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21
December 1997 A
Walking Encyclopedia Trekking
companies offer a dizzying array of trails to all corners of the globe. SIMON
WILLIS gives a complete guide to getting on the right track. For more
than fifteen years, trekking companies have sold a lie. It's a just a little
white lie, nothing more than a benign deception really but, year after year,
I continue to fall for it, because it's so seductively flattering. They offer
the fantasy of a freewheeling, independent adventure. In reality, what they
sell is a package tour; a tough walking holiday in an exotic location, for
people with open minds and open cheque books. Porters carry the tents and
luggage, a guide leads the way, a cook prepares the food and there's a
Western guide to take care of any problems. All that remains for the
customers to do, is put one foot in front of the other and enjoy the sights,
sounds and smells of a very different world. Of course
the true independent traveller will smile with a barely concealed sneer when
he meets groups on the trail. He'll call us tourists. But look carefully, and
you'll see that he's hassled... he's not sure if he took the right path back
there.... he's not sure if he can lug his skyscraper pack much further....
Independent travel is all very well, but it's easy to forget to have fun.
It's so much better to have such worries lifted from your shoulders and
dropped onto someone elses. And as hill walking becomes more and more popular
in Britain, so more and more walkers want the challenge of hiking around the
world's biggest mountains. Age is no barrier. Some people take children on
treks, while I've walked alongside people who are well into their seventies,
and struggled to keep up. New
trekkers usually start with one of the classics, to Everest base camp or the
Annapurna Circuit. If they enjoy that, they might try to climb one of the
easier trekking peaks, or seek out one of the more remote destinations.
"Every year our client list grows", enthused a delighted Alasdair
MacDonald of the trekking company Himalayan Kingdoms. "This year has
been outstanding. I don't know whether people have been spending their
windfall profits from the Building Society conversions, but our figures have
increased by a staggering fifty seven percent. Compared to ten years ago,
there are many, many more people going trekking." This is an
insatiable industry. The search never stops for new places, new treks, and
new locations. Like every trekking company, Exodus Travels wants to be first
into an area. "We have to put ten new treks in our brochure each
year", Pete Burrell, their Walking Programme Manager told me, "so
we always need new places". These tend to appear quite suddenly,
following some dramatic move in the Great Game of international politics.
"Six years ago it was the former Soviet Republics", Pete explained,
"But as prices in those countries have risen, so demand has tailed off.
And once we got into them, we found they're not so culturally attractive to
trekkers as somewhere like Nepal. Now they tend to be visited only by people
who've exhausted other countries." So what
corner of the globe are the trekking companies salivating over, waiting for
the welcome sign to be hung on the border fence? Tim Greening is one of the
founders of KE Adventure Travel and, as befits someone who has spent much of
his life in such places, Tim's reply to that question was pure Zen. "The
future is in the past", he told me. "It's the big, historic routes
that we're looking at now. The classic journeys made by explorers like Eric
Shipton who crossed major international boundaries, and the old trade routes
which have been used by local people for centuries. We hope China will allow
us to trek the trade route from Tibet to Nepal through the Cho La pass. Or
perhaps they'll let us take groups over one of the old high roads into the
Karakoram. At the moment, they're illegal crossing points, but one day I'd
love to offer that as a trek." Despite
the relentless commercial quest for new countries, there are still pure
trekking gems hidden within the folds and fissures of the vast Himalayan
chain. In Nepal, the former Buddhist Kingdom of Mustang was only opened to
foreign visitors in 1992, when the trekking companies crawled over each other
to be first into what is culturally part of Tibet. Sikkim, another Buddhist
Kingdom bordering Tibet, was annexed by India in 1975 and became a restricted
area. To enter, a special permit is required which takes several weeks to
process, but the few trekkers who go there find a fertile land known as
"The Garden of the Himalaya", and superb views of the five summited
Kangchenjunga, the world's third highest mountain. But the
real prize for trekkers, and the last true Himalayan Kingdom, is Bhutan.
