The Big Monsoon Lie

"A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom."
-Thomas Paine


If you read any guidebook, trekking book, or talk to almost anyone in Nepal, both foreign or local, about trekking during the monsoon you will get the same answer; don't. Many books and people will advise that you only trek in places where you are in the Himalayan rain shadow, but many of these places require expensive permits like Mustang and upper Dolpo. Others like the Nar and Phu valley, which has a cheaper permit still requires that you use a guide and sign up through a trekking agency. Eventually this will be something I will do personally, but many people (including myself in most cases) enjoy independent trekking and like to be able to hit the trail on their own terms. The result of this common knowledge about monsoon trekking creates a complete lack of tourists through the summer months; Thamel has only a trickle of tourists and the trails are all but empty. You can go entire days without seeing another foreign  trekker.


Why is the trekking so bad during the monsoons?
We are told that there are no views of the mountains as they are covered in clouds, that the lowlands are infested with leaches, that the temperatures are unbearable, that we will get rained on constantly, and that in short we will have a miserable time. Most guide books will list things like; Season: September to May. June through August are right out. Don't even consider it.


Here's the thing, it's all a lie. Not only is it a lie, it's an absurd lie. The idea that some of these high altitude trails and passes are more bearable in months like December and January is hard for me to understand. I can deal with a little moisture much easier than I can deal with sub freezing temperatures, snow and ice on trails that are three feet wide with thousand foot cliff drops. No contest there. So let me start dismantling this lie one piece at a time.

Yours Truly Enjoying Fine Monsoon Weather at 14,000 Ft.

Views: Yes during the monsoons the views are not quite as good as other times of the year. Yes it gets cloudy, and much of the time the peaks that soar some ten thousand plus feet over your head are lost to you. That said, I got better views on this hike in July then I did on some of the hikes that I have done in March, a month that is considered high season.

View from Kyanjin Gompa

I will grant to the nay sayers that at low elevations the views of the high Himalaya are rare. The clouds move about the rocky cliffs and somewhere a few thousand feet above you they regularly obstruct your view. At higher elevations however the clouds seem to regularly dissipate in patterns, leaving spectacular views of the mountains and increasing the grandeur in some ways by buffeting them with wispy clouds that give them an almost otherworldly feel. 

Clouds Give an Almost Otherworldly Mantle to the Mountains

Old Growth Forest South of Singh Gompa

The clouds don't only enhance the look of the mountains, but can also really make the forests quite beautiful as well. Rhododendron and pine forests are particularly beautiful when covered in mist. They also become extremely photogenic.

Langtang Lirung's Veil of Clouds Disappears in the Morning Sun

Normally it seemed that in the morning, especially if it rained the night before, the clouds would clear and you could get fantastic views. This also occurred sometimes around sunset.Because the rain had often just cleared the air of any dust or other particles in the air you get spectacularly clear views when the clouds do clear out. While climbing to Gosainkund we could see all the way to the Annapurnas in the far west.

Leeches: Yes there are leeches, but there are not hordes of them. They do not hang from every branch and twig, and you do not have to constantly fend them off. In the eight days we spent the mountains I only had a single day that I had any leaches on me. Over half of our time was spent at elevations that are supposed to have leaches. 

The Tiger Leech 

There are two types of leeches that we encountered, smaller black leaches that were comparable to what I have seen in the water back home or on land in Australia, and the larger (by a multiple of three or so) tiger leach which seemed a bit more aggressive. 

Donnie Bloodied by Leeches

While certainly a little gross, these things aren't that common and certainly not worth deterring you from a trek in the Himalaya. Due to the anti-coagulant they use the wound might bleed a bit and make a mess, as Donnie demonstrates above, but the wound itself is like a small mosquito bite that barely itches. Back home we deal with ticks all the time, and really leeches are much more hygienic in that they don't carry debilitating diseases like Lyme and they are easier to remove, thus reducing any risk of infections. The only time we saw leeches in quantity is if we left the main trail. Just stick to the trail and don't go through thick brush and you can just about completely avoid these guys.

