I have just returned from my first trek in Nepal. Our daily stages were: Pokhara, Dhampus, Gandrung, Landrung, Tarapani, Bisikarka, Chistibung, Khopra Ridge (2 nights), Chitre, Ghorapani, Nangi, Langi, Pokhara.

I hope the notes below will be useful to other novice trekkers. I will keep an eye on this site for a week or so to respond to any specific questions.

PRE-TREK TRAINING: Adequate physical preparation makes trekking so much more enjoyable. Even though you might be quite fit through gym work, cycling, swimming etc, there is no substitute for strenuous walking up and down steep, rough slopes. Walking the doggie in the park for 30 minutes/day won't prepare you to heave body and day pack up 3000 steps at 3000 metres! If your area does not have steep hills for training walks, do plenty of deep squats instead. Or go to a gym and work on the muscle groups you will use hiking (quads, calves, gluteus maximus). A couple of months ago there were a few excellent posts here re fitness. They might still be around.

I found a walking pole very helpful on steep ascents and descents, especially where the path was slippery. Without the aid of a walking pole, a slip with a 10-kg daypack can easily lead to injury.

PORTERS: A porter will normally carry the gear of two trekkers, plus a bit extra (ie 30 kg+ in total). Most porters are not hulking great brutes - they are often quite small in stature (but giants in heart and endurance). It is salutary to remember that all your gear is being carried by another human being. So don't bring along frivolities or "might needs" that you don't plan to carry yourself. This stuff doesn't go into the hold of a bus or plane for transport - it goes on the back of a human being.

Do a trial packing and be ruthless about leaving behind marginal luxuries. Sometimes guidebooks and tour companies over-state what is needed on trek. You don't really need two sets of 300 gm polar fleeces on most Moderate treks. Very high altitudes in snow (eg treks rated Difficult) are a different matter.

DISTANCES: Distances measured from a map are useless as a planning tool in the steep and rough terrain of many treking trails. Only "hours of hiking" estimates make any sense when planning daily stages. I found 4-5 hours of walking (plus lunch and other breaks) quite OK on the uphill stages. Coming back, 7+ hour days were fine. That was with no snow, at altitudes of 2500 - 3800 metres.

TREK GEAR: You can get all the trek clothing you need in Kathmandu and Pokhara, much cheaper than at home (Australia, in my case). OK, the quality and fashion may not be top-notch, but the gear is functional and sufficiently durable for occasional trekking. "Goretex" jackets (with zip-in liners) were priced about US$37 in Pokhara. I got a photographer's vest for US$2. Lightweight (100 gm) polartec top and pants cost me US$9. Hiking pants cost US$7. It's all so cheap, plus you are making a much-needed contribution to the Nepali economy.

PACKING TIPS: Kitbags may not be waterproof, so I used 3 heavy duty garbage bags to keep my stuff dry inside the kitbag. One plastic bag was for sleeping gear, another for spare clothes, and a third for all the other stuff needed each day (eg washing gear, torch, polartec clothes). Within the last two bags, I used plastic stuff bags for groups of items to make it easy to find things.

DAY PACK: I found a 35 litre pack to be right. Small, flimsy packs won't do the job on trek. Without camera gear, your day pack will weigh 7 - 8 kg once you have packed 2 litres water, waterproof gear, warm jacket, snacks, gloves, hat, first aid stuff, other odds and ends needed during the day. An SLR camera with telephoto lens, filters and film can easily add another 3 kg to the load. Use your training walks to fine tune the gear you want to take in the day pack. Use stuff bags for easy access to small items.

A load of 10 kg might not seem much, but it has a few surprising effects until you get used to it. For starters, your centre of gravity is shifted up and out from your back, which makes things intertesting if you straighten up quickly to stretch out on a steep ascent! Also, the weight and awkward balance can turn a trivial slip into a more serious fall on a tricky path.

WATER: I can't stress too much the importance of frequent drinks with added electrolytes when ascending and acclimatising. The physical work load can be heavy (eg 4000 cal/day vs 2500 in sedentary work). Apart from lots of tea and other drinks at breaks and meals, I drank 2 litres on 4-hour days and 4 litres on the longer days. Actually the "pale and plentiful" urine test is probably a more useful guide to fluid intake than drinking fixed amounts of water.

