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Grade
This
trip is graded moderate. It is well within the capabilities of any
normally active person, but to gain the best rewards you should be
physically fit. Like all Himalayan treks it does have its ups and
downs. And some steep and sometimes muddy slopes. Difficulties with
altitude should not be a problem as the maximum elevation is 8695ft.
Climate
Weather
in the world’s highest mountain range is never totally predictable
but we would expect clear and settled conditions. In the early
stages the days will be warm, around 70 F/20 C. As altitude is
gained, though the days will still be pleasantly warm, it will be
chilly early morning and night time temperatures can be down to
freezing.
Equipment & Clothing
All
general equipment and cooking equipment is provided. Also
provided free of charge is a Trek Pack including a sleeping bag, two
insulated sleeping mats, down/fiberfill jacket, waterproof poncho
and duffle bag. A
detailed list of other recommended clothing and equipment will be
sent with confirmation of booking.
Included
International/domestic
arrival/departure airport transfers. 3 nights accommodation at a 5*
hotel in Kathmandu on a bed & breakfast basis, half day
sightseeing tour of Kathmandu with an English speaking guide and all
entrance fees. 1 welcome evening meal in Kathmandu. 2 nights at a hotel
in Pokhara. 1 night at Everest Panorama Resort on a full board
basis. 2 days whitewater rafting with complete camping services. 2
nights accommodation at Chitwan National Park on a full board basis
with all jungle activities & National Park fees. 5 days fully
catered camping trip in the Annapurna region with breakfast, lunch
& dinner and all the trekking support crew. National park fees,
conservation fees and all entrance fees. Trekpack for use during the
trek, which includes down or fiberfill jacket, duffel bag, two
insulated mats, a poncho, air pillow and sleeping bag with inner liner.
Not Included
International
flights (unless you have requested them), Passport, visa,
insurance, immunization fees, lunch and evening meals while in
Kathmandu (budget £20 per meal without drinks), airport transfers
and taxes.
The Trekking Day
A
typical day begins just after 6 a.m. with an early morning mug of
tea served through the tent flap. After a hot breakfast, during
which the camp will be struck and the porters loaded, we begin our
walking in the pleasant cool of the morning. Lunch is around 11 a.m.
This midday break usually lasts about an hour or so. After walking
for around three hours
in the afternoon, we will aim to pitch camp around 4 p.m. You will
have an hour or so to relax and reflect before the day is rounded
off with a hot three course meal. However, there may be the
opportunity of visiting a nearby village to have contact with the
local people. The two rafting days also have a similar
structure about them.
Flights
We
will on request source International flights from London Heathrow to
Kathmandu via Doha with Qatar Airlines. Note that these fly out of
London on the day before
the first day of the tour (Day 1 of itinerary).
Flight
routing exemple:
Outbound
Depart LHR 21.25 -
arrive Doha 07.05
Depart
DOH 10.25 – arrive KTM 17.30
Inbound
Depart KTM 09.00 – arrive DOH 11.50
Depart DOH
17.10 – arrive LHR 22.00
(same day)
Health Matters
There
are no statutory vaccinations required
when visiting Nepal.
Recommended vaccinations include Typhoid, Hepatitis A. Diptheria,
Polio, Tetanus and Meningitis. Also consider Rabies vaccine as this
may be carried by monkeys and dogs. If you are visiting The Chitwan
National Park or the ‘Terai’
you should take anti malarial medication. You should consult your
doctor or vaccination centre for up-to-date information.
A
medical kit will accompany the trek. We do, however, recommend that
each person carry a small personal first aid kit. A suggested list
of contents will be sent to all members, as well as more general
information on health matters.
Documents
A
visa is required for Nepal and you must have a valid passport. Visas
for Nepal if applying directly with the Nepal Embassy will cost £35
for a single entry. Instead, you could use the postal visa service
of www.travcour.com but there is an additional fee of £25 + £7
postage and packing. Trekking documents are required, but these are
organised by us in Kathmandu. You can purchase visas on arrival into
Kathmandu but we would not recommend this option as the queues are
long and the
situation regarding availability can change at any time.
