TMC
WESTERN LED TREKS FOR 2011 & 2012

 

Dhaulagiri Circuit, Nepal in October 2011 GUARANTEED TO RUN for more information on this trek  
 
Mera Peak Expedition, Nepal in November 2011 GUARANTEED TO RUN for more information on this trek
 
Kanchenjunga Circuit, Nepal (Gary Pfisterer) November 2011 GUARANTEED TO RUN for more information on this trek

Everest Base Camp, Nepal (Alan Ward) late November 2011 GUARANTEED TO RUN for more information on this trek

Makalu to Everest, Nepal in April/ May 2012 for more information on this trek 

Makalu Base Camp, Nepal in April/ May 2012 for more information on this trek 
 
Mera Peak Expedition, Nepal in April 2012 for more information on this trek

Dhaulagiri Circuit, Nepal in April/ May 2012 for more information on this trek  
 
Upper Dolpo to Jomson, Nepal (Gary Pfisterer) May 2012 for more information on this trek

 

Stok Kangri, India (Lee Farmer) July 2012 for more information on this trek 

  

 

Dhaulagiri Circuit,Nepal in October 2012 for more information on this trek  
 
Mera Peak Expedition, Nepal in November 2012 for more information on this trek 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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SUMMER 2011 NEWSLETTER
 

I got back to UK last week after our Spring season in Nepal, The Mountain Company organised a number of lodge based treks in the Everest and Annapurna regions as well as two camping treks in more remote areas. Lee Farmer led Dhaulagiri Circuit and I led Makalu to Everest.

 

It was a great to get a group together this Spring for a reconnaissance trek from Makalu to Everest crossing Sherpani, West Col and Amphu Laptsa passes. This section is the crux of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT") and has rarely been run by commercial trekking operators.

 

Having now completed this trek there is no doubt Makalu to Everest is the toughest and most challenging trek in Nepal. This mainly due to the amount of days spent over 4,500m as well as having two mountaineering days required to cross the high passes into the Khumbu.

However it is well worth the effort as Makalu to Everest is one of the most scenic treks I have done with superb views all the way up the Barun Valley (known as Yosemite of Nepal) including of course Mount Makalu, Chamlang, Baruntse and many others. Surprisingly the Makalu region sees very little trekking traffic for example we did not see any other groups along the way. These days in Nepal it is getting increasingly rare to have this kind of experience in a major trekking area especially near an 8,000m peak. 

To find out how we fared on this trek please take a look at the trip report and photos on TMC blog, I have copied the links below:

 

Part One: Trip report for Makalu to Everest

Part Two: Trip report for Makalu to Everest


Part One: Photos for Makalu to Everest

Part Two: Photos for Makalu to Everest

 

The Mountain Company is planning to organise Makalu to Everest in Spring 2012 as well as Makalu Base Camp returning to Tumlingtar for those who do not want to attempt the passes.

 

Please take a look at the column on the left of this newsletter for the complete list of western led treks we plan to run for Autumn (Fall) 2011, Spring 2012 and Autumn (Fall) 2012. 

If you are looking to join a guaranteed to run camping trek in Nepal for Autumn (Fall) 2011 then you could consider Dhaulagiri Circuit led by Dom Rudd in October, Mera Peak led by myself in late October or Kanchenjunga Circuit led by Gary Pfisterer in November.

Alan Ward is leading our lodge based Everest Base Camp in late November, this trek is also guaranteed to run and there is currently availability,

If you are thinking of visiting Nepal this year then I suggest making a decision soon in order to book your flights to Kathmandu before the price and availability starts changing. 

 

Looking ahead to Spring 2012 in addition to our Makalu treks mentioned above we are also planning to run Upper Dolpo to Jomsom and Everest Kangshung Face in May.

 

Please get in touch if you would like information on any of our treks, I will be in London until early August when I head to Pakistan for K2 & Gondogoro La.

 

Trek on!

 

Roland Hunter
The Mountain Company
Telephone: +44 (0) 207 4980953
  

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WHEN IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO TREK IN NEPAL?

This is probably the most frequently asked question we receive at The Mountain Company, back in June 2008 I posted an article onto our blog with my answer to "When is the best time of year to trek in Himalaya?"

 

Since I wrote this article the visitor numbers in Nepal have significantly increased making some of the more popular treks such as Everest Base Camp very busy in the peak months of October and April. Therefore more than ever I would encourage people thinking about joining a lodge teahouse based trek to consider the so called off season months of December, January, February, March and May.

 

I have trekked to Everest Base Camp with a group in December for the last five years and have always experienced stable and sunny days with virtually no other trekkers on the trail! Of course nights will be a little colder at this time of year however there will always be a heater in the dining room of the lodges (and also in the bedrooms for the luxury lodges!). For winter treks you will be fine as long as you bring the right kit including a warm sleeping bag and down jacket.

 

With more people coming to Nepal these days it is getting more difficult and expensive to find flights to Kathmandu during the peak months of April, October and November. We are getting increasing numbers of people enquiring about our Everest Luxury Lodge and Luxury Everest Base Camp however these lodges are often fully booked for the peak months (often up to nine months before departure date) whereas we have no problem getting rooms at luxury lodges in December, January, February and May.

 

Other lodge based treks that you could consider in off season months are Everest Base Camp, Everest Discovery, Langtang & Laurebina La, Annapurna Sanctuary, Annapurna Luxury Lodge and Annapurna Discovery.

