Trek Duration and Grade
Trek duration and grades are two of the most important considerations you need to decide when preparing your GHT plan, so here we’re going to discuss:
- How far and how hard should you trek?
- Should you trek east to west or the reverse?
- How do you know if a trek is too hard or too easy?
- What sort of delays can occur and how much time should you allow?
Treks often don’t conveniently ‘fit’ into the amount of time we have available. It’s tempting to adjust our timing or route, but the Himalaya isn’t a convenient place to adjust plans, especially when you must consider acclimatisation and unpredictable weather. So what freedom is there, and are all trek itineraries set in stone?
5 Important Issues to Deciding Trek Duration
- Seasonality: How long you can trek for often has a major impact on the range of treks you could do in a particular travel window. Different areas of the Himalaya have different ideal weather windows, which are described in detail in When to Trek and on each trek description. However, Climate Change is impacting these windows, which are becoming more unpredictable and generally warmer during the winter months. So, if you are planning a route on either side of the main season for a trekking area, you should include some buffer time for weather variations.
- Trek Direction: Nearly all treks can be done in either direction (start-end or reverse), and there could be weather, route or technical challenges to one or the other direction that you should consider. The East – West or West – East decision for GHTers is commonly decided based on season:
| GHT Direction |
Key Issue | East to West | West to East |
|---|---|---|---|
| January – June | The Himalaya curves up (northerly) to the west, which makes winters more severe in western regions. | Winter snow melts earlier in the east, thus opening higher trails earlier. | Trails above 3000m are likely to be icy and snow covered into April. |
| July - December | The Monsoon comes from and returns to the eastern regions of the Himalaya. | Monsoon begins earlier in the east; higher rainfall increases the chance of road and trail blockages. | The Monsoon usually finishes earlier (September-ish) in the west, so you can follow it eastwards. |
- Trekking Grades: give you a good idea of trail difficulty and commitment level. If you are not very fit or experienced, then maybe you want to add a little extra time to the itinerary, or alternatively, you could think about speeding things up along the trail. For example, the Everest Base Camp trek is normally operated as a 12- to 15-day itinerary, but could be done in 10 days by pre-acclimatised or very fit people, or 20 days should you want to explore around each village along the trail, more on this below.
- Festivals: If your visit coincides with a major festival (see Himalayan Festivals and Faiths) either in the Kathmandu valley or out in the hills you should try and extend your itinerary to give yourself time to enjoy the event. You may also need to leave some spare time in case of transport delays during festival periods
- Transport Delays: Flights to mountain airstrips are particularly susceptible to delays or cancellations, so it is wise to add an extra day or two to your trip just in case you can’t make a connection. Roadblocks are also not unusual, especially in monsoon, although most road closures tend to only last a few hours, you should add some extra time just in case.
Landslides are common place in Nepal.
The 3 Key Factors to Choosing Your Trek Grade
A Daily Distance and Difficulty
There is no ‘official’ trekking grade system in Nepal, India or Bhutan. The system used in this website is similar to that promoted by the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) and many countries around the world. However, due to the local demands of Himalayan trekking and the effects of altitude this system is slightly modified. We hope that it provides you with a clear idea of whether each trail is suitable for you.
We have developed a system of 5 Trekking Grades and every trek is rated according to the highest rating it receives across the grades. So, for example, if one criteria of a trek is Grade 3 when the others are Grade 2, it will receive a Grade 3 overall rating.