Books & Maps
For
information on the sights of the Kathmandu valley, its history and
culture, we suggest ‘Rough Guides’
& ’ Lonely Planet travel guides’.
A good general guidebook (although without so many hints) is
the Insight Guides series Nepal.
There are many books on Trekking
in Nepal. Perhaps the most well known are those by Stephen
Bezruchka, or Stan Armitage. A
usefully realistic account of what happens on trek is found in Mike
Harding's Footloose in the Himalayas.
There
are accounts of the most important great expeditions such as John
Hunt The Ascent of Everest. Reinhold Messner The Crystal Horizon.
Note:
That a good company for sourcing outdoor / trekking books is ‘Cordee’:
www.cordee.co.uk
Another
company: ‘Cicerone Press,’ www.cicerone.co.uk
Publish their own trekking guides to areas of the
Himalaya. Recommended is:
Annapurna:
A Trekker's Guide by Kev Reynolds
ISBN 1852843977
Price: £15.00
A
trekking map is normally issued to you at your trek briefing in
Kathmandu, if not these are readily available in the town, although
they are somewhat lacking in detail!
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Outline Itinerary
The
following itinerary is intended as a working guide only and may be subject
to variation as a result of local conditions, weather and group progress.
We
reserve the right to alter (lengthen or shorten) any trek at any time if
necessary.
1000m=3281ft.
1km=.62 miles.
Day 1: Flying into Kathmandu along the northern
border of Nepal on a clear day is in itself an unforgettable experience
with the entire Nepalese Himalayas sprawling out below you.
After transferring to your 5* hotel, you will be given a chance to
catch your breath, meet the other group members that weren't on your
flight and then be given a briefing on all relevant aspects of your
holiday by your Group Leader. A traditional Royal Nepali feast then
highlights the evening.
Day 2: Half-day excursion visiting Kathmandu with its
many temples and pagodas, afternoon free.
Day 3: Fly to Pokhara, 30 mins, 915m.
(Please
note that the brochure desription is incorrect and you will fly to Pokhara
and not travel by bus.)
Your
group leader will meet you at your hotel in the morning and take you to
the airport for the flight to Pokhara. On a clear day, the views are
breathtaking and it is a good idea to have your camera in your daypack
ready for any photographic opportunities that the flight provides.
Overnight hotel.
Day
4: Drive
to Damphus 1550m, 2 hours. Trek to Landrung 1799m, 6 hours.
Start
walking up into the foothills of the Himalaya. Spend the first night on
the Damphus ridge, with its spectacular sunset views of Machhapuchare and
the Annapurnas. This popular trail through quaint villages, past stands of
acacia, fig, bamboo, banana conifers and rhododendrons leads to the
village of Landrung.Overnight camp.
Day
5: Trek to
Ghandruk 1951m, 6 hours.
It’s
then down to the Modi Khola (River), the mighty flow that originates in
the melting glaciers of the Annapurna sanctuary, and up the other side to
the large, thriving Gurung township of Ghandruck. It might be a possible
to visit the ACAP (Annapurna area conservation project).Overnight camp.
Day
6: Trek to
Tadapani 2700m, 5 hours.
Leave
the picturesque village of Ghandruk and head on to the sheep-herders’
village of Tadapani (far water), surrounded by evergreen forests of
rhododendron.Overnight camp.
Day
7: Trek to Ghorepani. 4 hours, 2800m. Ghorepani means “horse
water”. It’s a water stop for the horses and ponies colourful caravans
which travel between Pokhara and Jomson. Overnight camp.
Day
8: Excursion
to Poon Hill, and trek to Hille 1524m, 4 hours.
Turn
east, ascend to Ghorepani Deurali and a sunrise visit to Poon Hill, famous
for views on the Annapurna and the Dhaulagiri.
