Trek Info
Trek Info
Welcome to the trek! Scroll all the way down the list for more information, including gear, money, and things to do in Kathmandu …
The basic Nepal information is listed first, and further down are the specifics tea-house (lodge) treks & camping treks.
Emergency Contact
(Or to contact Lhakpa or a trekker on the trek)
Send an SMS to our satellite phone: Connect on-line to https://sms.thuraya.com
Input our number (87710076). Write a short message, Press ‘send’.
(If the battery is charged, you are free to use the satellite phone. The rate is 250 NRP
Contact Numbers
Office Tel: +(977) 1 5146152
Lhakpa Mobile: +(977) 9841235461 or 9705235461
Doma Mobile: +(977) 9841510833 or 9705510833
Have a Check-Up!
Please have a FULL and thorough medical check-up BEFORE staring the trek.
Deposit & Payment Options
*** For Deposits. If you can pay some or all of the balance in cash or travelers checks in Nepal, it would be appreciated.
Nepal Investment Bank Ltd.
(Fund Transfers in US Dollar)
For a further credit to or Beneficiary Details:
Account Number 00101010252454
Account Name KHUMBU ADVENTURES T & E. (P.) LTD
Bank name (Nepal investment Bank Ltd)
Swift Code: NIBLNPKT
Bank Address: Durbar Marga, Katmandu, Nepal
Travel Medical Insurance:
For adventure travel. MUST include HELICOPTER EVACUATION and treks over 4000 meters or over 10,000 feet! Ask your insurer if you are unsure …
Travel Insurance: We REQUIRE that everyone has travel medical insurance available from your local medical insurer or from some of the companies listed below (there are many other companies online, do some research to find which is best for you).
***Please bring a PRINTED PAGE with your name, address, personal emergency contact, insurance policy name & number and the overseas contact number to call in case of emergency for us to give to our local agents (we don’t need the particulars, just a one-page copy of the policy).
Flights/Early Arrival/Rooms in Kathmandu
Make sure we have your correct and/or updated flight information. If you are arriving early, we will book your room; just let us know your arrival time and date.
Gear
Read the specific gear list below for CAMPING or TEA-HOUSE/LODGE treks, and get back to us with questions!
Rentals
Make sure to let us know if you need to rent a down jacket or sleeping bag. Scroll down for info.
Arrival in Kathmandu
You’ll arrive at the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport. For information on the airport, see their official website: http://www.tiairport.com.np/.
*** Once you leave the terminal, look for the Khumbu Adventures or your name on sign
Tea House Treks
*** On tea-house treks, we stay in lodges in single or double rooms, whatever is available. There are very few dormitory-style rooms anymore, although before the passes we will probably need to bunk down together. Otherwise, the lodges are quite good, many with inside toilets, some with attached bathrooms. ***
Camping Treks
*** On camping treks, everyone will have their own tent, shared tents for couples only. Our tents are new, Western (Big Agnes) and roomy, 2 person tents for singles, and 3 person tents for couples.
Kathmandu
We’ll spend a day or part of a day doing some casual sightseeing before we leave for the trek, or perhaps break it up into two days, one place after the trek. And we’ll check gear when you arrive if anyone needs. Please have photos, airline tickets to re-confirm and insurance information ready if needed.
International Tickets/Passports
We recommend that you leave your international air tickets with, Lhakpa Doma to reconfirm while we are on the trek, although this is a courtesy that we provide for you, and not required. You should carry all of your on-trek cash, your PP and valuables with you in your daypack at all times during the trek (not in your duffel bag).
Money & ATMS
There are many ATMs which accept almost all debit and credit cards around Kathmandu as well as many money changers.
General Trek Information
Satellite Phone
We will have a satellite phone with us which you are free to use if the battery is charged. The per minute fee is 250 NRP.
