Over the mountains

The Himalayas are the most powerful mountain range in the world. No other mountain range features peaks of 8,000 meters (26,000 feet). In the Himalayas there are 14 such mountain peaks and hundreds of peaks over 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) high. The mountain range stretches for 2,700 km (1,700 mi).

The Himalayas are the beginning of numerous great rivers of the Indian subcontinent, such as the Ganga and the Yamuna, which are inextricably intertwined with local myths and legends. The Indus or Sindhu also originates from the trans-Himalayan Tibetan Plateau, as does the Brahmaputra.

Preparation

Before your trip, you must undergo a health check to ensure that you are in good physical shape and to avoid altitude sickness. You should always carry a first aid kit with you, with basic medications to treat headache, fever, constipation, burns, diarrhea, sore throat, and cough. Include eye patches and lotions and diuretic medications.

Cold cream that can be used generously before the day’s hike also protects against dry skin. Use river water to wash. The most important thing is that you know the place you will be traveling to and research it carefully on the Internet.

When to go

The best time to visit Tibet and the Himalayas is in summer (June-July-August). Then you will be able to enjoy intense sunlight, warm temperature, local festivals and incredible scenery. It is very cold in winter, which lasts from October to May, not recommended. Aim…

Winter is when I was there and although it is very cold, averaging -10C to 5C, it is bearable. Tibet is particularly dry, so staying warm is a matter of protecting yourself against very cold air rather than worrying about snow and ice. When there is humidity, it is much more difficult to stay warm because humidity speeds up heat transfer.

The advantage of being there in winter is the lack of tourists! So if you really want to escape, winter in Tibet is the best time.

More Himalayan travel tips…

Light clothing is best between May and October and warm clothing in layers from November to April.

The essentials that you should take with you are a good quality backpack, with wide straps to hold on, foam mattress, sleeping bag, a Swiss Army knife, good quality trekking shoes, a raincoat (also in summer), boxes of matches, umbrella, a bottle of water, disposable bags and a flashlight.

How to get there from abroad

Your trip to the Himalayas could start from several places. Many fly to Kathmandu, Nepal, using it as their starting point. Nepal has connections with many destinations abroad.

Do you want to visit Tibet? There are frequent flights from Kathmandu to Lhasa, although the exact number of flights per week depends on the season. It is a little over an hour and gives you a great view of the Himalayan mountains. Please note that individual travelers are normally unable to obtain either a visa or an airline ticket, which are only available to members of organized groups.

The alternatives are direct flights between Chengdu in Sichuan province and Lhasa. You can easily get a plane ticket through a travel agency in Chengdu, China. There is also a 2-hour flight twice a week between Chongqing and Lhasa.