Frequently asked questions
We have compiled a set of commonly asked questions that trekkers often ask us. These will address
most concerns you may have as a trekker. However should you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
most concerns you may have as a trekker. However should you have any more questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
A) What all do you include and what all do we need to carry with us during the trip?
We include all camping related equipment during our trips. Things like tents, sleeping bags, carry mats, kitchen equipment are provided by us. You are required to carry your personal items like shoes, clothing, woolens etc. The detailed packing list of the personal items you need to carry are sent by us customized for your trip about 20 days prior to the departure of your trip. This packing list we send will contain everything about what all you need to carry, why you need to carry it and how you should pack it all.
B) Should we get trekking shoes or will regular sports shoes do?
If you are a first time trekker, we would advise you against getting trekking shoes. These shoes are generally quite heavy and walking in them can be quite tiring if you have just started out trekking. Trekking shoes are useful on very serious and technical climbs and you can do without them on most beginner level treks we do.
We recommend the use of regular sports shoes since walking in them is much easier. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the shoes should have a good grip and should not be brand new when you bring them with you for the trek.
C) How long do we trek on a typical day?
The trekking hours vary on the level of trek you are planning to do with us. For a beginner level trek we generally try and keep the hours of trekking to not more that 4-5 hours of trekking a day while for an expedition we increase that to an upper limit of 6 hours a day of trekking because we assume that people coming with us for a difficult trek/climb have a high endurance and fitness level.
The number of hours is dynamic however and can not be generalized always. The hours vary depending on the weather conditions, our plans for the day, fitness levels and speed of a member etc. But for a trekker with an average level of fitness on a normal day we look at 4-5 hours of trekking a day give or take 1-2 hours.
D) What are the chances of encountering Wildlife while on a trek?
Almost all treks we organize go into the absolute wilderness of the Himalayas, hence there will be presence of wildlife. While we say that, if you take precautions that we give you there is no danger of encountering wildlife. Some of these precautions include never walking or trekking alone or in very small groups, not wandering about by yourself at camp etc.
Animals prefer avoiding humans and if they know of human presence they will keep their distance.
E) How cold does it get during the trek?
This again depends on the time of the year, the type of trek you are going on and the altitude you are reaching. While we say that, since you are in the Himalayas and even our simplest treks touch an altitude of at least 10,000 ft, expect night temperatures to fall to around 0 degrees or below. The day temperatures tend to be quite pleasant and if the sun is out you can comfortably trek in a t shirt or one warm layer.
F) Don't the tents get very cold to sleep in?
That is a common misconception that tents are very cold to sleep in. In fact, because the surface area inside a tent is much smaller than a room, if you close the tent properly, it can actually get warmer than a room to sleep in by night since none of the body heat generated by you can escape.
G) What are the facilities provided?
We try and provide every comfort possible to make your trek enjoyable. There is a dining tent that goes along where everyone can sit and chat up at night, where ever permitted we try and have a bonfire and barbecue at the camp. There will be helpers that go along with you to pack/ unpack your campsite, we do send porters/ponies to carry all the equipment and luggage to an extent, our cooks are quite capable of making basic but tasty food, we also put up temporary toilet tents with dry pits where ever permitted.
While we say that, please do understand that you are going to be trekking into the absolute wilderness and everything has to be carried by people or ponies there. Hence it may not be possible to meet every comfort and luxury that you may have got used to in the city. An adventure trip means coming out of your comfort zone and going to a challenging place where you are in an experience that you are not used to. We request you to come with this adventure mindset while on an adventure trip.
H) Will we get a Cell phone signal while on the trek?
Technology is advancing very rapidly and areas covered under a mobile phone signal are rapidly increasing. However, as mentioned before you are going into very rural areas with very little or no human presence therefore blindly relying on a cell phone signal is not advised. You should most certainly get a signal upto the road head from where the trek starts, but after that it is very unlikely that you will get a signal except in little patches here and there where your cell phone will surprise you by beeping and randomly catching a signal because of the height you are on.
We include all camping related equipment during our trips. Things like tents, sleeping bags, carry mats, kitchen equipment are provided by us. You are required to carry your personal items like shoes, clothing, woolens etc. The detailed packing list of the personal items you need to carry are sent by us customized for your trip about 20 days prior to the departure of your trip. This packing list we send will contain everything about what all you need to carry, why you need to carry it and how you should pack it all.
B) Should we get trekking shoes or will regular sports shoes do?
If you are a first time trekker, we would advise you against getting trekking shoes. These shoes are generally quite heavy and walking in them can be quite tiring if you have just started out trekking. Trekking shoes are useful on very serious and technical climbs and you can do without them on most beginner level treks we do.
We recommend the use of regular sports shoes since walking in them is much easier. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the shoes should have a good grip and should not be brand new when you bring them with you for the trek.
C) How long do we trek on a typical day?
The trekking hours vary on the level of trek you are planning to do with us. For a beginner level trek we generally try and keep the hours of trekking to not more that 4-5 hours of trekking a day while for an expedition we increase that to an upper limit of 6 hours a day of trekking because we assume that people coming with us for a difficult trek/climb have a high endurance and fitness level.
The number of hours is dynamic however and can not be generalized always. The hours vary depending on the weather conditions, our plans for the day, fitness levels and speed of a member etc. But for a trekker with an average level of fitness on a normal day we look at 4-5 hours of trekking a day give or take 1-2 hours.
D) What are the chances of encountering Wildlife while on a trek?
Almost all treks we organize go into the absolute wilderness of the Himalayas, hence there will be presence of wildlife. While we say that, if you take precautions that we give you there is no danger of encountering wildlife. Some of these precautions include never walking or trekking alone or in very small groups, not wandering about by yourself at camp etc.
Animals prefer avoiding humans and if they know of human presence they will keep their distance.
E) How cold does it get during the trek?
This again depends on the time of the year, the type of trek you are going on and the altitude you are reaching. While we say that, since you are in the Himalayas and even our simplest treks touch an altitude of at least 10,000 ft, expect night temperatures to fall to around 0 degrees or below. The day temperatures tend to be quite pleasant and if the sun is out you can comfortably trek in a t shirt or one warm layer.
F) Don't the tents get very cold to sleep in?
That is a common misconception that tents are very cold to sleep in. In fact, because the surface area inside a tent is much smaller than a room, if you close the tent properly, it can actually get warmer than a room to sleep in by night since none of the body heat generated by you can escape.
G) What are the facilities provided?
We try and provide every comfort possible to make your trek enjoyable. There is a dining tent that goes along where everyone can sit and chat up at night, where ever permitted we try and have a bonfire and barbecue at the camp. There will be helpers that go along with you to pack/ unpack your campsite, we do send porters/ponies to carry all the equipment and luggage to an extent, our cooks are quite capable of making basic but tasty food, we also put up temporary toilet tents with dry pits where ever permitted.
While we say that, please do understand that you are going to be trekking into the absolute wilderness and everything has to be carried by people or ponies there. Hence it may not be possible to meet every comfort and luxury that you may have got used to in the city. An adventure trip means coming out of your comfort zone and going to a challenging place where you are in an experience that you are not used to. We request you to come with this adventure mindset while on an adventure trip.
H) Will we get a Cell phone signal while on the trek?
Technology is advancing very rapidly and areas covered under a mobile phone signal are rapidly increasing. However, as mentioned before you are going into very rural areas with very little or no human presence therefore blindly relying on a cell phone signal is not advised. You should most certainly get a signal upto the road head from where the trek starts, but after that it is very unlikely that you will get a signal except in little patches here and there where your cell phone will surprise you by beeping and randomly catching a signal because of the height you are on.
