Nepal Trekking Tips

Before you head into the mountains - you will need to buy a trekking permit. Where to buy this permit? It is best (and cheapest) to buy your permit in either Kathmandu or Pokhara in a Conservation Office such as ACAP Annapurna Conservation Area Project depending on where you are going to be trekking or have your travel agency secure one for you. (Avia Tours & Travels provides all clients with trekking permits for any programs involving trekking.) You will either need to provide a photo of yourself or you can just pay a few rupees to have one taken of you near the conservation office. While on your trek, you may have to stop at different check points and show your permit to a Nepali officer who will sign off that you were in that town and what day. This is more common on the more popular routes so make sure you have it on your checklist to pack before you leave for your trek; getting a permit after the fact, at one of field offices, will cost double.

You should have Nepali rupees on you. It is best to keep them on your body but not necessarily in an easy access pocket. If you happen to need more Nepali money while you are on your trek, and all you have is money from your home country, there are only a few places that can exchange it for you while out of a major city so try not to plan on it. Try to bring enough to get you through and then some. Debit or credit cards will not be useful to you while trekking and if you do need to exchange money for unexpected expenses (like a pony ride…. keep reading for more info. on pony rides) then the exchange rate may be slightly off what it really is by international standard. You would have to think of this difference as their fee to send someone to a bank to exchange this money for it to be useful to them later plus the usual exchange fee.

If you are not a frequent high-elevation traveler, you may want to pay for the service of a porter. These are men who you can hire to carry any and all of your trekking luggage like bags or tools up to a reasonable weight. What's reasonable? Depends on the porter, but many carry loads of 65lb (30kg) and some carry inhuman amounts of near 130-160% of their body weight. One book describes a porter carrying 228% of his body weight. These men and their lungs are used to the changes in elevation whereas you and/or your body may not so the service of a porter is usually recommended for first time trekkers or those not wanting to bear the extra weight during the steep ascents or descents. You are not required to pay for the porter's food or drink, although they may ask, you do not have to give them more than what you agreed to pay them at the beginning of your adventure. The only extra money that they might expect is enough money to get them back to their home town which is usually where you started from but will take them less days than it took for you to walk and possibly a tip at the end of your trekking journey. (The amount is up to you. You might base the rate depending on the service you received, but some people give one days pay for a tip of a trip lasting about one week.)

When trekking, it is important to take your time and enjoy the scenery and give your body time to adjust to the height changes, especially if you are hiking from one elevation extreme to another (for example: Jomsom to Muktinath). Listen to your body and not your mind when hiking because although at home you might be able to hike for 8 hours a day easily, your body might not know how to handle going from one elevation extreme to the next in one day or even just a few hours.

Although you are unlikely to experience a serious case of altitude sickness when actively listening to your body on most treks past mild symptoms, at higher elevation it is important for your health to pay attention to signs of altitude sickness. Do not take this warning lightly! Altitude sickness can be a mere inconvenience or can be a serious life threatening condition. Those that are prone to altitude sickness should spend some time acclimating to the altitude before attempting ascents to high elevations such as those encountered between Muktinath and the Throng La pass and especially those that vary greatly in one day like in the Sagarmatha National Park.

Some signs of altitude sickness but not the only signs could be: shortness of breath, getting tired after one or few steps, shivering uncontrollably, sleeplessness, false sense of outside temperature (it could be freezing but you feel like its 80 degrees), loss of appetite (make sure to eat even if you do not feel hungry), nausea, swelling, or headache. Be weary of these symptoms and if you experience any, even if they are mild, you should not ascend. Rest at that altitude until better, then proceed with caution or if you cannot adapt descend as fast as possible. Most trouble can be avoided simply by giving ample time at a higher elevation to adjust to the altitude before going higher.

Check Our "Altitude Sickness" specific page for more detail on the matter.

Make sure to wear comfortable footwear. This cannot be stressed enough. Do not buy a pair of the newest hiking boots before your trip without thoroughly breaking them in first. Your shoes should feel old. You will be hiking for hours a day and if you are breaking in your shoes on the trails your feet will be unrecognizable by the end of day 1. Unless you are traveling through snowy conditions which is unlikely, you might even go hiking in comfortable regular day shoes. Think comfort and support.

