FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This is the page the whole world has asked for. Here we have collected all the questions everyone wants to ask. Scroll through and if your question isn't here just e-mail to adventurer2008@elpaseollama.com make sure your spam controls will accept email from this address or call 800.455.2627 and we'll answer it and add it to the list.
Do I need a reservation? Yes you do. All of our treks are scheduled on demand and on a first come-first served space available basis. Unlike most outfitters who schedule a few treks each season and cram all takers into that schedule, we go when you want and where you want if we are not previously booked. Not only that, there is preparation before the trek takes place and that takes time. We recommend that you make a reservation as early as possible to ensure that the trek you want can be done on the date(s) you want as we do book up in the busier parts of the season. At a minimum, we ask that you call us at least 48 hrs before a day hike and 30 days before an overnight trek (Note: You can call on a shorter notice and we will accommodate you if we can). The chances of reservation success increases with the amount of time before the date(s) you want. We don't like it but sometimes we do have to turn down reservation requests. See the Registration Instructions for more details.
I have a group, can you accommodate us? Usually we can. We had a church group from Ohio with 48 people and everyone had a great time. Scouts of either gender, fifth graders on a tour of New Mexico, Business School grad students on an group trip, family reunions, hiking groups and professionals from a convention are some of the groups we have taken llama trekking. It is usually no problem to take these groups on dayhikes. There are some limitations when expeditions are involved because of the amounts of gear that need to be transported. We do make every attempt to accommodate all who want to llama trek.
Do I need to pick a hike or trek? Not necessarily. We have an extensive list of trails for hikes and another list of treks and you can pick one that suits you. See Dayhikes & Expeditions. You can consult with us in making your choice...adventurer2008@elpaseollama.com make sure your spam controls will accept email from this address or call 1.800.455.2627. When you call for a dayhike reservation, we can recommend a trail from the information you give us. For expeditions, we always review the information on the registration form to make sure the trek is well suited to your group.
Which trek should I pick? We always like to make sure the trek that we do is well suited to your desires and capabilities. Obviously, a trek with small children will be geared to their abilities and a trek that is all adults will be geared to the abilities of the participants in the group. So pick any one and then we will talk about it to make sure your choice is the right one. We are your adventure consultants.
What should I wear? If you are going on a dayhike, we will give you some instructions on what the appropriate clothing should be. If you are going on an expedition, we have a clothing section included on this website that will lead you in the right directions. If you have questions about clothing, we are available to provide answers.
How do I find the Trailhead? When you make your reservation, you will tell us where you are staying the night before your trek. We will then send you via email or US mail the directions from your lodging to the trailhead so you won't have any difficulty finding it.
Are these treks custom or private treks? Yes if you are the first party to book a date or group of days. Because of the way we take bookings, it is very possible that your group will be the only persons on the trek. If you book a trek and no one else adds on, that will be the case. However, we will add others that are compatible, but the groups are kept small.
Can I add to a group or scheduled trek? Certainly. You will be added to a compatible group if one exists and their schedule fits yours.
I have kids, can they go on treks? Absolutely! Because of the way we book, we can have a family trek with kids one week and a trek with all adults the next week. Most outfitters say things like "the kids can come, but they need to keep up"... not us, if you bring the kids, we will do everything in our power to make sure they have a good time. Some outfitters make you carry the kids or make the kids hike. We address that situation by letting kids from 3 to 8 ride. A mature 2 year old can ride but usually kids less than 2 are carried. In all cases, the hike or trek is tailored to accommodate all members of the family. Believe it or not, we do family treks all the time where both the kids and adults have a good time.
Can I ride a llama? That depends. If you are old enough to have navigated to this point in this web site, probably not. Our riding llamas weigh between 300 & 400 pounds and carry 25 to 30 % of their body weight. Then there is a matter of scale... llamas stand 40 to 45 inches high at the withers... not a tall animal. So for practical purposes children and other small persons can ride. We limit the weight of riders to 60 pounds and that translates to kids up to about 8 years of age. See www.alphallama.com for more details about kids riding and see pictures on this site that show the llamas size relative to adult humans.
Parents love kids love llamas
Are llamas nervous when ridden? That depends on the training or more exactly, the socialization. Anyone familiar with puppies, kittens and horses knows that if they are not exposed to humans when they are young, they won't like or tolerate human touch when they are grown. It is similar for llamas. If they are not properly exposed or socialized with humans when they are young, they will be nervous with human contact when they are grown. These un-socialized llamas are called orphans and they can be great packers but always are somewhat nervous when touched. The llamas we use for riding kids were thoroughly socialized as youngsters and have been calmly and happily carrying kids since 1995. El Paseo always does it right and would never place your child on a llama that is nervous about being ridden.
What about lodging before and after the trek? Taos is a destination resort and has an enormous variety of hotels, motels (most of the major national chains are represented) and half a bazillion B&Bs. Do an internet search on "Taos New Mexico" or go to www.taoschamber.org to find their web sites. There is something for all tastes and wallets. They are all well run and we haven't heard any serious complaints from any one.
We also want to do other outdoor activities while in Taos, how do we connect with them? An internet search For "Taos New Mexico" works but the easiest way is to go to www.taosoutdoorrecreation.com where everyone in the outdoor recreation biz here is listed.
