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Essentials to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Trekking Permits

You need a TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System) card and a ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Project) trekking permit to do the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. You will need to show these permits at a few checkpoints along the trail. Pack them inside a Ziploc bag to protect them.

Cash

If you are taking a package tour with a guide, you won’t need to bring much cash since your accommodation and meals are covered. You might want to pack a few hundred rupees per day for snacks or hot showers. If you are trekking independently you will need enough rupees to pay for all your meals and accommodations for your whole trek – plan on about 3000-3500 Nepali rupees per person per day. There are no banks or ATMs anywhere on the trek.

Map and Guide Book

You’ll want to plan out your route each day, especially since there are lots of options for getting to Annapurna Base Camp. Even if you hire a guide (and I think you should), pack a map and a guidebook to help you choose your route (and make sure you don’t get lost). If the guidebook is too heavy, you can buy an electronic copy or just take photos of the relevant pages and look at the on your phone.

I recommend: Buy your maps in Kathmandu or Pokhara. The best guidebook I’ve found is Lonely Planet Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya 10th Ed. (Looking for things to do in Pokhara before or after your trek? Here’s a great guide to Pokhara.)

READ NEXT: Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp

Backpacks and Bags to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Backpack

You’ll want to pack all your gear for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek inside a backpack. Something between 35 and 55L is probably a good size. Be sure to do a test pack at home to make sure all your gear fits. If you don’t plan to hire a porter, make sure you choose a backpack that fits you well and is comfortable to carry.

I recommend: My husband and I both used Boreas Lost Coast 60 backpacks on the trek. We love this pack, but sadly it’s discontinued. I also like my Gregory Jade 53 and it also comes in a smaller 38L size. The men’s version is the Zulu. 

Day Pack (Needed If You Hire a Porter)

If you are going to use a porter on your trek, the porter will carry your big backpack (or provide you with a duffle to pack your stuff inside) and you’ll need to carry a smaller day pack on the trail every day. Choose one that’s about 20L in size: big enough to carry water, a first aid kit, snacks and extra clothes in case it warms up or cools down.

I recommend: I use my Gregory Maya 22 day pack for most of my day hikes and I would have brought it to Annapurna Base Camp if we had hired a porter. It’s a women’s specific pack. The men’s equivalent is the Miwok 24.

Duffle Bag with Lock

You probably brought a bunch of clothes and other stuff to Nepal that you don’t want to bring on your trek. Bring a collapsible duffle bag with a lock so you can leave your extra stuff with your hotel in Pokhara.

I recommend: I used an airline tote that is designed to protect your backpack when you check it on the plane, but then can double as a duffle to store your stuff. Osprey makes good airline totes. Bring some simple travel locks to deter theft. 

Stuff Sacks and Organizers

To stay organized I like to pack my gear in a combination of different sized stuff sacks. I also bring lots of Ziploc freezer bags to keep wet gear separated and keep electronics dry and protected.

Rain Protection

If your gear gets wet, it can really ruin your trip. I trekked to Annapurna Base Camp at the end of monsoon season and it rained a lot. I brought a rain cover for my backpack and also brought a couple big black garbage bags to wrap up gear inside my pack. You can also protect your gear from rain the Nepali way: with plastic sheeting.

I recommend: Some packs come with a custom sized rain cover. If yours didn’t, buy a lightweight silnylon rain cover that fits your pack well.

Clothing to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Hiking pants or tights (1 or 2)

Choose quick-drying hiking pants made of nylon or polyester (and maybe with a bit of spandex for stretch). My husband likes convertible pants that zip off into shorts, but I don’t find them that comfortable. Like a lot of women, I sometimes hike in running tights. If you do choose to wear tights in Nepal, respect the local culture by wearing them with a longer top that covers your crotch and butt. You can get away with one pair of pants, but you’ll be happier with two so you can air one pair out while wearing the other.

I recommend: I love my MEC Terrena Stretch pants. I also like the Prana Halle Pants. For guys, my husband recommends the MEC Mica Pants. If you like convertible pants, the Prana Stretch Zions are a great option.

Shorts (optional)

Most treks in Nepal start at a low elevation in the humid jungle. Unless you are trekking in the winter, you’ll likely have a few very hot days. You may want a pair of quick drying hiking shorts for this type of weather. Bring shorts that hit just above the knee: short shorts are a no-no in Nepal.

I recommend: It’s easy to find longer length hiking shorts for guys, but it can be a challenge for women. The Black Diamond Valley Shorts are my favourite hiking shorts. They’re really lightweight, dry quickly and aren’t too short. The Prana Halle Shorts are another great option for longer length women’s shorts.

T-shirts (2)

I usually hike in quick-drying workout t-shirts and I brought 2 to Nepal. You could also bring a couple button up trekking shirts. I did bring a tank top to Nepal but mostly wore it as a layer under a long-sleeved shirt since tank tops are a bit too revealing in Nepali culture.

I recommend: Any old quick dry workout t-shirt will do. You can pick them up for cheap at big box stores or mall stores.

Long sleeved shirt (1)

A long sleeved shirt is a good layer for sun protection or for a bit more warmth on cold mornings. Ones with buttons or a zip neck are great so that you have venting options.

I recommend: Look for a long sleeved zip-neck or button up with UPF sun protection. I actually like to wear long sleeved zip-neck base layer tops like the MEC T1 Long Sleeved Zip T.

Fleece Jacket or Light Weight Puffy Jacket

At high elevations or on cold mornings you will need a warm layer to hike in. Pack a fleece jacket or a lightweight puffy jacket that you can layer on over a t-shirt and under your rain jacket.

I recommend: I love my down MEC Spicy Hoodie. It’s super lightweight and compressible. My husband loves his Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket. For a synthetic puffy it’s really light and warm. It comes in a women’s version too. Buy: REI | Patagonia.

Warm Puffy Jacket (Optional)

If you get cold easily, or if you’re trekking in the colder months you’ll want a big warm, puffy jacket to wear at night in the teahouses or when taking breaks. This jacket should be extra warm, much warmer than the lighter weight puffy you pack. Pick a jacket that is compressible so it won’t take up too much room in your pack. If you’re hiring a trekking guide, they may have big puffy jackets available for rent.

I recommend: I didn’t pack a huge puffy jacket for Annapurna Base Camp since I didn’t trek during cold weather. Ask your trekking agency about renting a jacket or buy one in Kathmandu.

Rain jacket

You definitely should pack a rain jacket for the Annapurna Base Camp trek, even if you don’t visit in the monsoon season. It can rain or snow at anytime in the mountains, and even if it doesn’t a rain jacket is great for blocking the wind. Bring a waterproof breathable rain jacket designed for hiking – preferably one with pit zips for venting.

I recommend: We really love our 3 layer Gore Tex MEC Synergy Jackets. If you want something lighter and more compact, the Outdoor Research Helium II is a great option. Buy: Outdoor Research | REI.

Rain Pants

Pack a pair of waterproof breathable rain pants that you can easily layer over top of your hiking pants.  I like ones with side zippers for venting that are easy to put on and take off without removing your shoes.

I recommend: I have the MEC Hydrofoil Rain Pants. They have full length side zips so they aren’t as light as the popular Outdoor Research Helium Pants. Buy: Outdoor Research | REI.

