P.O. Box 446, Bartlett, NH 03812 USA
Telephone 603/374-2438
Fax/Voicemail 413/280-0083
E-mail: info@adventuroustrekker.com

Everest Cultural Excursion
A Glimpse into the life of Nepal's Sherpa People
4 Nights in Kathmandu
11 Days Trekking
NEPAL

Many people trek to Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu region, but few stop to explore the Sherpa villages that make this a special place. We'll take our time and visit the small mountainside villages the Sherpa people call home.

Upon landing in Kathmandu, you will be met by our Adventurous Trekker staff and escorted to one of the many comfortable hotels in Kathmandu's Thamel district. We will have a dinner get together the first night to make sure everyone understands the trip details. Along with your stay in Kathmandu, you will have a guided sightseeing tour of the city and will be taken to see a few of the different Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries.

After a couple of days exploring Kathmandu we'll take an early morning flight to Lukla: the traditional starting point for Everest expeditions. Once landed, we'll head to Phakding, an easy 4-hour trek for acclimatization. Refreshed from a good night's sleep, we'll trek to Namche, known for its Saturday bazaar- where people walk for days to trade their goods. Our group will need to stay in Namche for two nights to acclimatize to the higher altitude (11,000 ft.) before moving on to our next stop: Thame, which is the last village before heading into a barren landscape that leads to Tibet. Thame is home to the Laudo Gompa monastery, where many westerners come to study Buddhism and meditation.

The next day, we'll trek to Khumjung, the first village to benefit from Sir Edmund Hillary's foundation. A school was built here and students from it have gone on to study in the U.S. After Khumjung, we'll trek to the Tengboche Buddhist Monastery, the spiritual center of the Khumbu. We'll tour the monastery and see what life as a monk is like. In the morning, you'll awaken to sounds of horns blowing, calling the monks to morning worship. Views of the sun rising over Mount Everest can be seen from this site as well.

Once our visit to the Tengboche monastery is over, we'll take three days to trek back to Lukla for the return flight to Kathmandu. During our return trek, we'll have a home visit with a Sherpa family and get the chance to see what Sherpa life is really like.

After your trek, you will have one full day to finish gift shopping and exploring Kathmandu. A little known fact is that Kathmandu has some of the most interesting shops and book stores found anywhere! Since the prices in some places are based on how much you bargain, it can be a shopping experience like no other.

On departure day everyone will be escorted to the airport for his or her return flight back home.

Difficulty: Moderate
Hours spent trekking each day: 6 -7, with stops along the way. This trek is for anyone in good health with a reasonable level of fitness. As always, we encourage you to walk at your own pace and enjoy the view.

Click on photo to enlarge.

BENEFITS OF TRAVELING
W/THE ADVENTUROUS TREKKER

01) We pay our staff fair wages (almost always higher than our competitors), and make sure they have appropriate clothing for the area we're traveling to. We adhere to the pay scale and treatment rules outlined by the nonprofit watchdog group Porters Progress.

02) Each group is equipped with a state-of-the-art water purifier, instead of taking the chance with boiled water.

03) Our pricing is inclusive, that means you pay one price which includes virtually everything (for exceptions, see the "What isn't Included" list in the left column.

04) We can arrange discounted international airfare, at no extra charge.

05) The right staff can make all the difference in your trek. Our staff is incredibly dedicated, most of them have been working with us for six to eight years. All of our Nepalese guides are highly trained to understand western standards and needs. They have all been trained and certified as professional guides by the Nepalese Government.

06) Safety is our first concern. That is why we keep our group sizes small, so no one who may not be feeling their best gets overlooked. We always bring enough staff to assure that if you're not feeling well, you'll be assigned a highly trained person to stay with you and attend to your needs. We never leave our members alone during a trek. If at any time you don't feel up to continuing with the group, you'll be kept comfortable and safe by your assigned staffmember, and either catch up when you can or we'll try to meet you on the return trip. You will never be left alone and unattended on an Adventurous Trekker trek.