Hello Everyone! March marks the official kick-off to the spring 2020 trekking season in the Himalayas. Throughout the next 3 months, we’ll use this blog page to keep you up to date on our trip departures and countries we are traveling to.
It goes without saying that at One World Trekking your health and safety are our top concerns. In light of COVID-19, we will remain extra vigilant and provide you with the most current updates from our overseas agents and follow the travel advice provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The health and well being of all people remains the core mission of both of these organizations. Travelers (as they always should) need to exercise common sense hygienic practices to help reduce and avoid the spread of influenza and COVID-19.
CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/index.html
WHO: https://www.who.int/
June 9, 2020
50 spots added to the 2021 Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon Trip
Today we would usually have dozens of runners at the start line for the annual Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon to celebrate the first summit of the world’s highest peak. Sadly, it was not to be this year.
With close to 175 people already registered for the 2021 trip, we have just added 50 additional spots for those wishing to take on the half-marathon, full marathon, 60K Ultra or any family and friends wishing to trek to Everest Base Camp and cheer on the runners.
May 14, 2020
The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon has been officially postponed until Spring 2021
Ok, it is now official. We have cancelled this year’s Everest Marathon due to the on-going concerns, safety issues and impaired travel logistics caused by COVID-19. Everyone signed up for the 2020 event will be transferred over to the 2021 trip, so we do expect a full trip in 2021. The trip dates remain the same: May 15 to June 3, 2021 and the trip price also remains unchanged at $2700 per person. We remain ever hopeful that next spring will see us all back hiking and running in Nepal. Please stay well, healthy and happy.
April 20, 2020
Fall 2020 Private Trips
While we are all waiting and hoping for a safe and thoughtful opening back up of the world’s travel industry, we are preparing and planning on being able to operate Nepal treks this fall. What we are doing at this time is offering the option of arranging your trek on the exact dates you want to travel starting in September 2020. We are no longer offering open group dates for the remainder of 2020. Almost all of our Nepal treks, including Everest Base Camp and Annapurna Sanctuary, can be arranged and confirmed for groups of just 1 person for the same prices as our group dates. We are also making all trip deposits 100% refundable or transferable if the coronavirus situation subsequently does not allow us to operate your trip in Fall 2020. So, you can book at any time on your needed dates with no risk/penalties.
Stay well, healthy and happy!
The One World Trekking Team
APRIL 3, 2020
Update on COVID-19 Travel Impacts
With the coronavirus crisis rapidly changing circumstances around the world, we hope all of you are well and staying healthy. To all of our travelers, thank you for your patience as we prioritize our communications based on your proposed departure date. Your understanding has allowed us to work with each of you individually and thoroughly. All of our groups are now safely out of the mountains and those of you due to depart up through May 2020 have now been rescheduled.
For those of you are due to depart in June through August (India, Pakistan and South America destinations) and we will now begin to contact all of you to discuss options for 2020 or 2021 travel. We will be reviewing the operational status of all summer trips on a month by month basis. For now, only trips departing up to May 31, 2020 have been rescheduled.
For travelers scheduled for trips beginning September 2020 and though December 2020, we will continue to stay in touch and begin assessing your trip options in August 2020.
For any individual traveling between June and December 2020 choosing to postpone your trip due to the coronavirus pandemic, please notify us in writing and we will transfer your deposit to a future trip commencing within 12 months of your original departure date. Should you be unable to decide on a future departure date, we will hold your deposit as a credit toward a future departure commencing within 12 months of your original departure date. Our standard transfer fee of $100.00 will be waived.
For travelers who wish to cancel their trip arrangements without rescheduling, please note:
- Any non-recoverable prepayments (hotels, lodges, internal flights, permits…) that have been paid by you and sent on by us to secure those services will not be refundable. You will be notified at the time of your cancellation of the status of such payments after we consult with each of the service providers.
The One World Trekking office is open and staffed only by Andy. The other OWT staff are now working remotely at home. Andy is available on his cell phone: 970-945-2601 and you can reach him by email on: andy.crisconi@oneworldtrekking.com.
This spring is the first trekking season in 32 years that OWT will not have groups walking the trails in the Himalayas and beyond. A somber thought easily overcome by the knowledge that once this crisis is over, our wanderlust will find us once again exploring the mountainous corners of foreign lands.
In the meantime, please take care of yourselves and your loved ones.
Thank you all for your continuing support and understanding.
MARCH 30, 2020
HIGH 5 Program: Save on your next adventure and Help Us Help Them
Hello Fellow Hikers,
I hope everyone is healthy and making the most of the extra indoor time we are all now experiencing. Colorado, like most states, is under a ‘stay at home’ order except for essential travel. In my family, we are taking turns to get out for a coveted dog walk or short run. Our One World Trekking staff are working from home and everyone is well. We’ve been having daily conversations about our local town events, discussing new trip ideas, what post-virus trekking life may look like and sharing our concerns for our extended family in Nepal.
Right now, I am in contact with our friends in Kathmandu several days a week. To control the import and export of COVID-19, Nepal smartly went into a countrywide lock down to be re-evaluated on a week to week basis. To date, Nepal has done a rather great job of testing and isolating any persons displaying coronavirus symptoms.
