Nepal is considered one of the best adventure destinations in the world. Nepal's geography packs an extremely varied landscape into a small area. The 800 kms stretch of the Nepal Himalayas in the greatest in the world with eight peaks that rise above 8,000m. including the highest in the world, Mt. Everest. Ever since the country opened its peaks to climbers in 1949, the Nepal Himalayas has become a great theatre of mountaineering activity and the drama of success and failure have provided impetus to thousands of men and women to meet the ultimate challenge. In Nepal, there has been 263 Himalayan peaks are opened ranging from peaks above 6,500 meter to the Mount Everest 8848 meter for foreigners or joint expedition. The Nepal Himalayas has been an attraction to many climbing lovers, to be saints, philosophers, adventures or researchers.

Wilderness Experience has been handling mountaineering expeditions in Nepal and Tibet (China) since its establishment in 1988, A total of 96 expeditions, (including those of spring 2002 have been organized. the following were the most significant expeditions:

1989 SPRING 

1.        'On Top Everest ' 89' Expedition led by Dr. Walter McConnell of New Jersey, USA. While Dr. McConnell made a record by himself reaching 8,200 meters at the age of 57 years and 7 months, Mr. Ricardo Torres Nava of Mexico became the first Latin American to scale Mt. Everest. He climbed on 16 May, via the' South col.

2.        Tomo Cesen of Slovenia made the first ascent of the North Face of Kumbhkarna (Jannu), alpine style/solo, on 28 April.

1990 SRPING

New Zealand International Expedition, led by Rob Hall of New Zealand was successful and made several records:

1.        The national flag of New Zealand was hoisted for the first time (by Rob Hall, Gary Ball & Peter Hillary) 2.        Rudy Van Snick became the first Belgian to scale Mt. Everest.

Mikael Reutersward and Oskar Kihlborg became the first Swedes to scale Mt. Everest
They reached the summit on 10 & 11 May with the concept of helping to protect the deteriorating environmental situation in the region, a large number of youths from New Zealand was put together by Rob Hall, Gary Ball and John Gully to carry out a cleanup program. Approximately 5000 kg of garbage was removed from the base camp of Mt. Everest and brought down to Gorakshep for burial.

1991 SPRING

A ls-member team from Slovenia, led by Mr. Tone Skarja, made successful climbs on all peaks of Kanchanjunga and Kumbhakarna (Jannu).

1992 SPRING

New Zealand International Everest Expedition, under the leadership of Rob Hall was successful. Summiters were Rob Hall, Gary Ball, Guy Cotter, Ned Gillette, Doug Mantle, Randal Danta, Doron Erel (the first Israeli to scale Mt. Everest), Cham Yick Kai (the first Everest sumitter from Hong Kong nationals) and Ms. Ingrid Baeyens became the first Woman from Belgium to climb Mt. Everest. They reached the summit on 12 May.

1993 SRPING

1.        A Tyrolean (Austrian) team led by Mr. Arthur Haid of Imst, put 4 members on the summit of Manaslu on 2 May. The climbers descended on skis from 7,000 meters. No bottled oxygen was used. The climbers were Josef Brunner, Gerhard Flossmann, Michael Leuprecht and Josef Hinding.

2.        Hall & Ball Everest Expedition, an ll member team with Rob Hall as leader and Gary Ball as co-leader made it to the summit on 10 May. Summiters were Rob Hall (his third ascent on Everest), Dr. Jan Arnold (Rob Hall's wife), Jonathan Gluckman (NZ) and Vikka Gustafsson (the first Finn to scaIe Mt. Everest).

1994 SRPING

1.        An 8 member Sagarmatha Clean up Expedition led by Rob Hall achieved a tremendous success. AII 8 climbers reached the summit together on 9 May and returned home safe & sound. A clean up program was carried out while climbing the mountain. In addition to a large amount of garbage, 200 old empty oxygen cylinders were removed from the South Col and brought down to Kathmandu. A famous Norwegian adventurer, Mr. Erling Kagge, made another record by climbing Mt. Everest. He is the only person,so far, to have reached both North and South Poles and to have climbed the highest mountain on earth.

