Singalila Ridge trek
India

Typical Day On Camping Trek in Nepal

We provide a comfortable experience on our camping style treks. Our team works hard to support you so that you can relax and enjoy trekking in Nepal. We provide personal tents, mess tent, kitchen tent and toilet tent(s). The camp will be set up and dismantled by the trek crew. We bring along a cook and kitchen helpers to provide the meals.

The day starts with an early morning mug of tea brought to your tent by one of the trek crew. Before heading for breakfast you pack your overnight gear into your duffel bag. During breakfast the trek crew pack away the tents. The porters arrange their loads and set off on the trail in the cool of the morning. After breakfast, between 7am and 8am, we start walking.

The pace of the trek is moderate as there is plenty of time in the itinerary to reach the camp for tonight. There will be plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, take photos and explore the local villages. Lunch will be around midday at a spot by the side of the trail. Our cooks prepare lunch for us and the food is usually ready by the time the group arrives.

After lunch we continue the walk and on most days we arrive to camp by mid afternoon. Some of the trek crew would have gone ahead of the group to set up camp and to put up the tents. On arrival to camp you will get a hot drink and biscuits. In the evening our cook will provide a three course meal in the mess tent around 6pm.

After supper the leaders will discuss the plan for the next day. Afterwards people might stay in the mess tent chatting about the day’s events or playing cards. After a tiring day most people head to their tent quite early for the night. Tomorrow is likely to be very similar as today! The only difference is that if we are crossing a high pass or climbing to a summit we leave camp earlier in the morning.

You can read more about our Camping Treks in Nepal on our Blog. This article explains the advantages of camping versus teahouse lodge treks. It also describes what the campsite set up is like and more about the food provided by our cooks.

Food provided on Camping Trek in Nepal

While on a camping style trek in Nepal we provide tasty and nutritional food. We make sure there is more than enough quantity to go around as trekkers will be hungry after a long day on the trail. Over the years we have worked on increasing the variety of the menus. We have expanded the list of ingredients provided to the cooks so they have more to work with. Also in 2015 we purchased two food dehydrators with a vacuum sealing machine. We dehydrate a large number of different vegetables in Kathmandu before departure. This has transformed the quality of food especially on longer treks to remote areas.

For breakfast we provide porridge or cereal, toast or chapatis and eggs. There will be hot drinks including tea, herbal teas, hot chocolate and coffee. We provide fresh coffee from our Bialetti Moka coffee machine.

For lunch we stop at a convenient spot with water at the side of the trail. The cook and kitchen walk ahead of the group in the morning and lunch should be ready shortly after our arrival. After lunch we have time to relax before starting to walk again in the afternoon.

On arrival at camp in the afternoon you have biscuits and a hot drink such as tea or coffee. Around 6pm we serve a three course meal in the mess tent. The starter is often soup with popcorn or poppadoms. We have a range of main dishes and carbohydrates including rice, potatoes or pasta.

We cater for a variety of dietary requirements. Our meals are suitable for vegetarians. If there is a meat dish then we also provide vegetarian options as standard. During booking we find out if you have any dietary needs and agree upon meal plans before departure. If you have any questions about the food provided please get in touch with us to discuss further.

Clothing and Equipment List for Singalila Ridge

For the safety of everyone in the group and to help ensure a successful trek, you are required to have the following items in our clothing and equipment list tailored for Kanchenjunga Singalila Ridge trek.

As a reminder, the weather on this trek will vary season to season and day to day as you ascend to higher elevations. During the first couple of days on Kanchenjunga Singalila Ridge trek you are likely to experience quite warm conditions and you will experience the coldest temperatures at Sandakphu at an altitude of 3,636m where overnight lows can get down to around -10˚C.

Footwear:

• Walking boots. A pair of water repellent boots with ankle support.
• A pair used to keep boots dry if walking through deep snow or on wet ground.
• Wool and liner socks.
• Trainers/sneakers or sandals. Can be used in camp/lodge in the evenings.

Clothing:

• Waterproof jacket and trousers (goretex or similar).
• Trekking trousers.
• Long sleeve shirts (not cotton).
• Micro fleece.
• Mid to heavyweight fleece.
• Sleeveless or body warmer type fleece.
• Thermals or base layer for top & bottom (merino wool or synthetic).
• Fleece pants.
• Medium weight down jacket.

Handwear:

• Fleece gloves.
• Warms mittens and/or gloves.

Headwear:

• Wool or fleece hat.
• Sun hat.
• Bandana or scarf.
• Headtorch. Bring extra batteries.
• The lenses need to be Category 4 rated and should have side protection or wraparound design to prevent light getting through to your eyes that could cause sun blindness.

