Explore

The journey

The most beautiful mountain in the Khumbu, and one of the world’s great technical expedition climbs. Three weeks on the southwest ridge: granite, ice and the famous hanging glacier that gives the mountain its name.

Know before you dream

• A full expedition, not a trekking peak: government expedition permit, established camps, weeks on the mountain.
• The southwest ridge is sustained technical climbing: rock to 5.7, steep ice, wildly exposed ridgeline between Camps 1 and 2.
• Prerequisites are firm: 6,000er summits, fixed-line fluency, real rock and ice technique at altitude.
• Camp 2 sits on a granite tower the size of a dinner table row; this mountain’s exposure is famous for a reason.
• Autumn is the classic season; the route becomes a small vertical village of teams sharing fixed lines.

Route

Highlights

• The Dablam itself, the hanging glacier under the summit ice
• Camp 2 on its granite perch, the most photographed campsite in the Himalaya
• The Yellow Tower, the ridge’s defining rock pitch
• Everest and Lhotse across the valley from the summit
• The mountain every Khumbu trekker photographs, climbed

Gear and preparation

Full expedition technical kit; the list is long and specific, covered in Know the Mountain and in conversation before anyone commits.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The warm-up and the masterpiece. Lobuche East’s fixed lines as an acclimatising rehearsal, then the full southwest-ridge expedition on the most beautiful mountain in the Khumbu.

Know before you dream

• Lobuche here is not a trophy; it is a shakedown: gear, systems, and altitude tested where the consequences are smaller.
• The Ama Dablam prerequisites do not soften because of the pairing: this is for climbers already fluent on fixed lines and steep ground.
• Four weeks on one itinerary; expedition patience is the fifth piece of gear.
• Autumn only: this pairing follows Ama Dablam’s classic season.
• Full expedition permit stack; insurance covering technical climbing to 7,000 m.

Route

Highlights

• Everest at eye level from Lobuche, then framed by the Dablam three weeks later
• Systems rehearsed low, executed high
• Camp 2’s granite perch with a rehearsed body
• Two summits with one arc of fitness
• The Khumbu’s complete climbing education in one line

Gear and preparation

Full expedition technical kit throughout; the Lobuche leg doubles as its live test. Detailed in conversation and Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The same logic, gentler rehearsal: Island Peak’s glacier and headwall to tune altitude and systems, then the southwest ridge of Ama Dablam.

Know before you dream

• Island’s headwall rehearses jumar work; Ama Dablam’s ridge demands it for days: the pairing is a staircase, not a repetition.
• Prerequisites remain firm: this suits climbers whose technique is proven and whose altitude base needs waking, not building.
• Expedition rhythm rules the second half: rotations, waiting, the summit when the mountain says so.
• Autumn season, shared fixed lines, a small vertical community on the ridge.
• Expedition permits and technical insurance throughout.

Route

Highlights

• The headwall at dawn as rehearsal, the Yellow Tower as the exam
• Imja valley first, Mingbo valley after
• An acclimatisation curve spent on the Khumbu’s finest line
• Camp 1 nights with the route above catching last light
• Two ridges, one season, one story

Gear and preparation

Full expedition technical kit; Island doubles as shakedown. Detailed in conversation and Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The complete collection. The Hinku’s high glacier summit, a crossing of the Amphu Laptsa, then the Khumbu’s two classic peaks and Base Camp: a month that compresses years of progression.

Know before you dream

• This is a mountaineering programme, not a holiday: four weeks, three summits, one 5,845 m technical pass between valleys.
• The Amphu Laptsa crossing is expedition terrain: abseils, load management, no teahouse for days.
• Weather will take something from the plan somewhere; the itinerary holds slack and the leaders hold judgement.
• Entry requires prior altitude experience; this is a poor place to discover your limits for the first time.
• The full permit stack across two valleys; insurance vetted line by line.