2.        A team of 7 Everest summitters was put together to climb the west Face on Lhotse. Oskar Kihlborg was the leader, other members were: Rob Hall (New Nealand), Mikael Reuters ward (Sweden), Todd Burleson (USA), Ed Viesturs (USA), Carlos Carsolio (Mexico) and Keith Kerr (UK). Out of seven, five successfully climbed the mountain. Keith Kerr and Todd Burleson could not attempt due to lack of time (they had not finished on Mt. Everest). With Lhotse, Carlos Carsolio has now climbed 8 of the 14 peaks above 8000 meters in the world.

From 1994 post monsoon season to 2008 post monsoon season a total of 77 expeditions to various mountains have been handled. Among these expeditions, 13 were on Mt. Everest, 18 on other 8,000 meter peaks and the rest on the other peaks. The most significant amongst these were:

In the post monsoon of 1990, Andrej Stremfelj and Marija Stremfelj became the first couple  (husband & wife) to scale Mt.  Everest together.Slovenian Annapurna I in spring 1995 in which Davo Karnicar became the first to ski from the summit (8091m) to the base camp in five hours. 
Australian Army Alpine Association Expedition on Shishapangma in spring 1999 made a record by placing the largest number of climbers on top of an eight thousand meter peak. 
In autumn 1999, Tomaz Humar of Kamnik, Slovenia made a record by climbing (solo) the south wall of Dhaulagiri I. 
In spring 2000 a veteran mountaineer Bob Hoffman, organized an Everest Environmental Expedition with objective of cleaning up the Everest. His team members and Sherpas collected a record of 632 used oxygen cylinders in addition to enormous amount of other garbage. 
In the post monsoon of the year 2000, a mountaineer from Slovenia, Davo Karnicar set a world record by ski descending from the summit of Mt. Everest to the base camp. He ski descended on October the 7th. This was his second ski descent on an 8000-meter peak. 
In the pre monsoon of 2001, National Federation of The Blind Everest Expedition team from the USA, under the leadership of P. V. Scaturro made several records placing a blind man, Erik Weihenmayer, oldest American Dr. Sherman Bull. Dr. Sherman Bull and his son Brad Bull became the first American father-son duo to reach the top of Mt. Everest together.

Guidance & Services For Expeditions

Services

The Services, which Wilderness Experience provides to an expedition to the Nepal Himalayas, are:

 - Provision of Sardar, High Altitude porters and Base camp staff according to the requests of the Expeditions, hiring of local porters.

 - Liaison with His Majesty's Government of Nepal, particularly the Ministry of Tourism (Mountaineering Section), in negotiating for and obtaining the expedition permission and later the required recommendations and licenses for Customs clearance, import of Communication equipment, and other expedition related items.

 - Assistance in Customs clearance of expedition equipment.

 - Hotel bookings for expedition members as requested by the expedition.

 - Planning and logistics for the march of the expedition to base camp and return, including full trek arrangements for "Base camp Trekkers" of the expedition.

 - Arrangements for land and air transportation.

 - Handling of communications, including mailbags between base camp and Kathmandu.

 - Purchase of accident insurance for those members or employees of the expedition who are Nepalese citizens including "block" insurance for local porters.

 - Any other assistance that maybe required by the expedition.

 - Please note that all management, payments and hiring of porters will be the responsibility of the expedition delegated through the expedition Sardar (Headman).

 It is part of the contract between Wilderness Experience and the expedition that Wilderness Experience provides all the Sherpa staff at base camp and on the mountain. If the expedition wishes to have any particular Sherpas we can try and engage them but there can be no guarantee to this effect.

Conditions
As part of Wilderness Experience acceptance to act as the liaison medium for your expedition in Nepal we request your agreement to the following:

 1.      The expedition will employ Sherpa staff according to the type and number of men required by them, as delegated by Wilderness Experience. If a Sherpa, or Sherpas, not under the employment of Wilderness Experience is requested by the expedition such request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. However, availability of requested Sherpas, either from among the Wilderness Experience staff or from outside Wilderness Experience cannot be guaranteed.

