A first trek in Nepal does not have to be the easiest or the shortest one. What matters far more is that the route fits your fitness, your experience of altitude, the time you have and what you want from the trip. One person wants to see Everest; another wants to walk through forest and villages to Annapurna; a third is happy to give up comfort for a remote area with no crowds.<\/p>\n
The wrong choice usually starts with a photograph of a summit and ends with an attempt to squeeze too high a programme into a short holiday. The right choice starts from the other end: maximum altitude, the profile of the overnight stops, the length of the days, the acclimatisation, the living conditions \u2013 and only then the name of the route. What follows is a practical way of choosing a first walk in the Himalaya without underrating it and without being unduly afraid of the altitude.<\/p>\n\n
Yes, provided you mean trekking rather than technical climbing, and provided the programme leaves your body time to adapt. On the classic trails you sleep in lodges, walk with a day pack if you have booked a porter, and in normal conditions use no harness, ice axe or crampons. But the absence of climbing equipment does not make the route a stroll: several hours of walking every day, stone steps, long descents, cold nights high up and thin air all call for preparation.<\/p>\n
For a first look at the region it is easier to work from the whole catalogue of treks and climbs in Nepal<\/a>. The routes in it differ not only in altitude but in logistics, in how self-sufficient you have to be and in the kind of support you get.<\/p>\n\n The trek to Annapurna Base Camp<\/a> combines forested valleys, villages, stone staircases, Poon Hill and the high amphitheatre at the foot of Annapurna I. The highest night is at about 4100 m. That is lower than the routes to Everest, over the Thorong La or over the Cho La, but the altitude still calls for a gradual climb and for keeping an eye on how you feel.<\/p>\n The route suits an active newcomer who has prepared for it. Its main difficulty is not technique but accumulated effort: many climbs and descents, damp forest sections and long staircases. In return you get a full change of landscapes and a night inside a mountain cirque, rather than a single viewpoint.<\/p>\n\n The route through Langtang to the Gosaikunda lakes<\/a> combines a valley of Tamang villages with the more open high country around the lakes. It starts with a road transfer from Kathmandu and does not depend on a flight to Lukla. This programme suits people who care about culture, varied landscape and a proper multi-day route without needing to see Everest.<\/p>\n\n The classic trek to Everest Base Camp<\/a> runs through Lukla, the Dudh Koshi valley, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche and Gorak Shep. Base Camp is at 5364 m, and the programme also includes the climb to Kala Patthar, 5645 m. It is from there that you get one of the great views of Everest; from Base Camp itself the terrain hides the summit.<\/p>\n This is not a technical climb, but the altitude here is a good deal more serious than at Annapurna Base Camp. The programme has to have acclimatisation days built in, and you need endurance in reserve. The flight logistics matter too: mountain flights depend on the weather, so international tickets cannot be connected without a sensible margin.<\/p>\n\n The trek to Everest via the Gokyo lakes<\/a> adds the 5420 m Cho La, the Ngozumpa glacier and the climb of Gokyo Ri to the Base Camp route. It is more varied, but also more demanding: the state of the pass changes after snowfall and in a hard frost.<\/p>\n The Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake<\/a> includes the climb to the lake at 4920 m and the crossing of the Thorong La, 5416 m. The Manaslu Circuit<\/a> crosses a more remote area with simple infrastructure and takes in the Larke La, 5160 m. These programmes can be chosen for a first trip too, if you already have multi-day walking behind you, good fitness and an understanding of what altitude demands. For an absolute beginner they call for a particularly honest look at how prepared you really are.<\/p>\n\n The Kanchenjunga<\/a> and Makalu<\/a> regions are markedly different from the popular Everest and Annapurna trails. The road and air logistics are harder, the villages are further apart, the lodges are simpler, and on some programmes part of the nights are spent in tents. People choose these routes not for comfort but for the remoteness and the more expeditionary feel.<\/p>\n\n In the Himalaya you cannot judge difficulty by distance alone. A short stage can be hard because of the height gain, the cold or a rocky trail. A long programme is sometimes easier to cope with than a short one, because it has extra nights and acclimatisation walks built into it.<\/p>\n Before you book, compare five things rather than the marketing labels:<\/p>\n Altitude does not defer to sporting ambition. Headache, nausea, unusual weakness, loss of coordination or any deterioration must be reported to the guide immediately. The decision about continuing is taken on safety, not on the cost of the trip or a wish to reach the objective whatever it takes.<\/p>\n\n Your training should build the ability to keep moving at a steady pace for a long time and to recover in time for the next day. Long walks on rough ground help, as do stairs, weekend hikes and regular aerobic work. Running is not compulsory if it is unsuitable or inadvisable for you; consistency and a gradual increase in load matter more.