There are no Grade 1 treks described on this website, as they are for city and prepared trail walks of very short duration. For example, most city walks in the Kathmandu and Pokhara are rated Grade 1.
| Symbol |
EASY HIKES
|
ENERGETIC
|
CHALLENGING
|
HARD
|
HARD & TECHNICAL
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Distance | Not more than 5km per day. | Average not more than 10km a day. | Average not more than 20km a day. | Not important to grade and maybe greater than 20km a day. | Not important to grade and maybe greater than 20km a day. |
| Average Daily Walking Time | Walking duration likely to be 1½–3hrs. | Walking duration likely to be 2–4hrs. | Walking duration likely to be 4–6 hrs. | Walking duration could be up to 9 hrs. | Walking duration could be up to 12 hours. |
| Average Total Trek Duration | 1–2 days | Up to 7 days | 5 to 15 days | 7 to 21 days | 15 days + |
| Type of Trail | Well-formed track and hard surface. | Formed track or natural surface. | Formed track, some obstacles. | Rough track, many obstacles. | Rough unformed track. |
| Gradient | Flat and gentle slopes suitable for any user. Wheelchair suitable. | Gentle slopes where gradient does not exceed 1:10. | Short steep sections and where gradient is occasionally more than 1:10. | Some abrupt and very steep sections with steps and ladders. Often gradient exceeding 1:10. | Very steep and difficult sections with climbing or rock scrambling requiring hands and ropes. |
| Steps | Ramps provided if steps present. | Occasional steps and clearly defined track edges present. | Steps may exist but are not quantified. | Steps most days and not quantified. | Steps most days and not quantified. |
| Signage | Clearly signposted at the start and regularly during walk. | Signposted at the start and regular way-markers along track. | Signposted at the start. Limited signage at occasional points along track. | Limited signage or cairns at occasional points. Indistinct track. | Very little or no directional signage. |
| Experience Required | No experience needed. | No experience needed. Suitable for most age and fitness levels. | Some walking experience required. Walkers may encounter natural hazards such as steep slopes, unstable surfaces and minor river crossings. | Experienced walkers require good navigation skills and be self-reliant in first-aid and hazard assessment including river crossings, landslides and weather. | Very experienced walkers with high-level navigation and hazard assessment skills. Technical sections include ropes and climbing. Trekker must be self-reliant (as Grade 4) and confident on very steep terrain. |
Most remote area treks and the GHT High Route are rated Grade 5
IMPORTANT: The ABC of Crossing High Passes
A. High Passes are Dangerous!
A feature of many treks is a high-altitude pass, for example the Cho La and Renjo La in the SoluKhumbu (Everest Region), the Thorong La or Mesokanto La in the Annapurna. These passes are difficult and very challenging for the majority of walkers. Steep terrain combined with the effects of altitude mean that some people fail to cross what is an unavoidable part of their itinerary.
If you plan to book a trek that incorporates one or more passes it is essential that you develop a high level of fitness and walking experience before you depart. You should also ensure that there is sufficient acclimatisation time in your itinerary to allow both you and your group to adjust to higher altitudes. It is wise to also add an extra day or two of flexibility into your itinerary to accommodate bad weather and illness that could delay your group while attempting to cross each pass.
B. Acclimatisation, Rest and Recovery Periods
No matter how fit you are, it is important to include sufficient time to properly acclimatise as well as time for your body to recover after hard days. The general rule of thumb is:
- Limit daily net ascent to 500m, although you may well climb more than 500m during the day and then descend. The goal is to keep overnight stops to about 500m of elevation gain.
- With elevation gains of 1000m to 1500m (over multiple days) stop for an acclimatisation rest day. There is not always a convenient place to stop for an acclimatisation day but always try to include a suitable number of rest days to your itinerary.
- Allow for additional rest days after multiple long, hard days. This is important for both trekkers and support teams.
C. Flexibility and Support
Logistics and transport can have significant impacts on your travel time. For example, if bad weather stops flights to Lukla (Everest Region) during peak October-November season, then trekkers can be stuck for 10 days or more. It is essential that you have alternative plans in case of delays or obstructions, which could occur anytime. Best practice is to agree options with your Local Operator in advance of your trip.
Now it’s time to also consider the many festivals …
Don’t be frustrated by being delayed for a few days because there’s no transport available, ‘It’s the festival’ is a commonly-heard excuse across the Himalaya! And if you have any questions about Trekking Grades please feel free to Get in Touch.
