Simikot Warnings Or Dangers

APRIL 2008: THIS WARNING IS NO LONGER VALID. HOWEVER, THE SITUATION REMAINS FAIRLY VOLATILE AND SIMILAR ACCESS SANCTIONS MAY BE IMPOSED. I THEREFORE KEEP IT POSTED UNTIL I CAN REMOVE IT WITH CERTAINTY.

After 6 pm the army officially closes traffic in and out of Simkot. Traffic, that is persons and animals passing on the trail in and out of the government-controlled perimeter of Simkot. Thus, if you are on a day hike, a long trek or whatever, try to be inside the perimeter by 6pm. The soldiers get nervous and may shoot at whatever may appear threatening in the dark. If you for some reason are delayed upon entry, ensure that the soldiers manning the guardposts know about your plans and presence beforehand, so that you can identify yourself by means of registration done on the way out. If on an organised trek, the guides will do all this for you. No joke, this...

NB! This info is now dated and last time I was there you could pass freely also at night, but both maoists and military/police were checking people.

Update in November 06: the military and police had abandoned their Simkot Lagna checkpoint as part of the peace accord but kept night patrols. As a trekker/visitor you should always check in with the authorities for trekking permit and visa control as you enter Simkot.

1 more image

The best maps for Humla are the 1:50.000 Finnida topo sheets (see 2nd photo), but you need 18 of them to cover Humla, and 3-4 to cover the Kailash Trail within Nepal and an additional one to cover Limi (the Thangchhe sheet). If you are moderately interested only, and will be doing the Kailash trail and/or Limi trail, and somebody is guiding you anyway, buy a one-sheet trekking map. MARK MY WORDS that there is only ONE accurate trekking map. This map (see photo) is called Kailash & Lake Manasarovar 1:175.000. You find many other maps with similar sounding names - but be particular: only the 2005 map from MapPoint Nepal, GPO Box 3924, Kathmandu, is accurate. I have found it once and seen it occasionally, but when I wanted to buy several at one time, I had to preorder. See my maps shop tip in my general Nepal pages - Nepal Map House in Thapathali, Kathmandu. Here you can get all the Finnida maps and the said trekking map.

1 more image

If you are coming down from Nyalu La and stand near the Tselima Tsho/Selima Daha, contemplating your way down, beware that the trail as indicated on all maps including the Finnida 1:50.000 sheet "Muchu" is inaccurately placed on the maps.
First you have to contemplate a black-rock morene damming the lake, then follow switchback trail(s) down the natural fall line. Once out of the morene, this is obvious. Then, for some reason at a little saddle near a place called Dharmasala (which is only a rudimentary hut), the trail on the map turns sharply west in order to cross the Khyungar khola about a km west. There is a visible and quite good, but steep trail that continues the fall line of the morene ridge straight down (south) instead. Stick to that trail rather than following the map trail, and there will be some kind of temporary bridge arrangement/stepping stones across the Jaung Khola creek to your left going down at the 4200 meter counter line and cross to the left/east bank there. You will in any case have to come to this side in order to cross the Chhungsa khola bridge further below. Saves time and effort and even if the crossing gets wet, it is your best bet. Click on the map picture to see.

Dirt is a common denominator for most kitchens, eateries and homes in Humla. Generally, hygienic attitudes are not on the agenda - partly out of the economic conditions, hardship, simple life styles and a long way to fetch water, but are also a function of lack of education, ignorance and cultural inhibitions. For whatever reason, this impounds on the food quality and the way it is being served up. Humla has a lot of water borne diseases, diahorreas, dysentries, e.coli posioning, even cholera. Combined with influenzas and other respiratory diseases this coctail is making life uncertain for especially the poorest segment of the population that has reduced immune systems due to food deficiency. However, simple precautions and insistence on personal hygiene might keep you out of trouble when visiting.
Click on the the attached photo to see the list of most common diseases in Humla.

The trekking maps of Humla/ the Kailash trail often indicate available services along the trail. Beware that these services do not exisit any longer outside Simkot because of the mad red-guard-like maoist policy of destruction before construction. All the community public infrastructure is gone and schools have become maoist assembly halls. The sole surviors from their destruction of paper-tiger, running-dogs, foreign-like and government infrastructure are some of the health posts, but even these were destroyed in southern Humla and a few other places. On the Kailash trail the Kermi health post run by Nepal Trust is functioning, also with some typical medicines for trekkers' ailments available. For post and telephone - forget it. Bring a sat phone or employ a runner to communicate with Simkot. As the situation now is rather peaceful again, much of the maoist take-over is relaxed and communities are rebuilding infrastructure from scratch. Call Nepal Trust for accurate updates before you go.
If you doubt my story, try to find Majgaon telephone office or the Muchu VDC facilities/post office or the Torpa clinic or the Sarkegadh health post or . . the list of maoist violent madness is long.

2 more images

When going into Limi from Sher/Hilsa border post you will on day 2 (1 for the speedy ones) encounter an exceedingly steep pass called Namka La. No match for the locals and the altitude is not that much - 4500 meters - but it is a killer. Very steep, rocky, gravelly and just no let-up. The best approach is actually to get to the pass refreshed after a night's good sleep in Manipeme or even at a narrow camping spot closer to the bottom of the pass. The top of the pass gives you the first very good view into Limi, and the descent on the eastern side of the pass is benign. Having a snack at the top of the pass is a must - very good albeit windy place for this. No water available. In the cliffs east of the bottom of the pass are a couple of hermitages of significance that are still used by Til and Halji monks.

This stretch of trail below Ranipauwa after crossing the Nara Lagna from the south is very steep and gravelly, and as you tire down toward Hilsa there is an increasing chance of slipping on the loose roack and gravel here. Do not underestimate this danger, go slow and safe. This is the place on this trek where most people fall and hurt themselves.

NB! Update after the Andolaan of spring 06;
THE MAOISTS CONTINUE TO EXTORT MONEY, IN FACT MORE THAN BEFORE!

Update March 07;
THE EXTORTION POLICY/FEE DEMANDS ARE UNDER REVIEW BY THE MAOISTS, BUT STILL EXTORTION GOES ON AND THERE ARE PARALLEL TREKKING FEES BEING DEMANDED FROM GOVERNMENT AND MAOISTS SEVERAL PLACES IN NEPAL. THE EXACT SITUATION IN HUMLA IS UNCLEAR UNTIL SPRING AND THE TREKKING SEASONS SEES SOME EXPERIENCE.

In the Kermi area of Humla, inbetween Simkot and the Tibet border, maoists check passing visitors for purpose, nationality and extort fees. The "fee" for foreigners is no less than USD 126 (!). Yes, they figured out that this was the exchange rate for 100 Euros! It is best to trek in a group here and have your guides manage this. Individual trekkers are asking for trouble unless they are known to both government and maoist forces.
Political conditions are extremely harsh for local people and tourists alike. The maoists flock like birds to upper Humla when the trekking season is in progress in order to siphon off "fees" from tourists and "taxes" from local institutions and individuals - including extremely poor people - who might in a small way benefit from tourism here, while in the off-season they are mostly preying on local people in lower Humla and Kalikot.