, who had been earlier refused permission to attempt to scale the Dhaulagiri, entered east Nepal through Darjeeling. The team, that was led by Sutter – Lohner, explored Ramtang Glacier, Kang Bachen peak (7902m), the triangle of Drohmo (7008m), Jongsang peak (7473m) and Nupchu (7028) on the Nepal – Tibet – Sikkim border. They also climbed Tang Kangma (6249m), on the outskirts of Drohmo, as well as the Dzange peak (6709m) before they returned to Darjeeling on the nineteenth day of their expedition.
In 1949, Nepal opened its frontiers to the outside world and within eight years, ten of the fourteen 8000m peaks were scaled. In 1950, Annapurna (8091m) became the first peak that was scaled, which was followed by Everest (8848m) in 1953 and Nanga Parbat (8125m). This played a vital role as the number of expeditions to Nepal from different countries of the world multiplied and by 1964, all the Himalayan giants were scaled, one of them being the Shisa Pangma (8046m) that was scaled by the Chinese in 1964.
Mt. Everest, the highest Peak of the world, and numerous other peaks have been climbed many times since then. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Edmund Hillary successfully scaled Mt. Everest and became the first to reach the top of the world. Sir Edmund Hillary stated, “Nepal is the only country in the world which is also one of the world’s great trekking paradises and one of the nicest countries in the world for trekking.”

Why trek in Nepal!

The amazing nature of Nepal squeezed within a tiny area of 147, 000 sq. km with the geographic diversity ranging from the Himalayan ranges to the very fertile flood plains of the lowlands is overwhelming. Nepal has proudly been established as one of the best adventure and trekking destinations in the world. Trekking is the best way to see and experience the real Nepal as it makes it easier to get access to any parts of the country. It also gives you the opportunity to witness the very unique and diverse cultural background of the Nepalese people in addition to the amazing mountain sceneries. Seeing the mountains up close makes one feel the awe-inspiring natural power and this is only possible through walking and trekking. It is a known fact that if you want to experience the true nature of culture, you have to visit the people and their surroundings and that is only possible through trekking. With the assistance of our professional, experienced and friendly staff, you can venture into any part of the country and still be assured that you are in safe hands no matter how wild and remote the place is. Further, encountering and experiencing the amazing variety of the wild and natural floras and fauna along the trekking trails will be sufficient to give you a great feeling!

Supported treks

The specialty of this kind of treks and tours is that it ventures into those areas that has the least tourist flow or impact or are on the off-the-beaten path. Hiking or trekking into these areas provide a unique cultural and unexplored wilderness experience. Further, it also provides the flexibility to stay or camp anywhere we like. Apart from taking care of all the required logistics, Nature-treks.com makes sure that it is well equipped with all the food provisions and equipments that will be needed during the trek. Our professional and experienced staffs will make sure that you are taken to a new height of adventure and also ensure that it will be the most memorable and enjoyable trip of your life time. The accommodation is usually in a two-man spacious tent with warm sleeping bag and insulated mats. You have the option of enjoying the outdoors and eating under the sky or you can also eat inside the dining tents. To avoid littering, we use dug out toilet tents and the garbage is also disposed off well.
This is a body, mind and soul experience and is a great way to discover yourself by venturing into the wild and unexplored areas, not travelled much by others.

Tea House/Lodge treks

This is rather a comfortable trek undertaken through the most popular trekking trails of Helambu, Annapurna, Everest and the Langtang area. Every year, during the main tourist season, most of the tourists use this trail and the accommodations and eating facilities in these areas range from basic to comfortable. This is a great way to travel if you are with a minimum number of people and have minimal equipments and clothing. Food and water, usually, is easily available in the hotels or lodges along the trail. The mountain views are breathtaking and treks of different duration and adventure grades are also available.
The only problem is that the tourist’s trekking along this route use much of the local resources available in these areas. This is mainly due to the uncontrolled number of tourists who trek along this trail each year. Thus, there is a negative impact on the environment which is degrading each year and the negative social changes that are taking place. Keeping this in mind, travelers are requested to abide by the norms and ethics of responsible tourism so that future travelers can also be comfortable to visit these areas.