Daypack
We recommend a 30-45 liter daypack (ask at your sporting shop if you’re not sure of the capacity of yours). Better to have it too large than too small, as on pass days you’ll want to carry more. Most have internal water bladders built in, which are good to have. Make sure it’s comfortable before leaving home. Mine are 35 and 45 liters, both made by Osprey.
In your daypack, you’ll be carrying 1 or 2 liters of water, a wind/Gortex/soft/ hard-shell jacket, wind/rain pants, hat & gloves, extra socks, sunscreen, snacks, water purifying tablets or filter, camera, a plastic bag or pack-cover and maybe a down jacket. Lhakpa & I carry small medical kits in ours.
Packing/Storage
It’s easiest to pack and unpack from a duffel-bag, and easiest for porters to carry as well. I’ll take a look at what everyone has when you arrive. Inexpensive and/or good quality duffels are available in Kathmandu, but it’s best to invest in a strong, waterproof duffel such as a North Face. You can leave/store extra gear in Kathmandu at the Kathmandu Guest House storage room free of charge. Valuables can be stored at the Kathmandu Guest House in private safety-deposit boxes for 2 NRP per day.
Extra Gear & Villagers
If anyone has old/extra/used gear of any sort, bring it along if you have room in your duffels.
Our porters & staff also appreciate ANY sort of clothing, from old shirts, jackets, pants, fleeces, shoes to your old trekking socks. Again, if you have room, bring it along, but nothing too heavy or bulky as weight is often an issue. We often have a raffle on the first day of the trek, and each porter will get at least one ‘new’ thing, which is fun.
Snacks
It’s always good to have some with you even if you’re not a snacker at lower elevations. You crave amazing things at altitude, and often need energy in a way that you usually don’t at lower altitudes … energy bars, candy bars, dried fruit and nuts, chocolate, electrolytes, etc are important to have along for long days or passes. Lemonade mix, Emergen-C, Tang, etc great to have for hot days in your water bottles. If anyone has a favorite cookie/biscuit, bring a package to share in the tent in the evenings if you want. And anything else that you particularly like
Water Purifiers & Filters
We bring a MSR ceramic purifying/filtering pump along on the trek which everyone can use to pump fresh water in the evenings for the next day’s drinking water, ecologically the best way to get water in the Himalaya’s fragile trekking regions. Bring your own pump, UV purifier or iodine tablets to have the capacity for fresh water en route. Please bring at least TWO Nalgene, Sigg or other unbreakable plastic/metal water bottles. Camelbacks and other bladder systems are also good, but can leak, so as a back-up it’s best to also bring a Nalgene/metal water bottle.
What we need in KTM
– A copy of your travel medical insurance (just one sheet with policy number, name and international contact numbers). Please don’t email them to me; a printed sheet needs to go to the office that deals with your information in case of emergency.
– A copy of your Passport (front page) and Nepal visa
– 3 Visa-sized photo
Cash
You’ll all want cash with you during the trek for drinks, snacks, candy bars, biscuits, beer, etc. There’s some good shopping in Namche, as I mentioned, and sometimes a chance to buy locally made products. For tipping the crew we recommend about $100 per person in Nepali rupees. There are ATMs in KTM which give you $500 per go, and many money changers, banks, etc. In Namche you can change TCs or cash, and some other places cash. I’ll also have extra rupees with me if anyone runs out and needs to borrow. $250 is a good amount to change when you arrive in KTM.
Batteries
There are now many places to recharge batteries in the Everest, Annapuran and Langtang region so bring your camera battery chargers. BUT we recommend always bringing extra batteries as it takes time to charge and there is often a line, charging is not always available and it can get VERY expensive to charge your batteries up higher!
Washing & Showers
Showers are almost always available at the lodges, but they’re not cheap, so budget some extra cash if you like to shower! You can have (at no cost) a ‘warm washing bowl’ to wash up with. As for clothes, bring a small package of soap powder, and you can either wash your clothes yourself or give our porters some money to wash them for you!