Living/Climbing in Nepal

[rob]

OK, stupid question?

 

I'm trying to decide on whether I should pursue an opportunity to work and live in Kathmandu. Obviously, this would be a pretty cool experience, for me and my kids.

 

Living logistics aside, what's the climbing like? I mean, duh, right? But, if I'm working, I'm not going to be able to take 2 weeks off to trek out to wherever and spend another week or two climbing and aclimating.

 

So, what's the alpine climbing like there? Is there anything nearby I could spend weekends doing? Local cragging?

 

Or, will I end up moving there and not getting a chance to climb ever, because everything is SO BIG and remote that I don't have anything to do on weekends?

 

Advice?

[Winter]

Its been a long time since I was there, but I doubt weekend are practical because of transportation times etc. Hiking yes - alpine climbing probably not.

 

There is some cragging fairly close to town, but you'll scoff at it coming from the PNW. But you can stay in shape.

 

Also maybe this has changed, but the air quality was freaking awful - so bad that I would not want to live there and subject my lungs to the thick layer of diesel fumes and particular matter. Many of the people I met on the trail had picked up some sort of bronchial bug in town before leaving. It may be better now.

 

 

[Lowlander]

Lived in Kathmandu for about 7 months and found that you can't really do any alpine in a long weekend. Need at least 5-7 days. Travel time (flight to lukla or drive to Pohkra), hiking, aclimating and getting back.

[Hugh Conway]

If you want a unique experience with lots of big mountains nearby to climb with quasi-reasonable logistics checkout Chile, Bolivia or Peru.

 

Kathmandu is a flat smoggy city that's not easy to escape by road or airplane. If things work well, 1/2 day to escape to the trailhead. If they don't, a frequent occurrence, a full day. To climb anything in Nepal you'll have to pay. The trekking peaks, shortest and cheapest you'll likely be interested in, are $350 for 1-4 persons. Bigger peaks cost more. That's not counting your national park fee, "gratuity", etc. People have bypassed these in the past but if you are employed in Nepal not advisable.

 

Trekking through the villages close to Kathmandu would be awesome on the weekends but it won't be spectacular scenery.

[iluka]

The air quality in Kathmandu remains awful with not much change in my impressions of it in several trips over an 8 year period.

 

Two other issues to keep in mind regarding the duration necessary to do trips:

 

1) The altitude: the peaks are all very high so you need to add in time to acclimatize unless you are one of the fortunate fast acclimatizers

 

2) Travel can often be delayed by weather issues. Flights to Lukla dramatically shorten the time needed to get to the Khumbu from Kathmandu but the air strip in Lukla is not infrequently shut down by bad weather during certain times of the year and you can get caught waiting for a bit