Variables such as the type of trek, the size of the
party, and the area visited all affect the way you
organize you daily trekking activities. Those on an
organized camping trek follow a personalized daily
routine, usually with hot tea served in your tent before
you get up. Breakfast follows, then you hike till around
midday, eat lunch prepared by an advance cook team, then
continue till the evening stop. Those traveling in areas
where there are plenty of trekker oriented hotels can
structure the day much as they wish. Trekkers employing
Nepali assistants are advised to adhere to a schedule
compatible with their employees. Trekkers traveling in
areas where there are few foreigners and who wish to eat
local food must also adhere to the local schedules.
Though local schedules vary depending on the area and
the village, the following general outline gives you
some idea of what to expect. In the hills, Nepali people
get up around sunrise, sometimes have a brief snack then
work until the mid-morning meals around 10:00 A.M. Work
then continues until the late afternoon, and is followed
by the second meals of the day. A snack immediately
preceding this meal is not uncommon. Since activities
coincide with period of daylight, people tend to go to
sleep soon after sunset. In the mountains, people wait
until it warms up a little before engaging in much
activity. They generally eat three meals a day.
En route to Khumbu and in Khumbu, Langtang, Helambu,
Gosaikunda and North of Pokhara many establishments
cater specially to trekkers. They often sell foods
carried in from big towns and bazaars, and hoteliers
will generally cook for you at other then the usual
Nepali times. Popular places often have hired cooks from
Kathmandu. These places have signs. A variety of non-
Nepali meals are available, depending on local supplies.
Often a book is available for you to write in what you
have ordered and received, in order to account for it
later on the honor system. This is not gourmet cooking,
and the local people do not eat it.
Seek out less popular lodges, and private homes or
Bhatti rather than patronizing the most frequented
places. This distribution of income will have a
significant overall economic impact in the area. It is
not uncommon to go through a popular trekking stop and
find everyone trying to stay at one facility, not
necessarily because it is the best but because everyone
else is there. Avoid this hard mentality. |
