|
In Kathmandu casual clothes are the rule.
Temperatures in Kathmandu are as follows:
| |
Maximum |
Minimum |
| |
F |
C |
F |
C |
| October |
88 |
31 |
58 |
14 |
| January |
66 |
19 |
37 |
3 |
| April |
84 |
29 |
46 |
8 |
|
Temperatures in the Everest Region average 20º
to 30º F (10º to 15 ºC) colder than the above figures up to about
14000 feet, the highest point reached on a short Everest trek. Near
Pokhara, temperatures are 5º to 10º F (3º to 5º C) warmer than Kathmandu.
Remember that it will often feel quite cold because you will be
outdoors all day.
Medical Supplies
We recommend bringing the supplies listed under Medical Supplies
in this section. Since some of them are prescription drugs, you
should visit your doctor and discuss the trip with him/her and obtain
prescription. If your doctor makes recommendations contrary to the
suggestions here, follow your doctor’s advice, and obtain substitutes
for these items. It is not necessary to burden yourself with a lot
of medicines for the trek, though you should carry enough to take
care of most situations. Nepal Sanctuary Treks also provide a
basic first aid kit on private treks that we organize, and would
like to suggest you to bring your own aspirin, band aids, etc. If
you are taking an extended trek, you should equip your party to
deal with possible problems and emergencies .
Immunizations
Your own physician and your local Public Health Service are the
best sources of information about immunizations necessary for Nepal
. The list of recommended injections in this booklet shows immunizations
usually recommended for trekkers in Nepal.. We strongly recommend
Gamma Globulin and Meningitis protection. It is a good practice
to have your jabs recorded in a yellow international health certificate.
Background Information
The Sherpas who accompany you on a TREK, are there to show you the
trails, take care of problems, cook, set up tents, and understand
simple English. They will not be able to give you all detailed
information on religious practices, culture and natural history,
although the trek itself will provide a good opportunity to observe
these things and to learn about them. If you wish to learn more
about a particular subject, you should research it yourself. There
are many good books covering every aspect of life in Nepal. We have
suggested many of these in the reading list in this booklet. If
you are seriously interested in a particular subject or just want
to prepare yourself further for the trek, it will be useful to visit
your local library armed with our reading list and spend a few hours
gaining some background about Nepal and its people. If you want
to get the most out of your travel experiences and make the journey
more than just an exercise in following an itinerary, then your
research has just begun. We can provide just so much information
about a trip. Researching an adventure beyond that level can mean
the difference between just a vacation and an unforgettable experience.
The unexpected will still happen; but the better prepared you are,
the more you’ll be able to understand and appreciate during the
trek.
MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Medical Supplies
|
Suntan lotion or sun blocking cream |
Aspirin |
| Lip
salve (Chapstick, Blister, or Glacier Cream) |
Throat
lozenges or cough drops |
| Foot
powder (for fungus) |
Decongestant
tablets |
| Band-Aids
(plasters) and tape |
Iodine-small bottle for water purification
|
|
Moleskin or other blister pads
|
Toilet
paper & matches or a cigarette lighter to burn used
TP |
|
Elastic (Ace) bandage
|
Bactrim
or other diarrhea remedy |
| Antiseptic
cream |
|
|
| On most treks, you will always be
within a few days of medical help. The Sherpas who will accompany
you are not doctors. It is essential that you bring your own
blisters, cuts and scrapes. In the event of a real emergency,
the Sherpa Sardar will do his best to get you transported quickly
to a qualified physician or an airstrip from which you may be
evacuated to Kathmandu. |
Recommended Injections
|
Hepatitis (gamma globulin an expensive but important
shot) |
Malaria
(only if you will be visiting a jungle lodge) |
| Typhoid-paratyphoid |
Typhus
|
| Tetanus |
Cholera |
| Polio
(oral) |
Meningitis
Meningococcal A/C vaccine |
|
HIGH ALTITUDE SICKNESS
Our bodies have ability to adjust to high altitude but need time.
This illness occurs as the result of failure to adapt to a higher
altitude, normally while you go beyond 2000 meters rapidly, which
is called Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). Fluid accumulates in between
the cells in the body specially - in the LUNGS and BRAIN. The early
symptoms are headache, extreme fatigue, and loss of appetite. When
mild symptoms develop, you must stay at the altitude until symptoms
have gone away. Trek up gently about 300 meters in a day beyond
3000 meters to adjust your body system with altitude and drink minimum
4 liters of water to avoid dehydration.
If the fluid collects in Lungs-
-Symptoms are: A cough begins- first dry, irritating than to Pink.
This is known as HAPE- High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema
If the fluid collects in Brain:-Symptoms are: -
Headache, Loss of appetite, nausea, and Vomiting.
This is known as HACE- High-Altitude Cerebral Edema.
This makes you tired and want to lie down, do not want to do any
thing.
You develop a problem with balance and coordination and you sleep
in to coma.
If we ignored, symptoms can be progress- sever forms of Altitude
sickness:
AMS- Acute Mountain Sickness takes several hours to develop after
reaching a new height.
