Short Cuts

GUIDELINES There are more than 2,000 registered trekking guides in Kathmandu alone, and while most offer honest, impeccable service, horror stories abound. When choosing a guide, make sure he or she has been accredited by the Hotel Management and Tourism Training Centre, is familiar with the area you will be visiting and can arrange emergency-helicopter evacuation service should a member of your party be injured. Check online travel chat rooms for recommendations and reviews. (Lonely Planet's Thorn Tree travel forum is a good place to start; go to lonelyplanet.com .) Beware of guides who...