Nepal’s high passes: which one is for you?

I’m Rujan, a licensed trekking guide living in Kathmandu. Crossing a high pass is one of the great days of a trek: a long climb in the dark, the prayer flags at the top, and a new valley opening on the other side. It is also the hardest day, and the one that most depends on weather and on how well your body has adjusted. Here are the passes walkers cross in Nepal, roughly from the most travelled to the most serious.

Passes with lodges on both sides

• Thorong La, about 5,416 m (Annapurna Circuit trek). The best known. A long day from Thorong Phedi or High Camp down to Muktinath, on a well-trodden trail. Busy in October. See is Thorong La dangerous?.
• Larke La, about 5,106 m (Manaslu Circuit trek). Lower than Thorong La but a longer day, with a long descent to Bimthang. Quieter, and the views of Manaslu’s neighbours are wide.
• Renjo La, about 5,360 m (Everest region). From Gokyo to Lungden and Thame: steep stone steps on the Gokyo side and one of the finest views of Everest over the lakes.
• Cho La, about 5,420 m (Everest region). Between the Gokyo valley and the Everest Base Camp trail. Loose rock on one side and a small glacier on the other, icy in the morning.
• Kongma La, about 5,535 m (Everest region). The highest of the three passes of the Everest Three Passes trek, from Chhukung to Lobuche, with a long rough descent over the Khumbu glacier.
• Kang La, about 5,320 m (Nar Phu). From the hidden valleys of Nar and Phu down to Ngawal on the Annapurna Circuit. A restricted area with simple lodges.

Passes for experienced trekkers, with camping

• French Pass, about 5,360 m, and Dhampus Pass, about 5,240 m (Dhaulagiri Circuit). Two weeks in tents, glacier walking, often snow.
• Passes of Upper Dolpo, such as Kang La and Saldang La above 5,000 m (Upper Dolpo trek): remote, long, and only for those happy in a tent.

Passes such as Tashi Lapcha or Amphu Lapcha need ropes and mountaineering skills. I do not guide them.

What every pass day has in common

• An early start, often at 4 or 5 in the morning, before the wind and cloud.
• A spare day before it, for weather or for a body that needs one more night.
• Turning back is always allowed. A pass can be crossed another year; see altitude sickness.
• Warm gloves, a hat, sunglasses and sometimes light microspikes.

To see which walks cross a pass and how high each goes, see how high each walk goes and how I grade a walk.

If you are not sure which suits you, write to me and tell me what you hope for. I will say honestly.