Poon Hill Trek - 11 Days

Duration:

Our Poon Hill trek total duration is 11 days with 06 days trek and rest of the time spent in Kathmandu and Pokhara. In case if you have limited time, Poon Hill Trek can be done even within 03 days.

Elevation:

Our Poon Hill trek mostly hovers below 3,000m but only on the day climbing to viewpoint Poon Hill the elevation reaches 3,200 m.

Grading: Easy to Medium

Our Poon Hill trek is graded easy to medium with an ascent of around 1360 m/descent of 720 m.  Trek reaches an elevation of 3,200 m and the walk is in a Himalayan terrain’s trails with lots of up and down, exposed, steep, walking through forest, crossing the river on suspension bridges. Walking hours will be in between 4 to 7 hours per day.

Though this is graded as an easy to medium trek in Nepal but for those who have not done that much of trek it can still prove to be a difficult one. The trek does not require any technical skill but has to be physically and mentally fit and should be able to walk around 5 to 7 hours per day. Trek will be in an ascending order initially then descends down while retreating back. The trail goes through diverse Himalayan terrains, rough, narrow and full of ups and downs.

Altitude Problem:

Since Poon Hill trek does not involve that much of walk in the high elevation so altitude problem is not much of an issue.

Preparation For the Trek:

Although graded easy to medium but trekking in the Himalayas always needs good preparation, planning so as to have a successful and enjoyable trek experience.

Mental Preparation:

Please do the reality check if the trek is suitable for you. This is a trek where the terrains are rough, accommodation is simple basic with sharing bathroom, simple meals (local food, Western food, Chinese food), no medical facilities on the trail except the small basic medical kit carried by the company.  If you are having any medical problems, we recommend you consult with your doctor before undertaking the trip.

During the trek there might be stages where you get physically exhausted, and you would like to give it up this is when the mental strength becomes very important. You need to be patient, use positive visualization, may be meditation which can be a great tool to train the mind.

Physical Preparation:

This is a trek reaching up to an elevation of 3,200m in a terrain which involves steep, expose and lots of up and down trail.  So it is crucial to start toning up your legs & body muscles, stamina, ready to take up the challenge.  If you are regular trekker and has already done several treks so not much preparation is required.  For those who are not a regular trekker or novice start training as early as possible. As for when you start training, you would want to begin anywhere from 3 months before your journey. The longer you train, the fitter and stronger you will become and thus, more likely to enjoy the trek without adding any additional stress to your body and avoid injury.

• Start hiking covering 9 – 10 kms per day with bit of weight 5-10kg. Try this quite frequently and increase the distance. This will slowly build strong muscles in your legs and body, also help as to how you move on the trail. Practice with the hiking boots that you plan on taking in order to avoid blisters during the trek.
• Also, you can build up your strength, endurance, stability and self-assurance doing a stair walking. You can start slowly and then gradually prolonged it for bit longer period.
• You can work on with treadmill as it will strengthen your calves and Achilles tendons and improves your cardio and leg endurance. This can be done by increasing the incline each week till you can tolerate 45-60 m at a 15% incline.
• Other fitness activities like swimming, cycling, jogging is all helpful

Season:  Between March/End April and Between Mid October/Mid December

Weather plays an important role for having an enjoyable trek in the Himalayas because without the view of the snowy peak the trek in Nepal can be bit incomplete.

Though the trek can be done almost throughout the year with the exception in the Monsoon season but in order to enjoy the trek fully the ideal time is autumn between mid-October till mid-December where most of the time you can have unobstructed view of the lofty Himalayas.

Springtime between mid -March till end of April is another good time to trek in the Himalayas. But during this time weather can be bit hazy and also sometimes you can have rain. But since the weather pattern is changing its hard to be precise, we just have to count on our luck as well.

Access :

Drive to Hille the starting point of the trek (but option is driving bit higher as well)

Aircraft : Flight to Pokhara and back on a 75-seater aircraft (baggage allowance around 23 per person but for trekking 15 kg per person should be enough)

Type of Trek:

Poon Hill trek can be done in different ways like FULL PACKAGE TRIP and GAP BASIS 

• FULL PACKAGE TRIP: We organize the require permit for the trek, arrange guide and porters, we reserve accommodation, provide meals and arrange transportation where required.
• GAP TREK STYLE : Almost the same arrangement like in the full package trip but just that we do not provide meals. Here you need to make the food payments directly in the lodges.

Typical Day In The Trek :

Usually, day begins around 6 am with tea or coffee and then washing and shaving.  After you need to get back to your room and pack your gears, followed by breakfast in the restaurant which will be as per your choice. Then we start our trek which will be around 3 hours then have a lunch break –  our guide will choose a good place to eat and also will see that you get an opportunity to enjoy the view of mountains.  We again start our trek for around three to four hours and then we end our night in the Lodge.  Dinner will be in the restaurant/lodge, and you get a menu to choose your meal.