Tucked between India to the South and Tibet to the North, this is a wondrous
land of myths and legends, of mountains without names and areas without maps,
where people wear traditional dress and visitor numbers are strictly limited
to around three thousand people a year. Despite some internal opposition,
King Jigme Singye Wangchuck continues the deliberate policy of cultural and
environmental preservation, and a "tourist tax" ensures that much
of the money spent by the visitors actually stays in the country. A
comparable trek in Bhutan costs around eight hundred to a thousand pounds
more than in Nepal. One of these years I'll manage to visit the country and
discover for myself whether it's worth the extra money. While
Bhutan has imposed strict controls on this growing industry, Nepal's doors
have been thrown wide open, giving much greater opportunity for Western
businesses to exploit local people. Ten years ago, on my first trekking
holiday into the Annapurna Sanctuary, I was horrified to discover that the
company did not provide our porters with boots, sunglasses, or warm clothing.
I donated a sweater, my spare glasses and goggles, but most of our porters
were expected to hike up a snow covered glacier wearing flimsy baseball boots
or even flip flops. They tucked bits of cardboard under their hats to cover
their eyes and then cut slits to see where they were going - poor protection
against snow blindness. "That
sort of thing does still happen" admitted Pete Burrell of Exodus
Travels, "but only with the smaller, cut price companies or with people
who fly out and try to organise their own trip. Respectable operators like us
carry sacks of boots and warm clothing which they give to the porters when
it's needed. But we have to get it back before the men get back down to a
village or they gamble it away. The better companies also insure their
porters in case an accident means their family has to be provided for, and
there are agreed guidelines to which we all try to work". Nevertheless,
the companies were severely criticised a couple of seasons ago, when heavy
snowstorms hit the Himalaya. Trekking groups were stranded all over the
region and it was widely reported that helicopters had been scrambled to pluck
the Western clients to safety, while the porters were left in the snow to
fend for themselves. Talking to people who know what happened, it seems that,
in almost every case, the porters were left in or near villages where there
was food, shelter and people to look after them until the storms abated.
Although the porters would have been comfortable in those villages, the
conditions were far too harsh for most "softie" tourists. So with
only two helicopters able to carry out evacuations across the whole of the
Himalaya, it seemed sensible to leave the porters because they would be safe,
and remove the Westerners because they would not. However,
there was one incident in which the porters really were abandoned. Privately,
people in the business say it happened because one trek leader made an
inexcusable mistake. But by and large, they feel their guides coped very well
with exceptional weather conditions among the world's highest mountains. And
while they don't shout about it, many of these businesses raise money for
projects in the areas they visit; helping to build a new school, providing
books or installing clean water. I know individual trek leaders and clients
who have paid to support a child's education and donated spare or used hill
walking equipment, which is shipped out with groups. Now, the
trekking business is developing in a new direction. While demand for
traditional treks remains strong, people are also asking for shorter treks,
ideally one or two weeks rather than the usual three or even four week
journey. Some companies are offering more short European treks, particularly
in Spain, priced so they can be a second holiday for the enthusiastic walkers
in the family. With no porters to carry the bags, some of these can actually
be tougher than the long haul treks, as hikers have to carry their own
rucksacks between mountain huts. This ought
to be a warning for anyone thinking about trying a trek. It's not really a
"holiday" in the normally accepted sense of the word. Most treks
are physically demanding, in terms of both the walking involved and the
almost inevitable stomach upsets suffered. But surprisingly, they're also
very relaxing. It is absolutely impossible to think of work or problems at
home when in the middle of such an exceptional experience, so far removed
from everyday life. Your companions, the local people, the scenery and the
whole routine of the trek become so absorbing that the outside world remains
hidden behind a shield of mountains. So savour that feeling. Take it home
with you. There will be times when the phone is ringing, the kids are
screaming, or the car is stuck in traffic, when you can close your eyes and,
for a moment at least, trek back into the hills. A
Typical Trek At its
most basic, the trekking holiday has actually changed very little over the
years. The Western company does all the marketing with glossy brochures and
detailed trek dossiers. They bring together the clients for the trek but, if
they don't get enough customers, they'll sometimes ask you to change your
plans or cancel them altogether. You may be offered another trek, a different
departure date, or be asked to pay a small group surcharge. The
companies usually provide a Western leader to trek with you, a person who may
