Knees and Stone Steps: Walking Downhill on a Nepal Trek without Pain

I’m Rujan, a licensed trekking guide living in Kathmandu. On almost every trek I guide, the hardest moment for someone is not the climb. It is the long way down: a thousand stone steps to a river, then another thousand the next day. Knees complain. Here is what helps, from years of walking these steps with guests.

Why the steps are hard

Trails in the Nepal hills were built by villagers for people and animals, long before trekking. They go straight up and down the hillsides on stone stairs, often uneven and high. Going down, each step lands your weight on a bent knee, again and again. On a day like Ghorepani to Tadapani, or Chhomrong down to the river, that is thousands of times.

Before you come

• Walk stairs, down as well as up. Many people train only for the climb.
• Strengthen your legs: squats, step-downs from a low box, lunges.
• Walk in the boots you will wear. See trekking boots.
• If you already have knee trouble, see a doctor or physiotherapist before booking, and tell me. We choose a walk with fewer steps.

See also fitness training for a trek.

On the trail

• Use two walking poles, set a little longer for going down. They take weight off the knees on every step.
• Take small steps. Where the stairs are high, step sideways or zigzag across them.
• Go slowly down. Faster is not easier. Let the fast walkers go ahead.
• Keep the knee soft. Land on a slightly bent knee, never a locked one.
• Rest before you hurt. A short stop every half hour on a long descent is better than one long stop at the end.

Your pack

Every kilo on your back goes into your knees on the way down. Carry only what you need for the day; a porter can carry the rest. See porters and fair treatment.

Choosing the walk

Some treks have far fewer steps. Ridge walks and valley walks, like Mardi Himal or the Langtang valley, are kinder than the up-and-down of Poon Hill and Annapurna Base Camp. If your knees are a worry, ask me, and see trekking over 60.

If it hurts

Tell me early. We slow down, shorten the day, or change the plan. A sharp pain, swelling, or a knee that gives way is a reason to stop, not to push on. See emergencies and rescue.