Queries from someone aspiring to start trekking solo

[Ashray]

I've Been on 2 high altitude treks(above 14000ft) in lower Himalayas till now and feel confident that i'm good enough to trek alone. What i don't understand is how to go about it. I have queries from people who've trekked solo which i want answers on.

1. Ig the biggest question is about travel to and fro from starting and ending points of trek. Since you have to travel via jeep/car to the starting point of most lower Himalayan treks and similarly from the endpoint as well, this is not an issue while travelling with Indiahikes or any other operator but how can one arrange travel back from endpoint when travelling alone.
2. What 3N/4N treks you would recommended to start trekking solo in the Himalayas where i would face least problems about travelling. 

 

[pranavi]

What are best practices if we are suspicious an animal could attack while doing diy?

What's the weight of equipment apart from trekking gear we will be carrying in diy

[Mahendra]

@Ashray

For point-I, I don't think that's the case for every trek. Take KGL. You can start from Sonamarg and end at Naranag, or vice-versa. Both the places are well-connected by road transport. Another example is Gaumukh-Tapovan trek. You start at Gangotri. So you can always pick treks with trailheads that have transport connections.

As for point-II, open any of the trekking company websites and sort the treks easy to hard. The easy ones usually have less days of trekking.

But I advice being super cautious about the whole thing. In fact, if possible, go with one or two responsible friends. Make sure the trails you go on have some footfall (shepherds/other trekkers) so that if things go south, you have some help!

[Mahendra]

@pranavi

1. Ask yourself the question of what are the dangerous animals in the Himalayas? Honestly, its highly unlikely you'll encounter a dangerous animal. Especially above the tree-line. Shepherd dogs are a nuisance and could even be a threat sometimes. Most animals usually hate humans and prefer not to go after us. However, the SOP for surviving attacks seems to be: 1. Don't run at any costs and 2. Make yourself appear big, scream, and back away slowly. In the Canadian Rockies, they suggest carrying a bear spray when hiking and also making some noise when on the trail to let animals know you are coming and not surprise them.

2.  There's no definitive answer for this as it depends on how much you are willing to spend on the gear, and how long your trip itself is. Compare synthetic vs down sleeping bags. Down is 3-5x the price of synthetic ones, but weights less than half of what synthetic bags weigh. The rule of thumb is, the more you are willing to spend, the lighter your gear will be.

Here's a very informative article on the subject: https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/backpacking-weight.html

There is also the whole philosophy of "Ultralight". I suggest you read up more on that on Google.