 2.      The number of Sherpas (i.e. Headman / Sardars, High Altitude Porters, Cooks – if any to proceed above base camp, base camp cooks and assistants and mail runners) required by an expedition must be communicated to us as early as possible in the planning stages of an expedition, (indeed this information is required by the Ministry of Tourism on the mountaineering permit application form which must be submitted by an expedition).

 These numbers must then be formally confirmed to Wilderness Experience at least sixty days prior to the arrival of the expedition in Kathmandu. At this time we require reporting dates.

 Subsequently, if an expedition wishes to increase the number of Sherpas, we shall do our best to accommodate it, however, there can be no guarantee that last minute requests for additional skilled climbers can be satisfactorily met. If after arrival in Kathmandu an expedition decides to decrease the number of Sherpas required then the expedition would be liable to the following payments to the released Sherpas:

a.       Call-in / return journey cost (where applicable).

b.      Pay / wages for 2 months.

 3.      Pay cash in lieu of equipment to be provided to Liaison Officer, high altitude Sherpas and Sardar of the expedition as per mountaineering rules.

Guidance for Expeditions
1.      We offer below our UNOFFICIAL advice regarding certain aspects of the revised Mountaineering Regulations.

a.       Personal Accident Insurance policy for Liaison Officer, Sardar, Sherpas and porters.

b.      Pay:

• Sardar      Rs. ______________
• High Altitude Porters      Rs. ______________
• Base camp workers      Rs. ______________
• Local Porters      Rs. _________________

However, we feel that a qualified Cook employed at Base Camp should be paid more than his assistants ("Kitchen boys") and for the Cook we suggest a rate of Rs. _____________ per day.

 c.       Traveling Allowances: Formerly it was laid down that Sherpas traveling from their homes in Khumbu to join an expedition in Kathmandu should be paid a certain number of days' pay, and again at the end of the expedition, to return home. However, mention of this allowance has been omitted from the Rules published during the last few years. As Sherpas have become used to receiving this allowance we advise, for good relations, that it be paid based on the following simplified procedure. Cost of airfare (a) Lukla-Kathmandu Rs. __________ each and (b) Cost of airfare Kathmandu-Lukla Rs. __________ each. If the engagement begins at Lukla (Khumbu) then (a) need not be paid, and if men are paid off in Khumbu, (b) need not be paid.

 2.      Summary of Customs and Import regulation – see Customs Duty

 3.      Reporting dates for Sherpas: Please keep us fully informed of your expedition arrival dates and details, but apart from this information we do require firm dates well in advance for Sherpas to report to:

a.       Kathmandu – for all expeditions apart from Khumbu, or in case of Khumbu expeditions if some of the men are needed in Kathmandu for the walk to Khumbu. (It is essential to call the Sardar to Kathmandu, in any case, to meet the leader and the expedition)

 b.      Khumbu (Lukla) – in the case of Khumbu expeditions, when the men are not needed in Kathmandu for the walk in to Khumbu or for sorting loads, local shopping, etc.

 Having called in a man on a certain date to Kathmandu or Lukla, he must be paid and be given a daily food allowance from that date. So on the one hand one should avoid the men hanging around and costing money for doing nothing, on the other hand if the men are called in too late, the expedition maybe delayed.

 Please give us also the maximum possible warning of your requests for local porters, date of departure and place to departure – i.e. Pokhara, Kathmandu, Dharan, Dhankuta / Hile, Lukla, etc.

 Important
Please do pay particular attention to our request above for full and early information regarding expedition arrival dates, details, number of Sherpas, reporting dates, etc. Only if we are kept fully informed of your plans, movements and requirements, can we offer you good service.

 4.      Base Camp Staff: While we appreciate that you do not wish to employ more Sherpas than is essential owing to mounting costs, please remember that the Liaison Officer must be looked after at Base Camp, and members may return there for rest, or because of sickness. The High Altitude Sherpas working all day on the mountain when establishing the lower camps may descend tired and late, and be unable to prepare their own meals. So at least one Base camp cook must usually be employed. During the buildup stage of a large expedition many Sherpas will be returning to Base camp each evening and provision for the preparation of their food must be made, and not only for expedition members' food. Otherwise it may be necessary to employ some High Altitude men on these duties and this detract from the effort on the mountains.