or may not have done that particular trek before but knows how the system
works and is experienced in mountain first aid. On well established routes,
local guides are increasingly used and these trips are more likely to run
even if there are fewer clients. The group,
usually of about ten to twelve clients plus the leader, meets for the first
time at Heathrow and flies to the nearest international airport to where
they'll be trekking. For most trekkers, this means Kathmandu. A day or two is
spent here, adjusting to the culture shock, and boosting the share price of
Kodak with snap after snap of the Thamel district and the Swayambhunath
"Monkey Temple", adrenaline counteracting the effects of jet lag. A local
company, hired by the Western tour operator, then takes over just about everything,
including supplying the most important person on the whole trek, the head
porter, or Sirdar. The group flies and/or drives with all the luggage to the
start of the trek where the walking begins. The Sirdar
picks his team of cooks, assistants and porters, which always seem to include
a handful of Great Grandfathers and school children. Every day they haul onto
their backs the over stuffed kit bags which you and I could barely lift onto
an airport trolley. Four and a half stone is a typical load, and yet they're
still the first to the overnight stop. To new trekkers it's a regular source
of embarrassment, even shame, that all they are expected to carry is water, a
snack and a camera. If you'll be upset seeing someone lugging your luggage
around the mountains, you might consider trekking in an area where the bags
are carried by horses, mules or yaks. How long
you walk each day, and how tough it is, depends very much on the trek, but five
to eight hours is fairly typical, during which time the group tends to string
out along the trail. It's rare to walk as a large group, you hike at your own
pace, alone or with a partner or friends, only seeing the rest of the group
when they stop for lunch or a drink. A good Sirdar always has someone who
knows the trail walking at the back of the group, just to make sure no one
gets lost. Occasionally
overnights are spent in the tea houses and optimistically named
"hotels" which have sprung up along popular routes, but usually
accommodation is in shared two person tents. If you're travelling alone, I
think it's worth paying the extra for a solo tent, because I don't enjoy
having a stranger snoring germs into the atmosphere ten inches from my face. The day
starts with "bed tea" and sometimes a bowl of warm water for a
quick wash. Toilet facilities are basic, little more than a hole in the
ground with a tent around it, and the zip always seems to break. Meals are
eaten in or just outside a mess tent, sitting on folding stools, plates
either perched on the knee, on collapsible tables, or balanced on the
upturned waterproof plastic barrels in which most of the equipment is
carried. Food has improved over the years and the cooks take great pride in
catering to Western tastes, although the mixture of European and local dishes
can take a little getting used to. On at
least one night of your trek, you'll probably be entertained by the singing
and dancing of the porters. But for the rest of the time, you'll be chatting
to each other or reading by torchlight, tucked up in your sleeping bag. Early
nights and very early mornings quickly become part of the routine of trek
life. How
Tough is it? Most
companies attempt to grade the difficulty of their treks, using descriptive
classifications such as; mild, moderate, demanding and strenuous. They all
use different terms and privately they admit, these gradings are of limited
use. It's not like skiing, they say, where a red run is much the same from
resort to resort. New
trekkers often ask how many miles they'll have to walk in a day. It's almost
impossible to answer the question, because in mountain communities trail
distances are measured in hours. There's no point in knowing that the trail
from one village to the next is just four miles long, when the path climbs
over a whacking great hill to get there. Knowing the walk takes two hours is
far more useful. And each
day is different. The same walk could leave one person exhausted and another
feeling fine. A day or two later, their situations could be reversed. Partly,
this is a matter of personal fitness, but acclimatisation to altitude and the
almost inevitable stomach upsets also affect how hard the walking seems to
be. So the
grading of a trek as given in the brochure is little more than a starting
point. The company will send you the detailed itinerary of any treks you're
interested in, and these should explain, day by day, the terrain you'll be
crossing, how steep a slope you'll be climbing, and how many hours you'll
hike. Of course, since this is adventure travel, that itinerary often alters
in response to conditions on the ground. On the K2 Base Camp trail, for
example, the route actually changes from month to month, increasing and
decreasing in difficulty, depending on where the river is flowing. To really
find out if you've picked the right trek, telephone or visit the offices of
the trekking company, or go to one of their slide shows, and chat with
experienced trek leaders about how tough a trek really is. Explain what
you're looking for, and how much walking you've done, and they should be able
to offer advice. After all, it's in their interests to sell a trek you'll