I made my own electrolyte mix (1 level teaspoon low sodium salt, 8 level tea spoons sugar per litre water). Use "low sodium" salt from the supermarket, because it has the important electrolyte, potassium, in it. Making your own costs 10% of name brand sports drinks. Search for Oral Rehydration Solutions on the web and you will find more info.

The downside of all that water was the need for several trips to the toilet during the nights. After a while you can dress/undress and wander off in a sort of daze! Actually, in very cold conditions, think about using a bottle in the tent (provided your companion has no objections). Just don't mix it up with the drink bottles!

BOOTS: We encountered a bit of light rain, and some snow at higher altitudes. Boots need to be substantial, not only to cope with wet conditions, but also to stand up to very rough and stony trails.

"PILGRIMS" BOOK SHOP: This is probably the most extensive book shop in Thamel. Have a look at their website (www.pilgrimsbooks.com). The shop has a huge range, from recent popular books up to expensive (eg US$2000) collectible editions. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable. Pilgrims also has a nice eating area where buyers can relax over their books. You can even buy some handicrafts. It's an excellent place to browse in - and escape the frenetic activity of Thamel's streets.

VERTIGO: I suffer from vertigo and was a bit concerned about crossing rickety suspension bridges, but I found the few high bridges we crossed to be no big deal at all.

SNACKS: Sweet snacks in the day pack are great for an occasional energy boost.

HEAD LAMP: I found a hand-held torch to be impractical. The LED headlamp is one of the two great inventions of the 20th century. Get a good, bright multi-LED variety and enjoy a happy and productive hands-free life in the evenings. Great for reading in bed!

THERMAREST: This is the other great invention of the 20th century. No need for lung-busting inflation to blow up your bed. Ahh, such comfort when placed under the sleeping bag, especially for those of us who sleep on our side.

RUBBISH: You will quickly see that Nepal has a rubbish disposal problem, with many trails littered with plastic junk. I avoided buying bottled water, since our group was able to boil its own water and we carried it in metal bottles, thus avoiding creating more plastic waste. I also took home all the plastic and other rubbish I bought into Nepal, plus any plastic shopping bags acquired there. It is a reasonable bet that your own country will have better facilities for handling plastic waste than Nepal. They have enough problems.

PHOTOGRAPHY: I used 1 roll of 36 pics per trek day. A light tripod was handy for early morning sunrises. A polarising filter gave some great shots of the mountains against the sky, but the effect can be too overwhelming.

MAOISTS: Two political workers came to one of our campsites to spread the message that tourists were not being targetted and are quite safe. They did not ask for money and did not hassle us in any way. They were in fact quite interesting to talk with, albeit via translation. So long as trekkers are not violent or aggressive in their approach to "Maoists" I feel there is an acceptably low risk on most reputable group treks.

The political situation in Nepal is having a devastating impact on tourism, and it is the poorer people, such as porters and trek staff who are suffering. Once you get out of Kathmandu, Nepalis are generally wonderful and hospitable people. I hope many more people will feel safe enough to go and enjoy what the Nepalese have to offer, as well as the physical challenge of getting to see some of the most awe-inspiring scenery on the planet.

EVEREST FLIGHT: I did a 1-hour "Everest" flight at the end of my trek. The name is a mis-nomer, since the plane simply flies along the mountains (at quite some distance) to the vicinity of Mt Everest, then returns to Kathmandu. Having done my trek first, and seen big mountains up close and personal, the "Everest" flight was quite a let-down for me and a waste of money.

If you decide to lash out on the US120 for this flight, get to the check-in early (6.30 am) and ask for a seat on the right-hand side, towards the back. Seats up front can be obscured by the wings and engines. The right side has marginally closer views of the mountains on the return leg. Be prepared for delays of an hour or so while fog clears at Kathmandu airport. Better still, forget the whole thing and visit Patan or Bhaktapur instead