Day
9: Trek
to Nayapul 5 hours, 1015m. and drive to Pokhara.
Overnight hotel.
Days
10 & 11: Rafting.
Early morning on day 10, sees us busing from Pokhara to our rafting put-in
point. The trekking crews return to Kathmandu and we meet our rafting
guides and crew. A full safety briefing is given and then it's onto the
river to practice some of the various paddle strokes you will need to know
before entering the first of the rapids and the excitement. With names
like "Upset" and "Surprise", you can be sure of having
fun! During the stretches of quieter water, we can let the world drift by
and take in our new surrounds. Rafting days are more relaxed than trekking
days, but follow the same general routine. Each raft will be guided by an
experienced Raft Captain and assistant, and is fitted with a waterproof
canoe barrel for storage of clothing and equipment. This barrel is not
bottomless however and only essentials should be taken with you. Lunches
and camps are made on the riverside on lovely little sandy beaches that
provide excellent opportunities to swim and sunbathe. Remember that the
sun here is strong and if you burn easily, you will need a good sunscreen.
Also the river can be rocky, so before any jumping in, please check to
make sure it is clear to do so!
Our
second day's rafting is a further continuation of the fun and has the
added advantage that the countryside changes as the Trisuli meets the
Marsyangdi River at Mugling and turns southwards to India. The river
narrows and some beautiful gorges are passed, often monkeys are seen
scampering through the trees and the river takes on an almost primordial
aspect with dense forests of tall trees and clinging vines right down to
the water's edge.
Days
12 & 13: Chitwan
A short private bus ride from our night's camp and we are in the
Terai and soon at the pick-up point for the
Chitwan National Park. Four-wheel drive vehicles or sometimes
elephants are used to take us from the main road to the camp where, after
almost two weeks in a tent, you are given a twin bedded room with hot
showers and towels! The temptation is to luxuriate in them but the jungle
beckons. After a briefing from the naturalist guides you will commence an
exploration of this intriguing area. The Lodge has a programme that allows
you to experience all the different activities such as elephant safari,
jungle walks, canoe rides down the nearby Rapti River, elephant briefing,
bird watching and so on.
The
main animals that people come to see are the One-Horned Rhino and the
Bengal Tiger but remember that both animals are extremely rare and
difficult to find, especially the tiger. The jungle is thick and dense,
unlike the plains of Africa, and the activities not to miss are the dawn
and dusk tours when the animals are at their most active, as during the
day they often lie up through the heat. The day is the time of the birds
and with over 400 species in the park, this incredible variety is well
worth the jungle walk and view tower visit.
You
will be together as a group on all activities and the real secret to
seeing animals in Chitwan is to work together. When you go out on
activities, the quieter you are and the more subdued the clothing the far
greater chance you have.
Day
14: Everest Panorama Resort. Transfer by
private bus to the E.P.R for a relaxing day enjoying this wonderful hill country. From
this resort in early morning, before the clouds bubble up, or at dusk, you
can get perhaps the finest
overall views of the
Himalayas in Nepal. You should get an extensive glimpse of an array of
mountains from Dhalaugiri to Makalu! Afternoon activities are available
for those who would like to experience the excitement of mountain biking,
fishing, pony trekking or a monastery walk nearby.
After a delicious buffet dinner, a party in the coziness of the
"Base Camp Bar" is not unknown as the sun slips down over the
mountains.
Day
15: Return to Kathmandu and your hotel in
the morning. Your group leader will collect the "Trekpack" from
you and then you're free, with time to continue exploring this wonderful
city, shopping for souvenirs and trying out the various restaurants in
Thamel.
Day
16: Depart.
Time to fly home. Please make sure that you have collected all your
valuables from the security deposit and settled all your hotel bills.
Coordinating with your flight time, the transport staff will pick you up
and take you to the International Airport for your flight home.
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