Long Underwear

It gets cold up high in the mountains, especially at night so make sure you pack some warm long underwear, also known as a base layer. You can wear them as pyjamas at night or as a warm layer under your trekking clothes during the day. Choose mid-weight long underwear made of polyester or merino wool and be sure to pack both long underwear bottoms and a long sleeved top.

I recommend: I sleep cold so I wear a MEC T3 base layer top with a hood and matching bottoms. My husband likes Patagonia’s Capilene Midweight long underwear. Buy: REI | Patagonia.

Sports bras (2)

Bring two sports bras so you can wear one and air out the other. You don’t need a ton of support for trekking, so try to choose a bra without a lot of fabric layers that will take a long time to dry.

I recommend: I really like the Knixwear bras for trekking since they are super lightweight, don’t absorb too much moisture and are seamless so they don’t chafe. They offer enough support for my larger chest when I adjust the straps to cross back.

Underwear (3 or 4 pairs)

I like to bring two kinds of underwear on long trips: two or three pairs of quick drying synthetic underwear for trekking and one pair of comfortable cotton underwear for wearing at night. Seamless underwear will be way more comfortable for hiking in, since they prevent chafing. Many of the guys I hike with swear by boxer brief with a built in pouch to prevent their package from rubbing the inner thighs.

I recommend: I wear Patagonia’s Active underwear because they’re seamless and don’t chafe when I’m sweaty. Buy: REI | Patagonia. The guys I hike with can’t stop talking about how much they love Saxx boxer briefs. Buy: REI | Amazon.

Warm Hat

Americans call it a beanie. Canadians call it a toque. No matter what you call it, don’t forget to pack a warm hat on your Annapurna Base Camp trek. Bring one that covers your ears.

I recommend: Buy a hand knitted hat in Nepal. You’ll be supporting the locals and get a great souvenir.

Sun Hat and Sunglasses

The sun can be harsh at high elevations, especially above the tree line so you may want to bring a wide brimmed hat or baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses to give you a bit of protection.

I recommend: I like to wear polarized sunglasses as they cut let you see colours that are truer to reality than what you get with regular sunglasses. I like Sunskis since they have fun frame options and they aren’t too expensive for polarized glasses. 

Gloves

Simple fleece or wool gloves will be enough to keep your hands warm at high elevations or on cold mornings. But if you are trekking in the winter or feel the cold easily, insulated ski gloves are a better bet.

I recommend: I like wind resistant gloves since they’re a bit warmer when wet.

Neck Gaiter or Buff (Optional)

When I was trekking my guide Chandra swore that you stayed warmer if you kept your ears covered and he often used a buff as a headband to warm his ears. You can also wear a buff around your neck or even as a hat.

I recommend: I bring a merino wool buff on all my hikes and was happy I packed it for Annapurna Base Camp. 

Bathing Suit (Optional)

There are lots of route options for reaching Annapurna Base Camp, but many of them include a visit to Jhinu Danda hot springs. Women should pack a bathing suit for the springs but men can just wear their trekking shorts (or bring board shorts instead of trekking shorts). Women should pack a bathing suit that’s a bit more modest (a one piece or tankini without a plunging neckline) so you don’t offend the locals.

Casual clothing for wearing at the Teahouses (Optional)

When you’re relaxing at the teahouse each evening you might not feel like wearing your sweaty trekking clothes. Consider packing a lightweight change of clothes to wear at the tea house. (Or just do what I did and wear your long johns as pants).

READ NEXT: 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal

Footwear to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Hiking Boots

The Annapurna Base Camp trek is mostly on well trodden paths and stone stairs so you don’t need heavy duty mountaineering boots. Regular hiking boots are fine. If you prefer the ankle support of higher cut boots, bring them as they will be handy for all the descending you’ll do on the trip back down. I wore mid-cut boots and was quite comfortable in them. The most important thing is to bring boots that you’ve already worn already and that are comfortable. You really want to take care of your feet.

I recommend: For mid-cut boots I love my Salmon X Ultra Mid GTX Boots. (I wore them in Nepal). Buy: REI | Backcountry.com | Amazon. When I want full ankle support, I wear my Scarpa Kailash boots. Buy: Backcountry.com |
Amazon.

Sandals

Pack a lightweight pair of slip on sandals, Crocs or flip flops for wearing in the shower and to visit the toilet in the middle of the night. You’ll want a break from your boots each day so they are also great to wear inside the teahouses.

Socks (2 or 3 pairs)

Keeping your feet happy on a trek is super important. Pack 2 or 3 pairs of wool and synthetic blend socks that fit well. I also prefer to wear liner socks since they can help reduce the rubbing that can cause blisters. Try your socks and boots at home before your trek to make sure they don’t cause any problems.

I recommend: I’m a recent convert to wearing Darn Tough socks. They’re comfortable and seem to last forever. I wear the Light Hiker Micro Crew. Buy: REI |Darn Tough Socks.

Sleeping Gear to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Sleeping Bag and Compression Sack (Optional)

You don’t need to pack a sleeping bag on the Annapurna Base Camp trek, but you may want to bring one anyway. All of the teahouses provide thick synthetic comforters (which they call blankets), but they can run out in high season. The teahouses aren’t heated so even if you do get there early enough to get a blanket, you might still be cold. Pack a lightweight and compressible sleeping bag rated at least 0C/32F but preferably more like -10C/14F. Choose one with a hood for extra warmth. Make sure you pack your sleeping bag inside a compression sack so it takes up less space in your pack. If you are using a guide, the trekking company may have sleeping bags available to rent.

Sleeping Bag Liner and Pillowcase (Optional)

I didn’t pack a sleeping bag liner on my trek, and it’s the number one thing I wish I had brought. The tea house beds come with a foam mattress, fitted sheet, a pillow, a pillowcase and a thick blanket, but they’re aren’t washed very often and sometimes didn’t smell that clean. If you bring your own sleeping bag liner and pillowcase you won’t have to put your skin into direct contact with the teahouse linens.

I recommend: I’ll definitely be picking up a lightweight sleeping bag liner before my next trek.

Ear Plugs

The teahouses have VERY thin walls. If you’re a light sleeper, ear plugs are a must. You never know when you’ll be put in a room next to an epically loud snorer.

I recommend: Bring a few pairs of cheap foam earplugs. You’re bound to lose some so it’s good to have extras. I like the contoured ones since I find they fit in my ears better.

Toiletries and First Aid to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Soap, Shampoo and Conditioner

All of the teahouses have showers so you will want to bring travel sized bottles of soap, shampoo and conditioner so you can wash up. Cold showers are always available and are usually free. Hot showers are often available for a price.

Travel Towel

The teahouses don’t supply towels so you’ll need to pack your own. Choose a quick-drying super absorbent microfibre towel.

I recommend: I have the PackTowl Personal Towel in both face cloth and body towel sizes.

Toothpaste and Toothbrush

There’s usually a communal sink outside the toilet where you can brush your teeth. But remember to use your own filtered or treated water.

Deodorant and Wet Wipes

You’ll be spending up to 10 days on the trail getting sweaty every day. Bring a small travel sized deodorant and some wet wipes for having a quick sponge bath on days you don’t shower.

Sunscreen, Lip Balm and Moisturizer

The harsh sun at high elevations can give you a sunburn in just a few minutes. (I forgot to put sunscreen on the backs of my hands and ended up with a wicked sunburn after only 45 minutes of exposure.) Pack sunscreen and SPF lip balm to protect yourself. The cold air and wind can also dry out your skin so you might also want to pack a small bottle of moisturizer.