Personal Equipment:

• Sleeping bag. Maximum overnight lows at Sandakphu will be around -10 Celsius.
• Fleece or silk liner for your sleeping bag. A liner protects your sleeping bag from getting dirty and helps by adding extra insulation to keep you warm at night.
• Recommended size is 30 litres or larger as you need to have enough space to carry water bottles, camera, snacks and extra clothing. It is also a good idea to bring a rain cover to keep the contents dry.
• Stuff sacks for keeping your gear dry and organised.
• Two water bottles (Nalgene wide mouth bottles are the best).
• Sunscreen and lipsalve with a high SPF.
• Insect repellent.
• Water purification tablets (Pristine, Biox Acqua or Acqa Mira).
• Favourite snack food.
• Books, ipod and cards etc.
• Trekking poles.
• Camera with spare batteries and memory cards.
• Insurance certificate.
• Earplugs (optional).
• Baby wipes (optional).
• Hand sanitizer (optional).

Travelling:

• Duffle bag or large backpack for your personal gear on the trek (carried by a pony or yak). Bring a small combination padlock to secure the bag.
• Travel clothes. You will need casual clothing for air travel days.
• Toiletry bag include toilet paper, soap, towel, toothbrush, etc.

Personal first aid kit:

Note: we provide a comprehensive group first aid kit but please bring personal medications and other items you might use regularly such as:

• Any personal medications.
• Malaria prophylactic tablets.
• Blister treatment- Compeed patches are the best.
• Rehydration powder eg Dioralyte.
• Analgesic (paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin).
• Plasters and zinc oxide tape.
• Throat lozenges.

Diamox (optional), helps with acclimatisation

Threat and risk assessment for Singalila Ridge

Participants should be aware trekking, mountaineering and travelling in a developing country are activities that involve a risk of personal injury or death. As a condition of booking you must accept these risks and be responsible for your own actions and involvement.

Adventure travel requires an open and flexible attitude. You may experience extreme conditions, unpredictable weather and last minute changes to the itinerary beyond our control. The ability to work in team is an important aspect of all of our trips.

As a part of our planning process we have performed a detailed threat and risk assessment for our Kanchenjunga Singalila Ridge trek. It is worth pointing out all of our trips have a certain degree of risk, this is of course part of the attraction of adventure travel and why so many people choose to join this type of holiday. However by identifying the potential hazards on Kanchenjunga Singalila Ridge we can assess the level of risk and implement control measures to reduce this happening.

Our full threat and risk assessment for Kanchenjunga Singalila Ridge is available to clients on request. For your information we have listed below a summary of the significant risks and hazards identified by us:

• Falls and trips resulting in physical injury eg. slipping on ice or falling off the path.
• Altitude illness including but not limited to AMS, HACE and HAPE.
• Getting lost or becoming separated from group.
• Severe bad weather and conditions when camping eg. flash flooding.
• Climatic injuries (dehydration, sun burn, heat exhaustion, hypothermia or heat stroke).
• Crossing a river with no bridge resulting in drowning and/ or a fall.
• Rock fall and landslides.
• Lightning strike.
• Wildlife, pack animals (eg. donkeys or horses) or stray dogs. Pack animals have been known to knock people off the path. Dogs can attack and bite, we advise you discuss rabies vaccination with your doctor.
• Earthquake.
• Risk of fire in the hotel or lodge.
• Endemic local diseases. We advise you discuss vaccinations with your doctor before departure.
• Physiological injury such as heart attack, appendicitis, hernia, toothache etc. in a remote area.
• Road traffic accident.
• Contaminated food and/ or water.

This trip visits a remote area where you are away from normal emergency services and medical facilities. In case of a serious injury requiring hospitalisation evacuation could take up to several days and may impede your ensuing recovery. Helicopters are the most usual means of evacuation, however they are not always available or they may be hindered by poor weather and flying conditions.

Suggested reading and maps for Singalila Ridge

Maps

Sikkim Schweizerische Stiftung fur Alpine Forschung (Swiss Foundation For Alpine Research) Scale: 1:150,000

Books

Kanchenjunga the Untrodden Peak by Charles Evans.
The Hard Years by Joe Brown

The Kanchenjunga Adventure by Frank Smythe

Round Kanchenjunga by Douglas Freshfield

Kanchenjunga; First Ascent from the North-East Spur by Col Narinder Kumar

Kangchenjunga Himal and Kumbhakana by Jan Kielkowski

The Ascent of Rum Doodle by WE Bowman