Most of the treks you will encounter in Nepal, do not require outrageous gear. To put it in perspective, your porter will probably do the trek in flip flops. Again, wear what is comfortable. In one case, a trekkers hiking boots went missing right before the trek when he realized he left them 100 kilometers away at a rafting stop the day before. He had to do the Anapurna circuit in tennis shoes and was actually happier than he would have been in his heavy (expensive) boots. In this particular case, the hiker experienced some minor blistering.

Although a blister could ruin your whole trip for you and your comrades, they can be expected while on your feet for days, but can be managed or minimized. The key is that you want stable footwear as to not have your foot sliding around or being repeatedly rubbed in new places which can cause painful blisters. One item that you may want to include in your supplies, is some blister cream or pads just in case blisters do develop. It is also helpful to wear somewhat clean socks.

Make sure to pack lots of warm yet light-in-weight layers. One most of Nepal's treks you will be hiking in different climates from the sub arctic mountain regions to the sub tropic where temperature, humidity and climate change with elevation and within a few hours. Being able to adjust your attire to the changing conditions in several stages is a big plus for you or your porter carrying the load. An extra bonus when you are carrying layers when staying at different guest houses is it cuts the demand to use more fuel and minimizes the difficult task of re-stocking their fuel supply. It is also a smart idea to bring a waterproof poncho. In the case that it rains you and your stuff will not be soaking wet. You can easily find one to buy for cheap in a major city (like Kathmandu or Pokhara) or a small shop along the trekking route.

If you are trekking in the Anapurna Conservation Area, some towns you might stay at during your trekking days are Tatopani (tato=hot pani=water) Ghorepani, or Muktinath. These are all beautiful little towns with very different climates from one another. Muktinath is up in the mountains, actually above the clouds and can get very cold at night. Tatopani is in the hilly region and is known especially for its hot water springs. You may want to have a bathing suit or an extra outfit to wear in the hot springs to rest your tired muscles. The springs cost about 30-50 rupees. If you want a towel you can usually find one in a little shop across the streets from the springs. It might be more comfortable for women to wear a more covered outfit/swimsuit in the springs. Also find a plastic bag for any wet clothes that you will need to pack out with you because you will most likely not have the time at one place to let them dry.

Ghorepani is known for an optional 45minute pre-sunrise hike up to Poonhill. Poonhill offers spectacular views of the Annapurna Range. It is important not to let yourself sweat on this short hike up to Poonhill in the early morning because once you get to the top the wind is very cold and if you have allowed yourself to sweat it will be very difficult to warm up. Some hikers actually bring sleeping bags or blankets to add to their warmth while watching the breathtaking views of these massive mountains.

(These locations are just a suggestion to see the Annapurna Range to give you an idea of how the weather and your clothing needs will change over a few days of trekking. See “trekking” or our “programs” page for other trekking options).

Housing while trekking

Depending on if you or your travel agent has arranged for a “hotel” for you to stay at while in the different towns throughout your trek, (which is unlikely) one should not be hard to find. At each of the major towns along the popular trekking routes, there are a variety of places for you to stay. These places are best described as 'lodge like guest houses with private rooms'. If you do not have a reservation, and I use that term lightly, then to stay somewhere is on a first come first serve basis. You walk into any of these “hotels” and ask if they have a room available. If they do you can try to bargain a price with them but they should be around 100rupees (or about $1.30US) a night. One little catch that is not written on any sign is that they will expect you to eat dinner and breakfast there and not at another hotel and because your presence at that hotel is likely due to your porter, they will eat and stay there for free (no need to feed your porter). As an extra note, these hotels provide a variety of foods to eat, some comfort food, but just know that asking for some traditional Nepali food is appreciated by the owners versus just eating for example noodle soup.

$1.30 US a night. This is really inexpensive for a room with a bed (or two or three, the room pictured above was a staggering $2.50/night) but they might be lacking a few conveniences. A toilet may or may not be in your room to use (likely not); most times, they are down the hall. A shower might be available and although they advertise “hot shower available”, this may also not be true depending on time and weather conditions as most water is heated by solar power. If you really want to have a shower while you are trekking for days on end, you can ask the kitchen for a hot bucket of water (and it is HOT or near boiling water) just blend it with some cold water to be a normal temperature and have a nice old fashioned sponge bath. Although you might feel dirty from trekking and sweating, it might not be a good idea to get your hair wet (ladies) if it is cold outside. Constant elevation changes, sweating, and temperature shock can be a recipe for a cold.