How do I get to Taos? You can drive or fly. If you fly, you will land in famous Albuquerque. Most folks rent a car and drive the 135 miles to Taos. There are shuttles that will transport you to Taos. However, there are two disadvantages to shuttles. Their schedule is fixed and you need to make sure your flight arrives or leaves at an appropriate time. And when you get to Taos, you will be at the mercy of local public transport which is very limited and can be costly. A big city Taos ain't. El Paseo cannot transport you in company vehicles because of insurance restrictions.
What do I do with my car and luggage while I am trekking? For a day hike, we all park at the trailhead. For multi-day camping treks, there are two choices. If we are exiting at the same trailhead that we start at, we leave our vehicles there. If we are exiting at a different trailhead, we will make arrangements to move the vehicles to our facilities and then move them to the exit trailhead at the appropriate time. In the many years we have been parking at the local trailheads for up to eight days, we have never had a break in or a case of vandalism of any kind. If you are used to a higher crime level and want to be more cautious, you may be able to make an arrangement at your pre-trek lodging to hold your bags while you are trekking. Check with the lodger when you make reservations.
Do llamas spit? Yes, but you won't get spit on during an El Paseo llama trek because our llamas are professionally trained and are accustomed to being with people. See the Llamas Are Cool for more details. No client has been spit on by our llamas.
How long does it take to adjust to the altitude? Any one who resides below an elevation of 5000 ft. will have to make an adjustment to higher altitudes. A complete adjustment will take 10-14 days. This is because your body adjusts by generating extra red blood cells to compensate for the fact that each cell carries less oxygen at higher altitudes. So as soon as you arrive at higher altitude, your body starts to adapt and each day sees more adaptation. If you are healthy, the rate of adaptation depends on how fast your body generates red blood cells. If you are less than fully acclimated, you will breath more and your heart will beat more to circulate your blood faster to get the oxygen to your muscles. This is not a problem unless you are in poor physical condition and you don't have the stamina to compensate. El Paseo makes adjustments in the treks to allow participants time to adjust to the altitude. If you exercise and are in good shape, you won't have any problem.
What is altitude sickness? This is not really "sickness" but a physical reaction to altitude that affects some people. If you have had it before, the chances are good you will get it again. If you have never been at higher altitudes before, it is impossible to predict if you will experience altitude effects as it is a very individual thing. For most people who experience it, the symptom is a mild headache... take an Aspirin and continue. The next level is some nausea and that can be mild to awful. Over the years, I have seen very few awfuls. Usually the milds passes after a while and you continue. More serious symptoms occur above 14000 ft and so are not pertinent unless you are climbing Mt. Everest or the like.
In practical terms, the ways to help avoid the symptoms are: 1.maintain proper hydration...drink water; 2. Eat carbohydrates while hiking; 3. Avoid overexertion...be in reasonable physical shape; 4. Don't pick strenuous hikes on the first day or two in the mountains; 5. Arrive a couple of days before your trek and start your adjustment. All of these are easily accomplished.
Over the years, our experience has been that altitude sickness is not a problem. There may be one or two persons each year that go beyond the mild headache level and most years none.
Our Advice, take the precautions and don't worry about it.
What about the forest fires that occur in the west? The $64,000 question! First of all, El Paseo would never expose you a dangerous situation. After all, we're out there with you. El Paseo always puts safety first in all situations.
The U. S. Forest Service constantly monitors the conditions in the forest and posts bulletins that we follow. Most of the time, we are allowed campfires. Sometimes there are bans on smoking and campfires but we are allowed to use cook stoves. And if it gets too dry in the forest, the U.S.F.S. will close the forest until sufficient moisture occurs to alleviate the dry conditions.
We are blessed in that the mountains we use are referred to as the "Asbestos Mountains" because they have not experienced a wildfire in over 100 years. We take the precautions so you won't have to worry about it and you will be cautioned about smoking and fires if necessary.
What about lightning? The summer monsoon rains are usually thunderstorms. These are part of the adventure and if you have not experienced thunder rolling through a mountain canyon, you have a treat coming. The danger is in the lightning. Fortunately, the nature of mountains is peaks, ridges and canyons. The peaks and ridges act as lightning rods and very little lightning strikes in the canyons. So if we are not on the ridges or peaks during a thunderstorm, we are in little danger. And we avoid standing in an open meadow or under an isolated tree and that further reduces the threat. The safest place is to be surrounded by trees of uniform height. Our experience is that it is not a problem because we constantly have a finger in the wind and if a thunder storm approaches, we get off the ridge or peak and into the forest.
What about toilet facilities? The activities we do, i.e., llama trekking, take place in the forested mountains...the woods away from civilization and therefore there are no buildings. So the facilities are primitive or au natural. If you get the call, all you need to do is get behind some bushes or trees and the rest is up to you. Out in the woods, there are no people and therefore no privacy problems and we provide the TP. So there are no worries. A couple of the trails we use start near civilization and facilities with seats and doors are available there. On expeditions, we designate an area as "the facilities" and take steps to maintain privacy. So don't sweat it, it ain't a problem.
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