I recommend: I like Neutrogena sport sunscreen since it is oil free. I use Blistex lip balms. They have an SPF rating of 15 (so you have to reapply often) but they don’t feel too waxy like some others I’ve tried.

Hair Brush and Hair Ties

If you’ve got long hair, you know why you need these.

Contact Solution and Spare Lenses

If you wear contacts, be sure to pack contact solution and extra lens. On cold nights, sleep with your contact case inside your sleeping bag to keep them from freezing.

Tampons or Pads

If you menstruate, pack some tampons or pads just in case. They aren’t available for sale anywhere along the trek (as one blogger unfortunately found out!)

Toilet Paper and Hand Sanitizer

There will be no toilet paper along the route since Nepalis don’t use it: They use their left hand and some water.You’ll need to pack some inside a Ziploc bag to keep it dry. You can buy toilet paper at teahouses and shops along the trek, or stock up ahead of time in Pokhara. Sometimes the communal wash sinks come with soap, but they often don’t so it’s a good idea to pack a small bottle of hand sanitizer to clean your hands after you use the toilet and before you eat.

First Aid Kit

You should pack a small first aid kit. Make sure it includes bandages, gauze, medical tape and a compression bandage for strains or sprains.  You’ll also want to have lots of foot care supplies such as Moleskin or Second Skin for blisters. It’s also a good idea to pack some nail clippers. Your first aid kit should also contain stuff to help repair your gear in case you have any problems. We packed a small multi-tool and some duct tape.

I recommend: I like the Adventure Medical Ultralight first aid kits since they come in a water resistant pouch. I always add more stuff to them, like more blister care and bandaids.

A multi-tool with a knife, pliers and scissors is always handy. I like the Leatherman Wave.

Medication

Don’t forget to pack any prescription medication. Medication of any kind is not generally available on the trek and may be hard to find in Pokhara. Make sure you pack a good supply of anti-inflammatory painkillers like Advil. Getting sick on the trail is surprisingly common so pack cough and cold medication just in case. If you end up with an upset stomach on the trail (like I did), you’ll be happy to have anti-nausea meds like Gravol and anti-diarrhea pills like Immodium.

Visit a travel clinic before you leave home and talk to your doctor about whether you want to get a prescription for Diamox to help with altitude sickness symptoms. (Annapurna Base Camp isn’t that high compared to many other treks in Nepal, but it’s still at 4100m, MUCH higher than you are used to.) A travel clinic can also write you a prescription for antibiotics to help with traveller’s diarrhea. I was really glad to have those pills on my trek!

READ NEXT: 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Trekking in Nepal

Electronics to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Mobile Phone and Charger

Most of us take our phones everywhere and Annapurna Base Camp is no exception. Most of the teahouses have wifi if you want to stay connected.

Nepali SIM Card (Optional)

There is excellent phone reception on almost the whole trek. If you trek during high season you may want to get a Nepali SIM card so you can call ahead to guest houses each day and reserve a bed.

Camera, Memory Cards and Charger or Batteries

The Himalayas are spectacular and you’ll want to make sure you have a good way to take photos. Many mobile phones take great photos, but you may want to bring a stand alone camera or even a GoPro.

I recommend: I brought my Sony A6000. It’s a mirrorless which is more compact than a full DSLR but still produces high quality images. I find it easy to use, plus it’s not that expensive. 

Headlamp and Extra Batteries

Electricity is unreliable in Nepal, especially in the mountains. There’s often no lights at night so you’ll want to bring a headlamp to navigate around the teahouse in the dark.

I recommend: I use a Petzl Actik. It’s super bright and easy to use. Plus the batteries last a long time on low power. Buy: REI | Backcountry.com.

Power Bank

Sometimes you will get electrical outlets in your room, but more often there will be communal outlets in the teahouse dining room, and often you’ll have to pay to use them. If you have a few different devices to charge, it can be easier to bring a power bank so you can charge that in the dining room, then use the power bank to charge your other devices later.

I recommend: Bring a power bank that has enough storage to charge your devices at least once, but isn’t too big and heavy. The size you choose will depend on how many devices you bring, but at least 5,000mAh capacity or larger is probably a good idea. 

Plug Adapter

The plugs in Nepal may not work with your plugs from home so it’s a good idea to pack an adapter. Nepal primarily uses Type C plugs (Euro plugs) but you may also find Type D and Type M.

I recommend: I have the inexpensive Cactus Creek plug adapter kit. There’s lots of other cheap yet functional adapter kits out there as well.  Buy: REI.

Food and Water to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Water Treatment

Drinking untreated water in Nepal is a sure-fire way to get sick. But it’s important to stay hydrated at high elevations to prevent altitude sickness. (It’s no joke! Read more about how to adjust to high altitudes.) You can buy treated water at a few designated safe drinking water stations. You can also pay a small fee for hot boiled water from teahouses (although there’s no guarantee that it has actually been at a rolling boil for long enough to kill bacteria and parasites – it might just be hot). Lots of people use one of these two methods on the trail and don’t get sick.

I have a sensitive stomach and really wanted to make sure I didn’t get sick so I brought a Steripen which uses UV rays to treat the water. You could also bring a water filter, water treatment drops or tablets. Bringing your own method of water treatment or filtration gives you more flexibility so don’t have to wait until you get to a teahouse to fill up your water.

I recommend: We packed the Steripen Classic on our Annapurna Base Camp Trek. It was quick and easy to use for our group of 4. 

Water Bottles

Bring a couple of reusable water bottles or a hydration reservoir to avoid buying bottled water and contributing to the garbage problem that plagues Nepal. Choose ones with a wide opening so they are easier to fill and sanitize.

I recommend: For trekking in Nepal I brought classic 1L Nalgene bottles. The wide openings are easy to fill and they are fine to use with boiling water. Plus you can get them in tons of fun colours.

Drinks

Tea, Coke and beer are readily available at all teahouses (although the latter two can get quite expensive). But if you like to hike with electrolyte replenishment drinks or you like coffee in the morning, you’ll have to bring your own as they aren’t available on the trek.

I recommend: We brought a few tubes of Nuun electrolyte tablets from home. The tablets are easy to pack and way less messy than powders. I’m a coffee drinker at home, but in Nepal I just ordered a pot of Nepali chai tea every morning. It had plenty of caffeine to replace my coffee.

Food

You will be eating three hot meals a day at teahouses, so I found that I didn’t want as many snacks as usual while on the Annapurna Base Camp Trek. But you can buy plenty of junk food from the tea houses including chocolate bars and cookies. If you prefer more traditional hiking snacks like energy bars or trail mix, you’ll need to buy them outside Nepal.

I recommend: I brought a few of my favourite energy bars which were helpful for fighting off attacks of the hangries on the longer days. I like the Luna Bar S’mores Bar and the Pro Bar Chocolate Coconut Bar.

Optional Extra Gear to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Trekking Poles

The Annapurna Base Camp Trek has a lot of steep ascents and descents. Trekking poles can be really helpful for saving your joints on the downhills. (Is hiking with poles really easier? My friend Becky says yes and I have to agree!)

I recommend: I brought my Black Diamond Trail trekking poles to Nepal and was really happy to have them. 

