A newbie

[adam]

Hi all, this is my very first post and I have to start off by saying that I have absolutely no previous mountaineering, expedition or climbing experience but would like to trek up to Everest Base Camp and was thinking of doing this around June or July 2005. Now I can tell from the lurking that I've done here that you guys are serious climbers and maybe I would be wasting your time but anyway I'm hoping that I can learn from you about what I should know about my planned trek and how I should best go about doing this in terms of fitness and preparation, clothing and equipment, how to avoid getting sick with dysentary etc etc. As I said above, I have absolutely no previous mountaineering, expedition or climbing experience and currently my BMI suggests that I'm about 5kg over weight for my height. What else should I know about trekking in Nepal. Should I arange this from Oz or from within Kathmandu, or Pokhara?

Appreciate any comments at all.

Adam

[Ian2u]

Adam

You could have a look at the following forum
http://www.yetizone.com/wwwboard/wwwboard.htm
which is exclusively about trekking in Nepal and the EBC in particular.  Bear with it since there are lots of weird people posting on that forum.  But they also speak Australian 
Also check out
http://trekinfo.com/forums
which again is specifically for Trekking in Nepal but I suspect the moderator blocks the rubbish post.

EBC is pretty easy, well marked trail, loads of trekkers.  If you can walk 15Km with a 5Kg backpack in the bush on fairly roughish ground with a few hills and not collapse you will be OK.  In any case you will toughen up as you go.

Age, fitness, health seem to have little to do with getting Altitude problems or not.  In fact you can be fine on one trip, repeat it a year later and have problems, and vice versa.  The secret is to take it slow, drink loads of water or tea or hot lemon or similar.

Sensible precautions help avoid stomach problems.  Try to keep to "Western" food initially prepared in "Trustworthy" places.  Your body has enough with Jetlag, new climate, new lifestyle, introduce new food and drink later on.  Take you own insulated mug.    Check out
http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com/
it has lots of useful info on Altitude, Stomach problems, illness etc

Biggest problem can be getting a cold which you cant shake off and goes to your chest.  Take loads of "Lemsip" (OK only Paracetamol, Lemon and sugar but means you are taking lots of fluid). Take cotton hankerchiefs (you can wash them) and bar of disenfectant soap - works much better than liquid soap.   Also lots of throat lozenges, first sign of a cold hit it hard and keep hitting it.

Loads of web sites from trekking companies that give equipment lists.  Ditto web diaries from people that have made all different treks. 

I am not sure about June / July I think this might be into the Monsoon season - check out the forums.  The last thing you want is hundreds of photos of clouds behind which are famous mountains (apparently)!

If you have the time and the inclination, think about a Trekking Peak.  Something with snow and a real top and a view.  As long as the itinerary gives you sufficient time to acclimatise and you are reasonably fit you should be OK.  Check out Mera Peak, and there are others.   Anyhow once you have got your plastic boots on you will be a few cms taller and your BMI will be fine (as soon as you get on the trail and see some of the other trekkers you will realise that 5Kg is irrelevant).

Have a good time and hopefully you will end up like most of us with an incurable  vertical addiction.

Ian

[adam]

Thanks Ian for your kind reply with lots of tips. I'll check out all your links but havesome questions if you don't mind:

1. You say drink loads of water so is this readily available while trekking or need to be carried?
2. Are there plenty of "Trustworthy" places serving "Western" along the way?
3. If EBC is pretty easy, well marked trail with loads of trekkers does a novice like me need a local guide?

From your reply I have now started compiing my packing list: insulated mug, Lemsip, throat lozenges, cotton hankerchiefs, bar of disenfectant soap, plastic boots,

Have noted and will do some research on Mera Peak.

Thanks heaps
Adam

P.S. I love your humour.

[Ian2u]

Adam

I havent done EBC, just a couple of small sections, I skipped that and did the trekking peaks straight off, so you need to post the specific questions on Yetizone or Trekinfo. The bits I saw reminded me of the January Sales.  Hodes of westerners kitted out in brand new gear, with bright and shiny faces, all charging off from Lukla Airport in the same direction.  Then hodes of slightly dishevelled trekkers in need of a wash and shave (the men did too) returning in the opposite direction.  I dont think you could get lost in the peak season, maybe knocked over by the crowd.  You dont need plastics for EBC. It would impress the hell out of the tourist but wreck your feet.  Water you use purifier tablets or boil or both.  Vitamin C orange flavour tablets are useful in that they help kill some of the taste in the water and give you Vitamin C.  Do it with your eyes closed and the fizz can remind you of a G&T.
A lot of people catch stomach problems in Kathmandu before going on the trek.  Rushing round trying out different meals.  You do not want to be at Kathmandu Domestic Airport for more than 5 minutes in you have the runs.  Trust me, if Osma Bin Bag ever checked out the facilities there he would franchise it to terrorise the west.
Ian

[adam]

I havent done EBC, just a couple of small sections, I skipped that and did the trekking peaks straight off, so you need to post the specific questions on Yetizone or Trekinfo.

After I posted my reply here I visited these sites and in fact spent most of the day there and as you said I would get heaps of info so thank you for the great links.

Thanks also for the other tips. I'll leave my plastic gum boots at home and will make sure that I spoil any new gear so I don't stand out in the crowd but run the risk of looking out of place in the January Sales. Looks like now I'll head there in October/November so I'll miss the monsoon. I'll add purifier tablets and Vitamin C orange flavour tablets to my list of things to take. BTW Kathmandu is starting to sound like one hell of a place with lots of not so great eating places......I'll trust you and think about adding some some snack bars to my pack but will I wonder if I'll be able to get these through customs!!!

Adam