Tsum Valley Trek

Joining Arrangements & Transfers

All Clients travelling to Kathmandu will be met at the airport by a TTG representative who will arrange the transfer to the group hotel.  Please look our logo at the arrival gate.

Accommodation

While in Kathmandu the group will stay in a mentioned hotel or hotels with similar categories as on itinerary.  We choose hotels not too far from the main downtown. Most of our hotels will be in central Thamel so that you can shop, eat and go anywhere easily.

Whilst on trek we spend in lodges/tea houses. The Nepalese trekking lodges also known as ‘tea-houses’ are simple, friendly and atmospheric. As they are far from the nearest road is it not surprising that they are simple establishments as everything must be carried up by porters or animals. Most of these lodges have heated dining areas which are often attractively decorated. Bedrooms tend to be quite basic and are unheated with wooden beds and foam mattress. You will need a sleeping bag. The lodges have shared washing and toilet facilities. Some lodges have solar powered showers (charged at $3 – $5 per shower) and battery charging facilities (also charged at a rate per hour). Staying at the lodges is a great way to meet fellow hikers and the locals. Most accommodation is arranged on a twin sharing basis and if you are travelling by yourself you will room with another single traveller of the same sex. Please note, however, that at several of the places we stay above Samagoun, there is a limited choice of accommodation and all the lodges have only multi-bedded rooms. Where this is the case, the group will be split amongst the available rooms and this could be unsegregated male/female. Hotel nights in Kathmandu and Pokhara single rooms are available for a supplementary cost. One the trek only sharing rooms.

Solo Travellers

Our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and we do not charge a single supplement. We believe single travellers should not have to pay more to travel. Single travellers joining group trips are paired in twin or multi-share accommodation with someone of the same sex for the entire trip. If you prefer to have your own single room then you have to pay single supplement, however the single room is only possible in Kathmandu not on the trek.

Food

Typical meals provided in the lodges will include some Nepali dishes and some international cuisine from pizza and chips. However as a responsible tour operator we encourage you to eat local food whenever possible because this will help the local economic and these local foods are always fresh.

We order meals in advance and your trip leader will suggest you what is safe and good to eat there. Breakfast will usually be porridge, eggs, bread, lunch will be a simple meal with a like noodle, rice, and dinner will be 2 courses consisting of soup, main meal. All drinks & beverages and Deserts are extra. In Kathmandu breakfast is included if you have booked the hotel with us. If you are vegetarian is great if not we still recommend you to stay vegetarian especially during the trek.

A Typical Day

Shortly after first light you should wake and start packing your kitbag and making preparations for the day. Coming down to the dining room we will be served breakfast from the lodge kitchen before setting off on the day’s trek. We will generally reach our lunch stop by mid-day after around 3 or 4 hours of trekking. Lunch is taken at tea houses along the route. This is normally a leisurely affair and is a great time for relaxing, reading and sitting in the sun. Our porters usually catch up with the group during lunch and then are well on their way to the evening’s stop by the time we set off again. It is usual for the afternoon’s walk to be shorter than the morning session. On arrival at the lodge the trek leader will organise everyone’s room. After checking in to your room you may wish to relax with a beer on the terrace of your lodge before taking dinner. Dinner is taken in the dining room which normally has some form of heating. This is a great time of day for reliving the events of the trek so far and for general socialising. By 9.00pm most trekkers will have retired to bed and by 10.pm the whole lodge will be asleep.

Group Leader & Support Staff

The group will be led by an experienced English-speaking local leader, and on trek will have the services of porters to carry luggage.

Spending Money

Approximately US$400-600 (or equivalent Australian dollars, Euros etc.) changed into local currency, should be sufficient for miscellaneous personal expenses including tips for guide/porters, drinks for all trips & meals in the city. It is not necessary to obtain local currency (Nepali rupees) prior to departure. Sterling, US Dollars and Euros are equally acceptable for exchange in Nepal. We recommend that you carry your travel money in the form of cash, since you will exchange the majority of this on the day of your arrival in Kathmandu. If you prefer not to carry all of your spending money in cash, it is possible to withdraw money (rupees only) from ATMs in Kathmandu using your debit or credit card. During the trek it is possible to buy snacks, chocolate, tea, coffee, soft drinks and beer on most days. Please be aware that since everything has to be carried up, these items become more expensive as you gain altitude.

Guidance on Tipping

Tipping is the accepted way of saying ‘thank you’ for good service. Tips do not form part of the wages of your guides, porters and trek crew but they are very much appreciated. It is important to remember that tipping is voluntary and should be dependent on good service. Normally the tips are given at the end of the trek and this is best done as a group rather than from individuals. Most groups will give the tips with a bit of ceremony (or sometimes a party) on the last evening, to mark the end of the trip. The level of tipping should be determined by the group as a whole with everyone contributing an equal amount that all are comfortable with. As a rough guide, we recommend about 10% of your trip.  At the end of a trek many people also like to donate various items of their equipment to the porters and trek staff who work so hard to make the trip a success. Boots, gloves, hats, scarves and even socks (clean of course) are always warmly received by the porters. Technical clothing and equipment such as head-torches and trekking poles are highly prized by the Shepa crews. If you think you would like to donate equipment at the end of your trip, your local trip leader will make arrangements for a fair distribution among the trek crew.

