Nepal Village Build and Nepal Panorama

Hello lucilu me & my

Hello lucilu
me & my boyfriend are going on the Nepal Panorama on the 5th October. Can't wait! Th village build sounds great, wish I had the time to be able to do that as well. Have you been to Nepal or done much trekking before?

Rachel

Trek

Hi Rachel,

My Mum and I are doing this for the first time, neither of us have done a village build, a trek or been to Nepal! I am hoping the trek will be the first of many! I think Mum hopes so too!

We are both getting rather excited as we have nearly finished getting all of our gear. How are you two going with all of your gear? It is kind of difficult deciding what you really need because of the temps.

Have you done a trek or been to Nepal before? If so can you pass on any advice?

Which country are you coming from?

How is your training going? We aren't doing too badly, although it is hard to fit in around work as well!

Looking forward to your reply! Hopefully we can question each other on things we are unsure about.

Luci

Hi again, We are travelling

Hi again,

We are travelling from Edinburgh and arriving a day early in Katmandu (because the flights were much much cheaper!). Where are you two coming from?

We have been trying to do some training by going for walks up in the Scottish hills, but the weather has been conspiring against us!

This is our first trekking holiday so we are not too sure what to expect either. Still need to get some equipment (like walking poles and sleeping bags).

Just paid the remaining balance and getting excited now!!

r & t

Hi again!

We are from Australia! We got our sleeping bags on the weekend as they were about 30% off so we jumped at the chance. Apparently you are best to get walking poles there (Kathmandu) as the equipment is cheap / fake labels etc but apparently it lasts for the distance of the trip and it may save you a few dollars. We have found some great links for what other people have taken on their treks as they have done a few. I have some info below for you both, hopefully it will be of some help! Happy reading!

This is one of them: http://www.slowtrekking.com/what_to_wear.htm

And this is the other info I have:

I have done 7 treks in Nepal and a couple of climbs. I have whittled down my kit list from 22kgs the first time and I went through 17kgs, 14kgs, 24kgs (climbing) to finally 8kgs. So this list works for me (it may not for everyone). I am not taking unnecessary risks with this amount of stuff it is based upon my experience of trekking and climbing in Britain, the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Andes and Nepal and contains only the stuff I do use and nothing else, even when conditions have been bad. I would not recommend for everyone to wear trainers but I am happy carrying 30kgs in them. I find my feet are a lot less tired and more comfortable when I use trainers, but sometimes they get wet and they aren't great on snow, and for anyone without much trekking experience ankle support is very important. If you aren't used to it it is easy to turn an ankle. You might want to take more first aid stuff too and if you suffer from the cold a warmer bag and another layer.

Also I acclimatise very fast and very well (at least so far) so I must add that the advice I have written here works for me and you use this advice at your own risk! For me the trekking is much more enjoyable with a very light pack and in trainers, that at least allows me to take two cameras, a tripod and four lenses without needing a herd of yaks to carry them!

The trick for me is to take as many things as possible that have a dual use, 8kgs is for everything including what I am wearing (but does not include my camera equipment):-
(I can't remember how much all this stuff weighs individually but it weighs around 8kgs including pack, 1 litre of water plus everything I am wearing including shoes)

1) 35 litre pack - 700grms
2) Down jacket - 850grms
3) -5 down bag - 850grms (the coldest it has ever been in my room in a lodge outside of January/February was -5 apart from once on the Annapurna Circuit - that's from 7 treks)
4) 2 long sleeve tops (1 merino, 1 synthetic) 300-400grms each
5) 2 pairs merino underwear
6) 3 pairs walking socks
7) 3 pairs liner socks
8) lightweight trainers (I walk in these and don't bother with boots) 350grms
9) 1 pair lightweight trekking trousers (zip off into shorts) 200grms
10) 1 pair schoeller mountaineering trousers (the pants I use are made by Haglofs and button down over the top of boots meaning there is no need for gaiters)
11) 1 lightweight insulated windproof (like a RAB photon) doubles up as insulation layer and windproof - is also pretty waterproof too - these are fantastic - 350grms
12) Warm hat
13) pair of gloves
14) Jag bags silk liner (very light)
15) 1 carbon fibre pole 200grms
16) 1 litre water bottle
17) Aqua Mira water treatment
18) Sunblock
19) E45 moisturiser
20) Anti bac handwash
21) Toilet roll
22) Ear plugs
23) 1 gig MP3 player and 1 battery and headphones - 50 grms
24) Couple of strips of ibuprofen
25) couple of strips of aspirin
26) Sunglasses
27) Toothbrush and toothpaste
28) Headtorch including batteries - 90grms
29) Superfeet insoles for my trainers
30) a couple of stuff sacks
31) Notepad and pen
32) book
33) Map
34) Watch (includes compass)
35) Sometime down slippers!
36) Passport
37) Money
38) Wide brimmed sun hat
39) 2 x lip balm
40) A little bit of travel wash
41) Maybe a pair of scissors (lighter than a knife and can be used as a screwdriver if you have the right sort)

I think that is it!