Umbrella

If you expect rain on your trek, an umbrella can be really helpful. At lower elevations it’s too hot to wear full on rain wear so the umbrella keeps your head and shoulders dry so you don’t have to wear a rain jacket. We trekked in early September at the end of the monsoon season and were happy to have umbrellas.

I recommend: Buy a cheap umbrella in Kathmandu or Pokhara.

Tripod or Selfie Stick

I brought a mini tripod for my camera and maybe people bring selfie sticks or GoPro extension poles. They’re helpful for getting group shots or providing a different perspective.

I recommend: I brought the Joby Gorillapod mini tripod. It’s lightweight and compact, plus its easy to attach to just about anything. You can also get an adapter that lets you use it with your phone. Buy: REI | Amazon.

Paracord

A short length of paracord can come in handy. You can use it to create a clothesline to dry out sweaty gear or a wet towel in your room. Or you can use it to hang damp socks off the back of your pack during the day to dry them in the sun.

I recommend: You don’t need much: 3 or 4 meters of cord should be enough.

Entertainment for the Teahouses

You’ll have a few hours each night in the teahouses when you’ll need to entertain yourself. Consider bringing a book, some headphones to listen to music or podcasts and a deck of cards.

I recommend: I always travel with my Amazon Kindle eReader so I have hundreds of books to choose from.

Stuff You Don’t Need to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Here’s my list of stuff you don’t need and shouldn’t pack for your Annapurna Base Camp Trek

• Tent (stay in the teahouses – it’s almost the same price as camping)
• Sleeping pad (the teahouse bunks come with foam mattresses)
• Stove, cooking gear and food (buy your meals at the teahouses)
• Climbing gear (This is a non-technical trek and you won’t need harnesses, ropes, crampons, etc.)
• Extra clothing and gear you won’t need on your trek (Leave them in a duffle bag or suitcase with your hotel in Pokhara.)
• A laptop (There’s wifi in the teahouses but it’s slow and the electricity is spotty so it will be hard to keep it charged.)
• Revealing clothing including short shorts, skimpy tank tops, etc. (Nepalis are modestly dressed people and will appreciate it if you do the same).
• Tons of outfit changes. (You can do laundry in the sink or just air out your clothes and wear them again. Everyone else will be doing the same thing. And if you pack too much, you pack will be too heavy to comfortably carry.)

A Note on Buying Gear in Nepal

If you need to, you can buy everything you need in Nepal at trekkers shops in Kathmandu and Pokhara. However, lots of the gear for sale is counterfeit knock-offs. Some of the knock-offs work fine, but others will fall apart pretty quickly. Unfortunately, to the untrained eye it can be hard to tell the difference and you don’t want to end up 6 days walk from a road with broken gear. As well, some pieces of gear are so key that you want to make sure you have quality gear that works for you. Below I’ve listed some gear that you can probably buy in Nepal without a problem, as well as some you really want to make sure you bring from home (and test out first).

Gear You Can Buy in Nepal

• Maps
• Duffle bags
• Fleece jackets
• Puffy jackets (although beware that they may not be as warm as advertised)
• Warm hats and gloves (you can also buy handed knitted ones on the trek – they make great souviners)
• Shower sandals
• Toilet paper
• Trekking poles
• Umbrella

Gear You Definitely Want to Bring from Home

• Backpack that fits you well
• Rain jacket and pants (knock-off ones for sale in Nepal might not be very waterproof)
• Hiking boots that fit you well

Have you been trekking in Nepal? Is there anything you’d add or remove from this list? Let me know in the comments.

READ NEXT:

• Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp
• 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal
• 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Trekking in Nepal

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Hey there: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support. -Taryn

More Nepal Posts:

• Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp
• What to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek
• 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal

Make a Plan for Clean Drinking Water

Nuraini from the blog Teja on the Horizon wishes she knew more about getting clean drinking water before going trekking in Nepal. She says:

The trekking company I was going with sent me some preparation notes to assist my packing, and cautioned me against drinking the water in the mountains. So, since I also wanted to avoid consuming throwaway plastic water bottles, I armed myself with a portable water filter.

However, I learned that while indeed it is not advisable to drink the water along the mountain trails, there is a safe drinking water initiative in the Annapurnas. Stations supplying this treated water are signed along the way, for instance within restaurants. My guide also told me that locals drink directly from the communal water taps you find in every village. She said these are piped from a source at the top of the mountain, which should be a safe source. However she said sometimes foreigners have issues with this water. I did meet a trekker or two though, who just filled their bottles from this source.

That said, it is still good to have a plan B, especially beyond Dovan. I can testify that the portable filter is very convenient – faster than using chlorine tablets.

You can keep up with Nuraini’s travels on her Facebook and Pinterest pages.

I recommend: When I trekked the to Annapurna Base Camp I brought a Steripen Classic water purifier. It uses UV light to purify water and takes about 60 seconds to work: way faster than waiting 30 minutes for tablets to work or spending 5 minutes using a pump. Buy: MEC | REI.

Be Prepared for Leeches in Monsoon Season

My Annapurna Sanctuary Trek was at the beginning of September. Before we left I knew that we would be trekking at the tail end of monsoon season and that encountering leeches was possible. But knowing there would be leeches and being mentally prepared for encountering them are two VERY different things. We had a few leech-free and leech-light days on our trek, but the extra-leechy days really stick out in my mind.

In monsoon season the leeches are out in full force on rainy days, especially in places where the vegetation is thick. They range from a few millimeters in size to a few centimeters long and have incredible ninja attack powers. They can crawl up your boot and inside your sock without you ever feeling them. On the extra-leechy days we stopped every few minutes for a leech check so we could flick them off of our boots before they could bite us.  Our guide, Chandra was an expert leech-flicker and it was worth hiring a guide for the leech flicking alone. (Want more reasons why you should hire a guide in Nepal? I’ve got 6 more!)

Want some tips for dealing with leeches? Firstly, avoid trekking in monsoon season, which runs from June to September. If you avoid the monsoon season, apparently you won’t see a single leech (lucky you!).

If you do go during leech season like I did, bring some salt. Sprinkling salt on your socks will deter the leeches. The only problem is that the leeches are out when it’s raining and the rain washes away the salt. Doh. Frequent leech checks to pick them off the outsides of your boots work well, but don’t forget to also check inside the tops of your boots a couple times an hour as some will sneak in. I made the mistake of wearing gaiters thinking that would keep them out. It didn’t. Instead they just crawled inside where they were even more hidden. Disgusting. If you do get bitten, just pull them off. It’s bloody but it doesn’t hurt. Bring some afterbite or Benedryl if you react to bug bites since the leech bites itch the same way.

PS: The Nepali word for leech is “juka”. If you learn this word you can laugh and commiserate with the the porters and locals on the trail about the sneaky, horrible, no-good juka. Laughing with the locals about the juka made it a little more manageable for me. After all, they live with juka for 3 months a year for their whole life. I was just visiting for 10 days!

READ NEXT: Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp

Pack Some Just-in-Case Menstrual Supplies

Unfortunately Tasha of Backpackers Wanderlust learned that lesson in the worst way. Plus another lesson about testing your water treatment method beforehand. Poor Tasha! It’s a crazy story. Read on to hear her tell it in her own words. She writes:

Before setting off on the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal I sat down packing my bags and ticking off everything on my list. On the circuit the water is not safe to drink and bottled water can get expensive. As a solution I had purchased water purifying tablets which should have been a great alternative. Problem was though, they were not the perfect alternative, and I wouldn’t find this out until well into the journey.

