NEPAL: JIRI - 3HPS - JIRI

Quick Tips

• Our altitude acclimatization plan (see Nepal Trip Planning: Altitude Plan) worked flawlessly - neither of us experienced any AMS symptoms whatsoever. We encountered several people who tried to rush things, and became ill. One person was forced to abandon her trek because she tried to rush things. Just don't.
• Almost all lodge / tea house mattresses were poor, but almost all lodges supplied a thick duvet which fixed the issue. Duvets were universally square in shape, so could be folded in half - either with you in the middle, or with both halves underneath. A supplementary sleeping mat was absolutely not required.
• Bedrooms were always a small, twin room - usually very basic, but tidy. Common-rooms were typically warm and pleasant, and often quite ornate.
• Bathroom / toilets were almost always awful. Often a 'Western' plus an 'Eastern' option was available - we quickly developed a preference for the latter, to minimise surface contact. Boots were often required in the bathroom / toilets, to facilitate 'wading'.
• Showers were commonly available, but invariably located in ice-cold basements. 'Hot water' was a bit hit-and-miss - check it before you pay for it. A bucket of water was often the best way to get a wash without getting hypothermia.
• We kept our devices charged with a 21W solar panel, which was completely satisfactory for two people in December (short days). Lodge-supplied charging was commonly available - for a high price. It was unclear as to what you needed BYO to be able to use lodge-supplied charging - a USB lead is probably mandatory, but PSUs or plug adapters might be supplied by the lodge.
• We always ate breakfast and dinner in our lodge (in fact dinner in your lodge is mandatory, unless you pay a hefty fee). We often skipped lunch (we were rarely anywhere at lunchtime that served food) - we would often stop for hot drinks, however. We never carried any snacks, and didn't miss them.
• Supposedly you should budget for 4-litres of water per-person-per-day at altitude. We never got anywhere near this. We followed our usual practise of bulk-hydrating before and after each days walking, and only ever carried 1-litre each during the day (supplemented by purchased hot drinks).
• We had budgeted for 3500Rs-per-person-per-day, but almost never spent this (and often spent much less). We only went over this once - on the way back through Namche Bazar (laundry, celebratory beers, etc.). If you want a hot shower, exotic foods, and / or lodge-supplied device charging every day, your budget will quickly inflate.

Bus To Jiri (Ratna Park, Kathmandu)

In December, 2017, the bus to Jiri departed from Ratna Park, Kathmandu's 'old' bus park. The entrance to the bus park is on the eastern side of the park. Bus tickets are purchased from the small sheds on the northern side of the park. Each shed specialises in a set of destinations, and the Jiri buses can be booked from the western-most shed (see photo). We purchased our tickets the evening before, and returned to the same shed the following morning to be directed to our bus. The lockable luggage compartment in the rear of the bus appears to be reserved for tourist luggage. This compartment is not well isolated from road dirt - put your pack in a sack, or be prepared for an absolutely filthy pack at your destination.

Gear List Evaluation

Selected gear list items, plus some notes.