La Sportiva Nepal Extreme

There is no substitute for personalized attention. I traveled to Nepal to visit Everest Base Camp. I traveled alone and had certain trepidation about traveling on my own, but I also knew I wanted to escape the pressures of trekking in a large group. Altitude and safety are paramount on mountain treks and I did not want to end-up hyperventilating trying to keep-up with faster, fitter, trekkers.

Even though, I have altitude experience, I relied heavily on my guide's advice regarding what to eat, pace, and hydration. I have climbed and summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro, so I was confident I could complete this trek, but nothing can prepare you for the terrain of the Hymalayas. It is truly a humbling experience.

Mr. Adhikari came highly recommended by other trekkers, who were only too willing to write positive and detailed letters of recommendation. I found that all their recommendations were more than true. Mr. Adhikari has been to Everest Base Camp more than 50 plus times, as a woman traveling alone, I found his level of professionalism refreshing. I cannot count the times, Mr. Adhikari truly saved me from my inexperienced trekking self. He ensured I would

not be run over by a Yak, horse, or donkey, kept me focused on the difficult terrain, and somehow ensured I stopped long enough to enjoy the scenery (in spite of my exhaustion). I shudder to think what my trek would have been like if I'd been just another trekker in a large group. I have to comment that I have never been so healthy-stomach wise at altitude.

Mr. Adhikari explains that when organizing for larger groups, he makes provisions for trekkers like me who tend to walk at a slower pace. I thought for sure that, this time, my ambition had superseded my ability, but thanks to Mr. Adhikari, my long time dream of seeing Everest Base Camp first hand came true. I was able to spend time in the rarified air and observe camp life, took plenty of pictures, and asked Mr. Adhikari numerous questions about his experiences around the area. I so wanted to see the famous "ice fall." it was helpful to have a guide who spoke Nepali and who is so friendly. At a time when all one's body wants to do is rest, it was nice that my guide struck-up conversations with other climbers. He pointed out that some of the people passing me were not base camp visitors, but climbers in training-those hoping to summitt Everest. They use the road to base camp and the surroundings as a sort of conditioning track.

I was very aware of the economic implications of traveling with a Nepali Operator vs. a foreign trekking company. I wanted my trip not to only be a self-serving adventure, but numerous travel books suggest that traveling with a Nepali Operator does ensure more of the money goes and stays into the Nepali economy. I was unsure how the whole experience would unfold, but I am staying here and going to Annapurna Base Camp with the same operator. Mr. Adhikari seems to be grounded on the mountain community ad well as in Kathmandu. It was reassuring to see he has good and long standing relationships with other guides and the mountain community.

I need to add that you should come prepared and bring a permanent marker. There is a large boulder marking the entrance to Everest Base Camp. The boulder is covered with trekker signatures. The smaller boulders and stones are covered with messages from those lucky enough to have been there.

Visited April 2012

I had to post this in the forum column after returning from our trek since my boyfriend and I had the absolute best time trekking in the Everest region!

His name is Sanjib Adhikari and his email is sanjib-adhikari@hotmail.com, he is licens...ed by the country of Nepal and has been a trekking guide for over 12 years.

I found him through the posted forums when I was inquiring about trekking since my boyfriend and I only had 5 days to trek and really wanted to see mount Everest. He was able to customize a plan to get us as close as possible. We had a blast! I'd love to send you photo's of our trek and trust me there was a part when we were climbing the hill to get to Namche and I thought I was going to die! Sanjib was so patient and his knowledge of the mountain area and all of Nepal is commendable! We met up with a couple of other people trekking and had a blast hanging out in one of the places to stay and even the other people were asking Sanjib about routes to take and length of time it would take to get to base camp.

He is a smart, honest and genuine person and guide! Even after the trek we met up in Thamel and hung out for 2 days seeing the sights around Kathmandu and Patan. Sanjib not only knows the Everest region but all around Nepal and I highly recommend him!

Please contact me if you need more info or would like to see pictures from Facebook-:

Sanjib-adhaikri@hotmail.com

My boyfriend and I also used this guide whilst we were out in Nepal - we were recommended by a friend who used him when she did Everest Base Camp. We decided to do the Annapurna Circuit plus base camp.

We met with Sanjib in Kathmandu when we arrived in Nepal and we told him what we wanted to do and how much time we had etc. He told us about a few trips that were possible and we eventually came up with this one.

It was the most amazing trip and wouldn't have been the same without him and Ram our porter (.

We spent 20 days trekking in November 2011 and Sanjib was able to answer all of our questions from the birds to the trees to the mountains and religion. It was a very cultural trek with so much history.

Some people say that it is possible to do the trek without a guide, which may be true but you miss so much when you are on your own and we learnt such a lot from Sanjib which meant that we understood so much more of Nepal when we visited different areas.

We paid all of our money to him up front, which we were dubious about at the start as we didn't know him but I wouldn't say that this was a problem at all.

He made sure we were happy and safe and had full bellies at all times and made sure that we knew everything about altitude sickness which we didn't get in the end thanks to his slower pace higher up and aclimatisation walks. We also took Diamox, under his recommendation and we were both fine and only suffered a bit of tingling in our faces (a side effect of the drug)!

I would recommend Sanjib to ANYONE that was thinking about going trekking in Nepal, I would love to go back and visit him and do another trek with him when I have the time! There are so many guides out there that claim to do everything that he does but I wouldn't choose anyone without a recommendation because you hear so many stories about dodgy guides and it would be so sad to lose your money and have a bad experience.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions and enjoy your trek!

Email to him-:sanjib-adhikari@hotmail.com.

www.nepalguideinfo.com

www.hikehimalayas.com

www.hikingtoeverest.com

The La Sportiva Nepal Extreme Hiking Boots are without doubt the best hiking boots you can buy.

Although on the expensive side, they are made using the highest quality materials.

They are not just perfect for hiking, but are also perfect for rock and ice climbing, giving the best comfort and grip. The La Sportiva Nepal Extreme also have an EZ Flex removable hook and loop fastening adjustable tongue and EZ lace, so they can be adjusted to fit perfectly. They have a triple insulated lining, so they will also keep your feet dry and warm in the worst conditions.

Simply the best money can buy!!!