A Day on the Trail With Me
Before people walk with me for the first time, they often ask: “But what do we actually do all day?”
It is a good question. Photos show the mountains, but they don’t show the rhythm of the day: the tea, the walking, the resting, the talking, the silence. So here is a normal day on the trail with me, as honestly as I can describe it.
Every trail is different, and every day changes with the weather and how you feel. But the rhythm is mostly like this.
Morning: waking with the mountains
We wake early, usually around six o’clock. In the mountains, early is not difficult. We go to bed early, and the light comes into the room slowly.
If the sky is clear, this is the best time of the day. The peaks turn pink and then gold, and the valley below is still in shadow. I will knock on your door if the morning is special. You don’t want to miss it.
Then tea. A hot cup of milk tea or ginger lemon honey tea, holding it with both hands because it is cold. In the dining room, the family of the teahouse is already busy: the stove is burning, and someone is cooking.
Breakfast is simple: porridge, eggs, Tibetan bread, pancakes, or chapati. We ordered it the night before, so it is ready. We eat slowly. There is no rush.
Setting off: bistari, bistari
We start walking around seven thirty or eight, after the sun has warmed the trail a little. Your porter, if you have one, leaves with the big bag, and you carry only a small daypack with water, a jacket, snacks, and your camera.
The first step every morning is the same: slowly. Bistari, bistari. Your body is still waking up. At altitude, especially, the pace you start with is the pace that keeps you well.
I walk beside you or a little in front. We talk when you want to talk. We are quiet when you want quiet. Many people are surprised how much they enjoy the silent hours. The only sounds are your breath, the river, the wind, and sometimes the bells of mules or yaks coming down the trail.
On the way: stopping for what matters
We stop often, not only to rest, but because the trail gives us reasons.
A mani wall to walk around, clockwise. A monastery door that is open. An old woman at her gate who wants to say namaste. Children coming home from school. A view where you need to sit down and just look.
I tell you the stories of the places we pass: who lives here, what the prayer flags mean, why this village is built this way. And when you have questions, I answer, or I ask the local people with you.
Lunch in a village
Around eleven thirty or twelve, we stop for lunch in a village teahouse. The walking day is often half finished by now.
Most days, I will suggest dal bhat: rice, lentil soup, vegetable curry and pickle. It is what Nepali people eat every day, and on the trail we say “dal bhat power, 24 hour.” It is fresh, it is filling, and the didi will usually bring you more if you want.
After lunch, we sit a while. Some people read, some write in their journal, some close their eyes in the sun. We are not in a hurry.
Afternoon: arriving early
In the afternoon we walk a few more hours, and usually we arrive at our teahouse for the night around two or three o’clock. On most days we walk around five to six hours in total, sometimes less, sometimes more.
Arriving early is important. At altitude, the body needs rest. And in the mountains, clouds often come in the afternoon, so it is better to be warm inside when they do.
After a hot drink and some rest, if you have energy, we often take a short walk up the hill behind the village. This helps your body adjust to the altitude: climb a little higher, then sleep lower. It is also often the best time for quiet views and photographs, when the evening light comes.
Evening: around the stove
As the sun goes down, it gets cold quickly. Everyone gathers in the dining room, where the stove is warm, usually burning wood or dried yak dung.
This is my favorite part of the day in the teahouses. Trekkers from different countries, guides, porters, the family who runs the lodge, all around the same fire. People share stories, play cards, look at the day’s photos, or just sit and feel tired in a good way.
Dinner is around six or seven. Before we eat, I ask how you feel: your head, your breathing, your appetite, your sleep. This is not just politeness. At altitude, small signs matter, and honest answers keep you safe.
We also order breakfast for the morning, and I tell you about tomorrow: how long we will walk, what we will see, and whether it will be easy or hard.
Night: early to bed
By eight or nine o’clock, most people are in their sleeping bags. The rooms in teahouses are simple: two beds, a blanket, thin walls, and very cold air as you go higher. Outside, if the night is clear, the stars are brighter than anything you have seen in a city.
You fall asleep early, and you wake early, ready to do it all again.
Some days are different
Not every day looks like this.
Rest days: On higher treks, we take acclimatisation days, staying two nights in the same village. We may take a short hike higher and come back, visit a monastery, or simply rest. Please don’t think of them as wasted days. For many trekkers, they become the favorite days of the trip.
High pass days: When we cross a high pass like Thorong La or Larkya La, we start very early, sometimes before four in the morning, with headlamps in the dark. These are long, hard days, and we walk even more slowly.
Weather days: Sometimes snow, rain or landslides change our plan. Then we wait, or we find another way. The mountains decide, not us.
You can read more about staying safe at altitude in my guide to altitude sickness in Nepal, and about the customs we follow on the trail in my guide to Nepal trekking etiquette.
Why I walk like this
I could make the days faster, walking more hours and reaching the end sooner. Many itineraries do. But then you would see the trail and miss the life around it.
I walk like this because the best memories of the mountains are rarely the moments we planned. They are a cup of tea offered by a stranger, a conversation by the fire, an afternoon light we didn’t expect.
If you want to know more about my way of walking, please read How I Walk.
And if this feels like the kind of day you would like to live, for many days in a row, write to me. We can talk about where you’d like to go.
With respect,
Rujan
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