should I take these items or not?

Hot Tomali

Hello!
I'm really impressed with this forum. Full of useful info and helpful people...
I'm going to Mcleod Ganj in May, travel around Himachal Pradesh and to Ladakh in August for trekking. We're not planning to do any serious hiking because my mom is 60years old. Perhapse 2-3 day easy hike would be good. But we're planning to take a bus from Manali to Leh. That would be a challenge for my mom. Trekking makes my bag so heavy...

I've started packing and I can't possibly fit everything in my 40L pack. Could you tell me which ones I should rent or buy in India or which ones I can do without.

Goretex hiking boots or jogging shoes or just Teva sandals with thick socks?
Small size duck down sleeping bag
compact umbrella
non goretex jacket(not very thick, but bulky)
thermal underwear
light/warm wool sweater
raincoat

For trekking, can I just wear thermal underwear, sweater and a raincoat(as a shield) or should I take a jacket(bulky!) or should I rent it or buy a not bulky goretex jacket?

should I take a collapsable water sack instead of a Nalgene bottle?

Any help would be appreciated...

Kanbe

Hi, if you aren't planning on doing any serious trekking, then trainers would probably suffice. If you do want hiking boots, its best to get them back home so you can break it in. You wouldn't want to get blisters from newly purchased ones.

If you want to cut down on your weight, then its possible to rent jackets (gortex or not) from private tour operators or buy second hand ones that has been dropped off by previous travellers.

While you are trekking, it is best to wear layers. Because temperatures can vary so much in one day, its wise if you can put on or take off when necessary.

You are travelling in May...the monsoon hasn't arrived yet, so Im not sure how needy a raincoat and umbrella is. You can always just buy it when necessary..

phobal

I'm really, really confused. A trek is defined as a committed and arduous journey. You say you're not going to do any treks due to your mother, yet you use the term 'trekking' two more times in your message. Saying "Perhapse [sic] 2-3 day [sic] easy hike [sic]" doesn't really help either. Are you going for a 2-3 day hike which is easy, or are you looking to do 2-3 days of easy hikes?

What do you mean by easy? How long are these hikes? Are you tenting it or what? What exactly does your mother have to do with this? You should put your trip into a lucid context for us to easily read (proofreading is always nice) before soliciting our opinion on which mountaineering goods you should/or should not bring.

skell

Phobal, your post inspired me to look up the definition of "trek". The problem now becomes, how does one pack oxen?


trek, Mirriam Webster:
Afrikaans, from Dutch treck pull, haul, from trecken
1 chiefly South African : a journey by ox wagon; especially : an organized migration by a group of settlers
2 : a trip or movement especially when involving difficulties or complex organization

trek. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
...South African To travel by ox wagon. 1. A journey or leg of a journey, especially when slow or difficult. 2. South African A journey by ox wagon, especially a migration...

SHIMLA

skell,
The oxen are for S.African "treks" and here we're talking "trekking" in India, so no need to pack the beasts !!

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skell

What about yaks then?

SHIMLA

In Nepal, perhaps !

phobal

When an individual says: "I'm going trekking", this generally means that they are going on a well planned, typically multi-day journey on foot. This is unlike a "hike" which is typically organized by a man so he can impress her with his (fake) love for the wilderness in an attempt to get some . Tangent aside, I'm still really confused as to what Tomali is trying to say.

machadinha

One assumes his mother being sixty might give you some indication as to what he's asking. Nor does it leave one with the impression he's "trying to get some". As for the trekking, you might be the only one confused here. Do some proofreading before getting snappy

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sticky

I have never been trekking in HP, so i cant give you specific advice about it, but -

Why not take only stuff for easy one day treks, leave the umbrella, jacket and serious boots. Try a few day long treks, and if they go fine and you want to take it up a notch see what other gear you will need and buy it.

and dont forget that you can post stuff home if you dont need/want it - or if youre feeling charitable, give it to some one needy (if it didnt cost you an arm and a leg i guess).

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Syiem

[quote=Hot Tomali]Hello!
But we're planning to take a bus from Manali to Leh. That would be a challenge for my mom.

A serious word of caution. You said your mum is 60 years old. The bus journey is not considered safe for people that old because the road passed through some very high mountain passes (+15000 ft) and the extremely thin air can choke most poeple. So unless your mom is extremely fit I would advise you to think twice before embarking on this journey.

jens

Thought I'd add my two cents, I've done a lot of trekking. And hiking. And walking. Just b/c your mom is 60 doesn't mean she's in bad shape, there are tons of 60 year olds kicking the younger folks butts at high altitude. I met a single 70 year old woman at 16,000 feet in Nepal who was hiking in Annapurna after her husband died (b/c he had never wanted to go). She had lived in Iowa her whole life, and had always yearned to see the Himilayas.

