I know it's not technically in South East Asia, but bear with me...

I know most people do Nepal/Tibet during July/August because of the "nice" warm weather, but I want to go in winter. I want cold, snow, icy wind. I know it's not what most people want, but I can handle it. I lived in Siberia for two years. So, with that in mind, when is the best time to go? I want to be able to reach base camp and do some other outdoorsy things, so the snow can't be too deep. So... cold and snowy, but not so snowy that I can't reach the must-see places. When do I go?

Actually, the start of the trekking season is around the beginning of October. Just after the monsoons stop. I think the time you mention is right in the middle of the monsoons...making trekking impossible due to landslides and heavy snow.

Even in October, when you get to base camp, it will be COLD! I did Annapurna Circuit a few years ago and it was so cold at the summit we could only stay for a few minutes. Incredibly cold!

If you need a guide, let me know. They guy I used was fantastic. I still keep in touch with him as I plan to do some more treks one of these years...

When the Chinese pull-out ?

Nepal the best time for trekking is Late Sept-mid nov (above 10,000 ft) Dec-March under 10,000

April- end of May is also nice

Mid Dec-Jan its cold in Kathmandu so u shouldn't really be above 8,000 ft.

You will not be able to reach any base camps after mid nov.

Tibet i have been a few times in Late summer early fall and once in NOV. Will never go back after oct 1st.

I used to run mtn bike trips ( mid 80's) lhasa-Ktm and we ran the trips ONLY May-Sept.

An alternative is head to ladahk in the summer absolutely beautiful!!!! But be out by mid oct before the road closses

Nepal the best time for trekking is Late Sept-mid nov (above 10,000 ft) Dec-March under 10,000

April- end of May is also nice

Mid Dec-Jan its cold in Kathmandu so u shouldn't really be above 8,000 ft.

You will not be able to reach any base camps after mid nov.

Tibet i have been a few times in Late summer early fall and once in NOV. Will never go back after oct 1st.

I used to run mtn bike trips ( mid 80's) lhasa-Ktm and we ran the trips ONLY May-Sept.

An alternative is head to ladahk in the summer absolutely beautiful!!!! But be out by mid oct before the road closses

That's when I did Annapurna, started late September. I think Throng pass is a bit over 5400M. Cold!!!!

Did a one week 4x4 trip from Ktm-Lhasa in mid September. Fantastic trip...cold...but great. I can't even imagine doing it during the rainy season. We barely made it up some roads due to slides. We also had problems with slides on the Annapurna trek, and saw monuments to villages and hikers who had been swept away. That one pic of the hikers trekking over a slide doesn't look too bad...until you look down. Something like 400-500M straight down ending in a raging river.

We did see some bikers on the road to Tibet. What an amazing trip that would have been...if you are extremely fit!!!!

I wanted to go back this year and do Everest Base Camp, but for stupid reasons, didn't make it. I'm really going to try next year. Also want to do Annapurna Sanctuary. Fantastic country. You were lucky to be there back in the 80's!!!!

Sorry I haven't been back! I didn't get an email telling me about the new posts. Weird.

@ phuketrichard. Since you ran mountain bike trips between May and September, I'm going to assume those are months with no snow and lots of green. So those are the months I'm NOT going to visit. Again, looking for snow and cold weather.

Since it sounds like it'd be difficult (impossible?) to reach base camp after mid-November, I'm guessing the best time is October and the first two weeks of November. Sounds about right? I'm leaning towards November so I can get colder weather and more snow.

@ craigt. Yeah, I'd love contact info for your guide.

ETA:

According to this website (http://www.visitnepal.com/travelers_guide/when_to_come.php), winter seems doable in Nepal. If I go between December and February, will Tibet be out of the question? Base camp?

Winter (between December – February): The weather is cool and the sky is clear with occasional snowfalls at higher elevations. This season is good for trekking in lower elevations. The morning and night is cold and the days are warm when sunny.

The guy I used as a guide has been doing this for many years. He speaks great English and can answer your questions for sure. Tell him Craig from Thailand referred you (not that it matters). He's a stand up guy.

http://treknepal.synthasite.com/

I can't wait to go again!

problem if ur looking for snow u might get snowed in , (which can be cool)One year i did the Annapurna trek and the last two days i pushed and did it in one, When i got to the camp it was empty and started snowing, so the next day NO NEW arrivals. IT was paradise!!!

Try a late oct/nov trek up to Gossainkund Lake. It is not as popular as the others ( Everest base camp, Annapurna) so its really nice and u start out of KTM. Also Rara lake area, out of Jumla whic u can fly into.(u will need to carry food and tents)

If ur trekking the popular treks in oct /nov u will be surrounded with other trekkers and it can be a drag and if u get in late to a village u might find it full and no place to stay so carry a tent.

IF u have $$$ head over to Mustang/Dolpo region!!!

I am really glad i did all these treks in the 80'-90's before my knees gave out, I have no problem going up but coming down kills me)

http://phuket.zenfolio.com/p480546729

Tibet in DEC? 14,000+=' is COLD all year round. Sit inside a deep freeze for an hour and u will see if its ok for u forget any base camps Dec-march

My first unsupported bike trip Lhasa to KTM we almost froze to death a few times at elevations over 15,000'and that was mid june

Edited September 5, 201114 yr by phuketrichard

problem if ur looking for snow u might get snowed in , (which can be cool)One year i did the Annapurna trek and the last two days i pushed and did it in one, When i got to the camp it was empty and started snowing, so the next day NO NEW arrivals. IT was paradise!!!

