Basic Mountaineering adventure Course in Nepal

Challenge yourself to navigate new skills, build confidence and lead in an alpine environment.

Navigate Outdoor seeks excellent and responsible mountaineering and wilderness travel while teaching and guiding our clients. Our core curriculums focus on safety and judgment, decision making processes, leadership, communication, teamwork and mountaineering skills. We care for our wilderness and environment by practicing Leave No Trace. The mountaineering course is an excellent opportunity to build a solid foundation of essential skills for lifetime.

This course includes glacier travel/walk, crevasse rescue skills, ice climbing skills/techniques, rope handling, and knots, self-arrest with and without ice-ax, camp selection and snow camping and Himalayan Mountain / environment studies. Our course provided enough time to apply skills you have been taught in a real environment. Throughout the course, students they will learn by doing: this experience will build the confidence to live and travel on uneven terrain, glacier, rope use and climbing snow mountains in their professional and personal futures.

We expect participants to arrive with a positive open minded attitude, good physical condition, desire to learn new idea and willing to work hard and be a strong team member.

Course summary and facts

• 1:4 instructor/student ratios up to 12 participants.
• Mountaineering skills progression: Rope handling, anchor building, self-arrest, ascending/descending, climbing techniques.
• Glacier walk, Crevasse rescue, and snow camping.
• Avalanche, hazard evaluation and assessment/management.
• Peak ascent, ice climbing, rock climbing(in Kathmandu before heading towards mountains)
• Leadership, communication, group dynamic, expedition planning, and teamwork.

Physical challenge fitness and health recommendation:

You can expect you that your group encompasses a wide range of physical ability and comfort level. Our course takes place on high mountains above 4000meter/12000ft, and demands much physical strength and mental preparation. Prior to the course, we recommend a minimum 1-2 hours daily run/swim and biking, or alternative cross training to help prepare for the course. We will be self-sufficient group and carry most of the related gear and personal gear. This means we will be backpacking and average bag weight will be 45 – 50 pounds. We will have a few extra porters for group gear.

Do you have any previous medical or non-medical injury, or taking any medications? Please let us know upon arrival, and bring doctor-prescribed medication with you. 

Course features:

• Course length: 16 +4 days
• Maximum group size: 12 students with 3 instructors
• Route: Lang Tang region 8 days trekking (4 days before and 4 days after climbing) training at base camp of Yala Peak above 4000m/12000ft height 7nights 8days.
• Maximum elevation: 5500m(18150ft.)
• Minimum age: 16years
• Trekking on and off the trail/ snow condition depending on season.
• Environment: Mostly above tree line and moraine/ snow.
• Training on: Basic Rock, snow and ice climbing.
• Peak ascent part of climbing clinic.
• Average pack weight: 35 pound with personal clothing, water and camera etc.
• Mule/porter supported trekking (only food and tents/camping gear)
• You must able to carry your own personal gear (gear list will be shared when you enroll)

Itinerary at glance:

Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu, transfer to hotel, pick up at the international airport of Kathmandu and drive 20 minute to hotel in Thamel. Check in, course briefing and introduction with team.

Day 2: After breakfast we will drive 20 minutes to Nagarjun for natural wall climbing and practice on climbing, intro rope and anchor building, Rappelling, Top rope climbing, lead climbing until 3pm drive back to hotel, personal gear check, packing, preparation for climbing trip.

Day 3: Drive 8 – 9 hours to Syaphrubesi with Navigate Outdoor team climbing team and course food and gear with private vehicle. We may stop at Trisuli or Dhunche for lunch depending on time, arrange porter/mule at Syaphrubesi and stay at local guest house. We want to support local in terms of carrying our load and staying in their guest houses. The Langtang region is mostly Tamang and Lama originally migrated from Tibet about 300-400 years ago. They display aspects of Tibetan culture but they are proud to be Nepalese and want to be known as Nepalese.

Day 4: We start trekking around 8 to 8:30am to Lama Hotel. We will be trekking through dense rain forest along the Langtang Khola, and camp at Lama Hotel. We will stop for lunch at Sherpa Gaon at local restaurant, camping elevation 2480m gain 977m.

Day 5: We start trekking at 8:30am to Langtang, elevation 3330m/10989ft. Trekking through dense rain forest and small Tamang villages along Lang tang Khola and gain 561m/1851ft, and camp at Langtang. Mountain views will start to open up as we come closer to tree line. We will walk slowly, stop for lunch between our camp and learn to tie some knots.

