5 Tips For Trekking in Nepal

Few places in the whole world can match the sheer beauty and fascinating culture of Nepal. Adventure travellers rave about it, and more and more people are preparing for the first trek based on the positive reviews of others. The trouble is, trekking in Nepal isn't as simple as booking a beach holiday or taking a city break - it's a serious undertaking that requires a lot of thought and preparation. Fortunately, the rewards exceed these negatives, so beginners should not be put off! Here's a list of things you should know before you go trekking in Nepal for the first time...

When to go?

Spring or autumn are without a doubt the best times to go trekking in Nepal. It's around 15 to 25 degrees centigrade in spring, and between 10 and 15 degrees in autumn. Which of these you pick depends on your own tastes - in spring, the forest's flora is in full bloom, while autumn's clear skies present unparalleled mountain views.

As for the other months, winter is just too cold for most tastes - well below freezing at nights on higher elevations. Summer would be ideal, if it weren't monsoon season - 80% of the country's rainfall is between the months of June and September, so it's best to be avoided!

Where to go?

The most important thing is to not overstretch yourself in Nepal. Trekking is not for the faint of heart (both figuratively and literally!), and you can't just head up Everest on your first trip! That said, all of Nepal's trekking regions have areas that are suited to beginners. The best advice here is to not overstretch yourself, and to find a tour operator who clearly outlines the strenuousness of their routes. Do a little research and you should be able to strike up the right balance between difficulty and pleasure fairly easily.

Before you go?

Above all else, it's important to make sure you have the proper vaccinations before you head out to Nepal. These include Hepatitis A, Polio, Typhoid, Tetanus and Rabies vaccinations. You may have had some or all of these before, but in the case of Rabies and Tetanus, they have a time limit on their effectiveness.

The next big concern is what to drink. It's best to boil or purify any water you get locally, as drinking unclean water will really ruin your experience!

Finally there's altitude sickness, which some people suffer from. Typically this does not affect people until they're over 10,000 feet, though so if you're sticking to lower treks you should be fine. If you are planning on heading over 10,000 feet for the first time, the bad news is that there's no way of knowing if you suffer from altitude sickness until you see the first symptoms. The best advice therefore is to move to higher altitudes slowly over a period of days, which will give your body the chance to acclimatise. If you find you are suffering, the solution is to move to a lower elevation - which you should do if you begin to recognise the symptoms: nausea, dizziness, headaches and/or insomnia.

What to take?

A fairly common question is what sort of clothes travellers need to take for a Nepal trek. The key to being comfortable for your trek is layers: Always be able to add and remove clothes as you need and you should be fine, no matter what the weather throws at you. Hiking shorts and trousers with T shirts and sun hats should see you fine at lower altitudes. If your Nepal trek takes you above 10,000 feet, you will want to bring insulated trousers, gloves and a strong jacket.

When you're out there...

The last thing you want to do on your Nepal trekking holiday is to cause offence to the locals. To that end, there are some local customs, and rules that you should be aware of. Pointing is considered rude (both at people and statues), shrines and Chorten should be passed in a clockwise direction and hand shaking is not the norm when greeting new people - putting the palms together in a 'praying style' is expected.

There are also various rules to do with the feet - stepping over the feet of someone is considered rude and shoes should be removed upon entering someone's home or any of the shrines. One of the oddest customs is to not stand next to someone who is eating, while it is perfectly acceptable to sit or kneel next to said person.

If you follow this advice, and you have an appreciation of natural beauty, you're bound to get hooked. Fortunately, there are many excellent Nepal trekking routes, and no two are ever the same. You won't be able to resist visiting time and time again...

Kieron Sellens is the Marketing Manager of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AiTO). With AITO's Nepal trekking holidays, you can tailor-make the dream escape.

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