Guidelines can be found from the NHS website in the UK as directed by the UK
Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The web address is

 www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/Country/India.html  Updated Anti Tetanus is also required. 

There is a vaccination and immunisation centre on the Abu Hamour road just past the petrol station. This centre will give the recommended vaccinations. You will need to bring current id. Vaccinations are free.

It is the responsibility of parents to make decisions on the immunisation of their children.

Q2. Do I require medical Insurance?

It is recommended that students have comprehensive medical and travel Insurance. The Doha College has life insurance for worldwide cover of its students and staff.

Q3. What is the political situation and other occurrences in India?

We will monitor travel Advice Bulletins from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office www.fco.gov.uk.

Q4. What are the entry requirements to India?

Visas are required for India excluding its own nationals. The college will organise visas. Different nationalities have to pay varying costs. I will advice parents of the visa costs in the New Year. Students with Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan passports usually require more time for visa applications. There can be major complications for Pakistani passport holders

Please make sure your Childs Qatar residency is up to date well in advance of departure. Also that the passport will be valid for 6 months from time of travel.
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Q5. Can I see the Snow Leopard Ltd web site?

Please check out the following address: http://www.snowleopardadventures.com/

Q6. Should my child do any special training for the expedition?

Preparation is a vital step when it comes to any trip, especially one that is going to be being physically demanding. More important than anything else is cardiovascular (CV) fitness. Cardiovascular fitness refers to the fitness level of the most important muscle in the body- namely the heart. Exercising for between 20 and 40 minutes approximately 4 times a week will significantly increase CV fitness, leading to more efficient oxygen consumption by the tissues of the body.

Activities such as jogging, cycling, swimming and racket sports all increase the heart rate and improve CV fitness. The best option is to attempt to include activities that one enjoys, which will improve the chances of actually continuing with a programme. 
This programme should start from now. A month before the expedition longer walks for a few hours should be taken. It is good to do this as a family or with friends. Walking along the Corniche or in the desert such as Bir Zikreet is a good idea.

Q7. Will I need to buy any special equipment?

I recommend that walking boots are bought now in order to be worn in. There is nothing worse than blisters on the first day. This will make your experience unhappy and could affect the rest of the group. 

Boots should give good support to the ankles and be waterproof. Light weight boots are a good idea as long as they have a waterproof liner for example Gortex or similar material.
Any boot that is used will need to be water proofed

Thanks to the support of GAC we now have sleeping bags that are suitable for the India trip. However a silk sleeping bag liner would be recommended with these.

A full kit list will be issued soon.

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