Fitness - train for your trip!  You will enjoy the trek much more if you are fit. For most of our trekking trips you will need to be comfortable trekking for on average 6 hours a day in mountainous terrain. By far the best way to train for Himalayan trekking is to get out on the British hills and spend time climbing, for example, to the heights of the Lake District peaks, ie around 800 – 1000m. If you are capable of putting together a few days of that calibre back-to-back, you should be capable of most of our treks.

(Please note that the trekking peak trips require additional technical experience). For those not able to regularly get to the British hills, then regular cardiovascular exercise, for example on the stepper in the gym is a good alternative, but you should still try to get some time in mountain terrain as gyms cannot simulate the rough ground found in a mountain environment.

NB. For our Trekking Peak trips you will also need basic climbing skills and have experience of using ice axe, crampons and ropes. There may be difficult passes, glaciers or river crossings.
 

Medical form – please complete and sign the enclosed form. You will need a doctor to sign the form to declare your suitability for the trek if you are over 65 or have a pre-existing medical condition.
 

Vaccinations – travel vaccinations are advised for the countries we trek to. You should plan to see your GP’s travel clinic several months ahead of your trip, as some vaccinations require a course of injections over a couple of months. For advice on which vaccinations are recommended for you, please speak to your travel clinic as, unlike us, they have access to your medical history.

The website www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk is also very useful.

Malaria: Please note that for travellers to Nepal, anti-malarials are not required unless you are intending to visit Chitwan National Park in the Terai district.

Rabies does exist in Nepal – avoid dogs and monkeys! The decision about the expensive course of course of rabies injections is a matter of personal choice.
 

Dental checkup – altitude and flying are notorious for highlighting dental problems, and there is nothing worse than being on trek with toothache. A check-up timed sufficiently in advance of the departure date to allow for any work that is required to be done on your teeth can save you a lot of pain on trek.
 

Hygiene  – Sadly, Nepal is not the cleanest country, so be scrupulous about your own personal hygiene. Wash your hands before you eat anything, and also use antibacterial hand gel in addition to soap and water. Remember that money is one of the dirtiest things you will touch.
 

Do NOT drink tap water, or even brush your teeth in it, even if you see the locals doing it. Bottled water is safe in the towns, though be sure the seal hasn’t been broken. On trek we will provide you with water that has been boiled (better than buying plastic bottled water as recycling facilities haven’t reached Nepal yet)! It is a good idea to keep your toothbrush by your safe water, not by the sink.
 

Be careful what you eat – the food and drinks our cooks prepare for you will be safe, but when eating elsewhere avoid uncooked food, or things that might not have been washed in safe water, ie, avoid ice cream, ice cubes, salads and fruit if you’re not sure how it was washed etc. Hot drinks are safe, as the water has been boiled. If in doubt, ask for advice.
 

Medicines – see the kit list later in this document. A basic first aid kit is carried on all our treks, and your sirdar/trek leader will be trained in first aid, but you should make sure that YOU carry any medication that you rely on. It is very important that you tell your sirdar / trek leader of any medication that you take, and also of any medical conditions, even if you have already told us about them on your medical form.
 

Stomach upsets can happen, sometimes just as a result of a change of diet, but sometimes from a more persistent cause. In the event of you having an upset stomach, we recommend that you do NOT block up your system with immodium-type medicines, but that your limit your food intake, keep to a low-fat diet. Flat Coca Cola seems to help, as do rehydration salts (eg Dioralyte or Jeevan Jal). If it looks like the problem is severe, antibiotics almost always offer an extremely effectively and rapid solution.
 

Trekking at altitude – our itineraries are planned to give time for acclimatisation, but it is important to think of trekking at altitude as a multi-day event. Think “marathon” rather than “sprint”. If you can’t talk while you are walking, you are walking too fast. Keeping to this as a guide, and learning to listen to what your body is telling you will help you with acclimatisation.

Above 3000m, almost all westerners will find it harder to breathe, and walking uphill needs to be done at a slower pace than at sea level. Headaches, nausea, breathlessness, dizziness, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping are not unusual, but you should report any of these symptoms to your sirdar/guide so that they can help prevent them turning into anything serious. If ignored, these symptoms can worsen, and can lead to potentially fatal pulmonary or cerebral oedema. Descent cures altitude sickness. Diamox is a prescription drug available through your GP. It won’t mask the symptoms of an oedema, but can be used to help treat altitude related problems. In cases where the onset of an oedema is suspected, diamox must never be used instead of descent.