Kathmandu Oct 5, 2011.
I am in Kathmandu again. This time to set up a trek around Manaslu and into Tsum Valley. The Valley has been known as "The Hidden Valley" because the entrance to it is really narrow and hides the fact that there is quite a valley in there. Going up Tsum is a back and forth affair of about a week in all, maybe 8 - 9 days. This whole trek is still a restricted area which requires a special permit. It has only been open to trekkers at all for some years.
Large areas of Nepal is still off limits to foreigners, mainly, as I understand it, because it is so inaccesible that there is no governement presence at all. No police, no politicians or whatever, so the governement does not really have control over it. People live their traditional lives and I am sure are as nice as any others and have their own means of making sure that no one steals or robs etc, but the goverment feels that practically anything can happen there, and they don't want that to involve any foreign tourists. It would not look good in the papers.
Anyway since Tsum is restricted it means that I have to get a permit, and the only way to get that is through a legitimate trekking agency. That means I must have a guide or at least a guide-porter, someone they feel they can trust to make sure I don't just disappear and no one knows what happened.
I have trekked many times in Nepal and would not hesitate to go on my own. I never had a guide before, nor a porter. And that is not all. To get the permit there must be at least two trekkers listed on the permit. So now I am looking for someone to join me on this adventure, or actually I would like to find one or more persons who are already planning to go, and I can join them. That way we can split the cost of a guide between us.
The whole Manaslu-Tsum Valley trek should take about three weeks, but I may add on a bit more, depending how I feel. Towards the end of that trek it joins the Annapurna circuite halfway up towards Thorong La. If I have met some nice people and feel fresh I may go up a bit to check out the new trail they have cut to save people from walking on the newly built road to Manang. We'll see.
Today I have pinned up a note at Kathmandu Guest House noteboard, looking for partners. If no one comes forward right soon I will have to go see a trekking agency hoping that they have some planned already.
When I came first time to Kathmandu, soon 30 years ago, I thought it was an amazing place to see, like going back in time 300 years or so. Now this city is quite full of tourists and there are sooo many restaurants and tourist shops that I get fed up with it after a couple of days.
Kathmandu
It seems I landed in the middle of the Dashain festival. The sweet girl at the hotel reception desk told me I was so lucky to have come here just now. Personally I am mostly annoyed that many shops etc are closed due to the festival, and restaurants have jacked up their prices because of it.
Last night I talked to three spanish guys who where all set to fly to Lukla today for the Everest trek. Guess they are in Phakding by now. One of them had been to Manaslu a couple of years ago, and said it was amazing.
I also talked to a Canadian guy who had just come from Gorakshep, high up near Everest, by helicopter. His friend had HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonaria Edema), which is a serious case of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). He is now in hospital here in Kathmandu. The helicopter ride alone cost 10 000 US $.
People die in The Himalayas every year from AMS, HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema, swelling of the brain) and HAPE, which is when your lungs fill up with liquid. Mostly it is because they ascended too fast, so that the body could not acclimatise to the lower outside pressure. By far the most people can acclimatise if following the recommendation not to ascend more than 300 mtrs per day above 3800 mtrs altitude. But there are some who need to go up slower than that.
Obviously no one want to suffer from AMS at all, but I think if you do have it, a good hospital in Kathmandu is probably the best place to be. They have more experience than any with it.
I am in Kathmandu again. This time to set up a trek around Manaslu and into Tsum Valley. The Valley has been known as "The Hidden Valley" because the entrance to it is really narrow and hides the fact that there is quite a valley in there. Going up Tsum is a back and forth affair of about a week in all, maybe 8 - 9 days. This whole trek is still a restricted area which requires a special permit. It has only been open to trekkers at all for some years.
Large areas of Nepal is still off limits to foreigners, mainly, as I understand it, because it is so inaccesible that there is no governement presence at all. No police, no politicians or whatever, so the governement does not really have control over it. People live their traditional lives and I am sure are as nice as any others and have their own means of making sure that no one steals or robs etc, but the goverment feels that practically anything can happen there, and they don't want that to involve any foreign tourists. It would not look good in the papers.
Anyway since Tsum is restricted it means that I have to get a permit, and the only way to get that is through a legitimate trekking agency. That means I must have a guide or at least a guide-porter, someone they feel they can trust to make sure I don't just disappear and no one knows what happened.
I have trekked many times in Nepal and would not hesitate to go on my own. I never had a guide before, nor a porter. And that is not all. To get the permit there must be at least two trekkers listed on the permit. So now I am looking for someone to join me on this adventure, or actually I would like to find one or more persons who are already planning to go, and I can join them. That way we can split the cost of a guide between us.
The whole Manaslu-Tsum Valley trek should take about three weeks, but I may add on a bit more, depending how I feel. Towards the end of that trek it joins the Annapurna circuite halfway up towards Thorong La. If I have met some nice people and feel fresh I may go up a bit to check out the new trail they have cut to save people from walking on the newly built road to Manang. We'll see.
Today I have pinned up a note at Kathmandu Guest House noteboard, looking for partners. If no one comes forward right soon I will have to go see a trekking agency hoping that they have some planned already.
When I came first time to Kathmandu, soon 30 years ago, I thought it was an amazing place to see, like going back in time 300 years or so. Now this city is quite full of tourists and there are sooo many restaurants and tourist shops that I get fed up with it after a couple of days.
It seems I landed in the middle of the Dashain festival. The sweet girl at the hotel reception desk told me I was so lucky to have come here just now. Personally I am mostly annoyed that many shops etc are closed due to the festival, and restaurants have jacked up their prices because of it.
Last night I talked to three spanish guys who where all set to fly to Lukla today for the Everest trek. Guess they are in Phakding by now. One of them had been to Manaslu a couple of years ago, and said it was amazing.
I also talked to a Canadian guy who had just come from Gorakshep, high up near Everest, by helicopter. His friend had HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonaria Edema), which is a serious case of AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). He is now in hospital here in Kathmandu. The helicopter ride alone cost 10 000 US $.
People die in The Himalayas every year from AMS, HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema, swelling of the brain) and HAPE, which is when your lungs fill up with liquid. Mostly it is because they ascended too fast, so that the body could not acclimatise to the lower outside pressure. By far the most people can acclimatise if following the recommendation not to ascend more than 300 mtrs per day above 3800 mtrs altitude. But there are some who need to go up slower than that.
Obviously no one want to suffer from AMS at all, but I think if you do have it, a good hospital in Kathmandu is probably the best place to be. They have more experience than any with it.
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