Trekking is more enjoyable than climbing the peaks and offers spectacular scenic beauty. The Himalayan region, till now, has been comparatively less affected by the modern urban civilization with its industrial pollution. It provides an opportunity to be in natural surroundings and to get away from the milling crowds of the cities. The trekker usually returns home rejuvenated, and with new enthusiasm to take up the challenges of city life.

CAMPING TREK
Whilst camping on trek - all camping equipment and gear, including two-person tent, dining tent, toilet tents, kitchen tent, tables and stools etc. And comprehensive medical kit, will be provided. Camping trek allow us to steer away from the most used tourist tails as we travel as self contained unit, carrying our own food and fuel. Our choose clean and the best spot/meadows to pitch our tent.

LODGE TREK
Staying in a lodge or tea house – we make sure you get double sharing rooms wherever available. Single room cannot be guaranteed. At higher altitudes rooms are either dormitory 3/4 bed rooms & facilities are basic. Our runner goes ahead every morning to book the best available lodge for clean and comfortable stay. All meals are included on our treks, however we take additional supply of drinks, chocolates, fresh fruit and dehydrated food.

CAMPING FOOD
The food that we offer on our outdoor trips is hygienically prepared in line with International standards. We use both local and imported ingredients, and not only offer a variety of tastes to suit most palates but also nutrition to keep you healthy throughout your journey with us. Please advise us in advance regarding any special dietary requirements so that we can make arrangement for the same.

VEHICLES SUPPORT
Mostly for Tibet section, your baggage & equipments will be moved by our own support vehicle. Often there is a support staff who moves the camp each day and who organizes the catering. He is under strict instructions that the kettle be on and the tents erected when our party reach.

PORTERS / YAKS / MULS SUPPORT
The trails are much more fun without a heavy pack to carry, porters or pack animals carry most of the gear and camp supplies, leaving you free to hike with only a light day pack. Our porters are well looked after with provision for shelter and food with supplementary clothing and glasses for high altitudes trek and passes. Making them carry overload is not our style.

CLOTHING & EQUIPMENTS
Except for high altitudes treks, unless already owned, there is no need to buy expensive gear in order to join one of our trips. We have clothing and equipment for hire at very reasonable rates if you should so require. We can assist you in obtaining the necessary gear in the most economical way possible. You have to let us know in advance though.

Stan Armington has rightly said that "Trekking is neither a wilderness experience nor is it a climbing trip". Even at a height of 12,000 to 14,000 feet in secluded valleys, there are small village settlements tending their flocks of sheep and goats or herds of Yaks of nomadic shepherds and Gujjars. As a result, there are people on the trail to guide and help you - the trekkers. Articles of daily necessity are also available in these small hamlets. Even in the remote areas one can easily mix with the people and 'live off the land". Most westerners find it difficult to comprehend this aspect and visualize their trekking trips to be the same as those organized in their national parks or in wilderness area of their respective countries.

Almost all the Himalayan valleys are full of rural settlements and the population gradually thins out with the rise in altitude. One always finds people on the trekking trails and there is no dearth of information as to trekking routes and directions. Hill people are traditionally very hospitable and this adds pleasure to trekking in the Himalayas more than anywhere else. Some people believe that trekking in the Himalayas is a climbing trip where they have to negotiate rocky cliffs, thick jungles and uncharted routes. But this is not so. In almost all Himalayan regions, the local people have well developed trails. There are routes from one village to the other, between adjoining mountain pastures and across well defined high altitude passes, where people travel from one valley to other for trade, cultural exchanges, religious activities and inter - marriages.

These mountain trails and high passes normally do not require any mountaineering skills or artificial climbing aids. Of course, at places, they are covered with snow and may have crevasses. However, these obstacles can usually be crossed without the aid of mountaineering equipment like ropes and pitons. There are only a few difficult treks which need mountaineering techniques or equipment. An example is the trek to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary in India or a trek across several high passes which require special equipment to negotiate the glaciers.

Trekking is more enjoyable than climbing the peaks and offers spectacular scenic beauty. The Himalayan region, till now, has been comparatively less affected by the modern urban civilization with its industrial pollution. It provides an opportunity to be in natural surroundings and to get away from the milling crowds of the cities. The trekker usually returns home rejuvenated, and with new enthusiasm to take up the challenges of city life.
Sources: library.thinkquest.org

Trekking is possible at any time of the year depending on where you are going. The most popular seasons are Autumn and Spring.

* Autumn: Sep-Nov October and November are really Nepal's highest months - offering excellent weather and tantalizing mountain views.

* Winter: Dec-Feb This season is noted for occasional snowfall only at higher elevations. Mountain passes may be snowbound; hence it is ideal for trekking at lower elevations, generally below 3000 meters.

* Spring: Mar-May Different varieties of wild flowers, specially the rhododendrons, make the hillside above 5000 meters a haunting paradise during this season. It is mildly warm at lower elevations and at higher elevation over 4000 meters the mountain views are excellent and temperature is quite moderate.

