Trekking in Nepal : A fabulous experience

Mt Everest, (8848m) the highest mountain on Earth, exerts a magnetic pull on trekkers, mountaineers and armchair adventurers alike. Arguably Everest Region is the most popular trekking region in Nepal, the Everest region has a very well-developed trekking tourist infrastructure with high quality, comfortable trekking lodges (there are even a growing number of genuinely luxury places to stay); lodge restaurant menus are unusually varied and the organization and information as good as it gets in the high mountains. With no complicated permits required and no need for any form of camping equipment, this is the trekking at its best and a place that is as enticing for seasoned Himalayan walking veterans as it is for fresh-faced, wide-eyed trekking newbie.

About two third of the trekkers in Nepal visit the Annapurna region. The area is easily accessible, hotels in the hills are plentiful, and treks here offer good scenery of both high mountains and lowland villages. Most of Central Nepal is dominated by the Annapurna Himal and the village of Pokhara. There are three major trekking routes in Annapurna Region:- Annapurna Circuit Trekking, Annapurna Base Camp Trek, Jomson to Annapurna Sanctuary Trek, Ghorepani Poonhill trek which is famous short and easy trekking of Annapurna trekking route.

The Langtang region north of Kathmandu offers some of the most accessible trekking in Nepal. This range is so close to the capital that if you were super dedicated you could literally set out walking from your guesthouse in Thamel (but, because of car traffic and pollution and the great sprawling suburbs of the city, we don’t seriously suggest doing this). The ease of access, easy to follow – and generally fairly short – trails, combined with outstanding and highly varied Alpine scenery, and lots of decent lodges and other tourist facilities has always meant that Langtang has been a popular place to trek.

The Langtang trek is a fantastic choice for those with limited time to trek with the shortest routes taking just a week (or even slightly less) including travel time from Kathmandu. While the Helambu trekking region, which takes walkers through an attractive tapestry of terraced hillsides, pretty villages and blowy passes is a good option with older children. There are also innumerable ways of combining treks in order to cobble together walks lasting several weeks.

Manaslu Himal is located in the Mansiri Himal, part of the Nepalese Himalayas, in the west-central part of Nepal. Its name refers to “mountain of the spirits” which is derived from Sanskrit word Manasa. Manaslu region is untouched and newly famous trekking region of Nepal. It is located in the west-central part of Nepal. Most popular trekking routes in Manaslu region are: Lower Manaslu Eco Trek, Tsum Valley Trek, Manaslu Circuit Trekking, Tsum valley combine Manaslu round trekking.

North of the Annapurna range and sheltered from monsoon rains by a wall of Himalayan giants, is Upper Mustang Region. Long shrouded in mystery and closed to outsiders until 1992, the Kingdom of Mustang is a high-altitude desert of multi-hued gorges, green oases, fairy-tale gompas, prayer flags and blood red fortified monasteries. This is a land so rich in traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture that it can often feel more classically Tibetan than the modern Chinese region of Tibet itself.

Despite Upper Mustang’s image of timelessness, change is coming here. A new road runs up the western side of Upper Mustang and the region is slowly being drawn into more mainstream Nepalese life. But, walk away from the roads and you’ll fast discover a land that can feel unchanged in a hundred years.

It’s worth noting that Mustang doesn’t have the same awe-inspiring close-up views of the mountains as many of the other main Nepalese trek areas and that walking here is as much a cultural experience as a mountain one. You can only trek in Upper Mustang as part of an organized tour with pre-arranged and expensive permits. But, to the surprise of many trekkers, facilities in Upper Mustang are surprisingly good. If you stick to main routes, then a bed in home-style accommodation is always available and staying in such places is highly rewarding.

Much of Upper Mustang is a gently undulating plateau and this relative flatness makes for a reasonably easy trekking region (for Nepal anyway) that rewards beginner and experienced trekker alike.

The far east of the country is home to two main peaks: Kanchenjunga, which at 8586m it’s the third highest mountain on Earth and Makalu, which at 8485m is the fifth highest peak on Earth. The exciting hikes to the base camps of either of these mountains takes walkers through remote countryside where yak herders out number other foreign trekkers and facilities are limited in the extreme.

Most of the trekking routes in eastern Nepal are long and unusually tough with a huge amount of steep ascent and descent and most routes are also straight there and back affairs which might put off those who prefer circular treks. Combine this with the areas distance from Kathmandu, which makes internal flights or very long and uncomfortable bus rides obligatory, and only the occasional very rudimentary trekking lodge (and most times even these are aimed more at local shepherds rather than international trekkers), and you’ll understand why this pristine landscape is better tackled by people with some previous Himalayan trekking experience who are happy to join a fully organised camping trek.

The reward for this who do tackle this region though is the sheer beauty and diversity of the Eastern Nepal trekking region. Over the course of a couple of weeks walkers pass through pretty farming villages where the hillsides are striped in terraces, jungly sub-tropical river valleys, misty, old-growth coniferous forests and Alpine tundra until you come face to face with the crashing glaciers and fluted peaks of the mighty mountains.

Special trekking permits and guides required.

A magical region of frozen deserts, piercing blue skies, hidden monasteries, yak caravans, half-imagined gompas, electric blue lakes, and stone walled villages. This is Dolpo in western Nepal and it’s unlike anywhere else in the country. A true slice of old Tibetan culture where time is measured by the yellowing of crops in the fields and the arrival of the first winter snows. For a trekker it is undeniably one of the most fascinating parts of Nepal to walk through. You won’t find any trekking lodges, apple pies or crowded passes out here, but you will find scenery that will make you gasp in beauty and people who will welcome you with open arms.

Before you change all your plans though and head to Dolpo there are a couple of things to remember. Access, which is almost completely by small twin-prop plane is difficult, expensive and unreliable, most of the walks here are demanding, long and high with no creature comforts to look forward to at the end of the day, permits are complicated and expensive and for most (but not all) treks in the dolpo region you must go on an organised camping group trek. But for those with the stamina, patience and finances, Dolpo will leave you enchanted.

Special trekking permits and guides required.

The far western region of Nepal is as off the beaten track as it’s possible to get in Nepal and even for most Nepalese the very far west of Nepal may as well be another country altogether. For a trekker, western Nepal offers many challenges and logistical nightmares; just getting to the region can be a headache and once there you will find absolutely no facilities of any sort for trekkers. But, the payback is vast swathes of untouched mountainous country just crying out to be explored. And, you really will be something of an explorer out here. Few trekking companies know much about the trails in the far west and locals still don’t quite grasp the concept of walking merely for the pleasure of it. You need patience and to be on a fully supported camping trek to come here but if you’re looking for something truly different then the far west of Nepal will probably suit.

Special trekking permits and guides required.

Nepal is known for its nature and rich culture, traditions, and religion, aptly reflected in homestay treks. Homestay trek allows staying overnight in the traditional homes of locals living in the area that you are trekking. It offers a chance to stay in the local family home, share meals with them and experience warm hospitality. Meals are decent and made with local produce, and the rooms have some furniture with a bed or two in a single room. The highlight of this kind of trek is the warmth of the Nepali people and their hospitality.

Sharing accommodation lets you understand the families even better and thus heightens your trekking experience. It is a perfect way to first-hand experience and adopts the host's lifestyle, traditions, and culture.

Nepal's most popular homestay trekking is Ghale Gaun trek, Sirubari Village trek, Tamang heritage trek, and Tsum Valley trek.