Being prepared physically – and mentally – for this trip is really the key to enjoying it to the fullest. We want you to be comfortable and ready with all of your questions answered for your peace of mind. That’s why we are your guides from the moment you sign up for this trip to the moment you return home after the tour.

Feel free to call or email us with any questions not answered below or in the FAQs on this site. If you’re in the Boulder/Denver area, we’d also be happy to meet you at a local sporting goods store to pick out your equipment and advise you. If you’re not nearby, we can give you some good tips over the phone.

GETTING PREPARED AND IN SHAPE
We suggest you start by reading about Nepal (see RESOURCES page) and the people and culture you will be encountering. Think of any question you may have and contact us for answers – so you feel completely comfortable.

While it is extremely important that you are in good physical fitness before you embark on a trek in the world’s highest mountain ranges, it is equally important that you be mentally prepared. You will be away from civilization and the comforts of home. Trekking is adventure travel. You must be prepared to go without some of your favorite foods in your diet and you should know that after a long hot day of trekking, there will be no shower waiting for you. You must remember that travel in a third world country does not always go as expected and your patience is always appreciated!

Of course, this type of a trip can be most rewarding and, the more physically fit you are, the better. Before your trip, you may want to boost your physical fitness with some stair climbing, cycling, jogging, brisk walking, or perhaps swimming. We suggest you begin a fitness program at least 2–3 months before your departure. If you regularly partake in such activities as swimming, jogging, tennis, squash, or fast walking, then you are well on your way. The idea is to get more oxygen flowing through sustained aerobic activity. Walking up and down hills is excellent preparation. If your knees need extra support, some trekkers like to bring a walking stick or collapsible ski pole.

We have had many years of experience of treks in high altitudes, so we know how to pace a trek or climb. Each person reacts to altitude in a different way, so it is difficult to predict how you will do. But in general, with the careful pacing of our trip, allowing proper rest days for acclimatization, most people adapt well. Most treks do not exceed more than 800 meters ascent in one day. Remember, Nepal is very hilly and mountainous so you will be doing a lot of up and down walking versus flat bush walking. Everyone can walk at their own pace and there is plenty of time to rest or take a water break. The potential problems with altitude stem from people going too high too fast. We do our best to make sure you are safe.

MEDICAL PREPARATIONS
It is important to see your doctor for immunization shots at least one month before your departure. Typhoid, tetanus, meningitis, and Hepatitis A are the norm, but your doctor or any travel clinic can better advise you what is most needed. Malaria pills are optional, but probably not needed on your trek in Nepal. It is also advised to get a dental check up before your departure.

Your own personal medicine is essential. Cold and cough medicine is recommended, as well as bandages and aspirin. Basically, you want to bring your own personal medical kit if you were to get sick. Think as if you were going camping (in a third world country) and what you would take if you were to catch a cold. Your doctor can recommend diarrhea medicine or medicine for giardia/amoebas since this is the most common reason for upset stomachs while trekking. Past trekkers have recommended Immodium and Cyprofloxacin. Stan Armington’s Lonely Planet Guide to Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya has a great First Aid section. The Center of Disease Control (CDC) offers information about immunizations on their website: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/indianrg.htm (Also see RESOURCES page.)

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU
You probably have everything you need in your closet. For most hiking trips, we encourage layering your clothes for changing weather conditions. In the mountain regions, day time hiking temperatures generally range from the 50s to the 80s F. Nighttime temperatures drop down to 10 to 40 F.

Usually, you will need to bring a combination of regular hiking clothes such as long, loose fitting pants, shorts, t-shirts, long sleeved shirts, sweaters, long underwear, down or Gore-Tex parka, or vest, and light- to medium-weight hiking boots.

You will carry a light day-pack containing your water bottle, camera, an extra sweater, sunglasses, a rain coat or wind breaker, and snacks. Porters or pack animals will carry all of the heavy gear.

In addition, you can buy bottled water while in Kathmandu and you will be provided boiled or filtered water on the trek. Always brush your teeth in treated or bottled water. As an extra precaution, you can add your own Iodine tablets to your treated water while on the trek.

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