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Ever wondered how it'd be to trek in the lap of the Himalayas in Nepal? Well, here's everything you need to know about trekking in Nepal as a beginner.
Ever wondered how it’d be to trek in the lap of the Himalayas in Nepal? Well, here’s everything you need to know about trekking in Nepal as a beginner.
Is trekking your passion? If yes, then Nepal is the unique destination waiting for you. When the time comes for trekking in Nepal it will be the biggest task for the adventurous souls and wanderers.
Walking along the Himalayas, making your way up the steep ascents and over the high altitude passes will tire you out a little if you are a beginner. However, there are easier ways to trek for you- trek in the lower altitudes. Additionally, a number of these trails also have expert guides to help you.
You can easily trek throughout Nepal on lower altitudes and still get the stunning views of the snow-clad Himalayas, a chance to communicate with the people. While you trek, you are exposed to the rich culture with its temples and monasteries.
These trails for beginners take less than a week to complete while you completely immerse yourself in the local culture. If your sole purpose is to trek, then look at treks that cater exactly to that.
Well, October to November are easily the best months to visit Nepal. With the monsoon finally gone, you could enjoy the perfect trek weather. It’s not too hot or cold, and the receding cloud cover ensures that you get crystal clear views from the trails.
March and April are also a good time to visit Nepal. The weather is pleasant and there barely is any summer heat during this period. Trek lovers can explore the beauty of nature and the blooms in the forests.
Nepal is a unique destination that lies in South Asia and is one of the newer nations to become a Republic. On its northern border lies the People’s Republic of China and to its south, east and west, it is surrounded by India.
The country covers an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56, 827 square miles) and has a population of around 30 million.
As the birthplace of Lord Buddha, Nepal is also diverse and rich in culture, tradition and religion. Nepal, in itself, is nature’s gift and has the world’s highest peak- Mount Everest. People in Nepal call it Sagarmatha.
Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu is the largest metropolitan city in Nepal. It has an international airport and can be accessed through railways and via flights. There are a number of roadways too.
Once you reach Kathmandu, you could stay at one of the numerous hotels and hostels. The delicious local food will make your evening better.
Now that you have a place to stay and food to eat, let’s move forward and look at the places you can trek to as a beginner.
The Annapurna base camp trek will take you to several beautiful Himalayan peaks in a very short time. While it does have some steep elevations, it isn’t very difficult and the views along the road are spectacular.
Sanctuary trek traverses a variety of terrain from lowland villages, rice fields to glaciers. It offers a magnificent view of the mountains and rhododendron fields. And when you reach the base camp, you will be surrounded by gorgeous Himalayan peaks.
This is a classic trip around the mountains that make up the Annapurna group. Walking through the mountains, you can explore the beautiful view of the snow-clad Himalayas.
This trek takes you over Thorung La with its traditional chorten, prayer flags and stone cairns at an elevation of 5,416m. The views from the trail and from the pass itself are outstanding high Himalayan scenes.
Everest Base Camp is the world’s most famous trek. It reaches a maximum height of 5,545 m at Kala Pattar, and offers a fine view of Mount Everest.
A trek to the Everest base camp will be the best experience for the trek junkies. The most common trek route starts from Lukla and in the circuit you’d see magnificent views of the Everest Base camp, Khumbu Glacier, and Nuptse.
No trek junkie should miss a chance to see the stunning vistas of the Goyko lakes. You come across these right before you reach the Khumbu valley where the base camp awaits you. This will also give you the opportunity to experience the traditional sherpa culture.
Manaslu trek has been more popular for the tourist who wants to tread the road less taken. The trek was officially opened for tourists in 1991 but mountaineering expeditions have had access to the area for a while.
This trek will help you experience the diverse Nepali culture. At the same time, you can also explore the mesmerising views of the Himalayas. What’s more is that you will also see the Larkya pass- one of the most interesting pass crossings in the Himalayas.
The best time to visit Manaslu to trek is late October to early November. Gorkha is the traditional starting point for the treks up till the Buri Gandaki. The other options to start this trek are Dhading and Trisuli Bazaar. Though the Larkya la pass is not the most difficult one, the trek to the pass is one of the hardest to trek in in Nepal.
Another wonderful trekking expedition for beginners is the Langtang Trek. Easily accessible without the hassle of an internal flight, this trek takes you to beautiful and remote places in the Himalayan valley.
The trek is on good steady trails with some rocky stretches near the destination. However, nowhere do you require climbing or scrambling. You can expect to trek around four to six hours every day.
It is also possible to make the trek back to Dhunche in three days. The last point of this trek- Kyanjin Gompa is at 4300 m and you can see a spectacular view of the Langtang Lirung. There are a few other trekking peaks around this area in case you want to try more treks.
Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek is one of the best trekking options in Nepal for beginners. This trek will give you a chance to experience the heritage village of Ghandruk. The village is known for its commanding views of the Annapurna South and Fishtail. As you hike through the village, you can also explore the rhododendron forest through the lower Annapurna region.
Other than the mesmerising view, the sunrises over the rugged Annapurna Himalaya range is probably ones of the best in the world. The beauty and diversity of the scenery is the main draw factor of this trek.
Well, I hope all the information above will be helpful for the beginners. Go ahead and experience trekking in the Himalayas, get lost in the beautiful mountains. What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head to the mountains!
A version of this was first published here.
Picture credits: Pixabay
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