Tips:-

1) I keep my toilet roll and handwash together in a plastic zip bag. Then I always wash my hands when I go to the loo - no germs, you don't get ill

2) The antibac dry handwash I use requires no water and I use it all the time - all the time before eating or handling food, again no germs you don't get ill.

3) I have one stuff sack that I keep all my stuff that I need in the lodge of an evening (toilet roll, book, hat, gloves, mp3 player, wate rtreatment, ear plugs, notepad and pen, headtorch, etc). When I arrive at a lodge I get a room, lay out my sleeping bag, change into dry clothes, put on my down jacket, grab my evening stuff sack and put on my down slippers if I have them. Then when you go into the dining room you have everything you need. I don't need to go back to the room to get my headtorch or any more warm clothing, or loo roll to go to the toilet. I can hang my clothes out to dry, kick back and relax. Read my book, listen to music, write my journal without having to go to and fro. This has taken a bit of practice though and always on the first few days of a trip I have got the list wrong and have to make a few extra trips to the room.

4) If it is cold and the foam mattresses on the bed are a bit thin I try and get a room on my own and steal the foam mattress from the other bed to double up

5) If it is cold, wear only thermal underwear to bed (you need to warm the bag with your body to be warm), run around or on the spot before you go to bed and get into your bag warm (you get in cold you will be cold), wear a hat and put your down jacket over the top of your sleeping bag (don't wear it)

6) At drink stops and lunch stops, take off your shoes and socks, take out your insoles from your shoes/boots and dry them in the sun, look after your feet and they will look after you.

7) When ascending at altitude take little steps and you will find it easier going

8) From breakfast through to late afternoon (around 3 to 4pm) drink lots and lots (4-5 litres plus if you can). I drink a litre as soon as I get out of bed. That way you will be well hydrated but hopefully avoid having to get up in the middle of the night. Note you only know you are hydrated when your pee is clear. If it isn't keep drinking until it is.

9) If I am having difficulty dropping off to sleep I take half a ibuprofen and it helps me to drop off (an old mountaineers trick). If you are worried at all about masking a headache and AMS then don't do it.

10) Take half an aspirin a couple of times a day, it will help to thin your blood.

11) Monitor your pulse rate. This is how I tell I am acclimatised. For example your resting pulse rate might be 60. Your resting, acclimatised pulse rate at altitude might be 80. Your pulse rate will increase even when resting while you are acclimatising to probably somewhere over 100. Learn how your pulse operates and you will start to work out when you are acclimatised. Here is how it works for me:-

For instance if I trek up Namche hill to Namche, when I arrive I will check my pulse, it is normally 80 while acclimatising at this height. After 8 hours it will go down to 60. This is my resting pulse for around this height. I know at this point I am acclimatised (see above for disclaimer)!

12) I prefer to cover up than plaster myself in sunblock. I wear a long sleeved high necked merino top and brimmed sun hat which means I don't have to put any sunblock on unless I am walking on snow. Then the reflections off the snow mean it is important to put sunblock on your face and when really high even up your nostrils! Sunburnt nostrils are no fun I can tell you!

13) I always wrap some gaffa/duck tape around my trekking pole. You can repair everything with it from tent poles, holes in tents to treating blisters (I have done this on my own blisters as I found this stuff was the only thing that stuck to my feet, regular blister treatements didn't work for me).

14) You may notice the lack of toiletries! Well merino wool is the secret you can wear it for weeks and you don't stink, honestly!

I use a water filter pump rather than chemicals. I carry a few iodine tabs for emergencies but have never had to use them yet. Escher's Aqua Mira/Prisitine stuff seems rather good, IIRC you have to mix two components but its ready in minutes with no nasty taste and less effort than pumping. I shall be trying that next time I'm trekking.

Toiletries!

Definitely taking Shampoo and Conditioner!! I think I will actually enjoy not having to put on make up and doing my hair everyday before I go to work!

Looking forward to meeting you and your partner!

Keep me posted if you get any handy tips from your friends that have already been.

Luci

Hi Luci

Not long before we go know - even less for you?

We actually managed to get out and do a couple of munros (scottish term for hills over 914m) last weekend, as it was not raining for once, so I am feeling much happier about my fitness campaign. How is yours going?

What sort of a bag are you taking with you? I cant decide between a rucksack and a wheeled holdall.

Rachel

Types of Bags

Hi Rachel, we were just talking about you today as we did our last 2.5hr walk through the Glass House mountains (they are near the Sunshine Coast in Queensland) did about 10kms today. Feeling very good about it all. We are taking a hold all but with out wheels as we have our village build first otherwise I would have taken a ruck sack as well as the bag I am carrying each day. As from how I understand it, the stuff the porter carries for you needs to be in a very flexible bag as you share your porter between 2 (so most likely you and your partner would have the same porter) and they put your bag inside their bag.

I personally have what they call a stuff sack, which is what I am putting my stuff in for the porter as it is very thin and light and it goes inside the porters bag anyway. But that is because our hold alls are quite large due to our first week. Which we are leaving at the hotel.

I hope this helps.

See you in a couple weeks hey! It will be nice to put a face to the name!!!