Route

Highlights

• Mera’s five-8,000er panorama as the opening act
• The Amphu Laptsa, a wild pass few trekkers ever see
• Island and Lobuche with a month’s acclimatisation behind them
• The Hinku’s emptiness and the Khumbu’s grandeur in one line
• The most complete journey we run below 7,000 m

Gear and preparation

Full expedition kit; the pass adds abseil loads and glacier camping. Serious list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The full Khumbu apprenticeship. Base Camp, then Lobuche East, then Island Peak: one acclimatisation curve spent on two different kinds of climbing.

Know before you dream

• The order is deliberate: Lobuche’s sustained lines first, Island’s headwall second, each summit making the next more likely.
• Three weeks at altitude asks for genuine endurance; recovery days are built in and respected.
• Two summits double the weather exposure; flexibility is part of the plan, and one summit is a success.
• This is the strongest preparation this valley offers for 7,000 m ambitions.
• Full permit stack; insurance covering repeated climbs to 6,500 m.

Route

Highlights

• Two summit dawns in one journey
• Everest from Kala Patthar, then twice from above
• The skills compounding: what Lobuche teaches, Island confirms
• Three weeks of Khumbu light
• Coming home a different climber than you left

Gear and preparation

The complete Khumbu climbing kit, used hard. Full guidance in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Base Camp first, then the quiet mountain above it. The EBC pilgrimage builds the base; Lobuche East’s fixed lines spend it, with Everest at eye level from the summit.

Know before you dream

• Lobuche’s climbing is more sustained than Island’s; the combination suits second-summit climbers or well-prepared, well-trained first-timers.
• High camp sits barely off the EBC trail; the transition from trek to climb happens in an afternoon.
• Summit day is 10 to 12 hours; the EBC legs in your body are the entry fee, the reserve is the skill.
• Descent discipline decides how this trip is remembered.
• Permit stack as with all Khumbu climbs.

Route

Highlights

• Kala Patthar sunrise, then a real summit three days later
• Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse from a ridge you earned
• Slab climbing above the glacier you walked beside
• The crowds of the trail, then a base camp of one team
• Two Khumbus in one journey: the famous and the quiet

Gear and preparation

EBC kit plus the full Lobuche climbing set. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The connoisseur’s Khumbu summit. Steeper and quieter than Island Peak, rising directly above the EBC trail with a summit-day view that puts Everest at eye level across the valley.

Know before you dream

• The most sustained climbing of the classic trekking peaks: long fixed-line sections on snow and rock slabs up to 45 degrees.
• Prior crampon time helps here; as a first summit it is a serious choice.
• The route shares the EBC trail’s acclimatisation, then leaves the crowds entirely at base camp.
• Summit day runs 10 to 12 hours; the descent on tired legs is where discipline shows.
• Association permit via agency; insurance to 6,500 m including climbing.

Route

Highlights

• Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse straight across the valley from the summit
• The high camp perched at 5,400 m above the Khumbu glacier
• Slab climbing on fixed lines as the sun rises
• A summit most EBC trekkers walk beneath without knowing
• The quietest of the famous Khumbu peaks

Gear and preparation

As Island Peak: double boots, full harness kit, jumar, abseil device. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The classic combination. Walk to Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar first, then spend that hard-won acclimatisation on the Khumbu’s most famous first summit.

Know before you dream

• The logic is acclimatisation economics: the EBC trail builds the altitude base that summit day spends.
• Everything in the Island Peak entry applies: real climbing, fixed-line headwall, trained skills.
• The combined itinerary is long; freshness on summit day is managed, not assumed.
• One trip, two graduations: trekker at Base Camp, mountaineer on the ridge.
• Permits stack: national park and municipality for the trek, association climbing permit for the peak.

Route

Highlights

• Base Camp and Kala Patthar as the warm-up
• Summit morning on the headwall with the fitness of two weeks at altitude
• Lhotse’s south face from the ridge
• The Imja valley, from trekking it to climbing above it
• The full arc of a Khumbu apprenticeship in one journey

Gear and preparation

EBC trekking kit plus the full Island Peak climbing set. Combined list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Imja Tse, the Khumbu’s classic first summit: an EBC-route acclimatisation, a night at a glacier base camp, then crevasse ladders and a steep fixed-line headwall to a ridge above the Imja valley.

