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| Gokyo Ri Trekking in Winter Season in Nepal |
I have completed 2 treks in Nepal during winter: 25 days in the Everest (Solu Khumbu) Region in January, 2014 and 22 days on the Annapurna Circuit in December-January 2014-15. Several posts by other forum members have verified that these treks are possible during winter and given valuable suggestions. I want to supplement these by providing some more suggestions for planning your trek.
Weather, Trails, and Gear
The winter is a great time to visit the Himalayas: there are very few trekkers, and the sky is often clear and blue. That said, the winter has it’s own challenges. It is very cold and only gets colder as one ascends to higher elevations and, depending on your familiarity with the cold, this can be a big challenge. Accuweather listed the high and low temperatures in Manang on December 13th, 2014 as 45 & 28 degrees fahrenheit. Later, on January 30th after crossing Thorong La pass and arriving in Muktinath, the sign outside the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) office said the high and low temperatures on Thorong La pass were about -20 and -30 degrees celsius.What I observed is that the cold troubled me less on my second trek, I think, because I knew better what to expect. Nonetheless, I didn’t wear gloves for a few hours between Yak Kharka and Thorong Pedi (on the Annapurna Circuit) and my right hand became uncomfortably cold and stiff; I had to soak it hot water 2 to 3 times a day for about 4 days until it started to feel 100% normal again.
So, it’s very important to have appropriately warm clothes including long-johns, fleece top and bottom, a heavy insulating jacket -- and excellent gloves! Many people also wear 2 pairs of socks to keep their feet warm. If you are unfamiliar with cold, mountain weather, don't underestimate how uncomfortable and dangerous it can be.
Also, with respect to rain and snow, you really cannot predict the weather ahead of time. And Accuweather doesn’t correctly post how much precipitation or snow fell on a given day in these high Himalayan areas. For example, for Manang on December 13th, 2014, Accuweather forecast 24 inches of snow, yet currently, the website says there was no snow there on that day (although I am certain it was snowing there).
Moreover, before my first trek, I read travel forum posts about winter trekking, and in retrospect, I think some of the authors just had very good luck, and no snow prevented them from crossing a high pass. But winter trekkers should expect some snow. This year, it began snowing on January 1st, 2015, two days after I crossed Thorong La pass. It continued to snow (and rain at lower elevations) for 3 days, and I know of at least one trekking group that turned back and didn’t attempt Thorong La pass because of the weather. Given that it may rain and snow and that you may have to hike in the rain and snow, you should definitely have gators and waterproof gloves as well as waterproof boots, jacket and pants. (I have traveled twice without gators, and I regretted that on my second trek.)
Additionally, you will never know the condition of a trail and whether it is “open” or “closed” until you arrive there and see for yourself. I have not found up-to-date information online about Himalayan trail conditions, and I think the closest you may get to knowing in advance is talking to someone who is on the trail or who has recently been on it. Before my recent trek, the owner of the trekking company that I used called a guide who had just crossed the Thorong La. Keep in mind that a winter storm can effectively close a trail that was open just a day before, so you have to remain flexible and be willing to change your plans, especially if you are planning to cross one of the high passes like Thorong La or Khongma La.
Also, keep in mind, that many locals will say “the pass is closed” without any evidence.
Lastly, bring hiking crampons (aka microspikes). These are simple spikes that fit over your boots and make hiking on ice and snow a lot safer and easier. They are not the same as crampons for mountaineering. Many people may say these microspikes are unnecessary, and it is true that most people will complete their trek without them. I am recommending them because in all honesty, ascending and descending a high pass like the Thorong La during winter is difficult and dangerous. One may think that all they need to do is reach the summit and then descending will be a breeze. In fact, I found descending from the Thorong La in ice and snow a lot harder than ascending, and I was very happy to be wearing hiking crampons (which I bought in Pokhara from about $14 USD).
Trekking Alone
I traveled with a guide and porter on both of my treks, and I met at least one very experienced solo trekker and a handful of inexperienced solo trekkers. I respect experienced solo trekkers for their independence. I also appreciate the freedom one gains when traveling alone. For example, one can stop in one place longer (2, 3, 4 days) and won’t have to pay a guide and/or porter for the long rest.For me, the question is how much risk one wants to take during their adventure. Put simply, being alone diminishes the possibility of getting help in an emergency. Moreover, there are many places where you do not want to be alone in the winter, like one of the high passes. Traveling with a companion(s) makes the entire endeavor safer.