 

However for camping treks there is less flexibility with selecting the time of year as in winter days are shorter and much colder. These factors are more of a consideration for camping treks as these trips tend to be more challenging crossing high passes or climbing peaks. Therefore to maximise your chances of success on expedition style treks it is best to stick to the peak months of April, May, October or November. Personally I would not want to climb Mera Peak in December as at that time of year it is simply too cold at 6,500m!

 
MERA PEAK EXPEDITION LATE OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER 2011 
Mera Peak
Summit day on Mera Peak

 

I will be leading Mera Peak Expedition again this year, it will be my sixth expedition to this mountain and I am hoping for my sixth summit! The dates from Kathmandu are October 30th to November 20th 2011.

 

Our itinerary has been designed for gradual acclimatisation to increase your chances of summiting Mera Peak. We follow the trail south of Lukla that passes through villages of Solu Khumbu and then over Panch Pokhari lakes before making the approach to Mera Peak Base Camp. After climbing Mera Peak we cross Zatra La pass on the way back to Lukla thereby completing a circuit trek.

 

There are several places still available for our Mera Peak Expedition, please get in touch if you have any questions about this trip and are interested in joining the group.


DHAULAGIRI CIRCUIT OCTOBER 2011

Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri seen from French Pass

Dom Rudd is leading Dhaulagiri Circuit in October 2011, this will be The Mountain Company's fifth trek around Dhaulagiri Circuit since Spring 2008.

 

Lee Farmer led this trek for us in April/ May 2011, to find out how this trek went please click on link below to read the trip report posted on our blog:

 


There is still availability for Dhaulagiri Circuit in October if you would like join this group, please get in touch with us soon if you are interested. I suggest you book your flights to Kathmandu as soon as possible as availability and cost for peak month of October are likely to start changing soon.
 
KANCHENJUNGA CIRCUIT NOVEMBER 2011  
Mount Kanchenjunga
Mount Kanchenjunga

 

Gary Pfisterer is leading Kanchenjunga Circuit in November 2011, he is a very experienced mountaineer plus a popular and well liked trek leader.

   

Gary knows the Kanchenjunga region well having led three expeditions to climb this mountain from both North and South sides. His late wife Ginette Harrison was the first woman to successfully climb to the summit of Kanchenjunga and survive the descent.  


GHT- UPPER DOLPO TO JOMSOM IN MAY 2012

Upper Dolpo
Upper Dolpo
 
Gary Pfisterer is is also leading Upper Dolpo to Jomsom in May 2012. I led a reconnaissance trek in Spring 2009 if interested please read my trip report: Trip report for Upper Dolpo to Jomsom trek in May 2009

 

In the travel magazine Wanderlust's June edition they rate Upper Dolpo as "Best for epic views". Wanderlust also describes Upper Dolpo as "possibly the most beautiful place in entire Himalayas" and I certainly agree with them!

 

Our Upper Dolpo to Jomsom itinerary does not follow the more popular Dolpo Circuit instead we head further north to an area very close to the Tibet border and then walk out on the challenging trail to Jomsom thereby completing one section of The Great Himalaya Trail ("GHT").

 

We have already received quite alot of interest for Upper Dolpo to Jomsom so it is looking likely we will get our minimum group size of six people soon in order to guarantee to run this trek. For 2012 we have reduced the price of this trek by �250 to encourage people to sign up!
 
EVEREST KANGSHUNG FACE AND NORTH BASE CAMP MAY 2011  
Everest Kangshung
Everest Kangshung Face

 

We are planning to organise Everest Kangshung Face and Northside Base Camp in May 2011.

 

This trek is also included in Wanderlust's article where they describe Everest Kangshung Face as "Mount Everest's most spectacular aspect and getting there is often rated as one of the world's top treks".

 

This trek passes through pristine, untouched valleys and lakes with Kharta and Kama Valley characterised by magnificent alpine scenery and rich flora containing the highest known forests in the world. Three of the world's highest peaks Everest (8,848m), Lhotse Shar (8,382m) and Makalu (8,463m) overlook the valley.

 

 

K2 BASE CAMP & GONDOGORO LA IN AUGUST 2011

K2
K2 seen from Concordia
 
I am looking forward to leading K2 Base Camp & Gondogoro La in August this summer. There are still several places available if you are interested in joining this group however you should make your decision soon as we need to issue permits and Pakistan visa invitation letters over the next week or so.

 

This is my seventh trek to K2 Base Camp so I am getting to know this trek pretty well now! The Mountain Company groups have visited Pakistan every year since 2004 and over this time we have built up unrivalled experience in operating in this country.

 

 
ONE MOUNTAIN THOUSAND SUMMITS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF TRAGEDY AND TRUE HEROISM ON K2 BY FREDDIE WILKINSON
K2 Wilkinson




This book is about the mountaineering tragedy on K2 over the summer of 2008 and describes how these events were reported in the media especially on blogs updated frequently from different teams on the mountain. The second part of the book focuses on the heroes including Gerard McDonnell, Pemba Gyalje, Tsering (Chhiring) Bhote, and Big Pasang Bhote.

This account is quite detailed and comes from a mountaineers' perspective rather than from a journalist so makes an interesting contrast to Grham Bowley's account in his book No Way Down.

 If you would like to purchase One Mountain Thousand Summits then please take a look at The Mountain Company's Amazon store

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For any further information, help and advice, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Roland Hunter The Mountain Company
Telephone:+44 (0) 207 4980953
 

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