Trekking Permit

Trekking to the popular areas of Nepal, such as the Annapurna, Everest, Langtang and Helambu, do not require any special permits apart from the national parks and conservation fees, the TIMS card is also free.

Following is the details of the conservation and national park fees that must be paid:

Annapurna Conservation fees: Rs. 2000/person for 4 weeks
National parks fees: Rs. 1000/person for four weeks

Special permits along with the conservation or national parks fees are required for the following areas. The Department of Immigration located at the Impact Building, Maitighar, Kathmandu (Tel 4223590) issues the permits.

1. Dolpa and Kanchenjunga:

US $ 10 per person per week

2. Manaslu:

US $ 70 per person per week from September to November
US $ 10 per person per extra day
US $ 50 per person per week from December to August
US $ 7 per person per extra day

3. Humla (Simikot-Yari):

US $ 50 per person for a week. US $ 7 per person per extra day

4. Mustang/Upper Dolpa:

US$ 700 per person for the first ten days and US$ 70 per person per day thereafter

5. Upper Mustang/Upper Dolpa:

US $ 500 per person for the first 10 days US $ 50 per person per extra day

6. Gaurishankar/Lamabagar:

US $ 10 per person per week.

7. Chekampar/Chunchet (Gorkha):

US $ 35 per person for 8 days for Chekampar and Chenchet of Gorkha district (Sirdibas-Lhokpa-Chumling-Chekampar-Nile-Chule) from September to November and US $ 25 per person for 8 days from December to August.

8. Permit Fee for other Trekking Areas:

Apart from the aforesaid areas, trekkers are required to pay the permit fees in US $ or other equivalent foreign currencies as per the notice published in the Nepal Gazette.

Note:

Trekking to Dolpa, Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, Simikot and Mustang can be undertaken through registered trekking agencies only. Source: TAAN (Trekking Agents Association of Nepal)

Equipments and clothing:

Traveling light is definitely a very good way of traveling but at the same time it is very important that you carry or bring the most important things that you will need. It’s always good to have more of what you will need rather than not having enough.
During the lodge treks, we provide one duffle bag for two guests and a sleeping bag with inner liner especially for high altitude trekking areas. If you have your own sleeping bag, it would be a good idea to bring that as well.
During the camping treks and tour, we provide spacious two man tents, sleeping bags and insulated sleeping mats.

Note:

For extra comfort please bring a self inflatable mattress. Other equipments provided during the trek or tours include dining, kitchen and toilet tents, camping chairs and table.
Personal clothing list includes whatever items you think would be essential for you. However, if you need the complete list we can send it via e-mail, upon your request.

Acclimatization

All our trips are designed carefully to assist well with the acclimatization with altitude. Therefore, initially, the time spent in higher elevations are usually of a shorter duration, allowing plenty of time to get used to the level of altitude. Our tour leaders and guides are well trained to manage any situations and are also able to find help by locating the nearest health posts, should such a need arise. They will also be advised accordingly and will assist in bringing you to a safe place and can also arrange emergency evacuation if required. Safety of our clients is our first and foremost priority!

Tour/trek leaders and guides
Local knowledge counts!

Our guides and tour leaders are very experienced and speak and understand English fairly well. They make sure that everything is fine and in the right place in order to make your trip more enjoyable and secure. He/she will always be ready to share their local knowledge of the varied and interesting culture, tradition and also inform you about the interesting facts of nature. They will also advise you and give suggestions as to how you can fill your extra time by doing interesting things while trekking. Sometimes, when things might not go according to the plan, you might have to understand and support them which will assist them in putting things right. Other experienced staffs like the support staffs or the Sherpas and porters also accompany the tour leaders and support them.

Our specialized Nature Tours and Treks are conducted by nature guides/tour leaders who are well experienced in Nepal’s wildlife, birds and other floras and fauna. Their expertise in their respective fields is a very enriching experience. The birdwatchers, in general, know very well about the birds of Nepal and they will be glad to share whatever information they have. Identifying other floras and faunas and their ecological importance and association can be a very fascinating experience as well. This kind of expertise will obviously cost more than the regular guides and tour leaders but this will also make the tour more fruitful and meaningful as you will also be supporting nature conservation by exploring, experiencing and spreading the message around you.
There is always so much to know and learn from the nature. We all know that

“Nature is amazing” !

For further information please mail us at: