Great Himalaya Trail: Nanga Parbat – Kanchenjunga 2025

Michal Tlelka & Sofia Bočeva

When the universe brings together those whose hearts yearn for adventure, miracles happen. And that was certainly the case for us. We discovered the Great Himalaya Trail (GHT) through the Nepalese Himalayas thanks to amazing Czech girl Pavlína Adam, who managed to complete it as part of a female duo alongside Sarah from the US in 2022. Our vision was to follow the GHT for almost 3,600 km, to link two of the most famous peaks of the Himalayas, over 8,000 meters. The plan was to trek from Nanga Parbat Basecamp (BC) in Pakistan to Kanchenjunga BC in eastern Nepal. We were slightly excited by the thought that we might be the first to complete the trek in a single go under modern conditions with light backpacks and without support. However, over such a long timeframe, it’s difficult to plan anything more than three months in advance. Without much preparation and with open hearts, we set off on the journey of a lifetime in late spring 2025.

Initial Tensions

Despite the escalating tensions in Kashmir, I found myself in Skardu in mid-May 2025. Sofia hadn’t joined me yet, as she was finishing her semester. So, I set off trekking alone from Raikot bridge through Fairy Meadow to the first milestone – western BC of Nanga Parbat. It was quite difficult to convince everyone that I didn’t want to go by car but on foot. Along the way, I asked several people whether it would be possible to cross Mazeno Pass to the other side of the mountain. However, everyone told me no: “There’s too much snow up there.” And so, my new starting point was the Eastern BC of Nanga Parbat, from where I hoped to get as close as possible to the Indian border.

The route took me through the wild Deosai National Park (NP), where the lingering effects of winter were still very much in evidence. Several days of wading through snow without water or food really put my determination to across the world’s highest mountain range to the test. It was here where I experienced freedom at its most beautiful, as I walked one morning in the fresh spoors of a snow leopard. My original plan to cross illegally into India was decisively thwarted by heavily armed Pakistani soldiers, smiling from ear to ear. I had no choice but to continue across the entire national park, heading for the town of Knaplu.

After three weeks of walking, I reached the Indian border, called the line of control. Neither kind words nor small bribes helped. I couldn’t go any further illegally, so, though very reluctantly, I had to fly to India. From above, at least I could take in the route I’d travelled once more and reminisce about everyone whose path I’ve crossed. A few days later, I’m on the other side of the border in the village of Lalung, where Sofia and I are setting off on the next phase of our Himalayan journey.

Across India

We met in New Delhi, from where we flew to Ladakh and then hitchhiked for just under two days to the Pakistani border. The arid mountains were all around us, even appearing in rainbow colors. An ever-present sense of religious peace… it’s hard for the average Westerner to grasp just how much kindness there is in us humans. For Sofia, it was a real challenge; this was her first long-distance trek. Despite dozens of river crossings, digestive problems from spicy and poor-quality instant food, and altitude-induced insomnia, we managed to cross Hemis NP, with eight passes over 5,000 metres, and made new friends who immediately lifted our spirits with their smiles.

The challenging glacial crossing over Parang La put us to the test, and, in the solitude of the rocky mountains, we were delighted to have crossed into the neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh. There, our diet improved – there was even possible to buy a beer! The density of villages continued to increase. We were experiencing the beautiful Pin Bhaba Pass alongside passing expeditions, which was changing the atmosphere. Another reason to smile more: endless greenery.

We wanted to stick to the GHT theory and take the highest possible route, but the border guards on the Tibetan border wouldn’t let us through to the next 5,000-metre pass under any circumstances. So, we were opting for the lower route via the Rupin Pass, just as the monsoon season started to begin. We were thinking of the border guards – they had probably saved our lives; it was already exhausting with the river’s rapidly rising water level. At that time, the weather unleashed a deadly cloudburst in the village of Dharali, just a few kilometres from us. We made our way through the jungle to Uttarakhand, where we’d made the acquaintance of our new ‘friends’ – leeches. We were going completely mad. There were also incredibly strong women who were carrying over 50 kg of grass on their backs every day to feed the cattle.