As you can probably guess, our entire Nepali office and trekking staff (tour officers, guides, cooks, drivers, logistical personnel) are also at home, taking care of their families and waiting for the “all clear” so they can get back to the work they love and making your trekking dreams a reality.
Remember that while our lives get back to “normal” over the next few months, the next trekking season doesn’t begin until September. This is another 6 months before we are able to start sending groups back to Nepal and putting our local staff back to work.
I strongly believe that during these times of uncertainty, it’s important to hold on to our ideals, take an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to support each other and ease with the financial crunch of those most hurting right now.
Initiated back in 2015 after the earthquakes impacted Nepal, we are now reviving our ‘HIGH 5’ Program in order to assist our Nepali staff and their families through this tough time.
- For all new group bookings (regardless of the group size) taken between April 1 and December 31, 2020, we will offer each member of your group a 5% discount off of your trip price.
- This offer is good for all trips departing before December 31, 2021.
- We will contribute another 5% to a fund to be used to help our local staff and their families make it through this tough period.
- Please note that the ‘HIGH 5’ Program does not apply to the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon, as this is already our annual fundraising event. Thanks for understanding.
You book and save a bit on a future, fun-filled hiking adventure and help us help the people who go out of their way to show you a trip of a lifetime.
Thanks for taking the time to read this. All of us at One World Trekking wish all of you healthy days ahead.
See you in the mountains!
Andy & the One World Trekking staff
March 23, 2020
Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon: Update from the Race Director
Taking into consideration all of your emails and continued concern and disruption being caused by Covid-19 virus, we are now looking into postponing the 2020 Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon to the fall. We will be making a final decision by the first week of April and will officially inform everyone at that time.
We are considering rescheduling the marathon to a September 24 race date. This would make the trip dates September 10 to September 29, 2020.
Back on September 24, 1975, a British expedition led by Sir Chris Bonington was successful in making the first summit of Mount Everest via the mountain’s Southwest Face. Climbers Doug Scott and Dougal Haston, followed two days later by Peter Boardman and Pertemba Sherpa, made what was considered at the time “the apotheosis of big mountain expeditions”.
Regardless of the final decision made on the 2020 Everest Marathon, the 2021 trip will still take place on its regularly scheduled dates of May 15 to June 3, 2021.
Stay tuned.
Best regards,
The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon
MARCH 17, 2020
Social-distancing and plan a trip now
Ok. Got it. No one is traveling for pleasure right now. We all need to take a deep breath and continue to make smart, healthy life choices. What we can do with the extra indoor, social-distancing time on our hands is look ahead to when life returns to “normal”. Once the coronavirus is brought under control and precautions and closures are lifted, we’ll be free to head back outside and across borders to enjoy the spectacular beauty and limitless freedom only travel can offer.
While we’re not able to travel now, we can all certainly start dreaming and planning our next adventure. We’ll never lose our itch for adventure, just need to find some alternative ways to scratch right now.
Stay healthy, get some fresh air, eat your veggies, create new ways to exercise and maintain your sanity.
When it is time, make those travel dreams a reality. This to shall pass.
MARCH 13, 2020
New travel restrictions in place for Nepal
It has been confirmed to us today that the Department of Immigration in Nepal will be implementing a set of new rules and regulations to deter any spread of the coronavirus into Nepal.
Unless we are informed otherwise, the following restrictions will be enforced from March 14 to April 30, 2020.
- The online and visa on arrival processes are suspended for all foreign nationals. A visa for Nepal can still be obtained through the Nepal Embassy or a Nepal Consulate.
- Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) all foreign nationals are required to produce a doctor’s proof of a negative result from a coronavirus swab test. This test must be taken within 7 days of your arrival in Kathmandu.
- Everyone arriving at Tribhuvan International Airport will have their temperature taken and asked some questions about their travels before coming to Nepal. Anyone with a fever and/or exhibiting flu-like symptoms may be subject to 14 day quarantine.
- Land borders between Nepal and India and Tibet are closed until further notice.
Given the new rule to provide proof of a negative coronavirus test, this may make travel to Nepal impossible for those of you with trips coming up soon. We will be in contact with everyone affected by this requirement to discuss rescheduling your trip or switching to a different trip and destination.
All of our Nepal departures in May, including the Mount Everest Marathon, remain operational at this time.
Obviously this is a challenging time for everyone, especially for those of us who love to travel. Nepal wants to welcome tourists this spring, but is taking understandable precautions to keep everyone safe and healthy.
MARCH 8, 2020
Despite the understandably on-going concern regarding travel during this time of the coronavirus spread, many of who have recently been in touch about a spring or fall trip for this year. Below are updates from a couple of travel product suppliers.
AIG Travel Coverage Update
Due to the global challenges concerning Coronavirus (COVID1-19) and travel, AIG Travel will be making an immediate change regarding our Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) optional coverage.
Today, on most of our policies (state and products variations may apply), we offer a 75%, 70% and a 50% CFAR option. We certainly understand the importance of the CFAR cover during these challenging times and have made the decision to continue the CFAR optional benefit; however, effective March 6, 2020, we will only offer the 50% option with a benefit limit of $25,000 per policy.
