GET FIT FOR THE TRIP

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Why climb Lobuche East? 

We were drawn to Lobuche East due to it's location, height and lack of major technicality. Being situated within the Khumbu valley this mountain offers incredible vistas at some of the world's highest peaks. It isn't as big a household name as Island or Mera Peak, but it is also much quieter.

It just scrapes in to the 6000m mark which adds a challenge (and kudos)

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How fit do I really need to be and what skills do I require?

The fitter you are the more you will enjoy it, and the more chance you'll have of getting to the top. Being able to complete 3-4 back to back days of big hill walks in the UK is a good gauge that you're ready. You'll find some advice, as well as a free downloadable 12 week training plan on our Fitness Training page. Matt is also a qualified Personal Trainer so if you want some formal training just get in touch with us via LMG Personal Training

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Being able to walk proficiently with crampons and have the basic knowledge of how to ascend a fixed line / abseil will be a good skill to have before heading to the Himalaya. Again, as part of this package you will be able to join us for a two day winter skills weekend here in the Lake District (Instruction only).

Although Lobuche East is technically graded as a trekking peak, it is at the upper spectrum of this. The summit day entails 2-3 hours of scrambling at night. Most of which is simple but it is a consuming experience. From the point at which you put crampons on and join the fixed lines it is steep all the way to the top. There is plenty of opportunity to rest (as you will need to - lots!) but it is very tiring. As such we feel Lobuche East is best suited to those who have done mountaineering in the past. If you want to break the 6000m barrier and avoid as much technicality as possible then it is worth looking at our Mera Peak expedition

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What about Altitude Sickness?

Having concerns about AMS is very natural and it unfortunately unpredictable. Even the experienced could struggle to get over 6,000m if they get ill. We have however designed our itinerary to help us best acclimatise. The fitter you are, the less exhausted you'll get, which in turn has an impact on bringing on symptoms of AMS. These points combined with walking slowly, drinking lots and eating well all give you the best possible chance.​

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What Technical Kit do I require?

Apart from the usual walking equipment you'll require crampons and mountaineering boots ( Hired from Dingboche for $30 if you don't want to purchase) a climbing harness, a good quality down jacket and a quality sleeping bag rated to -15 / 20. All these items can be hired in Nepal. 

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What about the Food and Accommodation?

The food in Nepal is fab. Expect a lot of rice, noodles and vegetables. If you have specific allergies or dietary requirements it may be worth researching what's on offer before committing. Eating well throughout is key to success on such an expedition. Our accommodation whilst on the trek will be teahouses, apart from 1-2 nights that will be spent in tents. 

Should you need to leave the expedition early, any additional accommodation costs will need to be covered by you (or depending on the circumstance, your insurance)

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Do I require Travel Insurance?

Most certainly. Travelling, let alone adventure travel, can throw up all sorts of incidents or circumstances that need to be covered by insurance otherwise you could face a very hefty bill. As a minimum your insurance must cover the dates of the trip, the altitude you are trekking to and helicopter evacuation. Our recommendation for travel insurance is Campbell Irvine

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Do your trips have a minimum required number of participants to run?

Our scheduled trips do. Our Mera Peak trip requires 7 people to ensure it is guaranteed to run. We will let you know when it is guaranteed to run and from this point you can book flights. 

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Do I need any vaccinations?

Possibly! Vaccinations can be costly too and should be taken into consideration when budgeting for your trip. The best thing to do is to approach your Travel Nurse for information. 

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What is a non-Emergency Helicopter Flight mentioned in the Exclusions?

This expedition relies on an internal plane flight to start the trek, and to return back to Kathmandu. Delays can occur, and in order to make progress onto the trek, or in order to get you back to your international flight, we can consider the use of a helicopter (if the weather permits). This cost is not covered by LMG Treks & Expeditions, and you could expect to pay anywhere between £300-£600 per flight depending on the group size. 

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Do you organise bespoke trips?

Of course, just get in touch with your group size and we'll offer you a quote.

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Why should I trek with LMG Treks & Expeditions?

For over a decade we've provided fun, educational and safe adventures in the UK through Lakeland Mountain Guides. We've taken our experience and academic education and created a company that has the sole aim of providing amazing, personal adventures abroad. Yes, we're just a small company, but this has two big benefits for you. Firstly, we really appreciate each and every booking we get, and you are not one in a few thousand. Secondly. we're able to, and want to, put the time into helping you get mentally and physically prepared for your adventure. ​

We pride ourselves on being compliant to UK Package travel regulation laws, diligent with safety, and environmentally sensitive. What's more is we create our trips with the customer experience, safety and chances of success at the very fore of our minds. We will often add in extra days for acclimatisation or contingency to achieve these three major factors, even if it makes our trips a bit more expensive. 

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How do we justify the price of our trips?

There's no doubt about it, if you went online you'd likely find a cheaper alternative, but you can't be certain you're buying a like for like product. We get it, these trips aren't cheap, but there are numerous reasons why the price amounts to what it does. Please click here to read deeper into the reasons why. 

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Are you environmentally responsible?

As a company, although small, we will operate responsibly, giving back where we can. One of our best partnerships is that with Trees4Travel. We will plant 2 trees on the behalf of every booking we get, and we will plant enough trees to offset the travel of our trek manager too. Click here to see our Responsible Tourism Policy

We discourage the use of single use plastics on expedition where possible, and are continually thinking of ways to become even kinder to the planet we operate in. 

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More info can be found in our Resources section 

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