It was day five on the trail and was reported to be one of the most scenic days on the journey with Gateway to Heaven. Suddenly I felt a pain in my lower stomach: my period. I didn’t understand how this had happened: it was not the time of the month yet. I was stuck hiking hours each day with no tampons or pads, stomach cramps and feeling extremely nauseous.

Over the following days I tried a process of elimination. I changed my diet and stopped taking Diamox, but nothing changed. That’s when I thought of the water purification tablets. I mean, if it can get rid of bacteria and viruses out of water it has to have some pretty strong chemicals in it. By this stage I was willing to try anything.

I stopped using the water purification tablets and later that day it eventually stops. By the grace of god, I had finally figured out what had been causing my period for the past 48 hours. I was so happy I didn’t care that the rest of the journey I would have to be spending an extra $10 a day just on water. Though, my budget was not too happy about that.

Just FYI: This isn’t medical advice. I highly recommend speaking to your doctor about it or testing the water purification pills beforehand.

Check out Tasha’s Instagram and Facebook for more travel stories and inspiration.

Eat the Local Food (It’s Cheaper and Delicious)

One of the things I wish I knew before going trekking in Nepal was that it’s always a good idea to order the local food. Most tea houses have an extensive menu that includes Western-style food like pizza, spaghetti, potatoes, macaroni, and fried rice.  You might be tempted to order familiar meals on your trek, but you will often be disappointed.

The tea house cooks are local Nepalis who have often never travelled outside their region. They have never eaten Western food cooked by a Westerner. So tea house meals are basically made by people who have heard of Western food but don’t know what it is supposed to taste like. Sometimes they nail it (like the awesome mushroom pizza I had in Gorepani). But most of the time…well, they don’t. They really don’t. (Ketchup is a staple ingredient in many dishes… and it usually doesn’t belong there. Somehow, I kept ordering Western-style meals and being surprised when they contained ketchup. Apparently I’m not that bright sometimes.)

I recommend you eat the local food on your trek instead. It’s reliably tasty and it’s usually a lot cheaper too. The two main local dishes are dal bhat and momos.

Dal bhat is the national dish of Nepal. It’s white rice, watery lentil curry and a side of some kind of local vegetables. Usually the whole dish is vegetarian but sometimes you can get a side of meat. Each chef makes it a little differently so sometimes it’s spicier than others, but it’s always cheap. Plus it comes with free refills. Most Nepalis eat this meal two or three times a day. Our guide Chandra ate dal bhat 3 times a day for all 10 days of our trek. By choice. Seriously, Nepalis love it!

Momos are little meat and veggie filled dumplings kind of like Japanese gyoza or Chinese baozi. They can be steamed or fried and they come with a dipping sauce. They are straight up delicious!

Oh also FYI: if you see “buff” on the menu, that’s not a typo. That means buffalo. Nepal is a predominantly Hindu country and they don’t eat cows. But somehow eating their cousin the water buffalo is ok. (I asked: they know it’s hypocritical but less observant Hindus think it’s delicious. It tastes like lean beef.)

READ NEXT: 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal

Pack a First Aid Kit and Medications

It can be quite common to get sick when travelling as the local bacteria and viruses aren’t the same ones your body is used to back home. I often get an upset stomach while travelling (like I did in Nepal), and it sounds like unfortunately Amalia of amellie.net knows what that’s like. Bringing the right meds is what she wished she knew before going trekking in Nepal. She writes:

If you are trekking in Nepal, particularly if you are doing a multi-day hike, be sure that you are prepared with first aid kits and medications for general illnesses, including flu, fever, and diarrhoea.

I had a really bad diarrhoea when I was hiking towards Poon Hill. The diarrhoea, which might be caused by the foods that I ate or the water that I drank, made the whole hiking experience rather unpleasant. At that time, I was lucky to have a friend who brought some medicines with him, including some packets of oral rehydration salts. This helped me to recuperate the next day and I was able to continue the hike, albeit slowly with continuous breaks to toilets.

When I came back to Nepal 2 years later, I was better prepared with these medications and I couldn’t be happier! They helped me prevent from getting too ill during my hikes.

Follow Amalia’s travel adventures on her Instagram.

I recommend: I brought an Adventure Medical Ultralight first aid kit on my trip to Nepal. I like their kits since they come in a water resistant pouch. I always add more stuff to them, like more blister care and bandaids. Buy: MEC | REI. A multi-tool with a knife, pliers and scissors is always handy. I like the Leatherman Wave. Buy: MEC | REI

BYOTP and Be Prepared for a Variety of Toilets

Bring Your Own Toilet Paper that is. And bring more than you think you’ll need in case you end up getting sick like Amalia and I did. That’s what I wish I knew before going trekking in Nepal. You can buy toilet paper at guest houses on your trek (and some villages have small stores) but it gets more expensive the farther away from the road you get. The locals don’t use toilet paper, so TP for sale is at tourist prices. (The locals use water and their left hand.)

You may also want to be prepared for the toilet situation on your trek. The toilets vary widely from Western style flush toilets to squat style latrines. And there is lots of variety in between.

All non-flush toilets will have a bucket of water (and sometimes a tap) and a cup. The locals use this to clean themselves and also use the water to “flush” the toilet. There will never be toilet paper supplied, so make sure you bring your own each time you go to the bathroom. There often isn’t any clean or dry place to put your toilet paper inside the bathroom so I kept mine inside a plastic bag.

None of the plumbing is built to handle anything except water and waste. So there will also be a garbage can inside the bathroom for your toilet paper.

Outside the bathroom you’ll find a communal sink and sometimes a bar of soap. Be sure to bring your own soap or some alcohol hand sanitizer just in case. Keeping clean hands will decrease your chances of getting sick.

READ NEXT: What to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Do Some Pre-Trek Hill and Stair Training

You don’t have to be a pro hiker to trek in Nepal, but you do need to be in reasonable shape. Danielle of world-smith.com did some training for her Annapurna Sanctuary trek, but still didn’t feel prepared for all the stairs. I feel ya, Danielle: those stairs are brutal! And like Amalia, she also wished she had brought meds from home. Here’s her story:

In retrospect, I think it was pretty brave of me to make the Annapurna Sanctuary in Nepal my first ever multi-day trek. While I love day hikes, I had never gone camping and stretched my time in the mountains to anything more than an afternoon here and there. The teahouse system in Nepal was a great way to ease into trekking – we always ended our days with a bed, a home cooked meal, and often a hot shower.

But healthwise, I do wish I had been more prepared. Not only was the trek primarily flagstone steps up and down – for which I should have done more rigorous stair training – but the altitude quickly snowed my long suffering boyfriend under with a bad cold, which I of course caught. Having anything wrong with your sinuses or respiratory system makes trekking at high altitude so much harder and much less enjoyable. Knowing now that it’s difficult to get good quality medicine in the Annapurnas, I would have packed more Sudafed and lots of cough drops!

Find out what Danielle has been up to lately on her Facebook page.

