Books To Help You Prepare To Trek

Prior to departing for our trek, we prepared intensely by planning out the logistics and educating ourselves about trekking and Nepal. As a novice trekker, I wanted a guide that would orient me to trekking and to the Annapurna region of the Himalayas in Nepal. If you are planning a similar trek, I highly recommend Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya.

The book is written in a plain and easy-to-read fashion. It is written in chapters by various experienced trekkers who have spent many years in Nepal. The medical section is also well-written, authored by a doctor familiar with both wilderness and high-altitude medicine. The book includes many pictures and maps to make your trip easy to navigate. Additionally, local culture is discussed extensively, which helps you better acclimate to your surroundings and act in an appropriate manner.

The book also does an excellent job discussing the history of trekking in general and specifically in Nepal. For example, it describes the history and structure of the Annapurna Conservation Project, also known as ACAP. The group regulates the heart of the Annapurna region, helping conserve the space, going so far as to even set the menus for each teahouse! The standardization has been highly beneficial though, as it has helped visitors understand the expectations both of them and their hosts. By reading the book before your trip, you feel much more comfortable about your health, your lodging, and your ultimate destination: Annapurna Base Camp!

Another book to consider getting is the country guide: Lonely Planet Nepal.

I did not have as much time to read through this guide, but I found the section on Kathmandu and the Thamel district very instructive. Like the trekking guide, it has good tips and maps to help you find your way around. Furthermore, I feel Lonely Planet Nepal has a good balance of historical detail to help you understand the context of your sightseeing and why the places you visit are places of interest. Lonely Planet Nepal complements Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya quite well.

There is a list of items to take on the trek in Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya, such as clothing and health-related items. A future post will discuss more specifics about the appropriate equipment to get prior to your trek.

Update: If you love the Lonely Planet series of travel guides, check out this podcast interview with the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler, and their journey to creating Lonely Planet: How I Built This.

Day 1: Meeting Our Guides From Earthbound Expeditions

After arriving in Kathmandu and leaving our belongings in our hotel, we relaxed a bit as we waited to meet our guides from the Earthbound Expeditions trekking agency.

Per their site, Earthbound Expeditions was founded in 1997 by Mr. Rajan Simkhada. Mr. Simkhada started his career in tourism as a Front Desk Attendant at a Hotel in Thamel in 1994. In 1996, he joined a reputed trekking company, as tour and trek leader. During this period, he led the tours to entire Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. After leading many such tours and treks he established himself as a senior guide and later partnering with few of his friends, started an independent company with the banner "Earthbound Expeditions".

My friend AD who had researched and planned this trip had selected Earthbound after reading through many reviews. The big selling point though was that the price per head was roughly half of what Western companies like REI might charge for essentially the same trek. We paid roughly 30,000 Indian rupees, or approximately $600 USD for 15 days including all our lodging, more than 90% of our meals, and the services of 1 guide and 3 porters/sherpas. It is hard to imagine finding a better deal elsewhere.

The office for Earthbound Expeditions was located in the Thamel district as well, just a few blocks from Hotel Manang, so we strolled down the winding roads to the turn off alley for their office. We proceeded up some dimly lit stairs, with walls plastered with posters of breathtaking vistas from around Nepal and the subcontinent. Once inside the office, Rajan greeted us with chai and a brief summary of our trek. We listened pleasantly, half hearing what he said, half imaging the sights we were about to see. Ultimately though, it came time to transfer payment to Earthbound. Because of counterfeiting, the government of Nepal has banned denominations Indian currency greater than 100 rupees. Which means, we had to pay our 30,000 charge... in 100 rupee bills, or 300 bills in total. When we put our fees together, it was easily the most paper money any of us had ever seen!

The "Money Shot"

I gotta admit, one has some reservations handing over that much money in cash, but they were very professional about it and gave us a receipt on the spot. After the transfer, we actually could breathe easier and lazily sipped our chai before preparing to leave.

Afterwards, we proceeded to explore more of the Thamel district. It has a similar feel to an Indian city center, constantly bustling with people, cycles, cars, and all modes of transportation. However, as Kathmandu draws a fairly cosmopolitan crowd due to the tourism industry, there was an eclectic mix of stores catering to individuals from all around the world. The lighting might strike some as a bit garish, but the colors served to emphasize the buzz in the air. Our merry group eventually settled on a Thai restaurant for dinner, where we enjoyed a pleasant meal on the second floor overlooking some of the commotion below. We returned to our hotels with our stomachs filled and eyes heavy, ready to sleep and begin our adventure!

Day 1: Arriving In Kathmandu

Meeting up in Delhi was quite an adventure in itself. However, even the flight to Kathmandu was less than straightforward. After I met my friends in the Indira Gandhi International Airport international departures terminal at our lower level gate, we passed through the initial gate check without problems. However, instead of boarding the plane directly, we were seated on a bus that took us across the tarmac out to our waiting plane. Although we thought we would be the last ones to board, it turned out there was a whole busload of people who would arrive after us!

After getting off the bus, we thought we would board the plane directly. Wrong. The airline security had set up another checkpoint where we had to go through the entire procedure of checking our persons and our bags again. It was quite tedious and hectic, as the "security" area was a small tent just before the staircase leading up to the plane. Luckily, we cleared security again without issue and found our seats.

I was quite ready to settle down for a two hour nap. However, my stomach tried to disagree strenuously. As we waited for the plane to taxi and takeoff, I perused the menu provided by Jet Airways. I had eaten a little beforehand, so I skipped lunch. I later found out that my friends had had nothing to eat and were banking on this meal on the flight for sustenance. Unfortunately for them, they were seated in the exact middle of the plane. There were two carts of food, but both were empty by the time they reached my friends' seats! Somehow, they survived, but were a bit grumpier than I expected when we landed.

The Tribhuvan Airport at Kathmandu, Nepal is a full international airport, yet has the feel of a Greyhound terminal. Our landing was especially bizarre as it occurred just after the global outbreak of swine flu. Everyone was wearing facemasks, and we had to pass through an additional health inspection. We finally passed through all the hurdles and met our guides from Earthbound Expeditions. The reception they gave us was excellent, meeting us enthusiastically and presenting each one of us with a traditional garland. We were then escorted to a waiting Toyota HIACE to take us to our hotel.

We stayed our first night in the Hotel Manang in the touristy Thamel district of Kathmandu. The hotel afforded decent accommodations, but its major selling point was a high-speed Internet connection in the lobby that let us easily communicate with family back home. We settled in to our lodgings to relax and build up energy for our tour of Kathmandu the next day. We had finally arrived in Nepal!

Hotel Manang in Thamel District, Kathmandu, Nepal