Chopta Tungnath Trek | Trekking in Uttarakhand

Here are answers to a list of generic questions which are asked to us on any treks. We have tried to answer most of them and this list of questions keeps growing with time. If you still have doubts, Contact Us us over phone or email to clear your doubts. We will be happy to help !!

What is camping trek ?

Camping treks are treks in which you spend your night in tents. Tents are pitched in a location which meets the basic requirements of a camping ground like source of water, safety from rock fall, flash floods, etc, good views to mention a few.

What is a tea house/hut trek ?

Tea houses are a style of trek in which you rest for the night in commercial lodges made on the trek route to accommodate the trekkers. In this kind of arrangements, rather than sleeping in tents, you will sleep on a cushioned bed, in a room or dormitory provided to you. The tea house will also provide clean quilts or blankets, pillow and a clean bed sheet. The facilities of a tea house vary from place to place.

What kind of facilities should I expect in a camping trek ?

In this trek, you will be staying in the tents. You will be provided good quality sleeping bag and mattresses. Tents will be shared by 2 or 3 depending on the team size. Lights will not be there. Solar lamps or other lighting arrangements will be made while dining. There will be separate dining tents, kitchen tents and toilet tents. For smaller groups however, we carry dining-cum-kitchen tents. Toilet will be dry toilet, done in a pith dug in mud, which will be covered by a toilet tent. Water source will be river water, purified with iodine or chlorine drops. Cooking utensils will be carried by us including your plate and spoons. You may choose to bring your cup, plate and spoons though. Food will be cooked and served by the cooking team who will accompany us throughout the trek. There will be a trekking team which will consist of a one or two guides and helpers to walk with you during the trek and guide you safely to the next campsite. A trek leader lead the team of entire trekkers and staffs, and will see through the entire running of the trek right from your comfort, to guidance, to safety, to staff management, trek planning to organizational goals.

What about Hotels at the Base ?

Clean bedded room on sharing basis, with attached toilets, running water, hot water on request and in house or separate dining space. Television and internet might not always be available. The rooms mentioned will be on availability and sometimes due to huge demand, the price might randomly vary. In situations out of our control, we might give you just the basic hotels at times on triple sharing bass too. This usually depends upon how much in advance have you booked the trek with us. More the time we have, better the arrangements we can assure.

What about the transport:?

Transport from the base camp to the trek road head will not be luxurious and will be according to the availability of vehicles locally. We will hire the best suitable for the group, our local staffs and the camping equipments together. Depending on the group size and load, we hire the as many vehicles as required. For a small group of 2 - 4 trekkers, we might move local staff and logistics in the same vehicle. That reduces our cost and also the carbon footprint of the group. Transport to and from the Base Camp will be arranged as decided upon between us. Sometimes it,s included in the price, sometimes it is not.
Toilets On Trek: There will be a separate toilet tents. For a bigger group ( more than 8 trekkers ), separate toilet tents for men and women will be provided to keep up with the timings. The toilets will be a dry toilet where a pit will be dug and will contain a hump of mud outside. You can use wet tissue papers. After you finish your business, you need to cover the dump with the mud outside. A small shovel will be kept for the purpose. You should not use water in the toilet pit. When we shift camps, we will ensure that the pit is well covered and the area is clean. For tea house treks, toilets are well maintained by the owners.

What do I need to carry for the trek ?

If you are trekking with us, you need to carry just your clothing, camera and other electronic devices such as mobile, iPad, music player, etc. You may bring a trekking pole and binoculars to help you on trail.
We would be carrying all of the camping and technical equipment and the cost of it will be included in the package price. If you had requested a customized trek package, this will depend on what you have asked for.
For a detailed generic list of what to carry on a trek, follow the link click here

What if I want to offload my personal load ?

We promote carrying your rucksack by yourself. However, if you are not in a position to carry it by yourself, we may hire you a porter to do so. Any such requests should come before the start of the trek. Else, in the middle of the trek, we cannot assure you a porter to carry your bag, as its not guaranteed to get the porters on the way. The charges will depend upon the number of bags to be offloaded and needs to be consulted prior to the beginning of the trek.

Do I need to tip the staffs ?

It is not mandatory, but they expect a little token of good will gesture from you. Usually, the entire group collects an amount and distributes it to the local staffs by themselves. We promote the same theory.

What if I get injured in middle of the trek ?

Such situations will be treated as emergency and we will act according to the seriousness of it. While sometimes we may require to give you full attention, affecting the entire team. While on other occasions, it might be a minor injury and treated accordingly, with importance. If we require sending you back, we will accompany a helper with you, who will take care of you and take you down to safety. The entire team is expected to cooperate fully on such occasions. We will be abided by our Terms of Travel for such situation, and you are expected to read it before you join one of our fixed departures.

