Nepal

[AnotherUTFan 9782]

Anybody been?

I wanted to do a solo trip and after much consideration I've settled on Nepal. First I settled on Southern Asia so I booked a ticket to Hong Kong for Late October and a return from Bangkok in Mid November - I did it that way because the flight to Bangkok had a stop in Hong Kong anyway and I figured I want to get out and look around for a day or 2. I only have about 3 weeks total.

I finally decided on Nepal and booked my ticket to Kathmandu after a day and a half looking around Hong Kong. I'm trying to wing it from there unless someone convinces me otherwise.

I'm 49 and not sure how fit i am for the kind of treks they do in Nepal. I'm kinda looking at different plans with different levels of difficulty. If I can pull it off, I would like to arrive in Kathmandu and spend a couple days there adjusting. Then take a short flight to Lukla, the scariest airport in the world, and spend 5 to 7 days trekking around  Namche Bazaar & Thame - basically the 1st few days of the trek to Everest base camp. I figure if you're going to go all the way to Nepal you should at least get a peak at Everest. If that feels too difficult I may do the Poon Hill trek which is supposed to be the easiest in the region. I may even settle for just doing river rafting and adventure sports, maybe a airplane/helicopter tour of the Himalayas.

I live at the base of a fairly steep 250' hill, so I've started "training" by walking up it a couple times a day on a 2.5 mile loop. Next month I'll start driving to a mountain, Mt Diablo, that's not too far away and seeing how I do on weekends, and if that goes well I'll drive out to Mt Shasta or someplace in October to see how i handle a little elevation.

Ideally I'll leave Nepal with enough time to spend a few days "recovering" on the beaches or in the mountains of Thailand. I want to wait and buy that leg after get to Nepal, that way if I get there and absolutely love it, I can forget Thailand and extend my Nepal time - or if I get there and its too much I can just stay a few days and spend more time in Thailand, maybe even make it to Myanmar or Vietnam.

I just booked Nepal a couple days ago so I'm early in planning. Any tips or suggestions are appreciated. I don't want to plan too much, but I don't want to get there and find everything required reservations months in advance and get stuck having to pick from limited options.

 

[Brisketexan 105336]

You misspelled "Nipple."

[Firemans4Horn 18122]

Poon hill hike from Pokhara is pretty tough. You are going straight up some stairs for hours at a time (I did the reverse at the end of the Annapurna circuit going down from Poon Hill to Nayapul, it was a looooot of stairs even on the downhill). It is a really popular trek though, the view from Poon hill is awesome. You’re also passing through lots of villages and can take as many breaks as you want. It also might make sense to hire a guide and porter to lighten your load. I enjoyed the town of Pokhara more than Kathmandu. Pokhara is also close to some awesome white water rafting and Chitwan National Park.  

I personally didn’t take any in-country flights because the safety record is very questionable. I also had a little bit longer to explore so I chose the Annapurna Circuit over Everest Base camp trek. 

 

As as far as reservations I just showed up in Kathmandu and booked it onsite. I was there the same time of year as you and it was a perfect time to hike. 

[AnotherUTFan 9782]

33 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

As as far as reservations I just showed up in Kathmandu and booked it onsite. I was there the same time of year as you and it was a perfect time to hike.  

Awesome, that's what I was hoping.

Poon Hill keeps coming up in my searches for Easy Nepal treks, here's an example.

Quote

Poon Hill Trek

Conducted over four to five days, the Poon Hill Trek is perfectly suited to beginners and families.

Although one of the easier treks in Nepal, the Poon Hill Trek packs a major punch when it comes to views. The sunrise over the rugged Annapurna Himalaya range is thought to be one of the best in the world.

The beauty and diversity of the scenery is the main draw factor of this trek.

As you ascend into the hills, the scenery is constantly changing from lush forests to arid terrain, to farming fields.

Lovely family-run teahouses are dotted along the route, so there’s no need to carry any camping gear.

After a fairly steep climb to the top of Poon Hill at 10,531 feet (3,210m), you’ll be rewarded with one of the best mountain vistas on earth. Definitely worth it! 

I do walk around San Francisco a lot, so I have that going for me, but I know elevation is a game changer. Im not a big hiker / camping guy so im not really looking for a trek longer than 5 days, 7 tops. I like what you said about the village and the white water rafting, that makes that area appeal to me more. I will definitely hire a guide / porter.

[Firemans4Horn 18122]

I can pm you my guide’s name (he’s easy to connect with on Facebook). I’ve had 3 friends use him and they all gave him rave reviews. The elevation at Poon Hill isn’t bad ~10,000 feet, it’s just the monotony of going up stairs for 5 hours in a day. It’s definitely doable and not technical in any sense. Best training for that hike is to use a stair stepper at a gym on a low setting for an hour+. 

[HenryJames 66171]

I took your mom to Poon Hill last night.

[futureman 22545]

[Js1 85574]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

You misspelled "Nipple."

I fucking love you.

[Lat22 4017]

[Orale 1087]

Bumping this. I'm looking at going in the next couple weeks. AnotherUTFan, how was your trip? Any tips? 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Orale

[AnotherUTFan 9782]

Nepal was incredible and the best trip I've ever taken. Life changing even.

I stayed at Pilgrims Guest House in Thamel the 1st couple days and final day. It was great because there's a big, serine courtyard in front that's an oasis in the middle of the madness of Kathmandu. I made friends with most the staff there and we partied pretty hard together a few nights, especially my final night, but the pandemic changed a lot of that and I'm not sure any of them are left there.

I did the Poon Hill trek, which is considered one of the easier ones, but it was plenty for me. It's only 5 days and is basicall the beginning and ending legs of the longer Annapurna trek. Still, you will see 4 of the 10 highest peaks in the world during it. Plus, going up there gave me a chance to visit Pokara, which was incredible itself.

If you intend to do a trek, shoot me a pm. The guide I went with is awesome I can set you up with him. Really good dude and I still stay in touch with him to some extent.

https://instagram.com/wayfarer.nepalhimalaya?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=