The countdown is on. There’s 31 days until I depart for Nepal to start the Great Himalaya Trail. Right now, I’m finishing up my last month of work and sorting out details for the first leg of the hike.
What I’m Doing to Prepare:
- I’m leaving my job as a wilderness therapy guide in Southwest Utah. I’ve been here for over a year, which is the longest time I’ve been satisfied with a job pretty much ever. I adore Utah, so it’s pretty likely that I’ll come back after this hike.
- I’m working with a trekking agency, Adventure Mountain Club, to sort out our trekking permits and guides in regions where we can’t hike alone. They were recommended to me by Robin Boustead, who wrote the GHT guidebook. So far it seems like they charge reasonable prices.
- Figuring out my budget. From my last trip to Nepal, I know that having a budget of $1000 a month is a safe bet, and with careful spending I’ll have money left over. Due to guides being required in Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, and Dolpa this would put me over budget for a few sections of the hike. Which leads to my next personal debate…
- Will we hike the high route through the regions where guides are required or take the low route on our own? My hiking partner Buckey is stoked on Dolpa, so we will definitely get our butts on the high route for that region. I’m stoked on our first destination, Kanchenjunga, but not sure if I want to start my trip by blowing my budget for the month or hop on the low route instead.
- So much gear planning. Due to carrying extra stuff, my pack won’t be as ultra-light as I’m accustomed to. However, my base weight is currently only 12 pounds, which is awesome. I think once I get all the last minute small items packed away I can add an extra pound or two to that base weight.
Speaking of gear, here’s my
Great Himalaya Trail Gear List:
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2. We call our tent “the palace” and Buckey agreed to carry it. Score!
- Osprey Aura 50. I have an older version that Osprey doesn’t make anymore. I wanted to bring my Granite Gear Crown 60, which is my favorite pack, but there will be times where we’re carrying a ton of food and have heavy packs. My Granite Gear just doesn’t have as much hip support as my Osprey.
- Feathered Friends Egret Nano 20 sleeping bag.
- NEMO Astro Air Lite sleeping pad.
- MSR Pocket Rocket and cooking pot. As always, I’m bringing my Pocket Rocket. I haven’t quite decided on a cooking pot yet.
- Steripen Adventurer Water Purifying.
- Petzl Leopard FL Crampons. We’ll need crampons for some of the passes. I’ll probably pick up a used ice axe in Kathmandu.
- Petzl Zipka Headlamp.
- Electronics Stuff.
- Toiletries Stuff.
- Clothes: Salomon boots, camp shoes, outfit to hike in, tights, SmartWool mid layer, fleece, down jacket, 3 pairs of socks, rain jacket, rain pants, hat and gloves.
Wow, you’re less than a month away from such a great adventure! Can’t wait to see your follow up post.
Looks you’re very much excited, I’m looking forward to see your next article about it. Good luck on your Himalaya trip!
Yeah, have great fun. I’ve been enjoying your blog today as I’m hoping to get back to Nepal for the third time in October
How did you manage to trek in restricted areas, i.e. areas where going with a guide is necessary? Thanks!
I’m still mid-trek and haven’t been in any restricted areas yet. We will probably need to hire a guide for Dolpa.
I see. Still nice to hear that so much hiking in Nepal is possible without guide.
Is it easy to find propane/butane gas for your MSR PocketRocket? I guess it’s not hard to find in Pokhara and Kathmandu, but how about the more remote areas?
Have fun!
It’s pretty difficult to find fuel for our stove outside of the cities. I’ve seen fuel canisters up by Makalu Base Camp, but generally we need to bring all the fuel we need. Luckily, the stove is good about conserving fuel. We can cook about 20-25 meals on one canister.