Know before you dream

• The “trekking peak” label is a permit category, not a difficulty rating. Summit day is genuine climbing: glacier travel, ladder crossings, 300 m of fixed line at up to 45 degrees.
• Jumar and abseil technique are required, not optional; we train them at base camp before anyone touches the headwall.
• Acclimatisation rides the EBC trail first; the mountain punishes shortcuts.
• The final ridge is narrow and spectacular; a head for exposure helps.
• Permit through the mountaineering association via the agency; insurance to 6,500 m including climbing.

Route

Highlights

• The headwall at dawn, a line of headlamps on the rope
• Lhotse’s south face filling the sky above the summit ridge
• Ladder crossings over blue crevasse light
• Imja Tsho glacial lake from above
• The Khumbu’s proudest achievable summit

Gear and preparation

Double boots, crampons, harness, ice axe, jumar and abseil device over cold-weather layers. Full list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Nepal’s highest trekking peak, and the honest first 6,000er. A wild approach through the roadless Hinku valley, then a long glacier walk to a summit with five 8,000 m peaks on the horizon.

Know before you dream

• This is a climb, not a trek: crampons, ice axe, rope work on summit day. The skills are learnable at base camp; the altitude is not negotiable.
• Technically the gentlest of the big trekking peaks, but the highest: 6,476 m demands respect and real acclimatisation.
• The Hinku approach crosses the Zatrwa La at 4,600 m in the first days; the route acclimatises you by design.
• Summit day starts around 2 am: 8 to 10 hours on glacier, one steeper rope-length below the summit.
• Climbing permit through the national mountaineering association, arranged by the operating agency; insurance must cover climbing to 6,500 m.

Route

Highlights

• Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Kangchenjunga from one summit
• The Hinku valley, days of forest and yak pasture without a road
• High camp at 5,800 m, sunset over an ocean of peaks
• Your first steps on a rope team, done properly
• A summit that converts trekkers into mountaineers

Gear and preparation

Full climbing kit over expedition trekking layers: double boots, crampons, harness, ice axe, jumar. Skills and kit guidance in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Altitude first, technique second. Mera’s high glacier summit out of the wild Hinku, over the Amphu Laptsa, then Island Peak’s headwall with three weeks of acclimatisation in your blood.

Know before you dream

• The classic pairing because the order teaches: Mera gives altitude on gentle ground, Island gives steepness with altitude already banked.
• The Amphu Laptsa between them is the journey’s technical heart: abseils and glacier camps at 5,800 m.
• Three weeks door to door; endurance and patience are the real prerequisites.
• Island’s summit-day success rate on this itinerary is the highest we see, and the reason is the route order.
• Two-valley permit stack; climbing insurance throughout.

Route

Highlights

• Mera’s summit horizon: Everest to Kangchenjunga in one sweep
• Crossing the Amphu Laptsa, the pass that makes it an expedition
• The headwall at dawn with a body already forged
• The Hinku’s roadless days
• Two summits, one story

Gear and preparation

Full climbing kit plus glacier-camping additions for the pass. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The beautiful problem. One of the Khumbu’s most striking mountains and one of its most genuinely technical permitted climbs: sustained ice and mixed ground where trekking peaks end and alpinism begins.

Know before you dream

• This is not a first summit and not a second. Cholatse asks for real alpine experience: sustained front-point ice, mixed rock sections, long exposure.
• The southwest ridge runs steep camps and technical ground for days, not hours.
• Small teams and honest self-assessment define who belongs here; we will say no, and mean it kindly.
• Weather windows shape everything; summit patience is part of the skill set.
• Expedition-class logistics: association permit, base camp infrastructure, insurance to 6,500 m with technical climbing cover.

