Himalayan climbing... where do I start?

[yeoman]

damn' Billy this is a great thread, esp given I was just asking about Himalaya trip planning.

[wfinley]

Bryce - if you're looking for a trip operator we used Jiban Ghimire / http://www.shangrilatrek.com . He was recommended to us by a number of people. And make sure you do a side trip to Tonsai for some beach sport climbing... sport climbing on a sunny beach within spitting distance of fresh pad Thai and coconut milkshakes is as good as it gets.

 

Good luck planning!

 

[jano]

I've been there twice in the last two years. The O'Connor book is good, but dated. Check out Razzetti, Trekking and Climbing in Nepal (get the 2008 version). If you want to be on your own, avoid the popular NMA trekking peaks (Island, Mera), although both make good trips with Island probably an easier self-contained trip. Kyajo Ri is a great NMA trekking peak if you want be out there some and, while it is true that you are supposed to have a guide, it is possible to go on your own with a little convincing. Check on Joe Puryear's post here:

http://climbnepal.blogspot.com/2009/04/success-on-kyajo-ri.html

The nice thing about Kyajo Ri is that you can do it from Namche packing in your own kit. The trek around the Khumbu and over the passes (Rhenjo La, Cho La, up to Kala Pattar and back to Namche) is a good acclimatization plan. For the basics, both the Lonely Planet "Trekking in Nepal" and Jamie McGuinness' book "Trekking in the Everest Region" are good and both offer a different perspective. I'd recommend Climb High Himalaya (www.climbhighhimalaya.com). An agent like Climb High or others mentioned here, can get all your permits and bs squared away and, hopefully, help you avoid the NMA "guide". Lobuche East could be an easier alternative to Kyajo Ri, but it will have plenty of guided groups, which you might be able avoid if you do your pre-trek and then try to hit it at the tail end of the season at the end of October/early November. This is another good site (http://www.nepalmountainnews.com/cms/), but the information can be a bit dated. Finally, I read there may be some new NMA peaks opening up and some general rule changes possibly being implemented next year so keep you eyes open for that and be sure to ask your agent about any new rules. Oh, and the National Geographic maps, both the Khumbu (larger area) and Everest Base Camp (not sure if Kyajo Ri is on this), are good along with the Schneider Khumbu map for a little better topo feel (Kyajo Ri definitely on this).

[Tennessee]

Another idea is to go somewhere else in the Himalaya or Asia other than Nepal. Nepal is very set up for climbers/tourists so things are laid out really well, but you'll pay for it also. If you are feeling adventurous and want to save a lot of money, there's places in Tibet, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Yunnan, India that aren't set up as well, but also don't cost very much. It's more along the lines of what you should be paying while traveling in a developing country. You'll have to be OK without things such as doing business in English, having proper maps, marked trails, decent places to stay, western food, or any possibility of a rescue. But you'll pay a fraction of the cost, you'll see only locals, and you could probably climb something that hasn't been climbed if you are creative and motivated. With two months, you could do a lot.

 

The AAJ is a good place to start if you want ideas.

[LaughingSquirrel]

Hey wfinley, my name is Mike Dobie and I and another american have started a climbing company in Lijiang in Northwestern Yunnan in China. We do mountaineering and rock climbing trips into sichuan and Yunnan. If you have any questions and want to come out here to climb the areas we are developing please email me at mdobie012@yahoo.com. We have an "developing website" at www.highlandexplorations.com.

Peace be the journey,

Mike D

[Rad]

I went 11 yrs ago and trekked in the Kanchenjunga region. We didn't see any other trekkers and stayed in fantastic villages. It wasn't a climbing trip, but I used one of our rest days at the highest camp to scramble a 6111 meter unnamed peak. It was fabulous. It may be too sketchy to head that far into the sticks now, but after that trip and many other travels in foreign lands I'll share my 2 cents:

 

- People - Choose partners, guides, porters, etc, based on character and reputation. If you go trekking/climbing for a month you don't want to be stuck with someone who will steal your stuff or be causing you endless headaches.

 

- Patience - Expect things will cost more and take longer than you think. Nepal and other developing nations move at a different pace. Not necessarily slower, but if you are in a hurry you'll invariably get stressed out and spend more money than you intended.

 

- Learn to bargain. In the US we generally don't have bargaining as part of our daily lives, but it is an important skill and one that most everyone else does on a daily basis.

 

- NEVER part with all of your money up front.

 

- Culture - expect that the people and places you see, perhaps more than the peaks you tick, will bring the best memories of your trip.

 

- Bring your lessons home. All of the things above will enrich your life back home too.