Dorothy House Nepal Challenge

The trek is accompanied by English-speaking first aid trained local guides, assistant guides, and porters, who together make your journey possible. You will also be accompanied by a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.

The terrain will vary throughout the 5 days but overall there will be lots of undulating terrain each day. The first two days you will gain altitude so you will spend more time going uphill. On day three you will spend the morning ascending and the afternoon descending, and the final two days will be descending. It is critical that your training includes hill walking and trekking up and down gradients. Underfoot you will find stony trails, muddy forest floors, rocky steps or scree slopes. In some places it will be very dusty (bring a ‘Buff’ to cover your nose/mouth). There are some suspension bridges to cross. Each day’s trek is between 5 and 8 hours in duration (variable depending on group pace).

Temperatures will be dependent upon the weather which is usually clear and sunny in the morning, with clouds, and possibly rain, coming in during the afternoon. You can expect days to be sunny and warm (between 15 ̊C to 25 ̊C) and nights to be colder (between -5 ̊C to 5 ̊C). It’s important to be prepared for all weather conditions and temperatures by packing technical non-cotton layers, and waterproofs.
Please note: The conditions above are historically accurate but climate change can lead to uncharacteristic conditions which are out of our control. The guides will assess the situation and make decisions to ensure the best enjoyment and safety of the group.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included and meals are taken at local restaurants in Kathmandu, at the guesthouse in Pokhara and at teahouses during the trek. Although the food is usually plentiful and delicious, the teahouse menu during the trek is often repeated with most teahouses offering the same variety of rice, soup, dal bhat, potato and noodle dishes. A variety of bread, pancakes and egg dishes are generally available for breakfast. Lunch is typically a hearty soup, momos, fried rice, noodles or other light meal. Dinner includes dal bhat, fried rice, noodles, curry and so on. You can purchase snacks such as biscuits, chocolate and soft drinks at the tea houses (not included – payable separately). Nepali food is similar to Indian, with some Chinese influences.

You will stay in a hotel in Kathmandu, a guesthouse in Pokhara and teahouses during the trek. Teahouses are locally owned lodges which are comfortable but basic. They feature a main lounge/dining area which is heated with a yak dung burning stove in the centre which makes it a very cosy environment. You will eat breakfast and evening meal in this room and may wish to play cards and relax here each evening too. Battery charging facilities, mineral water, soft drinks, hot drinks, snacks and souvenirs may be available to purchase at many tea houses along the way.

The bedrooms at the teahouses usually have two or three single beds per room which have mattresses and occasionally pillows and blankets. You will need to bring your own sleeping bag and earplugs are strongly recommended.

The tea houses may have hot (or tepid) water showers or access to buckets of hot water for washing (available at a fee payable locally). Toilet facilities at the teahouses usually offer a mix of Western and Asian style squat toilets and these are usually flushing. Please ensure you dispose of toilet paper in the bins provided and do not put it into the toilet as this will cause blockages. Toilet paper is not provided so you will need to bring your own. During the trek you will need to pack up any toilet paper you use to dispose of properly at camp. NEVER leave toilet paper or other litter on the trail.

You must be 18+ to participate on this trek unaccompanied. It may be possible for you to participate if you are 16 or 17 years old but you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no upper age limit. It is advised that you are of a good fitness level before departure to ensure fast recovery from each day’s exertions. An ideal candidate for the trek would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new.

You should have a good level of fitness to ensure fast recovery from each day’s exertions while trekking and during the project activities. An ideal candidate would be someone who enjoys being out of their comfort zone and trying something new. If you do not already regularly exercise it is crucial that you start training (including plenty of hills!) before departure to ensure your best chance of enjoyment on the trip. You must be prepared to carry a daypack weighing 6-7kg. If you attempt to complete the trek without training, it will be more difficult than necessary and may detriment your experience and the experience of your teammates.

This trek is graded challenging because of the combination of long days trekking over varying terrain (including some days where you will trek uphill all day), the increasing altitude as the trek progresses, and the basic conditions at the teahouse accommodation.

You will slowly ascend to an altitude of 3400m by day three, after gradual acclimatisation on the previous two days. 3400m is above the generally agreed threshold for some people to start feeling some mild symptoms of altitude exposure. Your local guides are very experienced in spotting the signs of altitude sickness but it is important that you also do some research into the effects so you can be aware of how your body is adjusting. A great source of information can be found at http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Altitude-sickness/Pages/Introduction.aspx or http://www.traveldoctor.co.uk/altitude.htm.

We require a medical form to be completed by everyone upon registering, and any pre-existing conditions, medications used and other medical issues must be specified. All your medical details are treated in the strictest confidence.

The information will be securely screened by a qualified medical professional, and details provided to your tour manager and local guides so our staff are adequately informed and prepared to support you during the trip. By completing this booking form you are giving consent for us to contact you confidentially with any follow up questions regarding your health.

If you declare any medical conditions you may be asked to provide more information, or we may request to contact your GP. We must be informed if any conditions or medication change, or if new conditions develop. If necessary confirmation of fitness to travel from your GP or specialist may be required.

In the event that your medical issues represent a concern for your safety and wellbeing, or the safety and wellbeing of others in the group, you may be recommended not to take part. If this happens your deposit will be refunded. Please note that we will never unreasonably deny participation on a trip nor contravene the Equality Act 2010.

Please note: This list is not exhaustive and does not account for your personal taste or preference. It should be used as a guideline only. If you have any questions or queries regarding this list which are not answered in the sections above please contact info@different-travel.com.

*Please ensure you pack your boots in your hand baggage in the unlikely event your luggage is delayed or goes missing.

*Please consider eco-friendly or biodegradable options. Consider shopping at Little Footprint Gifts.