Route

Highlights

• The north face profile that stops every trekker on the Cho La
• Ice pitches at 5,800 m with the whole Khumbu below
• A summit measured in hundreds per decade, not per season
• Taboche and Cholatse’s ridgeline against the sunset
• Climbing that earns the word

Gear and preparation

Full technical alpine kit: two tools, technical crampons, alpine rack familiarity. Serious list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The Annapurna Circuit’s hidden summit. A detour from Manang into a high glacier basin, a snow ridge to 6,419 m, and the entire Annapurna range as the reward, before rejoining the circuit over the Thorong La.

Know before you dream

• The only major climb in our list that lives inside a classic trek: circuit acclimatisation, then the mountain.
• Technically moderate by 6,000er standards: glacier travel and a sustained snow ridge, fixed lines where the season demands.
• Camps above 5,300 m for several nights; cold management is a core skill here.
• Quieter than any Khumbu peak; some seasons the mountain is yours alone.
• ACAP plus association climbing permit; licensed guide and climbing insurance required.

Route

Highlights

• The Annapurna wall, Dhaulagiri and Manaslu from the summit
• A base camp valley the circuit crowds never see
• Snow-ridge climbing with the Manang desert below
• Finishing over the Thorong La like the circuit intends
• The Annapurna region’s most attainable real summit

Gear and preparation

Full climbing kit: double boots, crampons, harness, axe, plus deep-cold camping layers. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The wild one. Up the roadless Rolwaling valley beneath Gauri Shankar, over the glaciated Tashi Lapcha pass, and up Pharchamo’s snow pyramid, exiting into the Khumbu like climbers used to arrive.

Know before you dream

• Rolwaling is Nepal before the lodges: sparse villages, camping nights, genuine remoteness. Rescue here is measured in days.
• The Tashi Lapcha at 5,755 m is expedition ground in its own right: crevassed glacier, rockfall awareness, cold camps.
• Pharchamo rises straight from the pass: a sustained snow slope where the pass’s altitude becomes the summit’s springboard.
• This route asks for self-sufficiency of team and mind; the valley gives silence back.
• Restricted-area logistics for Rolwaling plus climbing permit; experienced guides mandatory in every sense.

Route

Highlights

• Gauri Shankar’s double summit over the valley for days
• Tsho Rolpa, the vast glacial lake beneath the pass
• The Tashi Lapcha itself, a door between two worlds
• Pharchamo’s clean snow pyramid from the col
• Descending into Thame as expeditions did for decades

Gear and preparation

Full expedition kit with glacier-camping depth; this route carries its own weight. Serious list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The gentle giant-viewer. A non-technical snow summit above the Kali Gandaki with one of the greatest viewpoints in Nepal: thirty named peaks, Dhaulagiri’s mass filling half the sky.

Know before you dream

• The most attainable summit in our list: glacier walking and a snow slope, crampons and rope more for safety than difficulty.
• Demanding rather than Severe, and the exception among our 6,000ers: a first summit in the honest sense.
• Altitude still rules: 6,012 m is earned through the approach’s acclimatisation, not talent.
• The Kali Gandaki approach threads the world’s deepest gorge; the journey outshines many harder climbs.
• ACAP plus climbing permit; licensed guide and climbing-rated insurance.

Route

Highlights

• Dhaulagiri at arm’s length, all 8,167 m of it
• Thirty summits named from one snow dome
• The Kali Gandaki gorge as the walk-in
• Yak pastures and Thakali villages of the approach
• A 6,000er summit that welcomes rather than tests

Gear and preparation

Entry climbing kit: boots, crampons, axe, harness for the rope. The full list in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The classic walk to the foot of the world’s highest mountain, up the Dudh Koshi valley through Sherpa villages, monasteries, and glacial moraine. No ropes, no technical ground: honest fitness and respect for altitude are the entry requirements.