Baggage Allowance 

Your baggage on trek will be carried by porters. The packed weight of your trek bag whilst trekking should be no more than 12kg. It is possible to leave clothes or other items not required on trek at the hotel in Kathmandu.

Altitude

This holiday involves going to high altitude. During the course of your trip you will reach altitudes in excess of 4200m metres. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatize successfully. When we plan an itinerary we consider this very carefully and plan our holiday so spend many nights before getting to high point.

Here you can find further information about Altitude Sickness.

Equipment List

The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. The packed weight of your trek bag while trekking should be no more than 12 kgs.

You must bring the following items:

• Hiking boots
• Socks
• Trekking trousers
• Waterproof over trousers
• Underwear
• Baselayer shirts
• Casual shirt and/or T-shirts
• Fleece jacket or warm jumper
• Waterproof jacket
• Warm jacket (down)
• Sunhat
• Warm hat
• Sunglasses
• Gloves or mittens
• Daypack 30 litres
• Headtorch and spare batteries
• Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)
• Water bottles 1 Litre x2 ( one for hot and one for cold)
• Sleeping bag (comfort rated -10°C)
• Washbag and toiletries
• Toilet paper (you can also buy this in the lodges if necessary)
• Antibacterial handwash
• Small towel
• Selection of dry bags (to keep trek bag contents dry)
• Small padlock (to lock trek bag)
• Basic First Aid Kit including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), altitude (Diamox), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite). Glucose tablets and multi-vitamin tablets.

The following items are optional:

• Trekking poles (recommended)
• Trainers or similar
• Spare laces
• Shorts
• Thermal baselayer – leggings
• Sleeping bag liner
• Travel clothes
• Camera
• Pen-knife (remember to pack sharp objects in hold baggage)

Find more details about Equipment Checklist.

Notes

The Nepalese are still traditional and conservative in the way they dress. Therefore to avoid embarrassment on both sides we recommend that you respect this and do not wear revealing clothing or sleeveless tops while visiting Nepal. Shorts are acceptable, but they should reach to just above the knee and be modest and for women it is preferable to wear trousers or a long skirt.

Passport & Visas

A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required. Please check the relevant embassy or consulate for other nationalities. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Visa requirements and charges are subject to change without notice. If you are travelling outside the EU you should have at least 2 blank pages in your passport for each country that you visit.

All nationalities require a visa. The visa fee is $30 for 15 days, $50 for 30 days, $125 for 90 days and is obtainable on arrival. Payment must be made in cash and USD, GBP or Euros are accepted. Please bring small change. Bring 4 passport size photos for different permits.

Trekking Permits – what do we need from you?

We need your passport copy to make the necessary permit and arrangement. Please make sure we have this one month ahead of your trip.

Health & Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. Malarial prophylaxis is not usually required for trips in the mountains, however if you are visiting rural and remote low lying areas then they might be necessary. On holidays to more remote areas you should also have a dentist checkup.

Know more about how you can stay healthy in Nepal: Staying Healthy in Nepal.

Currency

The unit of currency in Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee. We can change this money in Kathmandu which has better rate than hotels and Airports. Guides will show you the place after arrival.

Electricity Supply & Plug

We recommend you check if you require an adaptor for your electrical items at Plugs and Sockets.

Preparing For Your Trip

It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a trekking holiday getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. We suggest that you adopt a weekly exercise regime leading up to your trip. Regular hiking in hill country is the best training but jogging, squash and swimming are also good for developing cardio vascular fitness and stamina. Note that you will encounter a lot of steps on the trail while ascending and you might wish to tailor your exercise to take this into account. Whatever your preparation you should make time to spend at least a few days prior to your trip making long walks in hilly country. It is also a good idea to do some reading about the country and the culture of the local people before you embark on an adventure holiday.

Climate

October to November and March to May are the best times for trekking in Nepal. These months either side of the summer monsoon season are neither too hot in the foothills nor too cold in the higher elevations and they offer the best conditions for trekking. Pre-monsoon is the best time to see the colourful blooms of the rhododendron at lower elevations. The post-monsoon months usually offer the clearest skies and the most settled weather. At either of these periods you will encounter a wide range of daytime temperatures during your trip from approximately 25ºC in Kathmandu to approximately 14ºC at 3000 metres, and approximately -1ºC at Larke La Pass. The ‘real feel’ temperature in the middle of the day will be much warmer than this but at night in the rarefied air the temperatures plummet and you can expect to experience overnight temperatures below freezing anywhere above 3000 metres. In the Dharmasala or Larke La pass, the night time temperatures may reach –5ºC or exceptionally, below this. Extended periods of rain or snow are very unlikely outside of the monsoon period but short lived storms can and do occur.

Books

• Lonely Planet Guide to Nepal. Lonely Planet
• Rough Guide to Nepal. Rough Guides
• Trekking and Climbing in Nepal. Steve Razzetti
• Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya. Stan Armington
• Kathmandu and the Kingdom of Nepal. Prakash Raj
• Portraits of People: Nepal Himalayas. Eric Valli

Maps

Tsum Valley Trek and Manaslu Circuit Trek. 1:50,000. Nepal Maps

A good scale map with contour interval at 40 metres. This is the definitive map for the Tsum valley trek.

Not to forget?!

Please do not forget to come with a positive attitude, flexibility, a sense of humor and appetite of adventure and discovery.