* Summer: Jun-Aug Summer months really continue up to mid-September making travel wet and warm. These times are blessed for the keen botanist as the higher valleys and meadows blossom with flowers and lush vegetation. Insect repellent is a nice addition to your What to Bring list. During this season, you can trek in the rain-shadow (places are out of reach of the rain clouds because of the high mountains) areas north of the Himalaya like Mustang and Dolpo.

Tourist Visa: Tourist who intends to visit Nepal must hold valid passport and visa.

Entry:- Tourist entry visa can be obtained for the following duration from Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate or other mission offices or at the following immigration offices in Nepal.

Immigration Office, Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu

Immigration Office, Kakarvitta, Jhapa (Eastern Nepal)

Immigration Office, Birganj, Parsa (Central Nepal)

Immigration Office, Kodari, Sindhupalchowk (Northern Border)

Immigration Office, Belahia, Bhairahawa (Rupandehi, Western Nepal)

Immigration Office, Jamunaha, Nepalgunj (Banke, Mid Western Nepal)

Immigration Office, Mohana, Dhangadhi (Kailali, Far Western Nepal)

Immigration Office, Gadda Chauki, Mahendranagar (Kanchanpur, Far Western Nepal)


Visa fee for visitors who enter Nepal for the first time in a visa year
(Jan-Dec): Duration Fee
Single entry 60 days from the date of entry US$ 30 or equivalent convertible foreign currency


Multiple entry facility can be obtained paying additional US$ 50 or equivalent convertible foreign currency. The facility will be valid for a visa year (Jan-Dec) if the visa period is valid.


Tourist Visa Extension:- A tourist visa can be extended upto 120 days from the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu and Pokhara Immigration Office on request. Thereafter an additional 30 days can be extended from Department of Immigration ensuring that tourist visa cannot be extended more than 150 days.


Visa Extention Fee:
Tourist visa extension fee for 30 days :- US$ 30 in equivalent Nepalese currency.

Tourist visa extention with multiple entry facility :-Multiple entry facility can be obtained paying additional US$ 50 or equivalent convertible foreign currency. The facility will be valid for a visa year (Jan-Dec) if the visa period is valid.
Late fee for not applying extension in time :-
- US$2 in equivalent Nepalese currency per day for the first 30 days.
- US$3 in equivalent Nepalese currency per day for the next 31 to 90 days.
- US$5 in equivalent Nepalese currency per day for more than 90 days.


Gratis visa :-
- Children below 10 yrs.
- Dependants upto the age of 16 years, holding foreign passports of Nepalese parents or either of their parent being a Nepalese citizen.
- Citizen of Nepali origin, after having obtained passport for the first time from a Nepal based foreign mission, until the period of his departure to a foreign country.
- Citizens of member countries of South Asian association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the people's Republic of china.
- Any foreigner, who has lived in Nepal upto fifteen (15) days continuously, re-entering Nepal during the same visa year.
- Any foreigner, tourist entering into Nepal for three days or less than that.

Some Important information to tourist: Don't or Do's

A tourist may stay in Nepal upto 150 days in a visa year (Jan-Dec).

A tourist must extend his/her visa before expiry of the visa validity period. A tourist who does not comply with these regulations may be liable of fine and other prosecution as provided in Immigration Act and Rules.

A Foreigner having obtained tourist visa shall not be allowed to work with or without receiving remuneration.

A foreigner shall not be allowed to carry out any work other than that for which purpose s/he has obtained the visa.

A. M. S. (ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS)

There is so much less oxygen in the high mountains that it is not surprising that travelling to high altitude causes people to feel unwell, but how this shortage of oxygen actually leads to altitude sickness is still not fully understood. Most people remain well at altitudes of up to 2500m, the equivalent barometric pressure to which aeroplane cabins are pressurised. However, even at 1500m above sea level you may notice more breathlessness than normal on exercise and night vision may be impaired. Above 2500m, the symptoms of altitude sickness become more noticeable.

In fact the term “altitude sickness” can be used to describe any altitude-related illness. There are three forms of altitude sickness that can affect people very quickly after they have ascended to high altitude.
Tibet is sometimes known as the ‘roof of the world’. The high plains over which you will travel on your overland trip from Kathmandu to Lhasa average 11000 to 13000 ft, while some of the mountain passes are over 18000 ft (5.220 Mt.). At such high altitudes, there is a chance of having symptoms of mountain sickness. Because this trip is by bus rather than foot (there fore without much physical exertion), these mountain sickness symptoms usually do not become severe. Nonetheless, one should know about the symptoms and treatment of altitude sickness.


Altitude sickness:
At sea level, a whole atmosphere of pressure pushes in on the air one breathes. As one goes higher and higher, there is less atmosphere and hence less atmospheric pressure pushing in on the air breathed in to the lungs. Human bodies experience that lack of air pressure as a lack of oxygen. Until the body has a chance to adapt, one may experience symptoms of mountain sickness. Different people’s bodies adapt or acclimatize at different rates. These acclimatization rate are not at all related to what kind of physical shape one is in. for example, an Olympic marathon runner and or an obese, remote control TV watching couch potato are equally likely to have symptoms of altitude sickness at the same altitude.

Symptoms of A. M. S. – The symptoms of altitude sickness are rather vague, variable, and easy to attribute to other causes. However, when at high altitude, assume any of the following symptoms are mountain sickness until proven otherwise.