Hey guys, I'm new to this forum. I am travelling to Nepal on 26th September with 2 friends. The intention is to trek to Everest Base Camp (and Kala Pattar) from Jiri. We have 1 month in Nepal before we fly on to Delhi. We are hoping to stay in a tent and are intending not to use a porter or a guide. My main concernt is that the three of us have virtually no experience of trekking, let alone being at serious altitudes in the Himalayas. Are we crazy? Are there all sorts of dangers we need to be aware of (AMS aside) like falling off cliffs or getting stuck in snow? I can try to overcome all the exertion required for this trip but my primary concern is that I want to be sure we are safe. We will of course be getting all the appropriate gear like a very good 4 season sleeping bag and tent, shoes, clothes etc. I am unbelievably excited as it has been a childhood dream of mine to see Everest, however I am beggining to feel very nervous! Any comments and help would be hugely appreciated and if anyone who has done this trip would be happy for me to give them a call or even meet up (I live in London, UK) so we can have a chat please let me know ( I really feel like actually talking to someone with experience would be hugely beneficial). Many thanks in advance! Dan
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Getting a local guide to take you is an absolute must - I do think you're crazy to try it on your own without any experience. Even most experienced trekkers would only go up to base camp with a guide.
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 I agree with SS, not least because there's a travel warning out on independent travel in Nepal: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/nepal/ It's not just that you'll be trekking with limited experience at high altitude, but the political situation is volatile and so you need to know what you might be up against.
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 Hi Dan I work in London (canary wharf) so can easily meet if you fancy a chat. Safety things aside the route can be done without a guide. However I would probably advise against this on a number of grounds. PM me or mail me for more info. Cheers AD
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Thanks for the advice guys, warning heeded! Thanks for the link too Hayley, that's the first time i've seen suggestions that the political situation is affecting trekkers (aside from the standard Maosit extortion). Dan
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 Agree with Adam - routefinding is not the issue. Someone who can sort out concerns and look out for you may assist. I would not recommend someone go alone and camp for first trip. I think the realities of carrying all your kit and passing some very inviting hostelries may soon divert you from your noble and worthy intent. I will look for a similar thread I contributed to on this sort of subject before.
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 Lonely Planet guides too it must be said contain a whole host of info for such folks wanting to make such a trip there. Are you travelling there with an eco purpose then maybe Dan, like to help a noble cause or pick up old accumulated litter maybe? Or are you just influenced in this decision by a whim of wanting to go there inspired by one of those 'so many things you must do before you die' type of books perhaps? 
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Also remember that it is an ever changing political situation there even in the last few weeks. The Maoist insurgency leadership was asked recently to form a government of its own, but has now refused. Hostilities are on hold right now, and the Maoists army is strong but not at Stategic Equilibrium yet with the regular army. So it is not as dangerous a situation as Peru was when the Maoists there were at their strongest in the early nineties. It is not known at present if the Maoists will come out of their strongholds to threaten the overthrow of the current caretaker government administration.
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| Edited: 29/08/08 11:42 |
I'm not sure I would agree with Trevor's assessment of the political situation in Nepal. The Maoists have formed a Government and so strictly the establishment vs. maoist piece is over though obviously disaffected elements and other minorities (madhesi conflict if you are on the plains out of the mountains) remain. Certainly I dont see real concerns for trekkers at present. I have found 2 threads of note from before on this topic. trekking indepedently thread Everest BC forum Edited to remove double link
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| Edited: 29/08/08 12:06 |
 Fwiw, my experience is that trekking on the major routes in Nepal - Everest and the two classic Annapurna treks - independently is very straightforward. I've done it twice and had no problems even at the height of the Maoist insurgency. I'm not saying your should disregard safety warnings and it sounds like you may need to be careful in Kathmandu at the moment, but bear in mind that they do tend to err on the cautious side of the line. I wouldn't consider camping though, there are so many tea houses along the routes, that it's simply not worth the hassle of dragging around a tent and associated paraphanalia. You also, by trekking independently, put money directly into the local economy. It's also very easy to trek without any guide or porter, but it's worth considering hiring one because a good local guide will give you all sorts of insights into the country and culture that you might otherwise miss. Finally, the best trekking guide books I've found are the Trailblazer series, which are spot on in my experience. There are pros and cons to organised treks and independent trekking and I'd never say that going it alone is intrinisically better. Arranging a porter-guide is arguably a really good compromise between the two. It's cheaper than a full-on organised trek, you still have a high degree of independence, but you also benefit from local expertise and put money directly into the local economy both through hiring a local and using tea houses. Off the main trekking routes, things are somewhat different of course, and camping may be the only viable option, but on the main routes, things are really user friendly. I've trekked Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Circuit and Sanctuary independently and had no problems despite getting quite sick once and stopped by armed Maoists. Have a look at this article for some more basic info. To put it in perspective, I'm a fairly experienced trekker / mountaineer and have climbed over 6000 metres in the Andes, but there's nothing I've encountered trekking in Nepal which is beyond the capabilities of a normal walker with a degree of common sense. The acclimatisation schedules in the Trailblazer books are good and worth sticking to. One of the pros of walking in from Jiri, which is lovely btw, is that you acclimatise more gradually as you move up compared to those who fly into to Lukla.
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You are quite right there Ben. I didn't actually read the day to day internet news in just over a week and a bit, and in that time indeed a section of the Maoist party in Nepal have given the go ahead it seems to form a governmemt. Odd really as forming a government isn't really a Maoist kind of a thing to do at all! By their very nature they are actually violently opposed to any kind of democratic action, being well, Maoists. The normal standard modus-operandi of Maoists is to return the country to a 'year zero' and begin society again, from scratch, devoid of all institutions save for the Maoist party itself most usually!  This has been their stated aim worldwide in fact, wherever the Maoist agenda has been declared.
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| Edited: 30/08/08 11:24 |
Thanks for all the advice (particuarly your extensive response Jon). I have been studying the political situation and it seems ok in general for trekkers aside from what has become standard extortion by the Maoists. From what I can tell they want a bit of money but if you are compliant they pose no physical threat. Trevor it's been something I have wanted do since I was a little kid...Everest itself has always fascinated me. The idea of camping just appealed. However based on all the advice I have now received it seems we are likely to both take a porter/guide and stay in the teahouses. Thanks again, Dan
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Hi Ben, Did the EBC trek same time of year 3 years ago. Did it by myself, and without a guide. Felt i benefitted from not having a guide as i got to meet local people along the route. Don't know that much of that would have happened if i were with others, or a guide. I was exceptionally fit at the time, but to this day, the walk from Jiri to Lukla is still the hardest thing i have ever done. Partly cos of the up/down, up/down all day, and partly cos of my fast pace. I deliberately changed to a snails pace from Lukla onwards, and felt virtually no ill effects from altitude - precisely because of the snails pace, and deliberately spending an hour each day at an altitude 200-300 metres above my sleeping altitude. I really wouldn't bother with camping - carrying that stuff will seriously impair your enjoyment, and increase the effects of altitude, your hygiene will suffer, and your general wellbeing. You need the best chance of good sleep, and long rest - teahouses will be much better for this. I think i carried just 8kg including my rucksack- good first aid, meds, change of clothes, down jacket, good sleeping bag. Also left some luxuries at Namche Bazaar to pick up on the way down. Don't know if this adds anything to what's already been said. Good luck !
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Peter, thanks for the advice, really helpful and interesting. 8Kg is impressive. Going on a practice trip to Snowdonia tomorrow for a few days to get warmed up. Then I will make all my final decisions about EBC. Dan
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