AC power is something you will learn to appreciate. Many of these little bungalows of 'Nepal trekking fun', have power at some point for a few hours in the day. Many of these places are run on a generator and or rationed power and might not supply you with power all day and night. They usually have power (for you to charge your cell phone/camera/etc.) for a few hours each evening. Which when you think about it, is plenty of time to charge whatever batteries you will need for the next day. Even without constant power these housing facilities still manage to be warm and very cozy with community fireplaces to lounge by with your loved ones and other fellow trekkers.

Now if you go against all the warnings about not wearing comfortable shoes or your feet and legs need a break from walking for just one day in the middle of your Nepal travel adventure, you can sometimes (depending on location and availability) rent a pony for a day. Pony does not mean one that you would see at a local petting zoo. These animals are built to climb steep terrain and carry heavy loads, more like mules on steroids. Prices vary greatly, but they could put you back about $20.00 US or more each person, but if you are listening to your body and it says “hey I need a break just for one day” then you might want to invest in the rest of your trekking days by giving yourself a break. These animals are very strong and you will usually pay before you go. There is a keeper which could be a young boy about 12 years old watching over your safety while on their pony. Probably watching the pony more than you. At the end of your pony day you may want to give the keeper a tip, which amount is up to you.

Another way to relieve your aching body from your healthy climbing activity is a jeep ride. There are only a few (very few) jeeps available in certain trekking routes. Each one is flown in by helicopter in the particular part of the mountains, but they are (newly) available to drive, for example, from as low as Nayapul all the way up to Muktinath again depending on conditions and landslides, blockages etc. If you want to cut out a day, or if for some reason you just do not want to hike anymore, you can always jump on one of these jeeps. They will charge you about $8-12 and if you have a porter expect to pay his fare as well (which will usually be less than your fee). This is a really great way to cut time out of your trekking experience or to help rest your feet. (Check the availability of these jeep locations with your travel agent before you plan on using them.)

There are a few things you might like to know about these jeeps. It is common for men and women to not ride on the same seated bench as each other: men on one bench and women on another. Men (not women) are expected to ride on the roof of these jeeps if they want or if there is simply not enough room inside the jeep. It is surely to be a fun adventure for anyone to take a ride on one of these vehicles.

Some extra items you might want/not want to carry with you while trekking in Nepal:

Tissues-you might want to bring some, but remember, you can always buy these or a roll of toilet paper at each “hotel”.

Water-always carry bottled water with you, when you run out buy more. There are some "safe drinking water stations" in some of the popular trekking routes. The water there is sometimes cheaper than buying a new bottle, and these stations help to reduce plastic waste.

Medicine- just in case your body is not used to eating such fresh or foreign foods, you might want to carry some anti-diarrhea pills with you. You might also want to carry some ibuprofen if you have soreness in your body as the days go on.

Hats and gloves- you should definitely bring a hat to keep your head warm in the different elevations even if it is the "summer" season. Some people carry two hats - a sun hat with a wide brim and a warmer beenie to cover the ears while in the higher elevations. Gloves should be carried for the early mornings or any traveling in the high mountains.

Scarf-a scarf may not be necessary but definitely bring clothes that will keep your neck and upper chest warm in the colder areas.

Phone numbers- keep a copy of any important contacts you may have in or out of Nepal. It is a good idea to check-in with any of your contacts or your travel agent during your trekking adventures to let them know of any changes in your health or schedule (i.e. an injury or taking a jeep ride to cut a day out of trekking). Keep an eye out for phone signs at certain hotel around town.

Toiletries -If you really want to take a shower while on your trek, most of the guesthouses will have soap or shampoo for you to purchase at a low rate, lightening your load. (every little bit helps!) For many people traveling for only a few days (upto 5-6) they might not even opt to have a shower - and no one cares or could notice that you got a shower in anyway since you will again be sweating for the rest of your stay. So showers during trekking is up to you.

Makeup - forget the makeup! No one is wearing it while trekking for so many days and more importantly no one cares what you look like. It would be just and extra thing to bring that you don’t need and you most likely would not use. Think necessity not wants.

Deodorant- sure it might be a good idea.

A change of clothes- you might consider wearing the same outfit everyday if trekking for under 6 days, this may sound unappealing but honestly when the porter (if you choose to have one) is not carrying your bags, will you be able to? The change of clothes to bring is for the night. Do you want to sleep in your trekking clothes? Probably not, so pack some warm sleep clothes for your comfort on the longer treks, especially the 10+ days, a change of clothes is a good idea. Again if packing layers, pack some undershirts and change those. They take up less room, and the results are the same.