Know before you dream

• Two acclimatisation days are non-negotiable. The route walks high and sleeps low.
• Nights above Lobuche reach −15 °C in season; days below Namche are often T-shirt warm.
• Train 8–12 weeks. The bar: consecutive 6-hour walking days with a light pack.
• No TIMS card here. The Khumbu uses its own municipality permit alongside the national park permit.
• Insurance with helicopter-evacuation cover is mandatory for this region.

Route

Highlights

• Sunrise from Kala Patthar with Everest, Nuptse and the Icefall in one frame
• Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital built into a mountainside amphitheatre
• An evening puja at Tengboche Monastery beneath Ama Dablam
• The memorial chortens at Thukla Pass, the trail’s quietest moment
• First sight of Everest from the ridge above Namche

Gear and preparation

A layered cold-weather system rated to −15 °C, broken-in boots, a 30–40L daypack, a sleeping bag with −10 °C comfort rating, trekking poles, and water treatment. Full gear guidance and altitude know-how live in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The complete Khumbu. One long horseshoe over the region’s three great passes, Kongma La, Cho La and Renjo La, linking Base Camp, the Gokyo lakes and valleys most EBC trekkers never see.

Know before you dream

• Three passes above 5,300 m in one route; this is the Khumbu’s toughest standard trek.
• Fitness for EBC is the entry point, not the finish line. Expect longer days and rougher ground.
• The Cho La crossing involves a small glacier section; microspikes earn their weight.
• Route runs clockwise or anticlockwise; clockwise (Kongma La first) acclimatises harder but earlier.
• Same permits as EBC: national park plus municipality, no TIMS.

Route

Highlights

• Sunrise on Gokyo Ri over the Ngozumpa glacier, Nepal’s longest
• Kongma La, the highest and quietest of the three
• Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu in a single Renjo La frame
• Base Camp and Kala Patthar, earned the long way
• The turquoise Gokyo lakes at 4,700 m

Gear and preparation

EBC list plus microspikes, gaiters and a sleeping bag rated to −15 °C comfort. Full guidance in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The Khumbu’s quieter masterpiece. Up the valley west of Everest to a chain of turquoise glacial lakes and a summit viewpoint many rate above Kala Patthar.

Know before you dream

• Quieter trails than the EBC route once past Namche; teahouses thinner on the ground.
• Gokyo Ri at dawn is a hard 2-hour climb; the reward is four 8,000 m peaks in one view.
• The lakes sit between 4,700 and 5,000 m; acclimatisation days are built in, not optional.
• Winter visits are possible but the lakes freeze and lodges thin out.
• Permits as for all Khumbu treks: national park plus municipality.

Route

Highlights

• The third lake at Gokyo village, impossibly turquoise
• Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu from Gokyo Ri
• Walking beside the Ngozumpa glacier’s grey moraine sea
• Machhermo’s quiet stone-walled yak pastures
• A valley that still feels like the Khumbu of thirty years ago

Gear and preparation

Standard cold-season Khumbu kit; the EBC list covers it. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Nepal’s great crossing. From subtropical river valleys through Manang’s high desert to the prayer flags of Thorong La, then down into the ancient pilgrimage country of Mustang.

Know before you dream

• The route crosses from lush gorge to Tibetan-plateau landscape in a week; pack for every climate.
• Thorong La day starts around 4 am and climbs 900 m; it is the trek’s single serious test.
• Acclimatisation day in Manang (3,540 m) is non-negotiable.
• One permit is checked on the ground: the ACAP. Ignore outdated TIMS advice.
• Nepal requires a licensed guide for foreign trekkers in this region.

Route

Highlights

• Thorong La at 5,416 m, prayer flags against a huge sky
• The Manang valley, high desert beneath Annapurna III
• Muktinath, sacred to Hindus and Buddhists both
• Apple orchards and stone villages of lower Mustang
• Annapurna II catching first light from Upper Pisang

Gear and preparation

Four-season layering in one pack: warm-weather kit low, full cold-weather system for the pass. Guidance in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

A walk into an amphitheatre. Stone staircases through rhododendron forest and Gurung villages, ending inside a ring of 7,000 and 8,000 m walls.

