Expect tents on most nights and hot meals cooked by your crew. A few villages in the lower valley may offer simple rooms, but the higher part and the pass are camping only. Meals are plain and filling, water is boiled or treated, and porters carry tents, kitchen and food. Tell us your dietary needs well before the trip so supplies can be planned.
Where you sleep
The lower valley has scattered villages and a small number of basic guesthouses, which may be closed or very simple depending on the season. Higher up, near Beding and beyond, you should plan on tents, since facilities are few. The crew pitches your sleeping tent, a dining tent and a kitchen shelter each afternoon. Camps are cold and sometimes damp, so bedding and a dry layer for sleeping matter more than anything else. Ask us which nights are under a roof so you can plan. Ask us before you travel about any allergy, dietary rule or food you cannot eat.
What meals look like
Breakfast usually includes tea, porridge, eggs or bread, with lunch served on the trail or at camp. Dinners feature soup, rice, lentils, vegetables, noodles and potatoes, often with a simple dessert on a good night. Appetite drops with height, so the cook offers lighter dishes and plenty of hot drinks. Fresh produce gets scarcer the farther you walk from the road, and tinned or dried items fill the gap. Vegetarian meals are easy here; tell us about allergies and preferences early. Plain food is part of the experience, and a little patience makes the days easier.
Water and hygiene
Do not drink water straight from streams, lakes or glacial melt. The crew boils drinking water, and you can add purification tablets or a filter as backup. Hot water for washing comes in a basin, and camps use a tent toilet or a dug latrine. Carry out toilet paper and rubbish, use hand sanitiser before eating and keep your bottle inside the sleeping bag on freezing nights. Stomach upsets happen, so pack rehydration salts and tell your guide quickly if you feel unwell. Carry a few favourite snacks for days when appetite is low.
Who carries supplies and why remoteness matters
Porters carry the tents, stoves, fuel, food and your main bags, and your crew restocks only at the villages you pass. Mobile signal is patchy or absent over much of the valley, there are few shops, and help may be days away. That is why the crew is large for a small group and why a plan needs spare days. Bring a power bank, spare batteries and personal medicines. Services and rules change, so confirm details with us before you travel. Your guide will explain the plan each evening, so ask if anything is unclear.
Camp manners and the environment
The valley is fragile and the people who live there depend on its pastures and water. Carry out all rubbish, avoid washing with soap in streams, and use the toilet arrangements your crew provides. Stoves are better than burning wood. Ask before photographing people or entering sacred places, and give grazing animals room. Near the glacier, ground can shift and rock can fall, so follow your guide on where to walk and where to pitch. A little care keeps the valley quiet and clean. Conditions change between seasons, so we confirm the latest arrangements before you go.
Common questions
Are there lodges along the whole route?
No. A few basic ones exist in the lower valley, but higher camps are tents. Facilities vary by season, so confirm the current situation with us before you travel.
Can I get vegetarian food?
Yes, vegetarian meals are easy to prepare from rice, lentils, vegetables, noodles, eggs and soup. Tell us about dietary needs in advance so the crew can plan supplies.
Is there phone signal or charging?
Signal is patchy or absent, and charging is limited in tents. Bring a power bank and spare batteries, and keep them warm inside your jacket at night.
Who sets up the tents?
The crew pitches and packs the tents, and porters carry them. You carry only a daypack. Our packages include porters and a licensed guide, so you do not arrange any of this yourself.
