Yes, you do. For two reasons.
Firstly, it’s mandatory. From mid-2023, the government in Nepal changed the rules that had previously permitted people to trek to EBC without the services of a guide.
Secondly, it’s going to improve your experience and ensure your safety. Even before it was mandatory, our experiences taught us the importance and value of having a guide with us.
Why did they make it mandatory?
Good question. We’re not privy to the inner workings of the Nepali government but we think there’s a few reasons.
- Safety. Even on the pretty well-trodden route to EBC, you’re still at high altitude with unpredictable weather and rugged terrain. People do get lost or injured.
- Employment. Earthquakes, pandemics and political instability have meant Nepal’s tourism sector has been strained over the last couple of years.
- Environment. Guides can help educate trekkers on responsible tourism and reducing damage to the environment.
All of these would be good enough reasons on their own but collectively, it’s a great initiative by the government and ensures that trekkers have knowledgeable, trained, experienced and informative guides alongside them.
What about other treks?
Yes, all popular trekking regions in Nepal basically have the same rules. That includes Annapurna, Manaslu, Langtang and other parts of the Everest region. Restricted areas like Upper Dolpo or Mustang previously required trekkers to have a guide anyway.
Is there really no way to go it solo?
No and nor do we think it’s advisable or recommended, even for the most experienced of trekkers. And here’s a few reasons why.
Safety and crisis management
Even people with significant experience trekking or of the region they’re trekking through don’t know it as well as the guides who grew up there or have been through countless times.
Whilst doing the Three Passes trek a couple of years back, we came across a father and son trying to cross a glacier after heavy snowfall. They didn’t have a guide and needed to ask our guide to help them across. After a tough day, they rested up at a teahouse whilst we carried on. Conditions further deteriorated along the way and we only managed to cross the high passes successfully because we had a guide. We’re still not sure whether they had to turn back or enlist the services of a guide halfway round their trek.
Navigating in poor visibility, even on relatively well-marked trails, can be a challenge and can easily lead to pretty major problems.
Altitude sickness and food poisoning is pretty indiscriminate and both can come on pretty quickly. Not having someone to keep an eye out for you who’s trained to spot the symptoms can be a risk that’s not really worth taking.
And when sh*t really hits the fan, having someone who can speak the language, knows the locals and is connected to a wider support team is invaluable.
Why else?
If those weren’t all reason enough, then beyond safety considerations, here’s a few of the other reasons why we think having a guide is well worth it.
- Economic. You might save a few quid by not having a guide but for most travellers to Nepal, the savings are negligible against average western salaries. Most guides support their families and extended families back in Kathmandu or in their villages. The impact that travel and tourism can have on developing communities is massive.
- Environment. Whilst it’s not always the case, a good guide can help minimise the impact that trekkers have on the environment they’re travelling through. Sticking to paths and knowing which teahouses are making efforts to reduce waste are just a couple of examples.
- Enjoyment. We’ve yet to meet a guide or porter on trips to Nepal that wasn’t great fun to be around. You’re going to be spending most of your day walking alongside them and most of your evenings playing cards or chatting to each other in teahouses. Adding extra energy to a group dynamic or as a companion when trekking solo, we’ve met some great people and made brilliant friendships with guides along the way.
- Cultural. Which direction to spin a prayer wheel, what to say in greeting to the kids making their way to school and what side to pass the chortens and stupas lining the trail. Good guides will teach you about their language, culture and country along your trek – not only making for good conversation but also fascinating insights into the place you’re visiting. We’ve even been invited into impromptu momo making sessions in people’s homes and have met people who’ve summitted Everest countless times – things that would have been challenging without a local brokering the introductions.
- Nature. On a trip to Annapurna back in 2015, our eagle-eyed guide spotted something moving up on a cliffside. We were about an hour away from the last teahouse before the Throng-La pass crossing and the snow had just started coming down. Our guide, Ratna, started getting a little excited and pointed us in the direction of the shadow moving across a ledge a long way in the distance. He claimed it to be a snow leopard, and whilst we have absolutely no idea whether it was or not (we’re claiming it!) it was indicative of his knowledge and awareness of his surroundings on the whole trek – pointing out the flora and fauna as we moved through the constantly shifting landscapes.
- Insider knowledge. Not all teahouses are created equal… It might be tempting to pick the first one you come across, the biggest one you can see or the one with sumptuous smells emanating from the kitchen but a good guide will know the spots with the best views, the comfiest beds, the cleanest bogs or the tastiest dal bhat in town.
And what about porters? Are they mandatory?
No, they’re not. We include a porter on all of our trips for much the same reasons as we love having a guide with us. They’re great company and can make the trekking experience much more enjoyable. The same economic benefits apply too – employment opportunities that trekking can bring to porters and the routes into guiding from having worked as a porter are invaluable.
If you’re at all concerned about fitness, altitude or have any underlying health conditions then using a porter can make a huge difference. Whilst most people like carrying a day pack with water, layers, come snacks and a camera, carrying your own kit can add between 10-15kg onto your load, depending on how light you’re able to pack and what specialist equipment you’re needing to carry.
However, we’ve also trekked in Nepal and carried our own gear so it’s a completely personal choice.
Anything else?
Nope, that’s it. Not only do you have to have a guide but it also makes the experience a hell of a lot better!