Rules to avoid High Altitude sickness:
-Early symptoms: Headache, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue - MUST
DESCEND
-If there is symptoms of AMS, never ascend to sleep in new height.
-Descend immediately if your symptoms are getting worse while resting
at the same altitude.
Drunk Test- if victim can’t do - it is HACE
If it is HAPE- If you feel you need to rest more and more and do
not recover your breathing rate at rest even after having rest for
10 minutes.
TREATMENT:
1 Not to rise
2 Descend
3 If no way to descend - use PAC for one hour and some time 4-6
hours of treatment needed.
MEDICINE: Diamox - ½ tab (125 gm) every 12 hours. After using this,
you will have mild tingling of hands/feet is common.
Allergy to sulfur drugs - should not take Diamox.
CLOTHING EQUIPMENT
Equipment Check List
-
Jeans or slacks
-
Towel or mittens
-
Underwear
-
Gloves or mittens
-
Sleeping bag, warm to 20F, either
down or fiberfill (or you can rent one in Kathmandu)
-
Parka, down or fiberfill; a ski jacket
is ok
- Sweater, wool shirt or acrylic pile jacket. @ EQUIPMENT
= Duffel bag, canvas or nylon, without a frame (for porters
to carry)
- Flashing
- Water bottle 1litre or 1 quart; be sure it does not
leak
- Daypack or rucksack, waterproof, for you to carry
-
Walking shoes: either boot or strong
tennis or running shoes, well broken in. There may be
rain, mud or snow; boots are sometimes necessary therefore
we recommend bringing them despite the extra hassle. Many
times the entire trek can be done in tennis shoes, but
if there is snow, you run the risk of frostbite, or at
least cold feet, if you do not have boots, If your feet
are small (size 10 or less), you can rent boots in Kathmandu.
-
Hats, one with a brim for sun; one
wool for cold weather.
-
Sunglasses or goggles- very important
for travel above 12,000 feet. Absolutely essential for
Everest trek, optional for Annapurna treks (though they
may be necessary in December and January when there is
snow).
-
Shorts- it may be warm during the
day, especially near Pokhara. You will probably not wear
shorts on Everest treks. Women should wear skirts instead
of shorts.
-
Socks - two pairs thick wool wool/nylon.
-
Shirts - we recommend three: two T
shirts and long sleeve shirt.
-
Pocket knife (Be sure this is packed
in your checked baggage to avoid hassles with airport
security).
-
Rainwear - a poncho; or you can buy
an Indian umbrella in Kathmandu for about $5.
-
Slippers or sandals for campsite
wear. Rubber "shower shoes" are available in
Kathmandu for about $3.
This list is suitable for most 8 to 10 day
treks. Although you can wash clothes during the trek, you
may need extra socks and shirts etc. for longer treks. If
your trek goes above 3500 meters (about 12,000 feet) for more
than one day you should pay particular attention to warm clothing.
We strongly recommend carrying both a pile jacket and a down
or fiberfill parka.
The weight limit on treks
and domestic flights is 15 kg (33 pounds); please
make an effort to keep your baggage within this weight limit.
|
RECOMMENDED READING
General Background
| Nepal,
Tony Hagen |
The
Snow Leopard, Peter Matthiessen |
| NepalNamaste,
Robert Reiffel |
National
Geographic Magazine: Check the index under "Nepal" |
| People
of Nepal, Dor Bahadur Bista |
Tibet,
Thubten J. Norbu and Colin Turnbull |
| Fatalism
& Development-Nepal’s Struggle for Modernization,
Dor Bahdur Bista |
Seven
Years in Tibet, Heinrich Harrer |
| Kathmandu
Valley, Robert and Linda Fleming |
My
life and my people, His Holiness the Dalai Lama |
| Nepal-atravel
survival kit, by Tony Wheeler & Richard Everist |
Freedom
in Exile, HH the Dalai Lama |
| Spirit
Possession in the Nepal Himalayas, H. Hitchcock &R.
Jones |
Tantric
Mysticism of Tibet, J. Blofeld |
| The
Wildest Dreams of Kew, Jeremy Bernstein |
Magic
and Mystery of Tibet, Alexandra David Neel |
| Mount
Everest, The formation, Population, and Exploration
of the Everest Region, T. Hagen, |
Tibet:
Land of the Snow, G. Tucci |
| G.O.
Dhyrenfurth, and E. Schneider |
The
Tibetan Book of Living and dying, Sogyal Rinpoche |
|
Mountaineering Expeditions
| Americans
on Everest, James Ramsey Ullman |
The
Ascent of Everest, John Hunt |
| Annapurna,
Maurice Herzog |
Forerunners
to Everest, R. Dittert |
|
Natural History
| The
General Ecology, Flora, & Fauna of Midland Nepal,
R. Fleming |
Natural
History and Economic Botany of Nepal, D.D. Bhatt |
Birds
of Nepal, R. Fleming
|
Maneaters
of Kumaon, Jim Corbett |
| The
book of Indian Mammals, S. Prater |
|
|