What is the evacuation strategy from a trek in case of emergency?

In a seriously high altitude trek special care needs to be taken to keep away AMS and other altitude hazards. Since compression bags are ultra expensive, we do not carry it with us. The guides and leader accompanying you on the trek are well acquainted and versed with altitude care. However, things do turn ugly at times, due to altitude sickness or physical injury.On such occasions, you need to be brought down to safety to the nearest road head. Deciding the road head will depend on factors like your walking ability, the cause of the problem, your location, etc and will be best decided by our leaders and the trek guides present with you. You will be accompanied by a helper for assistance, or the leader himself will come down depending upon the seriousness of the case. If you cannot walk by your own, you need to be carried by porters or horses. From any of the point, our objective is set to get to the nearest safety town to get medical attention, warmth of a household or a hotel Himalayan treks are in remote areas and you are expected to be aware of all such scenarios beforehand, and adapt accordingly. Our Team will try its very best to cope up all the hassles and tackle any emergency. Your trek leader will be knowledgeable on high altitude effects, its care and medicines.

What about the cost in an emergency situation ?

All the expenses made during an emergency situation have to be borne by the individual. We will assist with all our knowledge, information and connections to respond to that emergency.

What time do you expect me to be in the base camp. Will you come to receive me ?

You are expected to reach the base camp by 5 PM. You will be given a location to report to, however, you may Contact Us any number of times for assistance. If required, any of our team members will get you to our base camp.

What about the transportation cost before and after trek ?

Check the inclusion and exclusion tab to see if transportation is included or not. Usually its included. In case not, we may arrange a vehicle for you, the cost of which is to be shared by you or the group using the vehicle on actual basis.

Can I drink alcohol on trek ?

Drinking alcohol is not advisable on a High Altitude Trek. Alcohol dehydrates our body and in high altitude dehydration becomes a big cause for Altitude Sickness. We suggest and DO NOT allow having alcohol, especially while still gaining altitude.

Do alcohol keep our body warm ?

No. Drinking alcohol has a reverse effect on our body temperature. It further lowers our body temperature, and feeling warm is the response to stimuli. Discovery Channel Busts this myth. read on Will drinking alcohol help you feel warmer? Alcohol may make your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat wave is deceptive. A nip or two actually causes your blood vessels to dilate, moving warm blood closer to the surface of your skin, making you feel warmer temporarily. At the same time, however, those same veins pumping blood closer to the skin's surface cause you to lose core body heat - the heat you need to survive, especially if you're stuck in a snowdrift . This effect could lead to fatal hypothermia."

Is smoking allowed on treks ?

Smoking hampers your climbing and cardio-vascular abilities. Smoking is not advisable and a fit trekker does not smoke. However, if you still want to smoke, its your choice, but the comfort of other members of the group should be taken care of.

How many days do I need to acclimate before the trek?

It is recommended two days of acclimatisation, which includes not doing much physical effort, having an amount of food (the digestion goes slowly at higher elevations). You must have light food, and hot drinks (coca tea) with the meals, specially the two first days, plus a good rest, these help a lot to cop with the altitude sickness symptoms.

What is the best thing to do in the event of altitude sickness?

Our guides are trained to assists you in case of acute mountain sickness, they carry an oxigen bottle, and first aid kit, however you can take your personal medication, especially for a headache, stomache, and plasters.

What is the the maximum group size?

The maximum group size on any of Treks By Region is 10-15 people. We considerate 10-15 persons are have better communication and attention with the guide.

Is there a minimum group size?

We require just 6 persons to depart. During the last 1 n 1/2 years Himveer Tour & Trek has always managed to meet the minimum group size for all of our departure dates and have never had to cancel any group departures or have to combine with any other trekking company

As a single trekker, May I Join one of Himveer Tour & Trek trekking's fixed departure programs?

Yes, of course! We usually have single trekkers on each and every one of our group departures. It is a great way to get to know fellow travellers and most people find that the group dynamics are very friendly and comforting. Logistically, single trekkers will share rooms and tents with other single trekkers of the same sex on our group journeys.

What happens if I suffer from altitude illness or have a health problem?

Before each trek, we have a group meeting that outlines the detailed information on altitude illness and awareness, and our staff is highly trained to be on the lookout out for all its signs and symptoms. Each trekking itinerary has also been arranged to allow for proper adjustment to the trails and heights given the timetable and elevations gained along the way.We have designed each trek with your health in mind first and foremost, and we take a sensible and safe rate of climb. We have much experience in planning ahead of time to cover safety and health measures along the way and are prepared for any situations that might arise.We carry our own standard First Aid kit and supplies with us on each trek. We also recommend that you bring your own supplies and medicines as needed and please inform us of pre-existing medical conditions and advisories from your physician before your arrival ,and please let us know your blood group in the event of an emergency..