Peter Owens' Asian Treks

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VISAS, EQUIPMENT, MEDICAL MATTERS,

AND READING LIST

You can obtain your Nepal visa up to six months before your arrival at a foreign Nepal consulate or you can obtain it at the Kathmandu airport upon your arrival. Currently in the USA or at the Kathmandu airport upon arrival a Nepal visa is $30 for a 60 day single entry visa. In the USA check out the Nepal Embassy web page for the latest instructions, fees and form or contact the following for a visa form.

Royal Nepalese Embassy, 2131 Leroy Place NW, Washington DC 20008; phone: 202-667-4550; FAX: 202-667-5534.

Consulates in some countries other than the USA are:

Belgium—21 Avenue Champel, B-1640, Rhode St. Genese; phone: 02-358-5808, 358-5822; Fax:: 02-358-3384.
France—45, bis Rue des Acacias, 75017 Paris phone: 01 46 22 48 67 Fax: 01 42 27 08 65.
Germany—Im Hag 15, D-5300 Bonn; phone: 0228-343097; Fax: 0228-856747.
Japan—14-9 Tokoroki 7-chome, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 158; phone: 03-3705-5558; Fax: 03-3705-8264.
Switzerland— 1, Rue Frederic-Amiel, 1203 Geneva; phone: 022-344-4441; Fax: 022-344-4093.
UK—12A Kensington Palace Gardens, London W8 4QU; phone: 0171-229-1594, 229-6231; Fax: 0171-792-8861.

Consult our suggested Nepal trek equipment list and also read the equipment sections of both Armington's and Bezruchka's books (see below). Consider consulting the Web page of the Kathmandu based CIWEC Clinic for medical information relating to Asian travel. An extensive First Aid kit will be available on the trek. Tents are provided. You must supply your own sleeping bag, foam pad, duffel bag and day-pack. Foam pads can be rented in Kathmandu for about $1 to $2 per day if you prefer. While in Kathmandu we will stay at the Potala Guest House.

The following is a short reading list for prospective Nepal trekkers:

Trekking in Nepal by Stephen Bezruchka. This is an excellent book for all treks with an extensive Bibliography of additional books. Contains a Nepal language section with directions on obtaining a Nepal language cassette tape.
Nepal Handbook by Kerry Moran. Highly recommended particularly for Kathmandu Valley sightseeing.
Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya by Stan Armington. This book has detailed trek descriptions including the restricted areas of Mustang, Manaslu, Dolpo and Kailas.
Power Places of Kathmandu—Hindu and Buddhist Holy Sites in the Sacred Valley of Nepal. Photographs by Kevin Bubriski, Text by Keith Dowman. A beautifully photographed and informative guide to the Kathmandu Valley.
Trekking in Nepal by Toro Nakano. Great photos and routes you may not find anywhere else. Out of print but available in many libraries and in Kathmandu.
Into Thin Air by Jon Krakaur. A personal account of the Mount Everest Disaster.
Travelers Tales Edited by Rajendra Khadka, Traveler's Tales, San Francisco.
Sacred Summits by Peter Boardman. Particularly recommended if going to Kangchenjunga or Rolwaling area. Out of print but available in many libraries and in Kathmandu.
Himalayan Pilgrimage by David Snellgrove. Important reading for treks to Dolpo, Mustang and Manaslu. Out of print but available in many libraries and in Kathmandu.
Mustang, a Lost Kingdom by Michel Peissel. Important reading for Mustang trek. Available in paperback in Kathmandu.

National Geographic articles can also be consulted.

You may order books and maps suitable for the treks and tours from:

Michael Chessler Books
PO Box 4359
29723 Troutdale Scenic Drive
Evergreen, CO 80437 USA

Phone: 1-800-654-8502 or 1-303-670-0093
FAX: 1-303-670-9727
e-mail: chesslerbk@aol.com

When you arrive in Kathmandu you will be given a trekking map as well as a Trip Roster.

National Geographic articles (let us know of any articles dealing with Himalayan/Karakoram areas that we have left out):