Accommodation:

Your nights, during the trek, will be spent at basic simple lodges/guest houses made from stone, wood and cemented one.  In it you have restaurant with dining hall having a fireplace or boiler to cozy up the place. Rooms are generally in twin sharing basis but in some you might have triple or more sharing room. They provide you with cotton pillows and a blanket, so we recommend you bring up your own sleeping bag. Most of the lodges have solar lighting system and hence are slightly dim. You’ll have to pay the additional amount for a hot shower, wifi, and charging facilities. During busy season time it is hard to get rooms even if you don’t reserve in advance due to limited lodges in the region.

Now a days in some section few lodges have sprung up offering better rooms and having attached bathrooms but still these kinds of lodges are limited.

Meals :

A typical lodge in this area offers an extensive menu based on noodles, rice, flour, potatoes, eggs and vegetables.

Breakfast offerings include muesli, a variety of porridges, pancakes and bread with jam or eggs.

For lunch it is worth considering what can be quickly prepared, with veg noodle soup being popular. Pancakes and Tibetan bread are also relatively quick to make. Increasingly toasted sandwiches are on menus too. Apple pie is generally delicious, deep fried in the same way as the spring rolls are.

Most meal choices are carbohydrate-heavy; exactly what trekkers require. All lodges serve tea, coffee, hot chocolate, hot lemon, soft drinks and beer (check its temperature first) and some places even offer wine.

Avoid having uncooked food like salads etc during the trek or even in Kathmandu.

Water During Trekking :

You can carry a good filter water bottle and used tap water for drinking. You can find water taps along the route. Having some sort of water purification system will save you a lot of money on the Poon Hill trek. Plus, it’s good for the environment. One liter of drinking water costs around NPR 100/US$1 depending on the place. You’ll need at least 2l of water per person a day if you buy it every time you can add NPR 200/US$2 pp. to your daily budget.

Don’t drink water directly from the tap or stream water you need to purify it either using water filter bottle or by purification tablets.

Electricity and Wifi

On your Poon Hill trekking trail, most of the teahouse has electric power. You can charge your mobile phone, camera, or other electronic devices. Some places offer solar system power, too. Sometimes, there can be a power cut, so for backup carrying a power bank or solar charger will be a good idea.

Most tea houses have internet facilities and may charge you extra money. You can connect during your trek with WIFI or mobile data. You can get a sim on arrival at the Airport and buy the date package for mobile data. The mobile data is not that expensive so having one stays you connected with the world.

Staff Support

You will have the support of a Govt. registered trekking guide who can speak Basic English language and well acquainted with the area. All our Guides have received training in basic skills and knowledge about administering first aid and emergency medication.

We provide porters to carry your personal baggage and gear leaving just the day pack to be carried by yourself.  We provide one porter for every two trekkers and one porter generally carries a baggage weighing not more than 23 Kgs, i.e. 15 Kgs per trekker. So, you will need to pack your baggage accordingly.

Permits :

You only require two different permits — TIMS Card (Trekking Information Management System) and Annapurna Park Permit.

While issuing a TIMS Card & Annapurna Park ticket, you’ll require your passport, four passport size photos, insurance details, and contact details.

Trekking Equipment:

The weather in the Himalayas is always unpredictable, especially in the upper reaches. Therefore, it is essential to pack all the necessary equipment while trekking. Complete list of equipment will be forwarded upon confirmation of the trip.  Most of the gears can either be bought or rented out in a different trekking shop in Kathmandu.

Insurance:

Insurance is a ‘MUST’ if you’re planning to trek in the Himalayas whether it might be a short easy trek or difficult one which involves walking in a difficult high-altitude terrain, crossing snowy passes, sometimes faces unpredictable weather and trail having no access to medical facilities. Insurance plays an important role in such a circumstances it covers you with helicopter evacuation which is very expensive, your medical bills or sometimes your accommodation and upgraded air journey.

But make sure to choose a right policy that covers emergency helicopter evacuation, medical costs, natural disasters, theft, and losses etc.

Visa Requirements:

All foreigners require a visa for entry into Nepal. You can get from a Nepalese embassy overseas or on arrival in Nepal. You can also try an online visa form Online Services (immigration.gov.np)  before arriving and obtain the visa on arrival at Kathmandu airport.  For obtaining the visa your passport should have atleast 6 months validity on the day of departure, one passport size photograph and the visa fee on US $ cash.

15 days USD$  30 or equivalent convertible currency

30 days USD$  50 or equivalent convertible currency

90 days USD$125 or equivalent convertible currency

Vaccinations and Medical:

You should obtain professional advice from a travel clinic or your local GP about the right vaccination to have before you arrive in Nepal. A dental check-up is a good idea as there will be no dental facilities while on the trek.

First Aid Kit :

We provide basic medical kit, but it is always safer to arrange your own medical kit as suggested by your physicians/doctor.

Environmental Concerns:

Far Out discourages all its clients from buying plastic mineral water bottles when up in the mountains and also abstaining from using hot water for baths that has been heated by burning firewood. We carefully select lodges that particularly use kerosene, solar energy, or cow dung instead of firewood for all heating, lighting and cooking purposes.

About Adventure Travel :

The concept of mountain trekking in itself is ‘adventure traveling’ which can be unpredictable most of the times. While traveling through the remote mountainous regions of Nepal, please do not expect standards you are used to at home, since these areas are still underdeveloped.