The Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek is a challenging and immersive journey from bustling Delhi to the peaceful Indian Himalaya. As a Charity Challenge participant, you’ll follow the pristine Uhl River, trekking through Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama. To help you prepare for this challenge, we’ve pulled together an essential guide full of tips and tricks, including insider advice from our experienced team…
What is the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek?
This is a unique expedition through the Indian Himalayas, combining stunning mountain scenery with an immersive cultural experience. Trek along the Uhl River, passing rhododendron forests, Hindu villages and secluded Buddhist monasteries in Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan community. You’ll discover an area of pristine, unspoiled beauty!
Highlights include:
- Trek through the famous Indian Himalaya and witness spectacular mountain panoramas.
- Immerse yourself in culture with guided visits to Hindu temples, Buddhist monasteries and experience a window into authentic Tibetan Life.
- Follow a route rarely-trekked, resulting in a journey through peaceful, plentiful natural beauty.
What will I achieve?
This 11-day itinerary involves 5-days of continuous trekking, and is graded as ‘challenging’, meaning a good level of fitness, adventurous spirit and training is required. Some high altitude is involved, but this is compensated for by easier trekking terrain and conditions. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll accomplish (and can proudly share with your sponsors!):
- Trek an average of 15-20km per day.
- Reach high altitude, at a maximum of approximately 3000 metres above sea level.
- Stay overnight in lodges and campsites, with very basic facilities.
- Trek through unique remote areas, in which you will see no other tourists or trekkers!
- To top it all off, you will be tackling this in aid of a charity of your choice – pushing yourself for a cause that’s close to your heart.
I’m thinking of booking, what do I need to know?
For a quick overview of what to expect from this challenge, we’ve pulled together some advice below – including some top tips straight from our experienced team of leaders! For further information please visit our Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek webpage, which covers all details thoroughly.
1. Train for the Terrain
Training and preparation are essential for this trek – remember, you’ll be trekking over mountainous terrain, with ascents and descents each day. During your training, focus on building stamina, leg and joint strength and balance. Aim to get outdoors on rugged terrain with a similarly weighted daypack to prepare for the 4-7 hours of trekking you’ll face each day. Build up to a long weekend of consecutive trekking – this will set you up in great stead for your challenge!
Top Tips:
- Your training must include mountainous and hilly terrain, as there are significant ascents and descents on trekking days. – Ian Morton, Charity Challenge Leader
- Don’t forget that the day’s high point is only half the journey! Focus on getting your knees as strong as possible when training to help ease the long descents that follow the summits. ‘Box step downs’ and ‘wall sit’ exercises both help build endurance and joint control. You can also carry Ibuprofen gel for any soreness that might develop. – Elliot Swinney, Charity Challenge Leader
2. Gear up for success
Full details of what to pack can be found in your challenge Kit List. Generally, you can take one item of checked baggage (20kg max) and a 25-33L day pack, which is what you’ll carry with you as you trek – check out our blog on daypacks here! Depending on which month your challenge is, the average temperatures can vary – but generally, you can always expect the temperature to change from warm/hot days to much cooler nights (sometimes dropping below 0 degrees!). Our dates avoid the peak rainy season, but you should still be prepared for some wet weather and pack quality waterproofs.
Top Tips:
- I highly recommend bringing a roll of Kinesiology tape (like SPORTTAPE) – rather than standard blister plasters. It works by reducing direct friction on the skin and therefore, the formation of blisters. It’s stretchy, so aim to apply in one smooth layer with no creases or doubling up. It can either be left on till it falls off – or can be replaced each night as it doesn’t damage the skin when you remove it. – Lizzy Codd, Charity Challenge Leader
- They may not be an ‘essential’, but learning to use walking poles can be extremely beneficial for the tough downhill sections that strain your knees. Buy or rent your own and get used to using them during training, so they become a natural part of your stride. Your knees will thank you! – Ian Morton, Charity Challenge Leader
- Even though you are heading to the snow-capped Indian Himalayas don’t underestimate the heat – pack plenty of SPF50 sun cream. As you will also face colder weather, a multi-layered clothing system will give you the most flexibility and comfort. – Elliot Swinney, Charity Challenge Leader
3. Consider the small comforts
While the trek itself is demanding, a few small comforts can make a big difference to your overall experience. From rest on long journeys to easing tired feet at camp – some little touches can help keep you feeling your best throughout the adventure.
- Take a good neck pillow, ear buds and an eye mask, as you have a number of journeys on trains, coaches and 4x4s, up to and back from the Himalayas (in addition to the long haul flights) – these could help you get more of that much needed rest. – Simon Albert, Charity Challenge Co-Founder and Director
- Comfy trainers or sandals to change into at camp are essential to let your feet breath after a hard day’s trekking. – Ian Morton, Charity Challenge Leader
- Travelling to India can pose other challenges, the change in diet has a reputation for causing upset stomachs. Eating the local yogurt when you get into the country is a great way to soothe any stomach issues you may have! – Elliot Swinney, Charity Challenge Leader
- The most magical part of the day in the India Himalayas is sunrise and sunset. Give yourself time to enjoy these moments as they will be instilled in your memories forever. – Jenn Payne, Head of Sales & Marketing
To conclude…start prepping!
If you are now seriously considering taking on the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek, we strongly recommend heading over to our website to read through our full Itinerary, Costs, Kit List and extensive Essential Information tabs. You’ll find everything you need to know here in detail, from timings, locations, food and drink, difficulty level breakdowns, training advice, group safety, equipment and much, much more (including answers to those all-important ‘what if?’ questions).
Our blog also hosts a wealth of resources to help prepare you for your fundraising challenge.
Why should I book the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek with Charity Challenge?
Over the years Charity Challenge has built up a wealth of experience that has enabled us to create the best Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek itinerary that is geared towards providing participants with both a challenging trek expedition and real cultural immersion.
Since 1999, we have specialised in operating challenges for charity fundraisers. We partner with 1000’s of UK and Irish charities already – and our team is happy to reach out to a charity of your choice to make your dream fundraising challenge happen. (Or, if you don’t fancy fundraising, the good news is you can simply self-fund and join us anyway!).
- You will be lead by an English-speaking challenge leader and supported by local guides – including a guided walk through Dharamsala, where you’ll learn about Buddhism, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan way of life.
- Our itinerary allows you time to explore and take in this amazing part of the world, offering plenty of opportunity to bond with your fellow participants over home-cooked meals and warming campsite fires.
- We also offer an exciting optional extension, where you can visit the Taj Mahal, Keoladeo National Par and Fatephur Sikri.
Remember, the Dalai Lama Himalayan Trek is graded as a ‘challenging’ and is designed to push you out of your comfort zone. With the right preparation, this picturesque challenge is incredibly rewarding, memorable and impressive to complete – making it an excellent choice for an Overseas Charity Challenge!
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