Everest Private Journey

Trail conditions can be primitive, and there is a good bit of up-and-down (often 2,000- to 3,000-foot gain or loss in elevation per day). For the most part, you can hike at your own speed; the group will spread out along the trail during the day to cover a normal maximum of 8 to 10 miles per day (3-6 hours of hiking). Trip members carry only a daypack with camera, jacket, rain gear, water bottle, and other small necessities.

Although you carry only a daypack on the hikes, there are steep ascents and descents, so for your own enjoyment, we recommend you make a special effort to be in good physical condition. Daily brisk walking and/or regular hiking (or using a stair-climbing machine at your gym) are excellent preparatory exercises. You should wear sturdy, well-broken-in hiking boots for maximum comfort on the trail.

Nepal has four seasons: spring (March to May), summer (June to August—monsoon season), winter (December and February) and fall (late September through November). The most popular trekking seasons are spring and fall. Nepal lies at the same latitude as Florida, but altitude is the main factor governing temperatures. In the semitropical lowlands of Kathmandu (altitude 4,000 feet), daytime temperatures can be quite warm, in the 70s and 80s, with cool, misty nights. It rarely snows below 7,000 feet. At altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet, daytime temperatures can be in the 50s and 60s for fall trips and 60s and 70s for spring trips. Nights are cool to cold, often in the 40s. Skies are generally clear, although the spring has more precipitation (but Nepal's famous rhododendron forests are in full bloom in the spring). Clouds often form in the afternoons, disappearing at night to reveal brilliantly starry skies. At altitudes over 10,000 feet, weather is unpredictable and the wind chill factor comes into play. Daytime temperatures at these heights can be in the 60Fs, but also as low as the 30s and 40s, especially if it is windy. Temperatures drop very quickly when the sun goes down, and evening/nighttime temperatures at high altitudes often drop to around 15F and sometimes lower. Snow is not uncommon at higher elevations, and rain is always a possibility.