William S P
San Dimas, California, United States
Trust
I spent 18 days on the Annapurna circuit and I got to see and experience a lot. I am young and able-bodied and did not see much use for a guide or a porter on such a well-established trekking route. Reluctantly, I decided to be cautious as this circuit has its horror stories.
I met Rupak, the guide, on a Monday. By Tuesday, he was Rupak the friend. Someone I could trust instantly to have my back in times of trouble or when feeling uneasy.
I met many, MANY Trekkers along the circuit and most of them had guides. Those that didn’t spend a lot of time backtracking and looking silly, as the beginning stages of the trek are not very well marked and many trails lead to dead-ends (caused by landslides/earthquakes) or someone’s home :). It really matters to have a guide you can trust to be honest, helpful, and can speak English like they are from the west.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: most Trekkers who had a problem with their Nepali guides complained mostly of trust. All the guides will tell you that they do not drink and they do not smoke.. but when they arrive at the day’s end, they retreat to the kitchen for free wine and often drink far too much making the wake up call in the morning difficult and, as altitude increases and the temperatures decrease, they tend to get sick easily making life more difficult for you.. The Trekker.
Rupak does not have this problem, and because of his honesty and integrity, several Trekkers fired there guides midway and attached themselves to my party.
He gives you space when you need it. He takes care of all arrangements and negotiates on my behalf. He truly cared about my enjoyment and about my personal quest.
Bottom line, when you trek… You trek to feel independent and free. You don’t need a guide 100% of the time… But when you do… You need a great guide. One you can trust. One who knows the way. One with patience and a passionate love for the mountains and its people. You need someone who you can count on when a situation arises or danger is imminent.
The only choice is Rupak Rimal and he is THE guide to have in Nepal.
May, 2016
