Nepal treks for Over 55s, Annapurna Dhaulagiri

Planet

The Annapurna region is a very popular area for trekking with its stunning mountain vistas and traditional villages. Road constructions in some parts of the region have not hindered our opportunity to seek out the best walking trails away from these thoroughfares.

We pioneered the concept of private eco campsites in the Everest region in 2013 and due to their great success, have replicated this in specific sites across the Annapurna region. While most companies offer lodge trekking where sustainable practice is not well patrolled and which takes away employment from the alternative camping option, our private eco campsites deliver a small environmental footprint but are big on comforts. Each site comprises of a permanent dining room which is heated, two-person stand-high tents with stretcher beds, mattresses and pillows, composting sit toilets and many of our private eco campsites also have hot showers. We cook with kerosene or gas only, while our dining rooms are heated by a pot belly stove that is fuelled by yak dung and not wood (yak dung is a sustainable and renewable fuel source that has been widely used as a traditional practice in the Himalaya for centuries).

We are one of the founding partners of a simple but effective litter collection initiative called 10 Pieces. The aim of 10 Pieces, which is available on all our treks in Nepal, is to harness the collective power of travellers to keep wilderness trails free of litter (namely plastic and paper). Your guide will tell you more about 10 Pieces at the initial group briefing in Kathmandu. The initiative is completely voluntary, but if you choose to partake it will only take 5 minutes each trek day. We will provide you with our reusable rubbish collection bags and we will dispose of the litter responsibly, so you can leave a positive footprint in Nepal.

Our Waste Management Policy encourages our travellers to take their own reusable water bottles and reusable stuff sacks to avoid single-use plastics. We follow this same philosophy in our London office as well as on the trail: we have banned single use coffee cups and water bottles; we use recycled paper and are working towards reducing the overall amount of paper we use; and we recycle all our of plastic and paper waste.

Already in 2000 we developed the award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook, which presented our Travel Group’s comprehensive policies on sustainable travel. Over the years, our Responsible Travel Guidebook has evolved to meet the ever-changing landscape of sustainable travel. In March 2018, The Thoughtful Traveller booklet was launched, which is an easy-to-read document that empowers travellers with suggestions about how they can be part of the solution and collectively make the world a better place when they travel. Everyone is encouraged to read the Thoughtful Traveller ebook before departure.

People

We use local Nepali guides for all our treks, so not only will you have a richer experience with someone who knows the land and culture, but you will also be helping to support the prosperity of the very place you have sought out as a destination.

Mountain porters are an integral part of each trip. The entire group – travellers, guides and porters alike – are a team who share the same needs for safety in the mountain environment.

Our ‘Porter Welfare Code of Conduct’ ensures safe working conditions for the mountain porters we employ. In Nepal, our mountain porters receive:

• A working wage that is regulated by the Trekking Agents Association of Nepal and the Labour Union of Nepal; we pay per their guidelines, which are unionised.
• Life insurance and income protection insurance.
• Access to the same first aid care that our travellers receive, including emergency helicopter evacuation if required.
• Quality gear consisting of: wind and waterproof jacket and over-trousers, 2 pairs of woollen socks, 2 pairs of leather shoes on long treks and 2 pairs of canvas shoes while on short treks, woollen gloves, a warm cap and sunglasses.
• A weight restriction of carrying no more than 30kgs
• A porter age restriction of minimum 16 years of age and maximum 50 years of age.

In addition, we are one of the few trekking companies in Nepal to provide porters with three meals a day, prepared by our cooks, as well as lodging (or tents), sleeping mats and blankets.

We are proud that our camping treks employ many local people – a workforce of up to 25% more than a lodge trek typically provides. Our eco campsites and the operations of these help provide year-round employment and career opportunities for the Nepali people, while as a traveller you gain an invaluable insight into the local culture via the dedicated Nepali crew accompanying your trek.