Most of Nepal’s major trekking routes have it all figured out; Easy trails, best accommodation, tea houses and many more. However, these facilitated treks have its own drawback. Inconveniences such as traffic in the route can be a great turn off while trekking. Camping style trekking offers you the feeling of real off the grid vibes, to begin with. The trekkers will have a great time feeling the wilderness. Therefore, the camping style trekking is one of the gateways to avoid such setbacks in your treks.
However, there are some rules for engaging in camping-style trekking. Of course, the cost of camping style trekking will be higher for this type of trekking as more personnel are needed to carry tents, food supplies, cooking fuel and your personal equipment. Camping-style trekking is most often favoured when the trails that you’ve chosen are more remote and logistically unchartered. So, if you are the kind of person who likes to move through roads less travelled by then camping style trekking is highly recommended.
[Moving on to the best trek destinations for camping-style trekking in Nepal, we have listed 7 treks that you can choose from for your upcoming days.]
Numbur Cheese Circuit Trek
The Numbur Cheese Circuit trek takes you to Ramechhap, about 190 km east of the capital Kathmandu. This trekking route offers extraordinary and magnificent views of majestic mountain peaks including Everest range, Numburchuli, Gaurishankar, Jugal and Langtang mountain ranges which are still unexplored and have vibrant Sherpa cultural attractions. It is also home to stunning glaciers and debris such as Likhu Noop Glacier, Bigfera Go Glacier, Sarmoche Glacier, Likhu Glacier and various other smaller glaciers. The circuit also offers ample opportunity to observe the rich biodiversity of the Khimti and Likhu river valleys, ranging from temperate to alpine vegetation. Visitors can also enjoy flourishing rhododendrons, folded alpine forests, sprawling bamboo patches and colorful grasslands that provide habitat to beautiful and endangered species, such as red pandas, musk deer, exotic birds, Himalayan Thar and the occasional special snow leopard.
Upper Dolpo Trek
The Upper Dolpotrek is your western adventure for Nepal’s outback trek. This less travelled by trek is definitely a memoir for those who visit this place of charm and has been mentioned in the bestseller “The snow leopard” by Peter Matthiessen. Situated in between the Tibetan plateau and the Dhaulagiri region, this trek was not allowed until 1989. The Upper Dolpo encompasses the Shey Phoksundo lake, 800-year-old Shey Gompa, Blue Sheep and if lucky, the evasive Snow Leopard. The Upper Dolpo trek is a demanding trek which requires camping, guides and your own supplies. Unlike other teahouse treks, it cannot be ventured independently.
Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek
Also lying in the western region of Nepal, this trek is an arduous trek which surrounds around Dhaulagiri, the seventh highest mountain in the world. Dhaulagiri circuit trek is a classic trek which involves passes in the altitude of 5400m at the French Col. Trailing through the unpaved paths, you will drop into the hidden valley, from where you will see the towering Dhaulagiri. A challenge for both physical and mental well-being, this trek is an ideal camping style trekking in Nepal.
Dudh Kunda Trek
Duhkunda is a sacred lake which literally means ‘Milk Lake’ in Nepali. There are several itineraries for Dudh Kunda trek. One is you can trek from Jiri and another is a direct flight to Phaplu then trek for Dudh Kunda. With the altitude of 4600 meters, Dudh Kunda offers solitude for trekkers who want to trail through the lesser known treks in Nepal. Before reaching the top, there are no lodging facilities in this trek so, you will have to bring your own tent and supplies which makes it even more suitable as a camping trek. The highlights of this trek are the beautiful lake itself, Sherpa villages, views of Kanchenjunga, Everest and the yaks!
Kanchenjunga Base Camp Trek
The base camp of the third highest peak on the earth is nothing short of grandeur. Even more, the trail leading to the base camp is lusher, wetter, and more thickly forested than any other trail in eastern Nepal. Kanchenjunga, at 8,586m, is a colossal massif of several peaks. The view of the entire massif from the base camp.
The trail was opened to trekking only in 1998. Due to extreme wilderness and isolation, trekkers can only trek in this region as a part of an organized trekking group. The trek to the southern basecamp takes about 14 days, while the one to the northern basecamp takes 18 days. If you want, you can combine these journeys by crossing Lapsang La Pass (5,160m) or Mirgin La Pass (4,663m).
Makalu Base Camp
Makalu Base Camp Trek is a less explored trek in Nepal due to relative inaccessibility. The trek surrounds the 5th highest mountain of the world Makalu (8,481m). You will venture this eastern Nepal remote area starting from Tumlingtar and start lodging on the trail. There are tea houses in this trek for lodging but avid trekkers can camp and venture into this beautiful region. Your highlights for this trek include the eastern view of Everest, rhododendron forests and Red Panda.
Limi Valley Trek
A 17-day-trek with a maximum elevation of 4990m, Limi Valley trek obviously makes to the list on one of the best camping treks in Nepal. You will have to fly from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, then catch another flight to Simikot, Humla in order to start this trek. The Humla district itself is known as the road-less district of Nepal so you can imagine what Limi Valley can offer. The trek features some of the oldest gompas, ancient Tibetan culture and fortress-like stone villages of Jang, Halji and Ting. Limi valley trek can get more complicated due to the language barrier, so we advise you to take a native guide.