Most Inspirational Moment
No one moment stands out as overall the whole trek was fantastic, apart from perhaps the gruelling pass day, but that came with a great sense of achievement. I had never been to Nepal before and the scenery surpassed my expectations. Everyday the scenery changed and was stunning, from deep gorges, sunrises over the mountains to high plateaus and remote villages. The trek really does take you off the beaten track. The teahouses are therefore quite spartan, however the remoteness and spectacular walking more than makes up for some cold showers. Often a bucket of hot water to wash in was a much safer option! I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of food on offer and it was amazing how the teahouses produced 16 hot meals all at once on very limited cooking facilities.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Fabulous, always smiling and helpful.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you are suitably fit so that you can really enjoy the walking without too much effort. Especially lower down we frequently walked for 2-3 hours without an official break. However the pace is relaxed and there are so many photo opportunities that you don't really notice the distance. As one of our group advised, cut up a snickers bar into bite sized pieces so you can actually eat it at the top of the pass. Hydration tablets meant my water bottle was still drinkable at the top, even if more like a slush puppy! If just water most bottles had frozen over by the top of the pass. It is worth bringing quite a lot of snacks with you. Everyone says it, but really pack light. The down jacket I hired was really good quantity and kept me cosy in the teahouses at night and over the pass. If you suffer from poor circulation like me, I recommend hand warners inside "down" mitts with liner gloves. It was amazing to have warm hands all the way over the pass! I bought "down" mitts cheaply in Thamel before the trek.