Know before you dream

• Lower maximum altitude than the big treks, but the stone-step climbs are relentless; knees notice.
• The Sanctuary sits in avalanche country; season and recent snowfall shape the final approach.
• Spring paints the middle hills red with rhododendron.
• ACAP permit, checked at multiple points; licensed guide required.
• Cold at Base Camp surprises people: nights below −5 °C even in season.

Route

Highlights

• Dawn inside the Sanctuary, ringed by Annapurna I and Machhapuchhre
• The fishtail summit of Machhapuchhre, never climbed and never permitted
• Chhomrong’s endless stone staircase, the trek’s honest toll
• Gurung hospitality in Ghandruk
• Hot springs at Jhinu Danda on the walk out

Gear and preparation

Three-season kit with one genuine cold-weather layer for Sanctuary nights. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The short, sharp ridge walk. A forest trail out of Pokhara climbing a single spur to eye-level views of Machhapuchhre, all in under a week.

Know before you dream

• The whole route rides one ridgeline; weather moves fast and views come and go in minutes.
• Short does not mean soft: High Camp days climb steeply on rough trail.
• Lodges are simpler and smaller than the classic routes; book-ahead thinking applies in peak weeks.
• ACAP permit; licensed guide required.
• Ideal acclimatisation before a bigger objective, or a complete trek in its own right.

Route

Highlights

• Machhapuchhre close enough to read the snow flutings
• Sunrise from the upper viewpoint over the whole Annapurna wall
• Cloud-forest trail hung with moss and rhododendron
• Pokhara to trailhead in an hour; no internal flights
• The Himalaya’s best effort-to-view ratio

Gear and preparation

Light three-season kit with one warm layer for viewpoint dawns. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

A walk into a former kingdom. Behind the Annapurna–Dhaulagiri wall lies a high desert of cave monasteries, wind-carved cliffs and the walled city of Lo Manthang, closed to outsiders until 1992.

Know before you dream

• This is a restricted region. The permit is issued per day inside the zone and only through a registered agency, with a licensed guide.
• The rules changed in 2026: solo travellers can now obtain the permit, and pricing follows your actual days inside.
• Mustang sits in the rain shadow, so the monsoon months work here when the rest of Nepal is soaked.
• Altitude stays moderate but the wind is a daily character; afternoons blow hard and cold.
• Culture is the point: monasteries, festivals and villages ask for slower walking and open eyes.

Route

Highlights

• First sight of Lo Manthang’s whitewashed wall across the desert
• Cave monasteries painted eight centuries ago
• The Kali Gandaki gorge, deepest on Earth by some counts
• Tiji Festival in spring, three days of masked ritual
• A landscape closer to Tibet than to the Nepal of postcards

Gear and preparation

Three-season kit with serious wind protection and sun defence; this is desert trekking at altitude. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The connoisseur’s circuit. Around the world’s eighth-highest mountain through a valley that opened to outsiders only in 1991, ending over the snows of the Larkya La.

Know before you dream

• Restricted region: permit through a registered agency, licensed guide mandatory, priced per week inside the zone.
• The Larkya La day starts around 4 am and can carry snow and fixed-line sections late season.
• Villages here are culturally Tibetan; the trail doubles as a pilgrimage route.
• Teahouses are simpler than Annapurna’s; expect basic and honest.
• Three permits stack here: the restricted-area permit plus both conservation areas the route crosses.

Route

Highlights

• Manaslu’s double summit from Lho at first light
• The Larkya La at 5,106 m, the circuit’s earned crown
• Mani walls and monasteries of the Nubri valley
• Birendra glacial lake below Samagaon
• A circuit with a fraction of Annapurna’s foot traffic

Gear and preparation

Full cold-weather system for the pass; microspikes late season. Guidance in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Up the Budhi Gandaki to Samagaon, then the steep pull to the base camp of the eighth-highest mountain, with the Nubri valley’s monasteries as the slow reward on the way.