<\/p>\n Before you travel, test your boots on long walks, learn to use trekking poles and put your clothing together in layers. A new boot worn for the first time on day one of the trek can ruin the trip faster than a shortage of fitness. A full account of training, altitude and kit is on our page about preparing for trekking in Nepal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n A lodge in Nepal is a mountain guesthouse, not a town hotel. You normally get a room to yourself, but heating, a hot shower, charging and internet depend on the particular village and may be charged for separately. The higher and more remote the route, the less choice there is, and the more it matters to carry your own power for a phone and a torch.<\/p>\n What you eat on the trail is built around the lodge menus. On the popular routes the choice is wider; in remote areas it is simpler. Check the terms of the particular programme before you book: which meals and drinks are included and which extras are available vary from one to another. The detail is collected in our article on lodges, food and connectivity in Nepal<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n The season affects more than how well you see the mountains. It changes the state of the passes, the amount of precipitation, the temperature at night, how busy the lodges are and how reliable the domestic airlines are. There is no single best month for every region: the programme is chosen for the particular route. The current thinking on seasons is on our page about when to go trekking in Nepal<\/a>.<\/p>\n Buy your international ticket only once the ground and domestic logistics are confirmed. For routes through Lukla, Tumlingtar, Bhadrapur or Pokhara, tight connections are especially risky. If one segment moves because of the weather, the whole chain can change.<\/p>\n\n Visa, transit and medical requirements depend on your nationality and can change. Check them before you buy tickets and again before you fly. Your insurance policy has to match the maximum altitude of the route and to include search and rescue and emergency evacuation where the programme requires it. A practical list of documents and the order in which to check them is on our page on visas, documents and insurance for Nepal<\/a>.<\/p>\n You need cash for the things that are not in the price: drinks, showers, charging, internet, tips and personal purchases. Read the exact list of what is and is not included on the page for the tour you have chosen, rather than carrying it over from another programme.<\/p>\n\n A Russian-speaking leader is useful to anyone without independent high-altitude experience: they explain the tactics, keep an eye on the state of the group and coordinate the local team with no language barrier. A local guide knows the trail and the current conditions well, and that format is usually chosen by independent travellers who are ready to communicate in whatever language has been agreed.<\/p>\n Look past the phrase “guide included” and check the guide’s role, the language you will speak, the size of the group, whether there are assistants, how responsibility is divided and whether you can talk to them before the programme starts. All the main programmes with Russian-speaking support are collected on the page of tours to Nepal with a Russian-speaking guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n For further comparison, read our separate pieces on the four Everest trekking formats<\/a>, the route through the Gokyo lakes and the Cho La<\/a> and the two versions of the Kanchenjunga trek<\/a>.<\/p>\n A first trek in Nepal should leave you wanting to come back, not feeling that you raced through a famous name. Once the conditions, the altitude and the kind of support are clear in advance, what remains is the point of the journey \u2013 walking at your own pace and watching the Himalaya change from one valley to the next.<\/p>\n\n Compare suitable programmes:<\/strong> A motorcycle tour of Ladakh and the Indian Himalaya on Royal Enfields<\/a> A tour of India: remote tribes and a rhino safari<\/a> A tour of Bhutan: trekking to Jomolhari<\/a> A tour of Bhutan: the Dragon’s Path<\/a> A sightseeing tour of Nepal: Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A first trek in Nepal does not have to be the easiest or the shortest one. What matters far more is that the route fits your fitness, your experience of altitude, the time you have and what you want from the trip. One person wants to see Everest; another wants to walk through forest and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14084,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to choose a route for a first trip<\/h2>\n\n
Annapurna Base Camp \u2013 the Himalaya without a pass above 5000 m<\/h3>\n
Langtang and Gosaikunda \u2013 two different parts of Nepal in one programme<\/h3>\n
Everest Base Camp \u2013 an iconic objective and serious altitude<\/h3>\n
Gokyo, the Thorong La and Manaslu \u2013 the next level after a first trip<\/h3>\n
Kanchenjunga and Makalu \u2013 remote routes for people who want self-sufficiency<\/h3>\n
Why the length of a programme matters more than the word “easy”<\/h2>\n
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How to prepare for a first trek in Nepal<\/h2>\n
What to expect from the lodges, the food and the phone signal<\/h2>\n
When to go, and how to connect your flights<\/h2>\n
Documents, insurance and money<\/h2>\n
A Russian-speaking leader or a local guide<\/h2>\n
A short checklist before you book<\/h2>\n
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Where to read next<\/h2>\n