Help Planning An Expedition

[Wilderbeast]

Hello all,

A friend and I are looking to plan a challenging expedition around the Himalayas. We are both very physically fit and active and by the time we leave will both have done mountaineering quals. I wanted to open the floor to anyone who has done something similar so we can get some inspiration on exactly what to do and start planning.

If anyone has an itinerary, map or diary of an expedition they've done it would be extremely useful.

Kind Regards,

W

 

[Limaed]

Lonely Planet do a Trekking in Nepal book which would be a very good place to start as it is full of excellent treks: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trekking-Hi...1880/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1352200294&sr=8-3

If you want to climb then it's possible to climb in excess of 6000 m with limited mountaineering experience. There are lots of 'Trekking Peaks' however this classification doesn't relate to the difficulty of the route. Quite a few UK companies offer guided trips however you often pay more for the complete package. It would probably be cheaper to get an in country guided trip. I did both of my trips via this company that is run by a ex Gurkha Officer: http://www.summit-nepal.com/index.php?page=4

You could get in touch with them via email for a bespoke package at a reasonable cost although I'm sure a Google search would offer alternatives. It's worth noting that in Nepal most visitors travel with a Sirdar, cook and a couple of climbing Sherpa's / Porter's. You can travel alone from tea house to tea house but it's likely you will enjoy the experience far more without a huge bag and being looked after by the Nepalese. Most people visit pre and post Monsoon i.e. May and October although it is possible to visit at other times depending on your agenda.

Nepal is a wonderful country that is totally set-up for expeditions, the people are very friendly and English is widely spoken. There are a couple of threads on the forum which may also give you some ideas otherwise please ask any questions you may have.

 

[Limaed]

Worth a look:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50975&highlight=nepal
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90707&highlight=nepal

 

[Wilderbeast]

Thanks for the reply Limaed. At the moment we're looking for a unifying purpose, a goal to achieve. The closest I've come at the moment is thru hiking the himalayan trail but I don't think we've got quite long enough to complete it as I reckon we've got about 3 months max. Although apparently you can switch between the hardcore and green routes to speed it up.

 

[para106]

I agree with the above. It's worth noting that the Nepalise Gov now require every party to have a licenced guide irrespective of size of party or experience. A couple of recent fatalities - one a murder - are the reason for this as well as better for the local economy. We're doing the EBC Trek next year & booking with a trekking company. It's the same with Kilimanjaro. For Mont Blanc we used this company (no connection) http://www.adventurepeaks.com/courses/Mont_Blanc.htm .

 

[Limaed]

Some of the trekking peaks are worth a look then perhaps? Try googling Mera Peak or Lobuje East. I climbed Mera and we also attempted Baruntse, I think we were away around six weeks. We flew into Lukla but I think you could probably extend by walking.

 

[bearbait]

For expedition planning in general try the Royal Geographical Society: they have loads of good stuff for download. This link goes to the root page for the Fieldwork & expeditions section and this one to their publications page, including a link to their downloads page.

Have a great trip...