Expect to sleep in tents on most nights and eat meals cooked by your crew. Lodges exist only in a few villages at the start and finish, so the high section is a self-supported camping trek. Meals are hot, plain and filling, water is boiled or treated, and porters carry the tents, kitchen and food. Tell us your dietary needs well before you travel.
Camping is the rule, lodges the exception
Early villages may offer a simple room or a house stay, and the far end near Marpha has guesthouses, but between them the route is wild. The crew sets up tents each afternoon, including your sleeping tent, a dining tent and a kitchen shelter. Camps sit near water and flat ground, often on moraine or grass, and are cold after sunset. Because of this, a good sleeping bag and mat matter more than anything else you pack. Ask us which nights are under a roof. Pack warm socks for the tent, because cold feet keep people awake. Local herders may use the same pastures, so give animals space.
What meals look like
A day usually starts with tea, porridge or eggs and bread, followed by a packed or cooked lunch in a sheltered spot. Dinner is served in the dining tent: soup, rice with lentils and vegetables, noodles, potatoes, and sometimes simple desserts. The cook adapts to altitude, where appetite falls, with lighter and warm dishes. Fresh food runs out after the first days, so tinned and dried items appear later. Vegetarian travellers eat very well here; tell us about allergies and preferences early so supplies are planned correctly. Hot sweet tea after the walk is often the best part of the day.
Water and hygiene
Never drink water straight from streams or glacial melt. The kitchen crew boils water for drinking and cooking, and you can add tablets or a filter as a second step. Hot water is brought for washing in a basin, and a small tent toilet or a dug latrine is used in camps. Use hand sanitiser before meals and carry out all toilet paper and rubbish. Stomach upsets can slow a trek, so carry rehydration salts and tell your guide quickly if you feel unwell. Keep a bottle inside your sleeping bag to stop it from freezing.
Who carries what, and why remoteness matters
Porters, and in some sections mules or similar animals, carry the whole camp: tents, stoves, fuel, food, your bags and spare equipment. Each load is weighed, and a larger group needs more people. Phone signal is poor or absent over much of the route, there are no shops, and help takes days, not hours. This is why the crew size and the planning matter so much. Bring a power bank, spare batteries and personal medicines, and check current rules with us before you travel. Respect the weight limits, since porters carry heavy loads over high ground.
Camp rules and leaving no trace
The route passes through fragile mountain ground, so carry out everything you carry in, avoid washing in streams, and use the toilet arrangements your crew provides. Fires from firewood are best avoided, and stoves are the norm. Stay on the trail and respect local people, grazing animals and herders. Camps near the glaciers can have unstable ground and rockfall, so follow your guide when choosing where to walk and where to pitch. Rules change, so confirm any restrictions with us before you travel. Local herders may use the same pastures, so give animals space.
Common questions
Are there any teahouses on the high sections?
Very few or none. Plan for tents on most nights, and expect lodges only near the start and the finish. Conditions change, so confirm the latest situation with us.
What happens if I do not like the food?
Tell the cook early. The kitchen can adapt meals, and you should carry snacks you enjoy, such as nuts, bars and chocolate, for days when appetite is low.
Is bottled water available?
Not on the high route. Your crew boils and treats water, so bring a durable bottle and purification tablets as a back-up. This also reduces plastic waste.
Do I carry my own tent?
No. Porters and the crew carry tents, kitchen and food, and you carry a daypack. Our packages include porters and a licensed guide, so you do not arrange this yourself.
