TREKKING AND HIKING IN NEPAL

Teahouse trekking is a popular method of trekking in Nepal that has almost replaced camping trips. Most of the renowned treks in Nepal are teahouse treks meaning that each night a trekker ends up sleeping at a simple guest house or a lodge with basic rooms and a meal. Mostly, the teahouses are operated by locals with the most basic amenities. In several occasions, the teahouses may also provide you with internet and hot shower facilities although it could incur you an extra cost. There are several aspects of teahouse of trekking in Nepal that is unknown to many travelers in Nepal. If teahouse trekking is what you are looking for, don’t hesitate to count on us for life’s most memorable experiences.

The terms hiking, trekking and mountain climbing are all similar in the sense that you go out and walk in nature. But, there are certain significant dissimilarities between them. The easiest amongst them is hiking which means walking on well-marked trails of easy to moderate difficulty. The duration of hiking usually ranges from half-day, full-day up to two days. Hiking does not require climbing skills or any specific equipment.

Likewise, trekking is a multi-day hike with long hours of walking up and down in the high mountains above 3000 m with difficulty level somewhere between hiking and mountaineering. Trekking also does not require technical skills and deep knowledge.

Mountain climbing or mountaineering is a technical adventure requiring high technical skills, climbing gears and a good fitness level. Among the three, mountaineering is by far the most challenging as it involves walking on steep sides of the rock, snow, and icy mountain terrains. It requires having an experience of high altitude walk, rock climbing, technical skills of handling gears such as crampons, ice-axe and pinpoint navigations. Mountaineering is a more technical variation of trekking that takes climbers to higher peaks that are over 5000 m.

The most challenging part of trekking in Nepal is the altitude, which is not something that we can really be prepared for. For a short trek like Annapurna Sunrise Trek, it does not require a previous hiking experience. However, if planning to do longer duration trekking above 3000 m / 9843 feet like Everest Base Camp trek or Annapurna Base Camp trek, it is required that you are in good physical and mental state of fitness. If you can walk about 10-12 km (6-8 mi) per day without any trouble, then probably you are fit enough. For novice climbers, a pre-training course is required before the start of the trip. For preparing yourself for the climb, we recommend regular exercise at least 2 months before your arrival in Nepal. You may begin jogging or cycling, stretching and toning exercises, walking up and down the stairs or even walking few hours in a day.

Weather in the mountains is notoriously difficult to predict. Although the days are warm, nights can get very cold.  Autumn or fall, which falls during the months of October and November, is the peak trekking season in Nepal. During these months, temperatures are pleasant, the weather is relatively constant and the mountain views are breathtaking. The high mountains get colder and the lowlands are comparatively warmer, but hiking during daytime is pleasurable. The next popular trekking season in Nepal is spring, which falls during the months of March through May. Temperatures in this season are similar to the fall season and the trekking trails are relatively less crowded, but the fog and precipitation could be slightly more during spring. It is a clear indication that for experiencing clear mountain views during spring, you need to climb higher elevations of 10,000 feet or more. The level of precipitation gradually increases as spring further advances. Winters (Jan-Feb) are bit colder but daytime can be quite beautiful if the sun is out. Snowfall is a common site during the months between December and February. It is important to make sure that you stay warm and dry in just about any conditions. So, expect the unexpected.

Generally, Nepal is considered a safe country for solo women travelers as compared with many other countries around the world. Trekking with Himalayan Glacier, it is 100% safe for a solo woman on any of our trips. The best advice that we offer to solo women travelers is never trek alone with a local male guide.

Some travelers have been lured by the cheap operators offering cheap options – it is risky to book with unreliable agencies. Himalayan Glacier is an adventure and travel company with a strong operation base in Kathmandu. We have trained and educated all our trekking guides and staff about the etiquettes in dealing with solo women travelers. They know very well the evil effects of sexual harassment or abusive demeanors towards women and how to behave with them. All our guides are certified and registered with the government of Nepal and have been working with us since few decades. More than a hundred of our past clients have written strong recommendations about our guides on TripAdvisor and Feefo.