You Won’t Always Be Trekking Above the Treeline

Most photos of trekking in the Himalaya show mountain peaks and trails through rocky alpine terrain with no trees. But most treks start at much lower elevations below the treeline where there is lots of jungle vegetation and terraced fields. That’s one of the things I wish I knew before going trekking in Nepal. On my trek to Annapurna Base Camp we actually spent about 7.5 days of our 10 day trek at lower elevations with lots of jungle and cultivated fields. There were mountain views of course, and low elevation scenery is beautiful, but I just hadn’t expected so much of it. How much jungle and fields you will hike through depends on which trek you take, but most will have at least some at the beginning.

The jungle is gorgeous in it’s own way. There are bamboo and rhododendron forests. The rhododendron trees are huge – not the bushes we get here in Canada. And I imagine they are gorgeous when they bloom in the spring. You might also spot monkeys and Himalayan musk deer in the jungle. (We spotted both, but both sightings were brief so I don’t have any photos.)

Trekking through villages and terraced fields is also beautiful. Our guide is also a farmer in the off season so he taught us all about what was being grown: barley, maize, cabbage, tomatoes, melons and so much more. He also acted as an interpreter with the locals so we could learn more about how they live in the mountains. We saw women drying food for the winter and talked to a man running a small water powered mill. It was a unique cultural experience that I didn’t know I was going to have.

I did a lot of research beforehand, but I wasn’t totally prepared for everything I encountered.  There were still quite a few things I wish I knew before going trekking in Nepal. Hopefully this post gives you more of an idea of what to expect. But of course, some things in a new place will always be a surprise, and that’s part of the adventure!

Do you have any “I wish I knew before I went” stories from your travels? Share them in the comments.

Read Next:

• Want to know what it’s like to trek in Nepal? Read about my 2016 trek to Annapurna Base Camp.
• Do you need a guide to trek in Nepal? Nope… but I have 6 reasons why you should hire a guide anyway.
• Thinking of going trekking with your family? My internet friend Kyla has a great guide to trekking in Nepal with kids.
• Find out what to pack and what to leave at home: check out my packing list for trekking in Nepal. There’s even a printable checklist.

The post 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Trekking in Nepal appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

READ NEXT: 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Trekking in Nepal

Navigation and Itineraries

Most trekking routes in Nepal are fairly easy to follow. If you’re not sure, you can always ask locals or other trekkers which way to go. Therefore, navigation isn’t the main reason to hire a trekking guide in Nepal. But, there can be confusing places with unsigned junctions or areas where new roads have been constructed overtop of trekking routes and your guide can help with that. On my trek, we did meet a couple of trekkers that trekked an extra hour downhill by accident, then had to come all the way back up… in the pouring rain. Oops!

Where your guide is helpful, however, is knowing the trekking route inside-out to design an itinerary that works for you. Within a day or two your guide will know your hiking pace and preferences and can adjust lunch and break stops to accommodate it. You can ask your guide “How long until lunch?” and he will know the route well enough to tell you it is 90 minutes away at your pace, even if the guidebook says it will take more (or less) time.

Hiring a trekking guide in Nepal who knows the area well is also great when the weather doesn’t cooperate: Our guide took us to tea stalls to wait out rainstorms. He woke us up at first light when the views of the mountains were best (and let us sleep in when it was cloudy). He also encouraged us to stick around for a few hours at the Poon Hill viewpoint when the sunrise was cloudy, even as other guides led their clients back down to breakfast. He was right: the clouds cleared and we got wonderful views that many others missed (and we didn’t mind that breakfast was late).

A trekking guide also has the knowledge to make more drastic changes to the itinerary on the fly: I got heatstroke on my trek and wasn’t able to hike as far as we planned. Our guide knew of an out-of-the-way guesthouse along the way we could stop.  If we had been on our own we wouldn’t have known where to stop and would have walked into the night looking for a place to sleep.

Advanced Bookings and Logistics

When your plane touches down in Kathmandu, all you have to do is put on your boots and go trekking – your guide will take care of everything else. Your trekking guide can take care of all the advanced bookings and logistics for you, including booking hotel rooms for the days before and after your trek in Kathmandu, Pokhara, Lukla or elsewhere, arranging transportation to and from the trailhead (by bus, jeep, airplane, etc.), and picking up trekking permits. You can do all of this yourself of course, but some of it can only be done in person in Nepal, so you will need to take an extra day of your vacation to essentially run errands. It’s much better to have a guide to take care of it. You can also email your guide when planning your trip to ask for advice on what to pack or to ask any questions about the trek.

On the trail, your guide will know which guesthouses in the village have better rooms or better food (although they usually all fairly similar). He will also know which guesthouses have Western style toilets and more reliable hot showers (and that’s important info!) A guide can also call ahead to the next guesthouse to reserve a room (which only necessary in the busy season). Often your guide will have a good working relationship with the staff at the guesthouses and can arrange for you to get a room with a view or even an ensuite bathroom. At one guesthouse, our guide was friends with the owners family and they shared the wild mushrooms they had harvested that day with us, served on top of a tasty pizza.

If you decide you want to hire a porter rather than carry your own gear, your guide can hire a one for you and determine how many porters your group will need. It will usually be someone from the guide’s trekking agency or a person they have worked with before, so you won’t have to worry about someone dodgy running off down the trail with all your stuff. As well, while most guides are not porters (that is you are paying them only to guide you, not to carry your things), in a pinch they can help shoulder the load. When I got sick on my trek, our guide carried some of the contents of my bag, and then when I got worse, he carried my whole backpack as well as his own.

READ NEXT: What to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Language

Most people in Nepal speak at least a few words of English (and many speak it quite well) but it is still helpful to hire a trekking guide in Nepal to help translate or to clarify what you want. Our guide helped us order food at guesthouses to ask about menu substitutions or just to see what was fresh that day.

Our guide also taught us a few words in Nepal, which was great for breaking the ice with the locals. When walking through a village I would sometimes call out “Namaste” (Hello) to the farmers who would break out into big smiles when I also said “Namaste cikana! Namaste kukura! Namaste biralo!” (Hello, chicken! Hello, dog! Hello, cat!) to their animals.

Cultural Experience

Unlike hiking in North America, trekking in Nepal is more of a cultural experience than a wilderness experience. You do get amazing mountain views and wild forest jungles, but mostly you are trekking through villages where local people live and farm, and have done so for generations. And being on the trail for hours a day, you need to pass the time somehow. I found chatting with our guide about what we were seeing and about Nepal in general, made the hours fly by. Our guide patiently answered all my questions about everything Nepali including politics, religion, arranged marriage, geography, and everything in between.

Our guide grew up in the area and told us all about the farming practices there, including which plants were cultivated, when they were harvested, and how they were preserved. And of course, when we ordered meals, he tried to find places that would serve us dishes with plants we had seen growing locally instead of just the standard trekker’s fried noodles. At the end of our trek, our guide invited us to his home where we met his wife, children and other members of his family and shared a home-cooked meal. The added cultural experience that our guide gave us was definitely the most valuable part of his services. I really felt like I had experienced the Nepal that locals know, not just the touristy parts of Nepal. And by the end, our guide didn’t feel like an employee, but like a friend.