 Customs Duty
 1.      Duty on all equipment, clothing, food, and medicines whether consumable or re-exportable, is calculated @ _________% of total value declared plus insurance plus freight (C. I. F. value).

 2.      Re-exportable items: A deposit has to be made for all re-exportable items. At the time of re-exporting the items at the end of the expedition. The refund is in Nepalese currency and amount depends on items re-exported after checking against list submitted while importing and Customs clearance. Refund on re-exportable items is the customs duty deposited against the declared value of the goods only. No refund is made on the Customs Duty and Sales Tax paid on Insurance and Freight of re-exportable items.

3.      Re-exportable items have to be shipped out of Nepal from the same point of entry used when importing the goods if an expedition intends to claim refund of the deposit. Such refunds are made at the point of entry only.

4.      For Customs purpose the Nepalese Rupee is calculated at NC Rs. _______ to one US Dollar.

5.      Please note that a special permit is required from the Ministry of Communications HMG prior to do any Video, 16mm / 35mm filming within Nepal. License fees are:

a.       US $ ________ for feature films.

b.      US $ ________ for other types of film.

 A free copy of the sequences of the film has to be provided to the Ministry of Communications and to the Ministry of Tourism.

Note:

1.      Customs Duty, Sales Tax, US Dollar equivalent and license fees quoted above are as on ______________ and are subject to change by His Majesty's Government of Nepal.

 2.      All shipments sent to Nepal MUST be addressed to the official name of the expedition c/o Wilderness Experience Pvt. Ltd., (Telephone 417832) Kathmandu.

 3.      All walkie-talkies / Satellite phones MUST be declared at the customs on arrival at Kathmandu airport if these are brought with team members.

 4.      A communications liaison officer will be deputed in addition to the expedition liaison officer for filming.

Booking & Confirmation

Advance payment of 50% of the total trek cost is required. Please send the deposit by:

a. Account payee bank draft or check payable to Wilderness Experience Pvt. Ltd. or
b. Wire transfer to Nepal Bank Ltd., New Road, Kathmandu for Wilderness Experience Pvt. Ltd., current account number 0002-11-0056824. Please advise us by fax or email when the transfer is sent.

The balance of the cost is required to be paid before the trek departure.

Cancellation
a. US $100 per person after confirmation of the booking and within one month of commencement of the trek.
b. US $200 per person within 15 days of commencement of the trek.
c. No refund after commencement of the trek.

Visa for Nepal and Trekking Permit
If you do not have a visa from your nearest Royal Nepalese Embassy or Consulate, it is issued on arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu. Tourists are allowed to stay for a total of 90 days in Nepal.
Official entry points are at following places:
1. Tribhuwan International Airport, Kathmandu
2. Kodari at Nepal-Tibet (China) border
3. Birgunj (India-Nepal border)
4. Kakarbitta (India-Nepal border)
5. Sunauli, Bhairawa (India-Nepal border)
6. Nepalgunj (India-Nepal border)
7. Dhangadi (India-Nepal border)
8. Kakarhawa (Kalidaha) (India-Nepal border)
9. Koilabas (India-Nepal border)
10. Rani Sikiyahi (Jogbani) (India-Nepal border)
11. Mahendranagar (India-Nepal border)
12. Jaleswor (India-Nepal border)

Travel
Your travel agent or airlines will advise you the current airline schedules and flights of Kathmandu. There are flights from Bangkok, Delhi, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dhaka, Karachi, Frankfurt, London, Vienna and Doha by different airlines. Please advise us in advance your arrival details in Kathmandu, we will arrange to meet you and transfer you to your hotel.

Health & Medical
We would advise you to have a medical checkup before you leave for Nepal. Our camp staff will boil all the waters used for preparing hot drinks and cold drinks. Trekkers occasionally suffer from coughs, colds and stomach disorders on the trek. Your supply of purification tablets or Iodine solution for your water bottles will be a good precaution.