WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE GOING ON A TREK IN NEPAL

When I imagined a trek through Nepal I pictured snow covered mountains and rocky trails. My experience ended up being the complete opposite, a lush jungle with endless green treetops and vibrant wildflowers. I did the Poon Hill Trek towards the end of September and aside from a few rainy afternoons, we loved our experience trekking this time of the year. The trails were completely empty aside from us for the majority of our hike, our guides told us that during peak times of the year you can be denied access to certain points of the trek for hours due to crowds. There are tea houses you sleep in over the course of the trek that can also become overrun with people and sometimes even run out of space all together. Definitely check the weather ahead of your own trip but I highly recommend a late September trek over the peak tourist season (October - November). 

Different Trek Experiences 

I only had about 5 days to trek which is a pretty short amount of time for many of the routes in Nepal. We chose to do Poon Hill which is a stop along the way to Anna Purna Base Camp. I’ve had friends do both Anna Purna and Everest Base Camp and the general consensus is that Anna Purna is a much prettier and friendlier trek, not to mention less expensive. Obviously Everest is also extremely beautiful but if you are a beginner hiker I highly recommend considering Anna Purna or Poon Hill for your trekking experience. 

Things To Prepare Ahead 

When hiking for up to 8 hours everyday I found it really nice to have the option to listen to music, podcasts, and books to break up the time. Don’t expect to have to service your entire trek (many of the tea houses have wifi but it can be spotty), download all items ahead of time. I particularly loved listening to things on the kindle because the battery is so much better than phones. When you are in Kathmandu you will likely purchase the majority of your trek supplies. Get your hiking shoes right away and wear them leading up to the trek to break them in. We met so many people who made the mistake of wearing them for the first time on the trek itself. 

How To Stay Healthy 

Altitudes can put a lot of strain on your body and getting sick during your trek is something nobody has time for! I highly recommend bringing vitamin c and immune boosting powders to mix into your waters. Every morning we chugged electrolytes (purchased from a pharmacy in Kathmandu), they don’t taste the greatest but definitely are a must. Throughout your trek you’ll stop at little cafes and houses to take breaks, though it seems counter intuitive, order hot teas and soups over cold beverages. These will help replenish you and ward off colds. I particularly fell in love with ginger lemon honey teas, and garlic soup. Every item you are consuming has been carried up the mountain by someone or grown not far from you leading to some very impressive teas along the way. Make it a point to try to stretch before you go to sleep each night because your mussels will definitely remind you the next morning if you don’t. 

Items I Wish I Had Brought With Me 

• Dry Bags (everything you own will become moist) 

• Portable Charger (charging ports in tea houses aren’t always reliable) 

• Cards (we had so much fun playing with other people at tea houses) 

• Sunscreen for the body (I wasn’t expecting it to get so hot) 

• Celsius Packets (this is definitely a niche one but an energy drink along the way would have been nice)