Last year, we visited Nepal, as part of our 3 month Asia tour, with the express intention of doing a trek of some description. We did limited forward planning in regard to which trek we would be taking, or how we would take it, but we did make sure we did a reasonable amount of fitness and trekking training. I am going to talk about trek fitness preparation in a following post, but this post I want to discuss whether or not potential travelers need to organise a trek from their home country, in advance? In particular, with reference to potential travelers who is not a young, carefree backpackers, but instead the 40+ year old traveler? 

Short Answer – NO

Although I believe there is considerable pressure from travel agents and tour companies that a home country organised group tour, probably with a group leader from home, as well as a large local team, is the only way for a middle aged traveler to safely walk the Himalaya, in my opinion, this is not necessarily the ONLY option.

A quite momement!

I am not saying there is not going to be some benefits of being on a group trek, with a dozen or more similarly aged, same nationality hikers as yourself. However, there is also some major advantages of going it alone, getting to Kathmandu, finding a guide and/or porter and walking with them.  For the over 40 year old in particular, some of the major advantages of an locally organised, independent trek are -

• Great ability in interact with your guide and/or porter
• With guides help, get a better interaction with locals
• Trek at your pace
• Amend your plans if you require
• Stay in Tea-houses instead of tent camps.
• All your expenditure goes to the Nepalese, and more of it goes to the people of the region you walk through
• In general, get a more “genuine” experience.

The second challenge, if you are considering the possibility of “going alone” on your trek, is that question that you find hard to get a convincing answer while in tour planning stage -

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO ORGANISE YOUR OWN TREK?

Short Answer – NOT DIFFICULT

Honestly, with a little research to know what trek you are considering taking, it is genuinely not difficult to organise all the details once you get to Nepal. There are travel agents and trekking companies in all parts of Kathmandu, as there is in the towns where the major treks depart from – Pokhara and Lukla.

Himalaya Hinterland

We organised a local Pokhara based guide, a porter from Kathmandu, a hotel in Pokhara, bus tickets from Kathmandu to Pokhara, all from a Kathmandu Travel Agent, and all of this cost about 1/10th (probably much less than that), of the cost of a trek organised and paid for in UK, USA or Australia.  An example of our costs were

• Guide – $15.00 per day
• Porter – $10.00 per day
• Pre Trek Accommodation in Pokhara – $20.00 per night
• Bus from Kathmandu to Pokhara – $12.00
• Accommodation in tea houses on trek – $5.00 per night
• Meals while on trek – around $15.00 per day

So, in a nutshell – CONSIDER THIS OPTION

We genuinely believe this is the original way to trek the Himalaya. It is not impossible, and being over 40 is not an issue. While trekking, we met independent trekkers up to 70 years of age, and these people where all going to get to Annapurna Base camp, at 4100m above sea level. And that is a once n a lifetime experience at any age!!