Temperatures and Weather: Weather wise this was one of my most pleasant treks, maybe second only to the Annapurna trip I just did recently (though this was in the off season too). At the lower elevations there was plenty of humidity, but often the sun was obscured by some clouds, keeping the temperature actually quite nice. The rivers are so bloated from the monsoon rains that the spray from them decreases the temperature a full 15 degrees or more, the Langtang river was quite a force to witness this time of year and it acted as a natural air conditioner. The humidity however does make it difficult for things to dry, and your sweat never seems to evaporate. You will get damp quickly, and most of the time you will stay that way while hiking. Carry a set of clothes for the end of the day in a compression pack, and designate them your "dry clothes" and you'll be comfortable at the end of any day.

Relaxing at Gosainkund Lake

At higher elevations the weather is much more pleasant this time of year. For this whole trip all we needed were fleeces and light jackets. Even at the Gosainkund lakes which sit at 14,500' we were able to walk around with just light windbreakers. No shivering, no shortening your walks due to cold. No sitting in your guest house room covered in blankets.  

Trails Like This Seem Better Without Ice and Snow.

Then there is the ease of walking over trails at high elevations compared to other times of the year. We did not have to worry about ice and snow making the trails slick. We were not afraid that the pass we were going over would be snowed in from a recent storm. Some of these trails are quite narrow with some very steep drops at their side, I'm happy to do this without worrying about slipping on snow that was packed by other trekkers and yaks.

Calm Morning at Gosainkund Lake

As for weather, yes it rained. In the eight days we were out there though we only got rained on once, with sprinkles a couple of times. The one time it rained on us was due to the fact that we were hiking late, we were still on the trail after 4PM, when most of the rain seems to set in. As a rule both while hiking and in Kathmandu the rains seem to develop in the afternoon, they come down for an hour or two and that is it. It also rains at night, but usually one is in their Guest House at night, not on the trail. 

While it definitely rains during the monsoon, it isn't the overwhelming deluge that most people believe it to be. To be honest it isn't any more rain then we get most Springs or early summers in New England. because Nepal is so dry during other parts of the year, I'm sure it seems like a lot of rain to them, but to be honest, every part of the year back home is like the monsoons here. Most of the time the rain is a warm rain too, not that terrible cold rain we have back in New England. If you get caught in the rain you just get a little wet, put poncho over your pack, and put things that need to stay dry in compression sacks or ziplock bags. 

Monsoon Bonus: The above are the reasons people tell you not to go, but aside from most of those being a little suspect, there are also some advantages to trekking during the monsoons. First is that the trails are all yours; most people think this is a bad time to hike so there are no crowds. You don't have to race to get space at a guest house, and when you do get there, it is a more intimate experience as you get lots of personal attention as well as having time to talk with the person running the lodge. Some lodges are closed, and sometimes entire towns, so if you are planning on stopping at a smaller outpost just ask down the trail as to what is open.

Wild Flowers are in Bloom Everywhere

Flowers are in bloom in the forests and all over the fields, especially at the high elevations. In the forests you can see mushrooms as big as your head and get to eat some freshly dried mushrooms that people have collected from the forests. At high elevations yaks have also been brought to the high pastures, and at places like Kyanjin Gompa you can get fresh yak curd (actually quite good) and watch the yaks be quite a bit more active than when they are cold. Seeing a string of them running down the mountainside was not that uncommon a site, and was quite cool I thought.

Waterfalls were Amazing

All that water also makes for some really impressive water falls. Everywhere you looked there was water cascading down huge Himalayan cliffs. It wasn't uncommon to see three or four near each other falling as far as 400 or more feet. The rivers were also bloated and flowing with a force that was something I had never seen before, really impressive to witness up close.

Th big lie is that you can't or wouldn't want to trek during the monsoons. It's bogus. It's just as good as spring, and at high elevations it may be one of the best times of the year. The impact that this long held belief has had stifles tourism and keeps people from even considering what could really be a good trip. So if you are thinking about coming to Nepal don't rule out the monsoons, and if you are here during them and had ruled out doing a trek, please reconsider. 


EDIT: Since writing this post I have become ever more convinced that guidebooks overly distort which times of year are good for trekking and travel in Nepal. I've followed this post up after another gorgeous stretch of weather in late May, heading into June. I've also had more time to talk to other trekkers who have been in these regions in the off season. Follow up Post.

EDIT 2: Another great trip in the middle of the monsoon (July/August) to the Solukhumbu region again goes smoothly and with great views. Post can be read HERE. After a few years of doing this now there is no doubt in my mind that monsoons are very much over demonized and hardly a reason to avoid a trek in the Himalaya.