Try a late oct/nov trek up to Gossainkund Lake. It is not as popular as the others ( Everest base camp, Annapurna) so its really nice and u start out of KTM. Also Rara lake area, out of Jumla whic u can fly into.(u will need to carry food and tents)

If ur trekking the popular treks in oct /nov u will be surrounded with other trekkers and it can be a drag and if u get in late to a village u might find it full and no place to stay so carry a tent.

IF u have $$ head over to Mustang/Dolpo region!!!

I am really glad i did all these treks in the 80'-90's before my knees gave out, I have no problem going up but coming down kills me)

http://phuket.zenfolio.com/p480546729

Tibet in DEC? 14,000+=' is COLD all year round. Sit inside a deep freeze for an hour and u will see if its ok for u forget any base camps Dec-march

My first unsupported bike trip Lhasa to KTM we almost froze to death a few times at elevations over 15,000'and that was mid june

Thanks, Richard. Those are AMAZING photos! #15 is just incredible. I can't wait to go. Been dreaming about it for years and now that I'm in Thailand, seems like it's going to happen. I don't have enough time to plan a trip for this November, so it's going to be next year.

I'm going to get in touch with the guy Craig recommended and take it from there.

Cold doesn't really scare me. Like I mentioned, I lived in Siberia, where in winter it got down to -42 C on a regular basis. Much colder on some nights. So I know I can handle it. Will have to go shopping for some winter gear, though. I brought nothing with me to Thailand.

Unless I hear something else, though (maybe from the Craig's guide?), I think I'm going to shoot for November.

I think it's best to do you shopping here. I needed a few odds and ends when I got to Nepal and pretty much everything sold are cheap Chinese or Indian knockoffs. Which is a big deal if it's your boots!!! My guide told me his Indian made boots last 1 and 1/2 circuits of Annapurna. Then they need to be replaced.

Thanks, number 2 is Annapurna base camp mid Oct ( enough snow for you?) 5 is my biking partner that went with me to Everest base camp in '83

There is no reason to ever hire a guide, not only is the way easy, but guides are not porters and wont carry stuff for u. Everything i have done (especially in Nepal) has always been on our own. Even when we biked in Tibet, (except when i ran the tour) we went at it alone. One time in Nepal we hired a porter but that's cause we were heading into areas that had no food or places to stay. All the trails now are so used and traveled it is impossible to get lost or not find somewhere to stay or eat.

AS to finding items for ur trip, take a walk into Thamel and u will find tons of shops that sell and rent everything and anything you would ever need. Most expeditions donate their used equipment to the guides and porters before they head back home and it all ends up for sale. Plenty of down bags/coats, vests, sleeping pads,crampons etc etc. You can show up in Ktm in shorts and a tee shirt and find all the items u would need to tackle any where u wish to go. Only thing i do agree with about buying before hand is Boots, as u want to break them in before u head out.

Need a hiking/trekking Partner? Take a look on the numerous boards around town the one at the Kathmandu gh is one of the best.

I haven't been back to Nepal since 2003 but am planing a trip back next Sept/Oct and heading up to Mustang. Last time i was there, I was arrested as it was a closed area then :-)

Am going thru old slides now and scanning them into my computer so will post more of Tibet and Nepal

Edited September 6, 201114 yr by phuketrichard

I think as a "newbie" there, and doing a trek in winter, a guide/porter might not be a bad idea. My guide carried all my stuff...which wasn't much...but it made a huge difference at times. Especially the last few days up to that high pass!!

I saw quite a few doing the trek themselves...huge backpack. Quite a few others just hired a cheap porter and shared the expenses between 2-3 trekkers.

It's not really easy to get lost, but I enjoyed having a guide. It is extremely cheap and since he had done it many times, he knew the best places to stay, the best places to eat, and some interesting side treks also. Plus, he took me into locals homes for lunch or dinner a few times...something that would be hard to do on your own.

Also, I got sick on the way back...really sick. He took care of me, got medical help, and made sure everything was OK. That was worth it for sure. I was stuck in bed for 2 days and then could barely walk the next. He arranged a different route to get me to a place where we could get transport back to the main town. I ate or drank something that made me violently ill. It happens...

The guide made sure I didn't go up in altitude too fast, and made sure we did a day of acclimatization before the pass. I saw many heading back downhill after getting AMS or just burning out...a few were in tears as they were making their way back. I would sometimes tell him "let's keep going!". He wouldn't let me...a good thing.

Though it is a well worn path, a major rule of trekking is to not go it alone. I just watched the movie 127 hours...

best book on trekking nepal is http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95359.Trekking_in_Nepal

You will be able to pick it up in KTM which by the way has GREAT book stores, Spend a day at Pilgrims books

http://www.pilgrimsbooks.com/kathmandu.html

Edited September 6, 201114 yr by phuketrichard

best book on trekking nepal is http://www.goodreads...ekking_in_Nepal

You will be able to pick it up in KTM which by the way has GREAT book stores, Spend a day at Pilgrims books

http://www.pilgrimsb.../kathmandu.html

Thanks. I'm going to stop by the local Asia Books store and pick up a book on Nepal/Tibet. This is one of my top 5, must-see places in the world, so I want to make sure I do it right.

Just added many new pics that were from OLD slides from the 80's.

Nepal

Will next start on Tibet Slides.

When the Chinese pull-out ?

They have contraception these days.

When the Chinese pull-out ?

They have contraception these days.

Just added more pics from,Tibet

as to the movie 127 hours, yea that can happen but not if u stay on the main routes in Nepal. Its more of a problem trying to get AWAY from other trekkers.

Edited September 18, 201114 yr by phuketrichard