READ NEXT: Trekking to Annapurna Base Camp

Low Cost to You and High Benefit to the Local Economy

Hiring a trekking guide in Nepal might sound expensive, but it is actually really cheap for Westerners. The daily rate (as of fall 2016) for a certified trekking guide in Nepal is around $20-30USD (plus tips of course). If you split the cost between a couple people, it’s about the price of a fast food meal back home. From what I can tell, the guides are paid fairly and working as a trekking guide is a well-paying job. Unemployment and poverty are high in Nepal and many men leave Nepal for the Persian Gulf or South East Asia where they work as labourers, sending money home to their families that they can’t afford to fly back to visit. By hiring a trekking guide in Nepal, you help provide important jobs for Nepalis that keep them closer to their families.

Tourism is Nepal’s largest economic sector. However, the 2015 earthquakes have scared many tourists away from Nepal. The earthquake damaged some of the cultural sites and a few trekking routes, but the majority of the trekking routes (including the Annapurna Base Camp route that I trekked) were largely unaffected. The tourism industry in Nepal is suffering and one of the best things you can do to help Nepal recover is to go visit and spend your money at local businesses, including trekking agencies.

Increased Morale

Trekking in Nepal is beautiful and for the most part, it is not too strenuous, but it is also not easy. The endless stone steps to climb and descend, the temperamental weather, the thin air at altitude and the long days on your feet can all wear on your psyche. A good guide will keep your spirits up, distracting you with cultural facts, suggesting you stop for a hot cup of tea, telling jokes, or pointing out a beautiful waterfall you might have missed while staring at your boots. Our guide Chandra’s near constant smile was infectious and I often smiled as well, even if I really wasn’t that happy to be walking in the rain. Each day Chandra would find the day’s best moment and make sure we commemorated with a group photo where we held up our fingers to show what day of the trek it was.

Bonus: Tips for Hiring a Trekking Guide in Nepal

We didn’t have to do that much work to find a trekking guide as a co-worker recommended our guide, Chandra of Friendly Trekkers Adventures. Chandra was wonderful (so wonderful that I wrote a whole blog post about why you should hire a trekking guide). I highly recommend him or any of the other guides from his trekking agency.

My advice for hiring a trekking guide in Nepal is to ask people who have hired a guide in the past. If you don’t know anyone personally, ask on travel message boards or read TripAdvisor reviews of trekking companies in Pokhara and Kathmandu. Choose a guide who is familiar with the trekking area and speaks Nepali and English well. Hire a local Nepali guide from a Nepali trekking agency that is registered with TAAN, the trekking guide regulatory body. Correspond with your guide by phone or email to ensure you have a good fit before booking. Many Western tour operators offer guided packages that use both Western and Nepali guides. These packages can be very expensive and may not give you the same local cultural experience as hiring a Nepali. (As well, much of your money stays with the Western tour operator instead of going to the local economy.)

Do you have more questions about what it’s like to trek with a guide? Ask me in the comments!

Read Next:

• Want to know what it’s like to trek to Annapurna Base Camp? Read my trip report about my August/September 2016 trek.
• Know before you go: travel bloggers share the key info they wish they knew before going trekking in Nepal
• Get a complete list of what to pack for your trek.

The post 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

Our guide Chandra, of Pokhara-based Friendly Trekkers Adventures, put together an itinerary for us that had us heading to the viewpoint at Poon Hill over the first few days before heading into the Annapurna Sanctuary and up to Annapurna Base Camp. On the way down we took a slightly different route for the last few days to visit the hot springs at Jhinu Danda. Click the map below to zoom in on our route.

READ NEXT: 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal

Day One: Naya Pul to Tikendinga

We started our first day with a jeep ride on winding (but mostly paved) roads from the city of Pokhara to the village of Naya Pul. When we arrived it was pouring rain so we tried to wait it out at a roadside tea shop. We couldn’t wait forever, so we set out into the deluge through Naya Pul.  As we walked for a few hours on a newer gravel jeep road above a rushing river, the rain gradually stopped and the sun came out. We stopped for lunch at a roadside trekkers restaurant before carrying on to our destination for the night, the guesthouse at Tikendinga. That night as we ate in the guesthouse dining room it poured rain. Again. It was monsoon season in Nepal and we were walking in it.

Day Two: Tikendinga to Ghorepani

On our second day, it rained on and off but was mostly just hot and humid. We started the day with a stiff climb up thousands of stone stairs to the village of Ulleri where we stopped for a well-deserved cold drink. The remainder of the day was spent trekking steadily uphill through the jungle and we met our first of many heavily-laden donkey trains. There are no roads in this region so unless it is grown there, everything comes in on the back of a donkey or a person. Want a beer, some chocolate, stove fuel, building supplies or a new toilet? It all comes in on the back of a donkey. At the end, of the day we finally reached the hill top town of Ghorepani but unfortunately the usual panoramic views were obscured by clouds. Instead, we celebrated with pizza featuring wild mushrooms the guesthouse owners had just gathered that morning.

Day Three: Ghorepani to Tadapani via Poon Hill

On our third morning, we were up well before the sun to make the three-kilometer trek (without our packs thankfully) up to the viewpoint at Poon Hill. When we arrived the sun had already started to rise but most of the views were obscured by clouds. We bought hot cups of tea and settled down to wait it out at the advice our guide, even as many of our fellow trekkers retreated back down the hill. Our guide was right! After a couple hours, most of the clouds had cleared and we had amazing views of the Annapurna range as well as Dhaulagiri massif. We finally pried ourselves away from the views and headed back down to breakfast in Ghorepani before shouldering our packs. The day’s trek through the jungle took us across ridges and down a forested canyon before we arrived at Tadapani in near darkness. It had been a long day on the trail and we were exhausted, which perhaps explains why we found it hilarious that the resident guesthouse cat was chasing the resident guesthouse rat under the table while we waited for dinner to be served.

Day Four: Tadapani to Sinuwa

On the morning of day four, my alarm wasn’t due to go off for at least half an hour when there was a knock at the door. It was our guide, Chandra urging us to get up to look at the beautiful view. Unbeknownst to us in the dark and clouds the night before, our rooms had an incredible view of the mountains. After breakfast, we trekked through numerous small villages, past terraced fields of millet, corn, beans and squash and across several suspension bridges. The day was wet and cloudy and we had our first real encounters with the scourge of monsoon-season hiking: leeches, known as “juka” in Nepali. In wet areas they kept crawling up our boots, into our socks and then sometimes biting our ankles if we didn’t catch them first. We stopped often for quick leech checks where Chandra would sometimes pluck them off our boots socks before we even noticed they were there. “Juka” wasn’t the only Nepali word we learned that day; “ukalo” (uphill) and “oralo” (downhill) were also important as we discovered that this part of Nepal is never flat. After what seemed like eons of climbing and descending stone steps, we finally arrived in Sinuwa for the night, glad to get off our tired (and leech-bitten!) feet.

READ NEXT: 8 Things I Wish I Knew Before Going Trekking in Nepal

Day Five: Sinuwa to Deurali

The weather cleared a little bit when we woke up in Sinuwa and we were able to look back across the valley to Chhomrong spread out across the hilltop, where we had lunch the day before. Distances in this part of the world are deceiving as it takes a long time to get anywhere, even if it looks close. On this day we trekked alongside the Modi Khola (river), sometimes along its banks and sometimes high above them in the jungle. We would be following this river all the way to its source at Annapurna Base Camp. It rained hard on this day and there were several rickety bridges over swollen streams to cross that even our guide had never seen at such high water levels. Occasionally the misty weather would clear and we would get amazing views of the impossibly steep green hills rising from the river striped with innumerable waterfalls caused by the ongoing monsoon rains. That evening as we relaxed with cups of hot tea in the dining room at our guesthouse, the clouds started to lift for the first time that day and the mountains glowed pink with the sunset.

