[Stories & Tips]

Trekking in Nepal isn’t very hard ... at least until you start walking. Thamel is the tourist center of Kathmandu, and it is full of tour companies, book stores and gear shops. Take a few days to get oriented. My advice for Thamel is to shop around and haggle. The place is loaded with gear shops, so if you need anything for your trip it can be found. Most of these stores sell knockoffs of varying quality. Take some time to figure out which ones offer the best gear for the best value. The same goes for the trekking companies. Its easy to book a trip through one of these, however, unless you plan on really needing support (i.e. porters to carry your stuff) hike independently. It’s more fun. Maps are easy to find, and once you’re out there the trails are well marked and easy to follow. You wont even need to carry a tent or food. Just sleep and eat at the tea houses along the way. The board is excellent, though you’ll have so much dahl baht (lentil curry with rice) I doubt you’ll ever want to eat it again. You may want to bring your own food for snacks on the trail. You can trek year round in Nepal as the seasons are moderate, though winter is still cooler, and the summer warm and rainy. Things you will need are a sleeping bag, down jacket / warm cloths, iodine or a water filter, money and a camera. When your hiking in the Himalayas every shot is magnificent.