enjoy, because once you find a trekking company you like, the chances are
you'll stick with them and return time and again. Easy
Tours/Treks The easier treks can be completed by anyone
who is in good health, because what little walking there is follows good
paths at low altitudes. Some of the itineraries offered by the adventure tour
companies combine walking with river rafting, game viewing and cultural
tours. Classic
Treks Most classic treks can be completed by people who
regularly go hill walking, although those who manage only the occasional
weekend on the British hills might find the demands of hiking day after day
quite exhausting. Read the brochures carefully to find out how many hours a
day, and how many consecutive days you'll be hiking. However fit you think
you are, it's worth taking a few months to prepare for the trek by jogging,
cycling and hiking big hills as much as possible. Big
Treks Strenuous, or expedition grade treks involve many
long days, in isolated areas, at altitude, and may require mountaineering
skills to cross high passes. Most companies will make sure you have a high
level of fitness before allowing you to tackle such a trek. Top
Five Treks Crowded
Classic or Quiet Connoisseur? Treks become Classics for
good reasons. But the sheer number of people hiking these most popular trails
now threatens to spoil the whole experience. We asked experienced trek
leaders to list the top five classic trekking destinations, and then reveal
some lesser known alternative routes, destined to become the classics of the
future. Nepal
Classic
Everest Base Camp, the Annapurna Sanctuary and the
Annapurna Circuit are the three most popular treks in the world. Every day,
at the height of the season, two hundred people start walking to Everest,
although because of the altitude some don't make it past Namche Bazaar. The
mountain scenery is awesome, but don't walk these trails seeking solitude. Connoisseur
There are longer, but much more attractive
alternatives to both the Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Circuit treks. It's
possible to reach Namche Bazaar on the Everest Trail by first hiking up the
Bhote Kosi valley and then the Rolwaling valley, crossing the Tesi Lapcha
pass. Similarly, it's possible to combine the best part of the Annapurna
Circuit with a long hike through wild country around Manaslu and Himalchuli .
In both cases, it's unlikely you'll meet other trekking groups until joining
the Classic route, when there'll be a stark contrast between quiet Nepal and
the tourist trail. Karakoram
Classic
Trekking amongst the shattered rock and ice of
Pakistan's empty Northern mountains is a very different experience to the
rice terraces and villages of Nepal. But for those who love sharp, spiky
mountains, there's no better place on the planet. The trek to K2 Base Camp,
near the great glacier crossroads of Concordia, deserves to be a classic, but
visitor numbers are rising fast. Connoisseur
If you can survive without seeing K2, then consider
tackling what explorer Eric Shipton called one of the last great "Blanks
on the Map", the crossing of the earth's longest ice corridor. The trek
starts the same as the K2 route, taking a jeep from Skardu, the capital of
Baltistan to Askole. The trek heads up the Biafo Glacier to the spectacular
Great Snow Lake, crosses the Hispar La pass and eventually arrives at Karimabad,
the capital of the Hunza region. Peru
Classic
The Inca Trail is the classic of the country, a four
day walk along the once secret road that led from Cuzco through the mountains
and jungle to the lost city of Machu Picchu. A tourist train does this
journey daily so you can see that this is not wilderness trekking.
Fortunately, the violent activities of the Shining Path guerrillas seem to be
over and Peru is once again one of the most popular adventure travel
destinations, although there are not a great variety of treks. Connoisseur
The circuit of the Huayhuash mountain range is
reckoned to be one of the finest treks in the Andes. It crosses eight high
passes and involves much more serious walking that the hike to Machu Picchu.
Those considering this big one can first acclimatise by walking the Inca
Trail. Indian
Himalaya Classic
The once independent Tibetan Kingdom of Ladakh is
the main trekking area of the Indian Himalaya, with most groups walking in
the Markha valley. There's a relatively easy trekking peak near here called
Stok Kangri which is well within the abilities of most fit hill walkers.
While this is a popular valley, visitor numbers are not as great as those on
the classic treks in Nepal. Connoisseur
The Changtang, meaning Great Northern Plateau in
Tibetan, is a beautiful expanse of broad valleys and salt water lakes, which
has only recently been open to foreign visitors. The people here are called
Changpas or Champas, and are of Tibetan nomadic origin, surviving by hearding
goats, sheep and yaks. The few trekking groups which venture this far
discover a quiet corner of the Himalaya. Kilimanjaro
Classic
Africa's highest mountain is a busy place. The climb
is a five day trek, but since the season is short, huts and campsites along
the main trail, the Marangu Route, are very busy. Connoisseur The
Machame Route up Kilimanjaro takes a day longer, but is more interesting and
usually less busy. The advice from the experts is to acclimatise by climbing
Mount Kenya first. Many trekkers return saying they thought it was the better
climb of the two. |
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