Day Six: Deurali to Annapurna Base Camp

Day six was the day we were finally going to get there, finally going to get to our high point of Annapurna Base Camp! The day started off cloudy and dark and none of us were in a good mood after the intense rain of the day before. Again, the rain came in on and off but like the previous day, sometimes the mist parted enough to give us views. We stopped for a long lunch at the guesthouse Machapuchare Base Camp to wait out the rain, but it wouldn’t quit so we headed out into it. For the first time on our trek, it was actually quite cold and we bundled up into our rain gear, put our heads down and slogged up the final hill. The mist was dense and we couldn’t see a thing, but eventually we came upon a sign welcoming us to Annapurna Base Camp. A few meters further up the hill the warm, dry guesthouse awaited us. As had become our routine, we changed into dry clothes and ordered a huge pot of spicy Nepali tea to warm up. The rain and mist let up a little bit so we went outside to check out the prayer flag draped viewpoint. We still couldn’t see much of the area around us, let alone any of the mountains so we were worried we had come all that way for no views.

Day Seven: Annapurna Base Camp to Bamboo

Chandra woke us up with a knock on the door just as the first light was beginning to creep into the sky. I peeked out the window and couldn’t see any clouds. Could it be? Could there be views? We got dressed quickly and met up with Chandra in the courtyard where plenty of other trekkers were already milling around. It was incredible: we were in a huge treeless glacial bowl surrounded by snow-covered mountains, all of them over 7000m tall. We made the quick walk back over to the viewpoint where we watched as the sun continued to rise, bathing the tops of the peaks in glowing light. After taking one million photos (approximately) it was time to return to the guesthouse to have breakfast, pack up and hit the trail. As we left Base Camp the clouds started to move in, obscuring the mountains. Even though we didn’t want to, it was time to go. The sun was really out for the first time in days and the trail back down to Machapuchare Base Camp was gorgeous in the sunshine (especially since it had been shrouded in fog the day before). We retraced our steps down the path next to the Modi Khola in the jungle, recrossing some of the scary bridges from the previous day and marvelling at how much less water was flowing in the streams since it was no longer raining. That night we stayed in the dark and dense bamboo forests at the Bamboo guesthouse – quite a contrast to the wide open sunny landscapes of that morning.

Day Eight: Bamboo to Jihnu Danda Hot Springs

We knew what we were in for on this day since we had done most of the route before: ukalo and oralo (uphill and downhill) on stone steps. We followed the Modi Khola back downstream past our previous guesthouse at Sinuwa, down to cross the Chhomrong Khola on a loooong suspension bridge, then back up up up the 2000 stairs through the village of Chhomrong. We stopped in Chhomrong again for lunch and watched as a couple of donkey trains came through the village, bells jangling. After lunch we plunged back downhill again on one of the steepest trails yet, heading to the guesthouses at Jhinu Danda. We checked into our rooms (the first ones with ensuite bathrooms since Ghorepani way back on day two – what luxury!), dropped our packs and headed downhill even more to the banks of the Modi Khola where we found the Jhinu Danda hot springs. The high water levels of the river meant that some of the pools were full of river water and sand and therefore unusable, but the highest pool was still functioning. We soaked until it got dark and it was time for dinner. The warm muggy weather made the 30-minute uphill climb back to the guesthouse a little less pleasant as we got our freshly cleaned selves all sweaty again.

READ: What to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Day Nine: Jihnu Danda Hot Springs to Allure Hill

Our penultimate day on the trail was very hot and muggy. We headed down from Jhinu Danda, crossing several smaller bridges before arriving at New Bridge, the location of a guest house settlement called New Bridge as well as a long wooden decked suspension bridge that at some time must have been new but now definitely is not. It has a slippery wooden deck with some misaligned planks and the whole thing lists to the right. It was one of the more intimidating bridges we crossed on the whole trip (but apparently it is scheduled to be replaced soon). After crossing New Bridge we headed downstream following the river on the opposite bank. Now that we were back at a lower elevation with warmer weather and thick vegetation, the juka (leeches) were out in full force so we didn’t really enjoy the waterfalls, farms and lush vegetation the way we should have. The heat also became quite oppressive and as we started to climb out of the river valley into the hills, it became apparent that I had heat stroke and was quite ill. We stopped for lunch and a long rest at a guesthouse. After lunch, the weather started to cool down so I began to feel better but Chandra still had to carry some of my gear because I was still weak. We met up with a newer gravel jeep road that had obliterated the trail in most places. We followed the road for the rest of the day as the scorching hot morning turned into a damp and foggy late afternoon. Due to my illness, we hadn’t covered as much ground as planned so we stopped at a brand new guesthouse on Allure Hill that Chandra knew about rather than sticking to our original itinerary.

Day Ten: Allure Hill to Dhampus

The plan on our last day was to finish walking the new jeep road to the village of Pothana where we would pick up a series of trails that would take us down to the town of Dhampus and then down to Phedi, a town on the outskirts of the city of Pokhara where we could catch a bus back to our hotel in the city. Alas, it was not to be as that morning I developed a case of gastroenteritis, aka Delhi Belly, aka horrible stomach flu. It was probably due to being weak from the heat stroke the day before since no one else got sick and we all ate and drank the same things. I took a ton of anti-nausea meds, anti-diarrhea meds and antibiotics, handed my pack off to Chandra and set out to hike our last day on the trail. I don’t remember much about this day as I was just trying to keep it together. From what I do recall, we followed the jeep road for awhile into Pothana where we stopped for a break. At that point, we asked Chandra to call ahead to hire a 4×4 jeep to meet up in Dhampus where there was a rough road we could take as I didn’t want to walk more than I had to. We walked downhill on beautiful old stone paths to Dhampus where our jeep met us. Suddenly, before I was ready for it, our trek was over. Even though I was sick and just wanted to lay down and sleep (near a toilet!), I couldn’t believe we were headed to a hotel in the city, not to a guesthouse on a hillside with mountain views poking through the mist.

After our trek, I spent a day in bed in our Pokhara hotel recovering while the others went sightseeing. Then it was back to Kathmandu to see the sights.

Overall, trekking to Annapurna Base Camp was such a special experience, unlike any of the other backpacking trips I have been on. It wasn’t just the guesthouse aspect where we stayed indoors and had hot meals three times a day (although that was awesome) or the grand scale of the mountains, so much taller than the ones I am used to; it was the cultural experience of trekking from village to village where people actually live and farm the land, far from roads, hospitals, malls and everything we think is an essential part of life. (Although they do have cell phones and satellite TV – they think those are essential too!) Unlike backpacking in the wilderness of Canada where nature is the only focus, trekking to Annapurna Base Camp puts the focus on the people, the culture, and the rural landscape but then juxtaposes that with the sweeping views of impossibly high peaks and the densely forested jungle between the villages. It’s unique. It’s amazing. You should go.

Read Next:

• 6 Reasons You Should Hire a Trekking Guide in Nepal. (In case you haven’t noticed, I really enjoyed trekking with Chandra!)
• Find out what to bring and what to leave at home: What to Pack for the Annapurna Base Camp Trek
• Learn from our mistakes: Trekkers share what they wish they knew before going trekking in Nepal.

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