Access the note in Spanish FROM HERE
I have been living and practicing mountaineering for a long time and I don´t know how many times I have heard from other couples the classic phrase: «I can´t because I have children»? I am sure that many times a great majority have heard or said something similar, or not?
Usually, we underestimate the abilities that babies have, when in fact they are very strong … yes, much more than we can imagine. It is a fact that the planning and organization of any new adventure involves more care, more variables and also more fatigue.
Imagine my daughter that at two weeks old she was already running with me (of course she was in a stroller), after 2.5 months of traveling by plane to Monterrey and at 3 months she went for camping and climbing with me.
In the year 2014 I went on an expedition to Cho Oyu, a mountain in Nepal (a country in South Asia in the middle of the Himalayas), where my wife and baby (my daughter) caught up with me after my expedition period. Imagine a trip from Mexico to Los Angeles (4hrs flight with 14hrs stopover) then another plane from Los Angeles to China (another 14hrs flight), and finally the flight from China to Kathmandu-Nepal (another 4hrs more), this journey was made by my wife alone, and the baby was just over 8 months old, that´s right … she alone …
The experience was very tiring, but my wife says that the baby behaved her best, without any impediment, but before starting the trip we prepared ourselves: we went to the pediatrician to do her routine check-ups, he helped us find out the vaccines necessary for the trip – the vaccination scheme is the same in Nepal as here in Mexico.
We also check if it is easy to get drinking water and food for the baby. My wife packed water, milk and food for the girl from Mexico, although fortunately Nepal is a country that has many services for tourists, but everything is very rustic. My wife brought a cane-type stroller (which are lighter and easier to carry), and a kangaroo-type charger, which made the journey much easier.
Before boarding the plane to Nepal, it is important to make sure that the special place for people with children has been reserved, and if necessary, also confirm the plane´s cot (this is placed on the wall in front of the seat), otherwise, upon arrival to be documented, they may be surprised that they were sent to an inappropriate place and without the crib. Sometimes, some airlines do not help to solve this type of setback (which happened to us when we returned).
The next step …
In Nepal people are very friendly and have a peculiar likes for children, which for us was very comfortable. Everyone held the baby while we ate and our guide often wanted to hold her too. With all this, the truth is that the trip was easier than we expected.
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In Nepal we visited incredible places, such as the Chitwan reserve, which is considered a world heritage site by UNESCO and where you can see crocodiles, rhinos, hippos and with good luck a tiger in its natural habitat.
Another must-see in Nepal is Boudanath, which is a prominent pilgrimage center and one of the most popular tourist places to visit in Nepal. Local and Tibetan pilgrimages visit this spiritual place to meditate. It is the largest spherical stupa in Nepal. In the year 1979, this place also became one of the UNESCO heritage sites.
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The jewel of Nepal´s tourism is Pokhara, it is located in the middle of the Annapurna Himalayas.
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People generally visit this valley in order to get a clear view of the Himalayas.
Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, is one of the most famous tourist places to visit in Nepal. The peaceful atmosphere of the city located in the Kapilavasta region is perfect for meditation. Lord Shiva is known to have been born in 623 BC. here. Lumbini is said to be one of the holiest places in the whole world for people who follow Buddhism.
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Thamel, this is for me one of the busiest parts of Nepal, but it is the ideal place to make purchases of all kinds, from clothes and souvenirs to give away to technical mountain equipment, I must be honest, I wanted to buy everything … but of course You also have to be careful with the counterfeits of many brands, in addition to being the shopping area; as you walk through the alleys you will find small Buddhist temples and some Hindu temples that are undoubtedly worth admiring.
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Bhaktapur, this place was the capital of Nepal from the 12th century to about the 15th century. In the 18th century, this place became a country on its own with border walls and gates to the city. The citizens of Bhaktapur are mostly peasants, public employees, handicraft makers or entrepreneurs.
International Museum of the Mountain, if you like the mountain this place you cannot miss it. Here all the data and documents related to all the mountains of Nepal are recorded. There are basically three exhibits present in the museum. The first is the Hall of the Great Himalayas. The second is the Hall of Fame and the third is the World Hall.
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Well, we visited many other very interesting places, but describing them all with the detail they deserve would never be able to finish it, that´s why I leave this little summary to invite everyone to know this mystical country.
For the baby, despite being so small, she really enjoyed this trip, although unfortunately her memories will remain only in photographs, but for us always in our mind.
Now as the she is growing, it is different. Since she was 2 or 3 years old, she likes to go with us to the mountains and we have to be more vigilant because she runs everywhere. When she sees us, she is struck by climbing the rocks and playing with my ropes and carabiners. She already has her own harness and helmet so she can play safely.
Going to the mountains should always be fun and should never be an obligation, in this way, little by little she begins to take a liking to this activity and we can continue to enjoy these adventures together.
I think it is not necessary to stop doing what you were used to doing with the arrival of a child, you just have to learn to adapt things so that everyone can share the experience.
Now after more than 7 years of this adventure and many other intermediate trips, we are preparing to fly back to Nepal in 2022, first me for my Expedition to Manaslu (8,163m) and a month later my Wife and my Daughter will join me to travel, I don´t know if the same places, others or these and others; So that in my little girl, those photos and talks become images and living experiences!
Are you going to take a trip with your child? If you wish, we can give you some tips so that everyone has a good time … and of course if I can help you with your trip to Nepal, do not hesitate to contact me.
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