Hardcore Nepal and New River Mtn Guides (USA) team up to help Nepali Climbers.

So I started searching on the internet about customs at Tribuvhan airport, and the news was not great. Apparently many people have been charged a hefty tax on clothes, shoes and school supplies that they have gathered to help our country. Recently, some American school children donated lap tops to give to Nepali school children, and they were all confiscated at the airport.

I don’t want our shoes to get nicked, so I contacted the US Embassy in Kathmandu, and they directed me to this page http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_980.html#entry_requirements which is not very informative. Then I called our friend Endra Rai of the Himalayan River Guide Association of Nepal(HRGAN); seems the best bet for a donation is to get a letter from the place you will be donating to before you arrive at customs; and get a receipt for the value of the donation. There is another friend who is really helpful and knowledgable about customs, Ramesh Kunawar of Masto Outdoors. Ramesh deals with customs regularly because of his outfitter company in Kathmandu. Both of these guys are great sources of information. I encourage anyone who needs customs advice first hand to contact them; they are super friendly and happy to help:

Endra Rai, HRGAN – e-mail :
infohimalay@wlink.com.np
himalayanecstasy@gmail.com

Ramesh Kunawar, Masto Outdoors:
+977 1 4650253 Mobile: +977 9841 298 640
E-mail: ramesh_kunwar2000@yahoo.com

Nepal Misistry of Finance Customs Page: http://www.customs.gov.np/

We have collected lots of photos from our adventures at Hardcore Nepal and from family celebrations, rescue searches for tourists, scouting new canyoning areas in Nepal and just loving our life in our Himalayan nation. Check out our video, share our culture with us!

In Nepal there is a general shortage of kayaks to buy (compared to other countries), which is strange considering the abundance of extreme white water in this country. So, we have to bring our own when traveling back home from out of the country.

If you want to bring a kayak to Nepal (or any sports equipment), check with the airline you are traveling with. Virgin Atlantic is particulary sports travel friendly. They allow one piece of sports equipment in addition to your luggage for free. Other airlines have similar rules for sports equipment allowance, but some still do not allow kayaks. So if you are coming to kayak our Himalayan whitewater, bring your own kayak and check the airlines regulations before you come.

PACK YOUR KAYAK
Be sure to wrap your boat well, and secure your paddle and other gear inside the kayak. Again, you have to be careful of the weight limit, which is usually around 23kg. If you do not have a two piece paddle, wrap the blades and tape it securely to the side of your kayak before wrapping your kayak. But the wrapped kayak in a travel bag if you have it, or be sure to fix a small handle on it for transport.

SELL YOUR KAYAK IN NEPAL
Unless you have some emotional attachment to your kayak, consider selling it before you go back home. Sports equipment can be hard to get in Nepal, and many of the adventure companies would be happy to take it off your hands. So, ask around. Contact Hardcore Nepal, they buy used rock climbing and kayaking equipment for rentals and lessons.

Shipping to Nepal is not a good option as things regularly get held up in customs and recently a friend told me she paid 100% (of value) to get her bicycle out of customs. She had order it and had it delivered DHL. When traveling with an airline, you do not have this problem.

RENT A KAYAK IN NEPALYou can rent kayaks at a few local companies, in Kathmandu I would check with GRG Adventures or in Pokhara, try Ganesh Kayak Shop. Mountian bike rentals are easy to come by as well.

Nepal is an awesome land for sporting adventures, so come prepared to enjoy.

Buddhas of the Swayambounath Kathmandu, Nepal in Summer

OK, so it is the monsoon and yes, that can be a bit of a deterrent for many travels, but there’s good news here. 

1) We actually have some nice sunny days in monsoon summer, so end of Aug – Sep it’s possible to do many of the activities you love. 

2) Coming in the off-season means discounts.  Lots of outfitters are happy to offer at least

Charaundi Water Fall Aug. 09 - Courtesy of Hardcore Nepal Adventures

 somewhat of a discount on the slow season, so ask… just don’t be greedy, these guys have to make a living too.

3) You get to avoid the October rush.  Dasain and Dipawali (Sep – Oct) season is a mad with holiday preparation, multitudes of tourists, overcrowded buses, and escalating prices.  So, if you like a quiter travel experience where there is time to get to know your guides, come earlier (or later).  

4) Experience Tij (Teej) with us.   This is our womens’ festival in August, and a very special time of year.  Nepali women go all out for Tij with fasting and bathing rituals, followed by revelry and dancing, beautiful clothes and mahendi.  This year happening on Aug. 31, 2011.

Nepal is great to visit anytime of year as long as you know what to expect.  As the tourist season and other seasons progress, check back for what’s going on.  There is a festival almost every month of the year in Nepal and always something cultural and spiritual to share.

I like to tell people what’s great about our country, but their is a cruel reality that is easy to overlook when you are focused on tourism and the wonders of Nepal. Once you get away from the tourist areas, or areas where people have access to good education, poverty becomes a harsh reality. While some villages work well at living off the land, sharing what they have, and providing for each other’s needs, some people still do not have enough to feed their families. Even when they do, the Western invasion of media and tourist contact make them aware of the things they don’t have like never before.

My first trip to Nepal many many years ago was fueled by a need to tell the story of girls who are sold into slavery in the Terai region of Nepal. I made some videos, told some people, but got on with my life as a wife and mother living in Nepal. As time went by, I realized that it wasn’t just these girls in the Terai, Nepali citizens were being trafficked to Malaysia, Dubai, Afghanistan and other places through foreign work contracts. Unscrupulous “agents” were taking thousands of dollars (or millions of Nepalese Rupees) for the promise of great work and wages in these foreign lands. The reality of these “jobs” could be nothing further from the truth. These workers are usually people with little access to newspapers, the internet, or other forms of information, so they leave the country with no information, a little English, less money, and even less chance of getting to that dream job they were promised.

I am a big proponent of government stablization and promotion of entrepreneurship in the country to create Nepali jobs for Nepali people. Our own small business, Hardcore Nepal Adventures, does what it can to support the guides we hire and their families, but it is just a small bit; we are a small company. Tourist coming to Nepal can help our people by hiring guides, giving them good tips, and promoting business. For all of you that think you will save a few bucks doing a “self-trek” or similar, Nepali guides (and Nepali people) work hard, give them a chance to make a living. And for mountaineers, most respect their Sherpa guides and climbers, but there are some who still begrudge paying them a little extra to do extremely dangerous tasks. Follow the Golden Rule, don’t expect them to do what you would not do yourself, or consider what you would need to be paid to carry something over an icy pass, etc. in difficult conditions, then pay accordingly.

Please watch this video by The Guardian UK, and keep the awareness going – Stop Human Trafficking of our Nepali brothers and sisters.