Is it compulsory to hire a local certified guide for trekking in the Great Himalayan National Park?
I am a fairly experienced and soon to be technically qualified(meaning Advanced First Aid and Wilderness Skills certification) Himalayan trekker.
I wanted to know if hiring a guide to trek in GHNP(Great Himalayan National Park) is compulsory or not as I wanted the hiking group to consist of just my friends and I .
Best Answer
Short answer: Not really, as long as your venture falls into a hike.
Although you are technically experienced, the advance first-aid certification does not make one technically capable of leading a expedition in Himalayas.
For any of the mountaineering adventures above 6000 m, IMF mandates that a expedition leader should have a Advance Mountaineering Course certification from any of it's affiliated organizations and should have registered a successful ascent of a 6000 m peak.
However, you are clearly terming your venture as a hike, I assume it ill be at most up to 4500 m considering the GHNP region. It would be better if you opt for local guides and support staff, but no governing body mandates you to hire a guide. Also, hiring a guide and/or local support staff eases out the procedure with hiking permits in the region.
Pictures about "Is it compulsory to hire a local certified guide for trekking in the Great Himalayan National Park?"
How do I get a permit for Great Himalayan National Park?
Great Himalayan National Park Entry Fee and Permit Entrance to the Great Himalayan National Park is strictly by permit. The same needs to be acquired from head office at Shamshi and zonal offices at Shairopa and Ropa. The permit charge for Indian visitors INR 100/day and for foreign nationals is INR 400/day.For which animal Great Himalayan National Park is famous?
A trek of 35 to 45 km in any of the park's valleys brings one into the high altitude habitat (3,500 m and above) of animals such as blue sheep, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr, and musk deer.Is Great Himalayan National Park situated?
The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area is located in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in the northern Indian State of Himachal Pradesh.First Trek | Gushaini to Rakhundi | Great Himalayan National Park | Watch before your first trek!
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Jens Johnsson, Frans van Heerden, Olga Lioncat, ROMAN ODINTSOV