You don't need mountaineering experience, but you do need a solid base of fitness. If you can comfortably hike five to six hours over hilly terrain on consecutive days, you're in good shape for treks like Everest Base Camp or Annapurna Circuit. We grade every itinerary as easy, moderate, or challenging on its trip page.

Late September to November and March to May are the classic windows, with clear skies and stable weather. Winter treks at lower altitude are possible for experienced cold-weather hikers, and the monsoon months (June to August) are quieter but best suited to the rain-shadow regions like Upper Mustang.

Every itinerary above 3,000m is built around gradual ascent and dedicated acclimatisation days. Our guides check in daily and carry a pulse oximeter, and we brief every group on recognising early symptoms of altitude sickness before departure. If symptoms don't improve, descent is never negotiable.

On teahouse treks you'll stay in family-run lodges with a bed, blankets, and a shared dining hall serving Nepali and traveller-friendly food. On camping treks in remoter areas, our crew pitches tents and cooks all meals. Either way, hot food and a warm drink are waiting at the end of each day.

Most routes require a TIMS card and a national park or conservation area permit (ACAP, Sagarmatha, or similar depending on the region). We handle all paperwork for you — just send scanned copies of your passport and passport photos ahead of arrival.

Yes, it's mandatory on all our treks. Your policy must cover high-altitude trekking up to the maximum elevation of your route and include emergency helicopter evacuation. We'll ask for your policy details before departure.

Every guide is trained in wilderness first aid and carries a full medical kit and satellite communication device. If a trekker needs to descend or be evacuated, we coordinate directly with rescue helicopter operators in Kathmandu — this is where insurance coverage matters most.

Layering is everything: a moisture-wicking base layer, insulating mid-layer, and a windproof-waterproof outer shell. Add sturdy broken-in boots, a warm sleeping bag rated to at least -15°C, trekking poles, a headlamp, and good sunglasses for the glare above the treeline. We send every booked trekker a full packing list.

Absolutely — down jackets, sleeping bags, and trekking poles are all easy to rent in Thamel for a few dollars a day, and we're happy to point you to reliable shops when you arrive.

On teahouse treks with porter support, we limit personal duffel bags to 12kg per trekker, carried between two people. Anything beyond that can usually be stored securely at your Kathmandu hotel for the duration of the trek.

All our lead guides are government-licensed, many with backgrounds in the Nepali Army or Gurkha regiments, and years of experience on the routes we run. English-speaking, wilderness first-aid certified, and genuinely good company on a long day's walk.

Yes — this matters to us personally. We follow International Porter Protection Group guidelines on maximum carry weight, provide proper clothing and footwear for porters at altitude, and insure our entire crew, not just trekkers.

Tipping is customary and genuinely appreciated, though never obligatory. As a rough guide, groups often pool USD 10-15 per trekker per day for guides and USD 6-8 per day for porters, given as a group total on the last day of trek.