Photo galleries, maps, itineraries and narratives of 19 major treks in the Nepal Himalaya from Kangchenjunga via Everest to Dhaulagiri

Narrative accounts of 19 major treks in the Nepal Himalaya


"Porters: - An Aid to Upward Progress in the Nepal Himalaya"


From high on the stupa of Swayambunath temple above Kathmandu the all-seeing eyes of Buddha look
out over the great white wall of the Himalaya stretched along the northern horizon. Eight of the
world's fourteen "eight-thousanders" ( mountains over 8000metres in height ) lie within the Hindu
Kingdom of Nepal. Although it is now 49 years since the first ascent of an "eight-thousander"
( Annapurna by Maurice Herzog in June 1950 ) the approach routes to their base camps still require
many days hard walking on primitive trails through medieval villages and, in many cases, across
high, snow-covered passes.

However the network of trails linking the villages ensconced in the remote valleys of this isolated,
himalayan country and the traditional porter system for transporting trade goods might well have
been tailormade for today's tourists ( even would-be Everest summiteers, are categorized on their
entry visas as tourists ).

The vast majority of the population eke out a subsistence level existence in small rural
communities and as soon as they can walk children start to use a namro ( head strap ) and doko
( conical wickerwork basket ) to carry loads of firewood or fodder. Although yaks and ponies are
used in some parts of Nepal for transporting goods the use of the namro is commonplace. Long trains
of professional porters carry gigantic loads from the roadheads to markets such as Namche Bazaar,
the capital of the Sherpas, high in the heartland of the Solu Khumbu. A standard load is
30 kilograms for both men and women but men can be asked to take double, or even heavier, loads.
Cargo carrying helicopters are a recent threat to their business but are unlikely to replace the
namro in the foreseeable future.

Many of the caravanserai and lodges used by these porters for their lunch and overnight stops have
now been commandeered by independent backpackers for use in so-called "tea-shop" trekking - OK if
you are immune to bed and stomach bugs. The two most popular routes, Everest Base Camp ( known as
the "yak route" ) and Annapurna Circuit ( known as the "Coca Cola trail" ), can both be undertaken
as "tea-shop" treks.

While some consider that carrying their own rucksacs helps them to get fit and acclimatize ( not a
view I share ) and others say they do not like to use people as beasts of burden I have found that
many backpackers do not know how little it costs to employ a porter and would gladly do so to save
sore backs, aching feet and 'sahib's knee'. None of my climbs and treks would have been possible or
so enjoyable without the stalwart support and cheerful company of my porters. "Good food, better
pay, more interesting and easier than other jobs", asserted Mohan and Lal Bahadur on my recent
return visit to the Annapurna Sanctuary. They were happy to be employed. Usually the number of
porters looking for work exceeds the number of loads available as many have come to rely on
trekking for hard cash to buy supplies and equipment for their family farms.

The alternative to "tea-shop" trekking is camping or "organised" trekking where each group is
self-sufficient and carries its own food, camping and cooking gear enabling access to remote,
uninhabited, wilderness areas such as the spectacular Hongu Valley in the Everest region and the
isolated "Hidden Valley" in the Dhaulagiri Himal.

After the first few days the routine becomes well established:- bed tea, washing water - kitbag
packed, tent down - porters off - breakfast - trekking - rest stop - trekking - lunch stop -
trekking - rest stop - trekking - set up camp.

On my first trek I was amazed, and relieved, at the variety and quality of the meals produced by
our cook, Dendi, and his kitchenboys from his open, wood fires - a trekking group, like an army,
marches on its stomach - indeed it was a British army officer, Colonel Jimmy Roberts, who pioneered
and established trekking in Nepal. His training is still in evidence - cooking utensils are cleaned
and polished before and after all meals and periodically layed out for inspection.

Trekking staff usually start off as porters and work their way up to the top job of sirdar - the
foreman in charge of a trekking group. My friend Ang Zangbu, the managing director of Highland
Sherpa Trekking, began his career as a porter before serving his apprenticeship as kitchenboy,
cook and sirdar.

Porters are the least well equipped for high level treks and the better agencies provide them with
warm clothing and footwear. Many do not and porters have frozen to death on the high passes. They
are however the backbone of all major treks and climbing expeditions - even the redoubtable
Reinhold Messner, the first person to make solo ascents of all 14 of the world's eight-thousanders,
used porters to reach his base camps.


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Nepal Travel & Guide Books & Maps:-


Trekking in the Annapurna Region Trekking in the Everest RegionEverest: A Trekkers Guide Trekking in the Everest RegionTrekking in the Annapurna RegionTrekking in the Langtang & Helambu RegionKangchenjunga Trekkers Guide Nepal Mountaineering Guide

Lonely Planet Nepal Rough Guide Nepal Lonely Planet Trekking in Nepal The Trekking Peaks of Nepal Lonely Planet Trekking and Climbing in NepalTrekking in NepalAnnapurna: First Conquest of an 8000m PeakTrekking in Nepal - D'Abbundo

Rough Guide India Footprint Tibet Handbook Into Thin Air - John Pilkington Sepu Kangri Bonnington Alpine / Himalayan Climbing Kurt Diemberger Omnibus Below another Sky by Rick RidgewayFacing Up; A journey to the summit of Everest

On Top of the World - climbing the 14 highest mountains On Top of the World - Rebecca Stephens Conquest of Everest Into Thin Air - the Everest Disaster Seven Summits - Quest to reach the highest peaks Climbing High - the Everest DisasterThe Climb - Anatoli Boukreev

Mountains of the Mind - A history.. Mountains of the Mind - ExperiencesEverest: Summit of AchievementEverest: 50th Anniversary VolumeEverest: Alone at the SummitThe Villain: Life of Don WhillansLeft for Dead: Journey Home from Everest

Eric Shipton - Everest and beyond Edmund Hillary - View from the SummitTilman: The 7 Mountain Travel BooksChris Bonington's Everest Mountaineering: Freedom of the HillsRope Techniques: The complete guideHistory of Mountain ClimbingEverest: To the Top Coronation Everest Alpine / Himalayan Climbing Maps and guides from Maps Worldwide












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