MAY 51—"A Journey to Little Tibet."
JUL 54—"Triumph on Everest."
NOV 55—"Beyond Everest."
JUL 55—"My Life in Forbidden Lhasa."
OCT 56—"Himalayan Pilgrimage Crystal Mountain."
MAR 60—"Afoot in Roadless Nepal."
SEP 61—"Bhutan, the Mountain Kingdom."
OCT 62—"Wintering in the High Himalayas."
OCT 62—"School for Sherpas in Nepal."
MAR 63—"Sikkim, Tiny Himalayan Kingdom in the Clouds."
OCT 63—"Six to the Summit."
OCT 63—"How We Climbed Everest."
OCT 63—"The First Traverse."
NOV 63—"Wedding of Two Worlds."
MAY 63—"India—Subcontinent in Crisis."
MAY 63—"Mountaintop War in Ladakh."
AUG 63—"American and Geographic Flags Top Everest."
OCT 65—"Mustang, Nepal's Lost Kingdom."
OCT 66—"Sherpaland, My Shangri-La."
NOV 70—"Gangtok, Cloud-Wreathed Himalayan Capital."
NOV 71—"Nepal's Roadless Karnali."
APR 73—"Calcutta, India's Maligned Metropolis."
OCT 74—"Bhutan Crowns a Dragon King."
NOV 75—"Trek to Lofty Hunza—and Beyond."
APR 77—"Trek to Nepal's Sacred Crystal Mountain."
MAR 78—"Ladakh—The Last Shangri-La"
FEB 79—"Kathmandu's Remarkable Newars."
MAR 79—"Triumph and Tragedy on Annapurna."
MAY 79—"Americans Climb K2."
FEB 80—"Visit to Forbidden Tibet."
APR 80—"Temple Monkeys of Nepal."
OCT 81—"At My Limit—I Climbed Everest Alone."
FEB 82—"Nomads of China's West."
JUN 82—"Park at the Top of the World."
JUN 86—"Tracking the Elusive Snow Leopard."
JUL 87—"At the Crossroads of Kathmandu."
DEC 87—"A Journey Through Tibet."
NOV 88—"Honey Hunters of Nepal."
NOV 88—"Mount Everest: Surveying the Third Pole."
NOV 88—"Heavy Hands on the Land."
NOV 88—"The Mighty Himalaya: A Fragile Heritage."
SEP 89—"Rebuilding a Monastery on the World's Roof."
SEP 89—"Annapurna: Sanctuary for the Himalayas."
MAY 91—"Bhutan—Kingdom in the Clouds."
DEC 92—"Gatekeepers of the Himalaya."
AUG 93—"Tibet's Remote Chang Tang."
MAR 94—"High Road to Hunza."
MAY 97—"India."
SEP 97—"The Siren Song of Everest."
NOV 97—"Nepal's Forgotten Corner—Mustang."
MAR 98—"The Promise of Pakistan."
JUN 98—"Raji Honey Hunters of Nepal."
SEP 99—"Kashmir."
JUN 2000—"Indus: Clues to an Ancient Civilization"
SEP 2000—"Rana Tharu: Nepal's Women of Grace"
NOV 2000—"Nepal"
APR 2002—"Tibetans"
JUN 2002—"Because it is there: The Quest For Everest"—Map Supplement
MAY 2003—"Everest: Fifty Years and Counting"—Map Supplement
MAY 2003—"The Sherpas"
NOV 2005—"Nepal: Inside the Revolution"

NEPAL TREK EQUIPMENT LIST

Porters will carry your duffel bag with up to 25 lbs. or 12 kilos in it. Tents are provided and will be carried separately and not counted as your 22 lb. allotment. You will be carrying a day pack which should probably not weigh more than 10 lb. unless you plan to bring lots of heavy camera equipment. Try to keep the duffel below 22 lbs. for the trek. Remember some porter will be carrying three of these plus his own equipment. Plates, bowls, cups, forks, spoons and knives will be provided.

Essential Equipment

     1     duffel bag
     1     day pack
     1     toilet paper (can buy in KTM & on trek)
     1     sleeping bag (can be rented KTM)
     1     sleeping pad (can be rented in KTM)
     1     pair trekking boots (see comments)
     1     pair camp shoes or thongs
     1     pair short pants for hiking
     1     pair long pants for camp & hiking
     3     pairs socks for trekking boots
     2     pairs socks for camp shoes
     3     T-shirts or short sleeved shirts
     1     pocket knife
     1     long sleeved shirt
     3     pairs underwear
     1     sweater (available KTM for $15 up) or down vest
     1     windproof parka or shell with hood
     1     pair gloves or mittens (available KTM for $2 up)
     1     warm hat (available KTM for $2 up)
     1     hat with sun protection
     1     towel
     1      tube sun cream (High SPF value)
     1     sunglasses
     1     rain poncho or good rain gear
     1     large plastic bag to line duffel
     1     bar of soap or tube liquid soap
     1     toothbrush & toothpaste
     1     quart water bottle
     4     plastic bags (organize clothes & pack lunches).
     1     flashlight with extra batteries & bulb
     1     piece Moleskin for blisters
     8     Band-Aids
            aspirin or Tylenol for headaches or other pain
            antihistamine (Actifed or Sudafed)
            Pepto Bismol (liquid or tablets)
            Throat lozenges (available KTM)
     1     Chapstick or Blistex or Labiosan
     2     bras (for women)
            Tampons or sanitary napkins (for women)
     1     bathing suit (BKK hotel pool and spring treks)