You do sound like you know to be careful. Go to the doctor (and your mom) and get a health check up. Ask about AMS. Ask about Acetazolamide (Diamox). I'm not a fan, others swear by it. Inform yourself. Read about AMS ahead of time; different people react differently at different altitudes. Many say below 9-10,000 feet most people are fine, but it really depends on the person- it may affect someone at 5,000 feet too. Hopefully you're in shape, but being in shape doesn't predict how the body will react at altitude, neither does previous experience. Know your body, know the symptoms, don't be nervous.

As far as things to take--umbrella--joke? Tevas- I find it very nice to take off hiking boots at night and put on Tevas with socks. That said, I was in India in Dec., Jan., and NEVER wore my Tevas the rodes were two "muddy". If you feel comfortable in trainers fine, if you at all need ankle support, if you will be hiking rough terrain or carrying a lot of weight- take the hiking boots. You can take fleece instead of a heavy coat. I don't use sweaters anymore, too heavy, but that is very much personal preference. For cold weather I usually take two fleece pullovers and a raincoat as a windbreak (and waterproof pants too)---I don't like gortex so I use the cheaper fabrics. "Cotton is rotten" when wet so many avoid wearing it for trekking...Unlike synthetics, wool, silk it doesn't retain body heat when wet. With some more layers underneath, fleece, raincoat, I've never been cold to 0 degrees F. No matter whether you are doing long hikes or day hikes ALWAYS bring essentials like maps, flashlight (headlamps are best), sun lotion, water proof gear, extra food and water, extra clothing, firestarter, pocketknife, first aid kit, water filter or water treatment tablets.

As far as water goes, you can always use the plastic water bottles they sell water in in lieu of water bags or bottles. Then you don't have to worry about losing them. If you use water treatment tablets or a filter you won't need to buy much water---and creating plastic waste---and you will never fear running out of water. As well, you won't need to be burdened with gallons of very heavy water.

Have fun, ciao.

Hot Tomali

Thansks all for the important and helpful tips. My mom's quite weak, not kicking asses of young people at all. She goes to a 3-4 hour of hike to a mountain in Seoul every Saturday.

I'll be in Mcleod Ganj from May and she's going to come at the end of July for a month. I was planning to meet her at Simla and go to Kinnaur, Spiti and Lahaul(2weeks) and Leh(2weeks). I heard that these places are not affected by monsoon. If we do this route, wouldn't we be well acclimatised? I am concerned if the routes from Simla to Lahaul might be too hard for her(not to mention Manali-Leh).

What's the best way to travel from Simla to Lahaul, by bus, rental car(how much to rent a car/driver)? What are the rodes like? lots of scary cliffs?

Considering the time of year:July-August, and my mom's age and her physcial ability, where would you recommend we go? Another option I was thinking is to meet my mom up at Leh(She could fly to Leh, and fly back to Delhi) and spend a month there taking it easy, going for day trips, a moderate trekking for 4-5 days(if there is any).

She hasn't travelled outside Korea and finally got a month to be totally free from her life-long responsibilities at home and work. I want her to have the best time of her life in India.

About AMS...Can I buy AMS drugs in India?
Thanks!

vistet

[quote=Syiem]Fitness is not involved in getting altitude sickness. I wouldn´t exclude anyone on age alone. Asthma or other pulmonary diseases is obviously a totally different thing.

Avid Trekker on this forum has both medical expertise and experience with trekking groups in Ladakh and should be able to give more specific advice.

At 60+ I would give some extra thought to acclimatisation :

* the Manali-Leh road is spectacular , but also one of the highest roads in the world. Consider doing it in reverse after flying in & trekking.

* don´t (at any age) sign on for the cannonball run ; going with jeep without the overnight stay in the tent camps. Painful at best. Better still make a acclimatisation stop in Keylong after crossing the Rothang La.

... a good place to start : http://www.high-altitude-medicine.com

vistet

In the monsoon period you will have to take in to account that roads occasionally go away before you enter the monsoon shadow in Ladakh & Spiti, both as a delaying and scary factor.

There are a number sections on the Manali-Leh road that can be scary, at one point you can touch the rock just outside of the window with one hand and stare out in to thin air on the other. If situations like these are horrifying to your mom , treat her to a two-way air ticket. (Or hope for a rapid peace progress in Kashmir , this road is less steep and goes at a lower mean altitude).