Things To Learn About Nepal While Trekking

28 Oct 2022 Chandra Gurung

Trekking, as used here, refers to a multi-day walk in the highlands, specifically on paths that wind through Nepal’s Himalayan foothills and mountains helping to learn about Nepal. As roads cannot be built in the highlands due to their remoteness, treks frequently pass through locations where trekking is the only available mode of transportation. Most hikes pass through communities that have existed for many years, and residents have utilized the routes you follow for years.

Trekking across Nepal’s mountains is a unique experience. Every other region of the globe cannot compare to the Himalayas. The expanse of the Himalayan mountains, the breathtaking views from every angle, the welcoming locals, and the calmer pace of life when travelling on foot all play a part in why so many visitors visiting Nepal for the first time consider their journey as life-changing.

Where Will You Stay While Trekking?

The most well-liked hikes follow paths that include lodgings (often referred to as teahouse trekking). Simple lodgings for hikers are called lodges. Camping is necessary on more challenging hikes to traverse regions bare of settlements or accommodations. These treks need more planning and can be more expensive since porters are required to carry food, cooking fuel, and tents.

What to Consider When Hiking

Nepal’s routes lead you past remote communities that are inaccessible by automobile. Imagine these routes as freeways in a time before roads and automobiles. As a result, there are many unique variations in the “trail traffic,” such as porters carrying live chickens, vegetables, or wood, children walking to school, and herders with their yaks, to mention a few. Be ready to be pleasantly surprised and motivated by the range of nearby trail users.

Your trek’s landscape changes from day to day and valley to valley. Depending on your journey, you’ll walk through dense rhododendron woods, terraced vegetable farms along steep slopes, vast meadows, snowfields, and over great suspension bridges.

The communities range in size from small clusters of a few dwellings to large towns with hundreds of residences dotted along the slopes of hills. Numerous communities have unique personalities and are frequently found in breathtaking settings.

You typically hike for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon on your trekking days. In villages, you’ll stop for lunch. Sometimes, you’ll pack a meal in case the communities are spread too thinly.

Teahouses offer many meals, especially along the more well-travelled hiking paths. Fried rice, fried chicken, spaghetti bolognese, and many more meals are frequently offered on the menu.

You’ll Get Good Food

You’ll eat well on most Nepali treks if you’re not against trying different kinds of dal bhat and noodles daily. Trekking paths often pass through settlements and cultivated terrain, except in a few isolated locations, particularly in the Far West. Therefore there is typically enough food available to satisfy trekkers. 

Food costs increase as you ascend and descend the mountains since all canned and packaged foods must be brought in. One of the benefits of trekking throughout Nepal is that much of the nation has adequate (although modest) infrastructure, so you won’t often have trouble finding a hot and filling supper after a strenuous day.

Accommodations Might Vary Considerably

You’ve undoubtedly heard of Nepal’s well-known “tea houses,” or basic lodges where trekkers can stay. These are dependable alternatives for the majority of popular hiking paths. However, the variety of lodging choices indeed differs significantly. It’s required to tent on particularly secluded treks, such as those in the Far West or the Far East. On some, like the Everest Base Camp expedition, it’s feasible to stay in rather luxurious accommodations (for a price). While hiking in Nepal, you’re sure to discover lodging options that fit your needs, regardless of your spending limit or preferred travel style.

Adopt Well-wearing for Footwear

Some would-be hikers underestimate the need for appropriate footwear since “you don’t see Nepali people wearing hiking boots in the mountains.” While this is true, the Nepali people have lived here their whole lives and are likely adapted to the pressure the terrain places on their joints and ankles. Additionally, many lack access to and cannot afford well-made footwear. If you don’t go up and down loose, slick paths every day of your life, choose the side of safety and wear a pair of well-worn-in boots with ankle support.

Remember to Bring the Trekking Poles

Trekking poles follow the same rules. You can tell you’re a newbie trekker who doesn’t understand their importance if you don’t bring at least one trekking pole. After giving it a try, you’ll change your mind about using trekking poles. Steep ascents and descents may be particularly taxing on the joints, regardless of how athletic you are. It’s always beneficial to have a bit of additional assistance.

Employing a Guide

To help them carry their possessions, most trekkers hire a guide and one or even more porters. While it is feasible to hike without a guide on several well-known treks, we don’t advise. To hire a guide, consider the following:

• Safety: While hiking on the most well-travelled hiking paths is usually safe, bringing a professional with you who is familiar with the procedures to follow in case anything goes wrong is safer. English is usually spoken and well-trained by accredited tour guides.

• A guide has the answers. Even while most trails are pretty well defined, there are times when the path is not entirely clear. In these cases, a guide will prevent you from getting lost.
• Cultural: Nepalese tour guides, frequently Sherpa, are generally wonderfully kind. With their guides, many hikers establish bonds that frequently last a lifetime.
• By giving locals employment, hiring a guide helps the Nepalese economy.

Maintain Good Personal Hygiene

Maintaining good personal hygiene is essential to finish your adventure. One of the biggest causes of becoming sick when trekking is poor hygiene. As a result, you should bring all of your hygiene supplies with you on the hike. Products like soap, sanitary napkins, hand sanitizer, clean towels, etc., should be provided beforehand because they will be hard to find or more expensive on the path.

Trekking is among the high-risk, high-reward adventures. Therefore it’s always advisable to follow the proper protocols and take the necessary safety precautions.

Before embarking on any excursion, you must always be ready with your supplies, knowledge, insurance, first aid supplies, and physical condition.

Bring Cash in Nepalese Rupees

Make sure you convert sufficient Nepalese rupees and bring cash before you depart from Kathmandu and head out on your trip. Most trekking trails are in rural areas without access to banks, dependable internet sources, or infrastructure to support electronic transactions. Cash is always the best alternative for transactions in local stores, motels, or guesthouses.

Pack for Each Season

Even while it’s best to carry little when you want to spend days, weeks, or longer on the trails, hiking in Nepal will frequently reveal all of its various faces to you. Anytime you go mountaineering in Nepal, you’ll probably experience each of the four distinct seasons—even if only for a day and get to learn about Nepal.

Packaging for rain, snow, heat, and humidity when travelling to different altitudes is crucial. The idea is to carry lightweight, waterproof, and sweat-wicking garments that can be taken on and off as the day wears on.

Include Additional Time

Never overestimate how much ground you can traverse in a day while trekking over the Himalayas. Trails in Nepal can be misleading. Locals reared in the highlands frequently estimate how long it will take to complete a trip. They usually move through to the trails much more quickly than travellers because they are accustomed to the elevation and the challenging terrain.

Double the amount of time local estimates you’ll require. You won’t run out of water or daylight in this approach. The ideal outcome is that you’ll get there a bit earlier than anticipated, giving you additional time to heat your bones by the fireplace and relax your feet.

Hiking Following the 2015 Earthquake

After the earthquakes in 2015, Nepal has returned to normal, and trekking is just as secure as before the earthquakes. Most lodges were rebuilt to their original state one year after the earthquake. 

However, some lodges in specific locations were devastated or even collapsed. The mountaineering routes are open, but a few places, like Manaslu, still have significant landslides. The Langtang region is the only significant trekking region where paths and lodges are being renovated. In the fall of 2016, it is anticipated that visitor counts will have returned to normal.