If You are Susceptible to Cold Add

    1      pair long underwear
    1     wool shirt (long sleeved)
    1     pair wool mittens not gloves
    1      Down jacket (in addition to vest or sweater)
    1     pair wool pants(long)
    1     pair down or Polarguard booties for camp

Extra Equipment

          extra underwear
          extra socks
          extra T-shirts or short sleeved shirt
          camera equipment
          binoculars
          extra quart plastic bottle for booze
          collapsible plastic bucket or bowl for laundry
          CIPRO or Ampicillin or other antibiotic
          Moist sealed mini paper towels
          Powdered drink mix (Wylers etc)
          Chocolate or candy bars
          needle and thread
          safety pins
          rip-stop nylon tape and/or duct tape
          Sierra Cup
          dental floss
          sleeping pills (not needed for most people)
          Ace Bandage
          reading material
          collapsible walking stick
          non-bifocal glasses if you wear bifocals
          Icer's anti-skid detachable safety soles for slippery trails particularly ice patches on trail in late fall to early spring

COMMENTS ON EQUIPMENT LIST FOR NEPAL TRIPS

Duffel Bag: This can get rough treatment from both the airlines and the porters. Get a good one. Real Army Surplus ones (used) are about $15 and very good. The heavy gauge nylon ones like REI sells are also good. Make sure it is sturdy with a good zipper. Get a large size. For the trek your sleeping bag must fit in it with all your clothes. It would be nice if your sleeping pad also fit in the duffel, but we will carry it separately if need be. Tents are carried separately and need not go in your duffel.. Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad: You must provide these. Many people rent a foam ensolite type pads in Kathmandu for their treks at about $0.50 per day. Sleeping bags can also be rented in Kathmandu, but they are not cleaned between rentals and are often dirty. Also, the quality is hard to determine. Bring your own sleeping bag.
Tents: These are provided for you and are Eureka Geodesic dome style 3-person tents when occupied by 2 people and Eureka Timberline 2-person tents when occupied by one person. Don't bring your own.
Trekking Shoes or Boots: More and more Nepal trekkers are wearing running shoes or new lightweight Gore Tex footwear. Your leader wears HI TEC Sierra Lights which are not waterproof. If you have worn these on previous hiking trips with no ill effects, feel free to do so on your Nepal trek. But still bring a pair of Vibram lugged hiking boots for possible snow and/or cold or wet weather. You can easily carry a second pair of footwear in your duffel and not exceed your weight limit. Your running shoes can double as camp shoes. Waterproof your boots before you leave home, and if your trek will possibly come across a lot of snow, bring some extra waterproofing on the trek.
Everest Treks: People tolerate the cold less at high altitudes. Bring extra cold weather gear. Bring all the items listed under "if you susceptible to cold". It would be prudent to have a sleeping bag rated to 0 °F even though temperatures below 20 °F are unlikely. It gets very cold as soon as the sun goes down, and if you want to enjoy the "night life" comfortably without retreating to your warm sleeping bag, bring down booties and good mittens as well as a good padded parka.
Rain Poncho: This is useful as a second tent floor in case you have a leaky tent floor. Bring one or a "space-blanket" even if you have Gore Tex rain gear.
Musical Instruments: Recorders, harmonicas or guitars add to both our and the Staff's enjoyment of the trek. We will be happy to carry these separately and not as part of your weight limit.
Tape Recorder: Many trekkers like to bring a small cassette recorder to record sounds of the trek as well as local and porter dancing and singing. A slide show featuring audio will delight your friends when you return.
Plastic Bags: It is good protection against possible rain showers to have everything in both your duffel and day pack inside plastic bags. Wrap your sleeping bag in one. Have one for your socks, one for underwear, one for shirts, one to carry snacks and/or for days you will be given a pack lunch etc.
Porter Clothes: Our porters are always in need of warm clothes and old clothes you have been saving for a garage sale or Goodwill should be brought along. We will carry them separately and not as part of your weight limit. Most porters have waists between 26 and 30 inches and shirt sizes between Boys Large and Men's Small. Even if what you have has holes and needs mending it will more than likely be better than what they have. This also goes for any old sneakers or other shoes you may want to get rid of.
Fun with the Staff: Frisbees are great. Soap bubbles? Sparklers? Super Balls? Volleyball? Picture book? Postcards of USA?