Itinerary
It is a good idea to add about 4 days to your itinerary. During the winter, you may need an extra 2 days due to bad weather. When we encountered a storm from January 1st to 3rd, my guide and I chose to keep moving downhill from Muktinath to Kagbeni to Jomson and finally to Marpha. In retrospect, I think it would have been better to wait for those storms to pass rather than to continue to travel.Also, it is very likely that you’ll find places that you really like and having a little free time built into your itinerary will enable you to stay an extra night.
Restaurants and Guesthouses
During the winter months, the guesthouses are almost empty, and you’ll be able to choose where you want to stay. (Please note: this is true during the winter, but it is absolutely not true during the busy seasons of October-November and April-May.) Normally, guides take trekkers to guesthouses, but if you discuss this with the trekking company ahead of time, you’ll be able to choose the guesthouses yourself.I generally preferred newer guesthouses because they provided better insulation and are less drafty. I also try to find guesthouses that are clean, and if possible, in a sunny location. It is a bad sign, I think, if you arrive at a guesthouse and the entire winter staff is playing cards. If the toilet is also dirty, this probably isn’t a great place to stay.
Sometimes, your guide will know about an excellent place to stay and eat. This will save you time because you won’t have to check out the guesthouses. Yet, I found that - even when I clearly stated what I wanted - my guide might still take me to an ancient, drafty and dirty guesthouse and/or restaurant -- even when there was a perfectly clean and new place next door. Guides’ motives vary for choosing a place to stay and eat: they may want to visit friends at a hotel, get a free meal and alcohol, and/or it may be that they really know a great place for you to stay. I think it is best to make it clear that you are choosing the hotels/guesthouses, and ask the guides advice if you wish. Of course, if you are traveling in a large group with a fixed itinerary, you won’t be able to chose where you stay each night.
It is possible that the customs and flexibility to choose a place are different on the Annapurna Circuit and in the Everest Region. On the Annapurna Circuit, I felt completely free to look at places and choose the one I liked most. In the Everest Region, my guide said that he was expected to go to the same places, to ensure that he could get rooms in the slow season as well as the busy season. This rule is not written in stone, however, and I eventually just let him know that I was choosing the hotels. Moreover, I have heard that the locals in the Everest area don’t like foreigners going from hotel to hotel comparing and would even refuse to give rooms to foreigners who did that. Maybe other experienced trekkers can share their experiences on this. More recently, some Sherpa friends told me this wasn’t true.
Trekking Companies and Communication
If you plan to use a trekking agency, be very careful and choose a reputable company. This is true even if you only wish to hire a guide and/or porter. During my first trek, I observed that about half the foreign trekkers I met were unhappy with their guide and/or trekking agency. In the Lakeside area of Pokhara and Thamel area in Kathmandu, there are countless companies. Rather than just walking into an agency at random, I think it is much better to read online reviews and find a company that other trekkers like and trust.Also, if you choose to use a trekking company and travel with a guide, when communicating with them, know that they’re very likely to say “yes” even when they don’t understand what you’re asking or saying. In cases like this, you may end up disappointed or frustrated, so it is very important to communicate clearly and be certain the company and guide understand what you’re asking for and what they’re agreeing to.
Safety Equipment
At minimum, if you are planning any high passes in winter, you should carry hiking crampons as mentioned above. It is also important for guides and porters to have these although this is very rare. Recently, I spoke to a Sherpa friend who owns an old trekking company in Kathmandu about hiking crampons, and although he was unfamiliar with them, two of his nephews who are both mountain and trekking guides, use them. So, these hiking crampons may be gaining popularity among younger guides.There is a kind of informality in the Nepali trekking industry which sometimes borders on negligence, and it is important that greater safety standards are implemented in the future. I think it is worth asking trekking agencies if the porters and guides will have safety equipment like hiking crampons before booking with them. It is unlikely that the agency will provides these (porters frequently only have athletic shoes as opposed to proper winter boots), yet if enough people begin to demand safer conditions for guides and porters, the situation will change.
Also, most companies and most itineraries are geared for the high season of October and November. Trekking in winter is, as far as I can tell, completely different, and you want to know that the trekking company you use takes safety seriously as opposed to just talking about safety. I was surprised that the owner of the company that I used for the Annapurna Circuit sent an ice-ax along with the guide.
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