Guide to Nepal Trek and Tour Adventures in the Himalayas

                                                   Deer   Nepal boasts several species of deer nut most of them are confined to the lowlands. The muntjak ( muntiacus muntjac) or barking deer, which usually makes its presence known by its sharp one note alarm call is found at elevations up to 2400m. the unusual musk deer(moschus moschiferus), with antelope like features and only 50cm high at the shoulder ranges higher to over 4000m. the male is not only hornless but has oversized canine teeth that protrude from the mouth. The male’s musk gland is found in the abdomen its value to humankind has accelerated its demise .                  

The compositae are perhaps the largest family of Dicotyledons, widely distributed in all parts of the world and indeed the dominant family in the Himalayan . In addition to the well known sunflower the family includes many other garden plants like cosmos aster zennia, chrysanthemum, dahlia, etc. On the Himalayan the family occurs right from the timberline to the highest limits of existence of plants. They are however best developed in semi – arid and high steppes and some of them at extreme altitudes are remarkable for the milky latex aromatic and cottony woolly leaves. The most striking chhhhharacter of the family is its inflorescence a capitulum ar head. Numerous small flowers called florets, are arranged close together on the flattened disc like top of the main inflorescence axis, often with leafy bracts forming an involucres and clustered in whorls below. The outer row of florets has the outer petal greatly enlarged as a brightly colored ligule to form a sort of an outer ring...

                       The khumbu valley sweeps toward pheriche between the towering shape of taboche and insignificant- looking pokalde. It’s a broad valley gently tilted with poor stunted vegetation, but as you progress through it, so its character changes. Instead of continuing in a northwesterly direction, it’s necessary to veer right and climb northeast towards the khumbu glacier. The glacier is not properly seen, but the bulldozed moraines that line it become a prominent feature of the landscape. Some way above Duglha you enter a stony section with pumori lingtren and khumbutse blocking the valley head. Along the crest that unites them runs the border with Tibet. All around huge mountains soar in a crescent of rock snow and ice. Yet mount Everest remains elusive despite its close proximity. Effectively hidden by Nuptse’s south- west face it will not be seen un...

                                         Safety on Thorung la pass   Thorung la is a high pass and crossing it is potentially dangerous. It is easiest and safest to cross thorung la from east to west as in this rote description. If you travel from west to east there are no camp sites or water sources on the west side of the pass from a meadow above Muktinath at 4100m, to a spot two to three hours past the pass on the manang side at 4510m. This means that you have to make a 1300m climb plus at least a 900m descent in a single day. This is a difficult feat for most people specially those who have not yet acclimatize to high altitude. The trails are less steep on the manang side of the pass and in the event of a problem you can call on the resources of the Himalayan Rescue rela...