"I believefollowing inthe footsteps ofSir EdmundHillary throughthe Himalayasto Mt EverestBase Camp issomething everyKiwi should do,at some point intheir life.”Got To Get Out trekkers, heading up the Khumbu valley toward EBC. Robert Bruce on Nikon Z6Winter doesn’t sound fun, why do youtrek then? Winter in Nepal is actually awonderful time to trek through the Himalayadue to there being far less crowds, clearersky’s than summer, and lovely fresh cold air.The downside (some might say) is the attimesextreme cold (especially at night), andtherefore often frozen facilities like toiletsand water pipes. In winter there also can beslippery ice covering the usually grippy dirttracks. I’ve seen many trekkers (and porters,alike) slip over, and narrowly miss breaking awrist. Rubber stretchy crampons are a cheappurchase in Nepal, and all GTGO guests wearthese at least across the worst ice. I stronglyrecommend this purchase in winter (approx.$10USD or 1100rupees).Whilst it is true there is often no runningwater, and therefore no flushing loos, to methis is all part of the experience and you getused to it. Most important is to come with theexpectation that ‘nothing will work like it doesat home’ and you won’t be disappointed orsurprised!Lastly, don’t expect a shower in winter forthe full fifteen days you are in the mountains. Isuggest bringing wet wipes!So why trek in winter? The real reason isthat December and January are when mostKiwis have enough annual leave to completethe whole trip, so that’s when we go.How much gear do you carry? Mostpeople, certainly on my trips, opt to have aporter carry their main bag (usually their gear isin a duffel bag, often supplied by the trekkingcompany) so the weight on your back (usually a20 to 40liter pack) may only be 5kg dependingon what you keep in your day-bag. Things likeyour camera, wallet, water, and some snacksfor the day. Using a porter to carry your stuffcertainly makes it more comfortable for guestsand reduces the chances of overexerting,which is thought to be one trigger for altitudesickness. Paying for a porter (on our last trip,about $13US per day per person) also helpsgive a job to a Nepalese local and helps spreadsome tourist-dollars into the poorer regions ofthe Himalaya.Trekkers are limited by how much theybring into the Himalaya in a few differentways. The first of course is the flight fromhome to Nepal, which is usually about a 30kglimit depending on the airline. One shouldn’tget carried away bringing too much to Nepalthough, because you just must leave this stuffin your Kathmandu hotel for your return fromthe mountains. Once in Nepal it gets tighter; onthe flight from Kathmandu to Lukla airport youare only meant to have around 10kg in yourmain-bag, and a further maximum 5kg in yourcarry-on (day bag). Finally, your porter is onlymeant to carry two or three bags totaling 30kg,so each guest is meant to keep their duffel at10kg or less. To me, this is an honesty system:I for one wouldn’t want some poor tiny portercarrying all my unnecessary junk (or indeed,junk food): it’s best to pack light at each stepof the way.I personally self-carry my gear and havedone for three of my four trips to Nepal mostlyfor the exercise benefit of weighted walking.On this most recent trip my pack weighedin at about 18kg. My pack is heavier thanmost due to a group first-aid kit (probably notneeded as our guides have a kit, but I alwaysgo prepared), down jacket and pants forthe extreme cold up high, sleeping bag (-40comfort), spare merino underlayers (I onlymade two changes the whole trip, you don’t getnaked much in these temperatures!), scrogginand snacks (again, probably not really neededdue to the ease of buying food in Nepal butgood for emergency). Other gear included apersonal locator beacon, hut-shoes, batterypack, some paperwork relating to everyone’sinsurances and flights, paper map, drinkbottle (for when the Camelbak froze, fromabout 4500m), money, and of course a bigcamera. I was shooting with a brand-new Nikonmirrorless with two spare batteries. Got to getgreat shots! Call me old fashioned, but I had abook too, I have never gotten into Kindles.It’s certainly easy to let the weight creepup if you don’t pack smart; asking around mygroup afterwards, I think hard-cover books,too many snacks from home (some had 2kgof snacks!), too much water in the hydrationpack and too many changes of clothes werethe main regrets in peoples packing. Keepin mind that a 70liter pack (I had an Osprey70+10) weighs 2-3kg empty so you must packsparingly to stay under 10kg.In terms of water, you are certainly meantto drink 4-5 liters per day at altitude, but thatdoesn’t mean you need to carry it all day. Aslong as you have a sterilization system or boilthe water before drinking (in my case I hadAquaTab’s, one pill per liter) you can fill upthroughout the day without needing to carry toomuch water, which is quite heavy. Just note thatyour hydration pack (at least the drinking tube)will freeze in winter so you need a backup,which for most people is a drink bottle. Bewarned, a bottle left outside your sleeping bagat nighttime will freeze overnight even in yourroom, so you’re better to start the night withhot water supplied from the tea-house, use thisas a hot-water-bottle, and then you have warmwater to sip on the next morning. Hot water isusually 400rupees, circa $5NZD.I believe following in the footsteps ofSir Edmund Hillary through the Himalaya toMt Everest Base Camp is something everyKiwi should do, at some point in their life. Itis amazing physical exercise, a cultural eyeopener,and gives trekkers a real sense ofachievement - no matter how far into the trekyou get.Check in to the next issue of Adventure Magazine to read how Rob and his team deal with altitude sickness in the Himalayas34//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#218
Makealpine startseasier.SLEEPING BAG SPECIALISTS SINCE 1981NEUTRINO PROWell suited to alpine climbers, our new Neutrino Pro sleeping bags are designed to take youfrom big wall bivi ledges through to lightweight mountaineering and winter conditions.WWW.RAB.EQUIPMENTAVAILABLE NOW FROM RAB SPECIALIST STORES THROUGHOUT NZ. Auckland: Outfitters, Living Simply, Waikato: Trek & Travel, Equip Outdoors,BOP: Whakatane Great Outdoors, Outdoorsman HQ, Taupo: Outdoor Attitude, Wellington: Dwights Outdoors, Motueka: Coppins Outdoors,Kaikoura: Coastal Sports Christchurch: Complete Outdoors, Greymouth: Colls Sportsworld, Hokitika: Hokitika Cycles & Sportsworld, Franz JosefGlacier: The Glacier Shop, Fox Glacier: The Hobnail Shop, Wanaka: MT Outdoors, Queenstown: Small Planet, Invercargill: Southern AdventureHunting and Fishing New Zealand stores nationwide. On-line: outdooraction.co.nz, gearshop.co.nzDistributed by: Outfitters 0800 021732www.outfitters.net.nz
Change language