Know before you dream

• Same restricted-region rules as the circuit: agency permit, licensed guide, per-week pricing.
• Base Camp day climbs over 1,200 m from Samagaon and returns the same way; it is the trek’s whole test in one morning.
• The route shares the circuit’s approach without crossing the Larkya La, so it suits tighter timelines.
• Expect basic teahouses and genuine remoteness; rescue here is slower than the famous valleys.
• Autumn brings expedition season; Base Camp becomes a working village of tents.

Route

Highlights

• Manaslu filling the sky above Birendra lake
• Pungyen Gompa, a monastery under the mountain’s east face
• Expedition base camp in season, prayer flags over glacier ice
• The Budhi Gandaki gorge, days of river-cut drama
• Sama Gaun’s stone lanes and yak trains

Gear and preparation

Cold-weather kit for the Base Camp push; the rest is standard three-season. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The valley of glaciers, one long day’s drive from Kathmandu. Through forest and yak pasture to Kyanjin Gompa, ringed by 7,000 m ice, in the region that rebuilt itself after 2015.

Know before you dream

• Closest major trek to Kathmandu: no internal flights, one rough scenic drive.
• The 2015 earthquake destroyed Langtang village; walking here supports a community that rebuilt from nothing.
• Kyanjin Ri and Tserko Ri are optional dawn climbs; the valley walk itself stays gentler.
• National park permit required; licensed guide required.
• Cheese from the Kyanjin dairy is a genuine trail institution.

Route

Highlights

• Langtang Lirung’s icefall hanging over the valley
• Sunrise from Kyanjin Ri, glaciers on three sides
• The rebuilt Langtang village and its memorial
• Forest trails alive with langur monkeys
• Kyanjin Gompa’s dairy, cheese at 3,870 m

Gear and preparation

Standard three-season kit with one warm layer for the optional dawn climbs. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The Markha valley crossing in India’s high-altitude desert: Buddhist villages, canyon trails and a finale over the Kongmaru La with Kang Yatse filling the horizon.

Know before you dream

• Ladakh runs on the opposite calendar: June to September, when the monsoon drowns Nepal, is the season here.
• Leh sits at 3,500 m; two acclimatisation days there before walking are part of the plan, not a luxury.
• Nights in village homestays replace teahouses; simpler, warmer, more personal.
• River crossings punctuate the route in early summer; sandals earn a place in the pack.
• Indian visa required; the trek itself crosses a national park with its own fees.

Route

Highlights

• Kongmaru La at 5,260 m, prayer flags over a desert of peaks
• Kang Yatse’s 6,400 m pyramid shadowing the upper valley
• Homestay evenings in Markha and Hankar
• Ancient forts and gompas rising from canyon walls
• The moonscape light Ladakh is famous for

Gear and preparation

Three-season kit with strong sun protection and cold-morning layers; desert nights bite. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The Alps’ great circle. Around the Mont Blanc massif through three countries, sleeping in mountain huts and valley villages, with the white summit turning above you the whole way round.

Know before you dream

• Altitude is modest; distance is not. Expect 10 to 15 km days with honest climbs, day after day.
• Huts book out months ahead in July and August; committing early is the whole game.
• No permits, no guides required by law; navigation is straightforward on Europe’s best-marked trail.
• Weather swings alpine-fast: snow on the cols is possible any month.
• Hut etiquette is its own culture: sheet liners, early lights-out, communal dinners.

Route

Highlights

• Crossing the Grand Col Ferret from Italy into Switzerland
• The Aiguilles above Chamonix at last light
• Refuge nights, dormitories full of a dozen languages
• Courmayeur’s Italian side, all granite and prosciutto
• The massif itself, never out of sight for a week

Gear and preparation

Light and fast: three-season layers, real rain shells, broken-in boots. No sleeping bag needed, huts provide blankets. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Chamonix to Zermatt the walker’s way: a high traverse under the Alps’ greatest collection of 4,000 m peaks, from Mont Blanc’s shadow to the Matterhorn’s doorstep.