The mountains are getting lower and walk under Nanda Devi NP so as not to put our lives at risk from uncontrollable landslides or swollen riverbanks. In one village, Tharali, we were even caught in such a violent storm that two people went missing afterwards. Our trek through the Indian Himalayas ended on a tragicomic note as we once again tried to reach the highest and safest crossing into Nepal, but the border guards here won’t let foreigners through. And so, instead of walking 80 meters across the bridge, we took a detour by car for almost five days to the opposite side of the river. India bid us farewell in grand style, and we spent the last night at a local influencer’s house!

The Nepal Himalaya

We took the West Indian Himalayas as a warm-up for Nepal. We had over 1,600 km under our belts—though Sofia had 330 km less. The new start of the journey was once again eventful. On the day we crossed the border, Nepal was hit by nationwide protests and unrest. It slowed us down a bit because of burning tires on the roads, but otherwise we weren’t in any danger. We were passing below Api NP (the monsoon season is still in full swing) and joining today’s GHT route in Rara NP, where my cousin Andrej was meeting up with us. He was our only planned support; otherwise, we’ve been carrying a -20 °C sleeping bag and other winter gear (except for high-top boots) the whole time. He brought us a new pair of trail running shoes, high-quality socks, and a little piece of Slovakia.

As a trio, we trekked through the brutally challenging Shey Pokhsundo NP and the mystical Upper Dolpo to Kagbeni, where we said our goodbyes and continued on as a pair. We enjoyed the tourist amenities on the trek around the range of Annapurna and Manaslu. Before reaching the Larke La pass, we were caught by Cyclone Montha, which blocked the pass for four days. Well, five. We managed to cross the pass a day earlier than it was officially open from the other side. Without cell service or up-to-date information, you start to trust your own abilities again and assess everything based on your own sound judgment.

More stretches of jungle followed until we reached Langtang NP and successfully crossed the very challenging Tilman Pass. Falling rocks have become our new nightmare. Cyclone Montha blanketed most of the Himalayas with snow, so we chose only those passes that we could cross in our trail shoes without packing down the snow again. We were therefore forced to skip Tashi Lapsa and two other passes above 6,000 meters between the Everest and Makalu regions.

Pressured by the weather and time, we decided in early December in Lukla that we wanted to make it home for Christmas. We rushed to Taplejung, from where we treated the final part as the home stretch. There, however, our newly acquired ability to persevere to the very end—even in less-than-ideal conditions—was put to the test: falling rocks, scree fields, and very cold nights. Finally, after 45 days without a break, we found ourselves at the Kanchenjunga North BC on December 15, and we couldn’t believe our own eyes that we, as two ordinary nature lovers, had managed to do it.

We thank our bodies for allowing our souls to have such a deep experience. We thank the Himalayas for welcoming us and being our home for over half a year. We thank everyone who thought of us and whom we met along the way. The destination is beautiful, but without the journey, that cherry on top wouldn’t have tasted so good. Without planning every detail, and yet everything worked out perfectly. We arrived in Slovakia on December 22, happy and alive, but exhausted as hell!

With love,

Michal Tlelka & Sofia Bočeva

Advice for Budding Trekkers

The trek we managed to complete is very challenging. You have to expect that conditions for crossing the mountain passes will never be the same, so it’s essential to rely not only on weather forecasts but also on your “sixth sense” and to listen to advice from the locals. Physically, you can get used to the walking—ideally with as light a load on your back as possible—but what really matters is gaining a sense of what life in the mountains is all about. Someone accustomed to Western standards—like a flush toilet or a bed on four legs—will find it hard to get a comfortable night’s rest. Instead, you’ll always be greeted by smiles and curious eyes—that’s when your ego undergoes a cleansing and your soul finally finds relief.

The world is changing, and there are only a few places left where you can experience and remember how our ancestors once lived long ago. The Himalayas still offer this experience. We hope that everyone can, at least once in their lifetime, see those majestic mountains with flags fluttering in the wind, the power of the raging rivers, or the steep slopes with narrow paths where huge yaks walk. On top of that, to see smiling locals at every turn and be reminded of what truly matters. Don’t be afraid to dream big! As long as you don’t harm others, treat yourself to a little more vibrancy in life!

Out of respect for the locals, we do not publish photos of people without their permission.