Intertrek to Kathmandu 1973

Hi – Stumbled onto your website – enjoyed the photos.  I did an Intertrek trip from London to Katmandu departing September 1976.  We were 2 trucks traveling together as one truck had a driver that had done the trip several times and my truck had 2 drivers that had never done the trip.  I was the only American on the trip.  Met a Dutch guy on that trip and we married in 1981. Stayed in touch with the Dutch folks on the trip as I lived in Holland for 5 years in the late 70’s-early 80’s.  My husband and I eventually “settled” in the US in 1983.  We’re still in touch with the Dutch folks, 3 English and 2 Japanese from that trip.  The Dutch folks and me have a reunion somewhere in the world every 5 years and we see each other in between times, too.  We were in England & Holland in April and visited all those folks.  The overland trip was a great trip, a great time and those of us who have kept in touch are very special friends – 30 years now!  Hard to believe!  My husband and I still travel independently – the last big trips have been to Myanmar (Burma) – we’ve been 4 times now and hope to go back again this year.
How can I be of help with your website?

As far as my being only the second Intertrek person to contact you, I’m wondering if the other person was Mike Snelling.  I e-mailed the link to your website to some of the folks who were on my Intertrek trip and Mike e-mailed me and said he signed up for your newsletter.  He also said that after the Intertrek trip, he went with your bus on a trip thru India.
I believe I have the original Intertrek brochure when I signed up for the trip. I actually booked my trip thru Trail Finders.  I need to go up the attic and find it.  Since it’s such a “prized possession”  and I’ve kept it for so long, I prefer not to send it to you.  I’m assuming that (with my husband’s help) I can scan it and e-mail it to you that way.  Do you want every page, only the cover, any other ideas?  I also have the passenger list from my truck (remember, I said that we had 2 trucks traveling together) and could send that to you also.  I’ll contact all the folks that I am in contact with and tell them to contact you with their e-mail address (if they choose) – I’d rather let each person decide if they want to give out their e-mail address.
And, yes, we do have some photos.  In fact, my husband just put together some photos on a disk he made for each of our Dutch “Intertrek” friends who we saw in April in Europe with some photos from way back when and also, from our “2006 reunion.”  How would you like us to send those old photos to you?  As e-mail attachments?
I also have another friend from college who went on the overland trips prior to my trip (she’s the one who recommended the trip to me) and I’ll contact her also and let her know of your website.
Would absolutely love to have a copy of the DVD.  My address:

As I read your synopsis of your trip, it brings back so many familiar sites and experiences.  You definitely had some hair-raising experiences, as did we.  It’s a very long story but we even had 2 guys pulled by the police from our trucks at the Iranian/Afghani border.  One guy (Mike Snelling) was let go after a couple days and took public transport and caught up to us.  The other spent many months in an Iranian jail, falsely accused of raping the wife of a high Bell Helicopter executive (American) in Isfahan – a sad story.
And we, too, have just returned home from a weekend at a “country house” where we hope to eventually move.  We retired a year ago (early, for me at 56!) and we go back and forth between the two houses weekly – about a 1 1/2 hour drive in Connecticut.  Who would have ever thought we would even use the word “retire” when we were traveling across Asia?
I think it’s great that you’ve put the site together.
All the best, Ceely A

4 comments to Intertrek to Kathmandu 1973

  • Inta Rudajs

    Hi , I was on the Intertrek London to Katmandu trip in 1973. I just recently took out my diary , which I haven’t looked at for decades , in which I made daily comments about the journey , and read the story again. For the last week , I have been transferring my notes onto the computer , and then coincidentally saw the Inter Trek page.
    It has brought back wonderful memories , and reminded me of so many things , which I had totally forgotten about. Landslides , flooding , the overthrow of the Shah in Iran , etc.
    I haven’t kept in touch with anyone from that trip , but I had a wonderful time.

    Cheers,
    Inta Rudajs

  • Hi
    My name is John P. Wilkinson.
    I was on the Intertrek trip I think around the seventies, London,Instambul, Kathmandu via Kabul and the Kyber (we left out the Bamian Valley)., then we flew to Pokhara and walked 2 weeks towards Jomsom, them back to UK, it took several months I think. We had 2 L/Rovers, a trailer, one experienced driver (Karl??) and three of us trainee drivers.
    I remember that Intertrek got taken over by another bunch, which later included the ones who formed Flight Centre.

    I would really. really appreciate to try and catch up with any memories of that period.
    I was a Tea Planter in India in 1960, then mucked around for a few years, them spent the last 40 years in Papua New Guinea.

    I would love to hear from anyone around that time.
    Cheers
    John Wilko

  • Derek

    I did 17th September 1973 London katmandu Intertrek.

  • Julian Brown

    I was on the September 1974 Intertrek departure from London, as they were nearing the end of their control over the trips. Definitely adventures with the white ex-fire truck which had to have a new drive shaft in Greece, and was pushed over the last summit of the Alps by the entire truckload as it was going at 3 mph (also to lighten the load).
    Happy to comment further in due course.

    Julian Brown

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