Day 6: We start trekking at 9am. It’s a relatively shorter day–we will arrive our camp at Kyanjin Gompa at 12 to 1pm and have lunch, set up camp and walk to Kyanjin Ri peak for sunset view of Langtang region elevation 4984m/16447ft come back at the camp have dinner and sleep.

Day 7: Rest day (explore around Kyanjin Gompa and acclimatization)

Day 8: From now, we are self-sufficient group and carry all our camping/ food and personal gear to Yala Peak base camp, which is about 7 hours trekking on and off the trail and set up tents and camp for our climbing course for 7 days, we will have support team i.e. cooking/kitchen crew, porter/mule to carry our belongings especially camping, and of course Alternative Nepal climbing instructor and guides.

Day 9: to Day 13 Technical climbing skills practice base camping.

Day 14: Climb to High camp, set camp and practice and review what we learn last 4-5 days at base camp and preparation for peak ascent.

Day 15: Early morning pack some snacks and head to Yala Peak summit, our target would be to summit before sunrise. (summit peak is always safer to climb and reach at the top before sun peaks and hot), after peak summit climb down to the high camp have lunch pack up and head down to the base camp and rest.

Day 16: Start trekking at 8am having had breakfast and pack up and head to the trail, we will be trekking about 7 hours to High Camp of Kangla/ Gonjala La pass elevation of 4960m/16368ft, and set up camp, Note: we will be sending all our climbing gear and extra camping stuff with our guides via Syaphrubesi, now then we will carry our own two night worth food, tents and our personal gear with us so it will be real backpacking trip till Tarke Ghyang (Tarke Ghyang we will stay at Local guest house)

Day 17: Start trek around 5am to Kangala/ Gonzala La Pass, our target to pass this height before sun rise or get there for sunrise view, elevation 5130m/16929ft about 2hours and down to Dhukhpa elevation 4040m/13332ft and set up camp.

Day 18: Trek Dhukhpa to Tarke Gyang and stay at Tarke Ghyang at local guest house.

Day 19: Trekking 3 to 4 hours to Thimbu and drive 5-6 hours to Kathmandu and transfer to hotel.

Day 20: Half day sightseeing around Kathmandu and free time for shopping and explore around Kathmandu and meet up at 6:30pm for leisure dinner with Alternative Nepal/climbing team.

Day 21: Final departure, transfer to airport by our company representative.

Why Yala Peak and Lang Tang region?

• Logistic: Easy access if incase needed any help and support like emergency evacuation.
• Training: Low altitude compare Khumbu region As you know that at low altitude makes easier to trained & practice, help to maintained health etc. Lang Tang region is the closest mountain ranges from Kathmandu but still very remote and wilderness, Yala peak is also 5500m height and gentle mountain, the great thing are all the features they suits for our course type. It’s always safe and easy to handing/ practice, the interesting facts this area is not that popular you can feel more wilderness and remote than Everest region and closer access from Kathmandu. There will be lots of people use the same route for the tea house trekking up to Kenjin Gompa beyond that we will be only our self camping no more teahouses and hotel, Nepal Mountaineering Association/NMA they also run their Mountaineering training courses in this area region mostly for the professional Nepalese mountaineering guides and certified. We love to explore new route and stabilize our different and off the beaten path/trail/ unmatched service we would like to promote in the outdoor industry and create the plate form for the new generation to understand basic foundation of the outdoor adventure and its value, our team enjoy teaching and taking lead in the mountain we love to share our experiences what we have learn last 20 years in Himalayan and elsewhere we take our job seriously and open for the new ideas and make everything transparent.
• Trail: Total exploratory and adventure especially from Yala down to Tarke Ghyang, it’s a great opportunity and platform for our students to reflect on their experiences in terms of finding route, navigation, Communication and leadership and practice their outdoor skills, as well as planning for personal expeditions in the future.
• Alternative Nepal is led by professional likeminded people and has more than decade experience in the wilderness.

What is including?

• Climbing permit, national park fee.
• Airport pick up and drop.
• Three night hotel in Kathmandu with Bed and breakfast.
• Half day sightseeing in Kathmandu.
• Climbing instructor and guide 4:1 ratio (4students and one instructor and one trainee guide)
• Group climbing gear ( lead rope, ice bar, ice pickets, slings, carabineer, rappelling rope)
• Tent two person/organize trip, and tea houses full packages from Kathmandu to Kathmandu.
• Transportation to from Kathmandu.