OK eco-climbers with a lust for high and wild places (ie "you cats"),
post the sat mini-climb and meet and feed this is what we have got settled.
Brandon Sherman (nomadicmind) is taking point on air-tix
Brian (Brian123) is taking charge of vaccinations etc beta
Jake Preston (shanja) will be the gear freak rep
Shawn Morrisey (hypoxic) will puppeteer the ecological and cultural aspects
Erica Pfeifer (ericamp), Kyung Ah (naomi), Alex (capainettegreen) and anyone else interested...you have no specific tasks
as yet, but it's important that you also try and ask questions, kick-in info on any relevant topic and just keep up with things too. Our Exped is pretty democratic, no formal leadership and that works well when we all communicae well and help out. There is definitely a buzz in the ether over this trip and it will be an awesomely grand undertaking! Get excited and get prepared! Vaccinations should be dealt with now, I'll let Brian tell you what you need.
Costs:Airfares are Brandons puppy, but from the meeting we can expect a rough figure of
7-900,000won a person return. It might be good to have "open-ended tix" too. Visas can be obtained on arrival in Kathmendu airport, but nowadays they only accept foreign currency for these! Not Nepali rupees and not Korean won. So you'll need US dollars, Euros or whatever. 30 day and 90 day visas are all they offer too...no more 45 day visas
...if we go over our 30 days we automatically have to pay the 90 day visa fee ($100US
). 30 Day visas are
$30US...right?
Budget totals: apart from airfares we are looking at about
2,500,000won each...though you may well need less. This will cover (correct me if I'm wrong):
3 meals a day, porters, tents (2pax/tent + mess tent, cook tent, toilet tent), sirdar (head Sherpa guide), permits, park fees, tour of K'du, and so on. It should also allow you shopping money and odds and ends...but how much you spend there is really up to you.
Kathmandu is experiencing some hard times as Shawn said, with electricity being rationed to about 4 hours a day in many areas. Don't bother bringing too many gizmos. But a book or two would be nice (2nd hand book shops a plenty in K'du).
PLEASE BE CULTURALLY AWARE. Nepal is both Hindu and Buddhist. In K'du predomindantly Hindu, in the hills Buddhist. Our Sirdar and Nepali Liaison Officer & friend "BK" is a Brahmin Hindu. Cows are scared there so let's not gobbled down a steak OK? Likewise in the trek and hills pass all stupas, chortens and religious monuments in a clockwise direction (on their left), greet people modestly with the palms together "Namaste" and avoid overly intrusive photography habits. I'm sure this as all uneccessary advice, you'd do it anyways...and remember not tank-tops, mini-skirts or obsene Tees.
Monsoon is a malarial time in Nepal, so be aware of this. Once we are above 2000m it's very unlikely we'll encounter a mozzie, but in the lower earlier stages it's likely. Wear light coloured clothes (mozzies like dark colours), wear no perfumes, use DEET insect repellent and common sense...Brian will tell you about meds for malaria.
NO PLASTIC BOTTLED WATER!!! The plastic used in Nepal is not recyclable and is a major cause of pollution. Iodine tincture drops are the best and cheapest/ easiset solution...but as Erica and Brian and Gabe said, they will also bring water filterers. Thanks!
Finally, DATES and TIME:
According to BK and Dom (Nepali end) the trip should take 20-25 days all up (revised from my pm-ed schedule), but allow an extra 5 days for delays, weather etc. So say
30 days.
If you need to leave earlier that should be very easy, as you can exit at various points on the way. Just post here about that issue and we'll try and work that in for you.
Start dates: As Eriica is working on 22nd July, we can work on leaving from Incheon on the 23rd July and finish up about August 21st or 22nd...remember that the 30 days visa is from day of arrival in K'du...not leaving Korea.
If these dates are really not good for you, then say so now! We need to get things set in stone asap.
Thanx!!!!
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