Know-How

Ask when to trek in the Himalaya and the short answer is October. Ask a longer question, about a particular range, a particular pass or a particular tolerance for cold and crowds, and the answer becomes much more interesting. The Himalaya and the ranges around it stretch across several climates, and the monsoon that soaks … Read more

The airstrip at Lukla, at 2,846 m in the Dudh Kosi valley, is the front door to the Everest region. Most trekkers heading for Namche Bazaar, Gokyo or Everest Base Camp arrive by a flight that takes less than half an hour, and most of them, sooner or later, spend at least one morning sitting … Read more

Twelve kilograms is the number that governs almost every decision about what to bring on a Himalayan lodge trek. It is roughly half of what a porter should carry, it is close to the checked baggage allowance on the small aircraft that fly into Lukla, and it is the point beyond which a duffel stops … Read more

Every trekking season in Nepal, Ladakh and the Karakoram, people who are fit, experienced and sensible are carried down valleys or flown out by helicopter because they climbed too fast. Acute mountain sickness is not a sign of weakness, and it is not something you can train away at home. It is the body’s ordinary … Read more

The teahouse is what makes trekking in Nepal different from almost anywhere else in the high mountains. On the main trails of the Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and Manaslu regions, a family-run lodge stands every hour or two along the path, which means you can walk for three weeks carrying nothing heavier than a day pack. … Read more

Almost everything that reaches a Himalayan village above the roadhead arrives on a human back, and most trekkers who walk those valleys depend on the same backs to carry their duffel. The relationship between a visitor and the person carrying their kit is the most important one on the trail, and also the one most … Read more