Know before you dream

• Harder than the TMB: higher cols, rougher ground, longer days between comforts.
• The season is short; before July snow blocks the passes, after mid-September huts close.
• Some stages carry ladders and fixed chains; a head for exposure helps.
• Route flexes daily with weather; good judgement matters more than pace here.
• Swiss hut prices sting; budget honestly.

Route

Highlights

• First full sight of the Matterhorn on the walk into Zermatt
• The Grand Combin filling the sky for three days
• Cabane de Prafleuri and the wild country around it
• Turquoise reservoirs and glacier snouts of the Val de Bagnes
• Europaweg’s balcony finish, a corridor of ice giants

Gear and preparation

TMB kit plus warmer layers and gloves for the high cols; poles near-essential on the moraine. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

Patagonia’s W: three valleys stitched along the Paine massif’s southern face, granite towers at one end, the blue chaos of Grey Glacier at the other.

Know before you dream

• The seasons flip: October to April is the window, southern summer at its wildest.
• Altitude is trivial; wind is the mountain here. Gusts past 100 km/h are normal, not news.
• Every campsite and refugio requires advance reservation; the park turns away walkers without them.
• Weather delivers four seasons daily; the towers hide and reveal on their own schedule.
• The full O Circuit extends the W into an 8-day loop for those with the days.

Route

Highlights

• The three towers firing red at dawn from Base Torres
• Grey Glacier calving into its iceberg-strewn lake
• The Valle Francés amphitheatre in full roar
• Guanacos and condors against impossible skies
• Patagonian light, worth the airfare alone

Gear and preparation

Bombproof wind and rain shells over three-season layers; sun protection for the ozone-thin south. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The Andes’ hardest classic. A full circle of a compact, savage range: eight passes above 4,600 m, turquoise lakes under 6,000 m faces, and the mountains of Touching the Void.

Know before you dream

• This is a camping expedition, not a teahouse trek; nights under canvas at 4,000 m plus for over a week.
• Eight high passes in eleven days; there are no easy days, only shorter hard ones.
• Communities along the route charge local fees per section; cash and patience both required.
• Remoteness is real: the nearest road is often days away, and rescue is slow.
• The dry season is austral winter: brilliant days, nights well below freezing.

Route

Highlights

• Siula Grande’s west face, the wall from Touching the Void
• The lake terrace at Carhuacocha, three giants mirrored at dawn
• Punta Cuyoc, the circuit’s 5,000 m high point
• Hot springs at Viconga, absurd and glorious mid-circuit
• A range you circle entirely in eleven days

Gear and preparation

Full expedition camping kit: four-season bag, insulated mat, down layers, altitude-ready everything. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions

The journey

The roof of Africa on foot. Through five climate zones from rainforest to arctic summit ice, ending in the dark hours on the crater rim as the sun rises over the continent.

Know before you dream

• No technical climbing, but 5,895 m is serious altitude on a fast schedule; summit night is the hardest walking most people ever do.
• Park rules require a licensed operator with registered guides and crew; independent climbing is prohibited.
• Route choice shapes success: longer itineraries acclimatise better and summit more often.
• Summit night starts near midnight: 6 to 8 hours up in deep cold, then a very long descent.
• Respect for the crew culture matters; porters carry this mountain’s economy.

Route

Highlights

• Sunrise from Uhuru Peak, the ice fields glowing pink
• Walking from rainforest to glacier in five days
• The Barranco Wall, a scramble that looks worse than it is
• Camps above the cloud sea, Mount Meru floating on it
• Standing on the highest freestanding mountain on Earth

Gear and preparation

Full cold-weather summit kit over trekking layers: expedition gloves, insulated boots, headlamp with spare batteries. Details in Know the Mountain.

Kit lists and altitude guidance in Know the Mountain →

Questions