We will continue to evaluate the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it evolves, and communicate any future changes or updates.
As a reminder, to secure the CFAR optional coverage, we require:
- Client must purchase an AIG Travel base product where the CFAR optional benefit is available (state and products variations may apply).
- Client must purchase the CFAR benefit in the 15-day purchase window. CFAR is NOT available to be added to any product outside this 15-day purchase window.
- Client must insure the full trip cost on the underlying base product. This includes all prepaid, non-refundable trip costs.
- Client must pay the premium for both the underlying base product and the CFAR optional coverage in full.
Please note that coverage for CFAR ends prior to the client’s departure and not the day of departure. Depending on the underlying product, this may be 24 to 72 hours in advance. AIG Travel continues to update our Coronavirus FAQ located here. Please refer back to this FAQ on a regular basis for current updates.
Avia Travel Services
While your trip destination country may be fine to travel to, many people are more concerned about traveling to and from their destination country. If you prefer not to stopover through an Asian country, Avia Travel can offer you a selection of routings and currently great pricing on 5-star carriers such as, Turkish Airlines through Istanbul, Qatar Airways through Doha and Emirates Airlines through Dubai.
Sue Lai, Avia Travel (in California, USA)
sue@aviatravel.com
1-800-950-2842
MARCH 5, 2020
All One World Trekking trips to Nepal, Bhutan, India, the Karakoram as well as trips operating outside of the Himalayas remain scheduled to go.
Peace of Mind when booking your next Adventure of a Lifetime
While the coronavirus situation remains fluid and we are all in a state of ‘wait and see’, many of you want to book and plan your next adventure, but are hesitant to put down a deposit. We totally understand.
Deposits: Book your adventure today and if at any stage 61+ days before departure, you decide you are not comfortable traveling because of the coronavirus, we will either transfer your deposit to the same trip on rescheduled dates of your choosing, transfer your deposit to an alternative trip and dates of your choosing or refund your full deposit less any non-refundable penalties, fees…from third parties such as but not limited to hotels and airlines providing internal flights. This offer applies to any new bookings as well as all existing customers who have paid a deposit.
*Your rescheduled or alternative trip must be taken within 1 calendar year of your original and subsequently canceled trip dates.
Final Balance Payments: If you have already paid your final trip balance this means you are 60 or fewer days from your scheduled departure. If you decide within this time that you are not comfortable traveling because of the coronavirus, we will either transfer your full payments made to date to the same trip on rescheduled dates of your choosing* or transfer your full payments made to date to an alternative trip and dates of your choosing*. Unless a Travel Warning (see below) for your trip destination country has been issued by the State Department, our normal cancellation policies remain in effect. This offer applies to any new bookings as well as all existing customers who have paid for their trips in full.
*Your rescheduled or alternative trip must be taken within 1 calendar year of your original and subsequently canceled trip dates.
Please note: Unless we have contacted you individually and extended your final payment due date, your final balance is due on the date specified in your booking confirmation.
Travel Warning: A travel warning is defined as the US State Department issuing a Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL warning to your trip destination country on account of the coronavirus.
In the event that the State Department does issue a Level 4: DO NOT TRAVEL warning to your trip destination country on account of the coronavirus, we will either transfer your full payments made to date to the same trip on rescheduled dates of your choosing, transfer your full payments made to date to an alternative trip and dates of your choosing or offer you a full refund of all monies paid on your trip, less any non-refundable penalties, fees…from third parties such as but not limited to hotels and airlines providing internal flights. This offer applies to any new bookings as well as all existing customers who have paid for their trips in full.
*Your rescheduled or alternative trip must be taken within 1 calendar year of your original and subsequently canceled trip dates.
As always, we are here to answer any of your questions and assist you in getting as prepared as possible for your trip. Please email or call us to discuss. Thanks.
MARCH 1, 2020
All One World Trekking trips to Nepal, Bhutan, India, the Karakoram as well as trips operating outside of the Himalayas remain scheduled to go. Groups scheduled to travel and trek in Tibet, China have been rescheduled to the fall 2020 trekking season or to spring 2021.
For current updates on specific events and regions, please see below:
Nepal: A couple items worth noting specific to Nepal trips.
- Lukla Flights: Due to the ongoing widening/repaving runway projects at Nepal’s Tribhuvan International Airport and to reduce air traffic for safety reasons, all flights to and from Lukla will now be operated out of Manthali Airport near the town of Ramechap, a 4 to 5 hour drive from Kathmandu. This change will affect all Everest area treks from February 1 through May 31, 2020 and, in some cases, adds an additional 1 day to all Everest trek itineraries. As the maintenance work progresses, flights to and from Lukla out of Kathmandu Airport may be added back. We will have to see if and how this may affect fall 2020 trips to the Everest region.
- Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon: The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon currently remains A GO and planned as scheduled. We will post updates here if and as needed.
As always, we are here to answer any of your questions and assist you in getting as prepared as possible for your trip. Please email or call us to discuss. Thanks.