Choosing A Trek

Quite a dilema huh?

Before we get into the idea of trekking routes, it's important to dispel and clear up a bit of confusion associated with the subject. It is doubtful that a first time traveler attempting a trekking trip in Nepal would be able to go to a trekking agency and tell them without a single doubt, what route and trek they would like to do. One issue is in the fact that most people misunderstand what trekking in Nepal is like and few travel agencies offer an simple explanation. The other issue, and one especially true for the first time visitor, is that frankly, they have no idea where they are going or the options they have.

Trekking in Nepal, is not hiking in the wilderness like it is known in the US or other parts of the world. In Nepal, on 99% of the treks, you will be traveling along routes that have been established by necessity and not by some park agency in order to make an area more accessible. These are paths that have been created by the native people of Nepal and as such, they are a form of foot-traffic Himalayan highway system and a means of connecting goods and services from one village to the other and ultimately with the metropolitan centers of Kathmandu and Pokhara. Being such a system, it is impossible to say or pinpoint one route. There are different ways to get to places, most popular, fastest, longest, short cuts and the like. Trekking in Nepal, should be viewed, just as in your home town, as travel along a system of roads. As such, they will have a number of options and alternatives to getting to any one destination or seeing any one specific area.

Why is this important? Let us explain as picking a trek otherwise can be a challenge.

Contributing to this confusion is the well-intentioned, subconscious and ignorant abuse of the tourist's lack of general trekking knowledge in Nepal. This often manifests itself in a sort of information overload. One only needs to simply search on "trekking in Nepal" to find a list of trekking agencies wanting to differentiate themselves from the rest, offering hundreds if not thousands of different treks in different areas, all with slight and often insignificant variations; using names that make absolutely no sense to the average foreigner wishing to simply "trek in Nepal" and see the major attractions.

The truth of the matter is, that trekking in Nepal, is divided into several major trekking regions or circuits, which you can view by clicking the link. The variations you see offered by all the different agencies are for the most part simply slightly different ways of getting to the majors hot spots along the trekking routes. If you can imagine a map of a major city with several attractions for tourists, looking at just the major streets alone, you can imagine that no matter where you start, you can figure out several viable routes to take and still visit all the major attractions. Now imagine different starting locations and you get an idea of just how many "so called unique" variations trekking or travel agencies have to sell to their clients.

The point is, do not get confused with the nomenclature. This site alone, offers a great deal of information on the specific trekking areas. Pick an area where you want to trek and pick the trek based on your time schedule. It is that simple. Whatever you pick, it is going to be hard to say that one trek offers more than another given an equal time frame. This is especially true, if picking one of the longer 10+ day treks. There are shorter treks to specific destinations such as Poon Hill and others that offer trips to one specific attraction, but still feature parts of the longer routes.

Another word of advice, do not worry so much about the gear. Quit trying to answer those questions for now. First, find out where you want to trek, only then is it time to figure out the gear. For the most part, there is nothing you cannot leave at home. If you come to Nepal with just yourself that will be enough. There are hundreds, tentatively thousands of places to buy the gear you will need for your trek right here in Nepal at prices that will be significantly cheaper than those at home.

Click

to see our programs or plan your custom trip.

Click Here For trekking routes around Pokhara.