Do I need a guide for the Three Passes Trek?

  • This topic has 1 reply, 2 voices, and was last updated 9 years ago by Travel PartnerAlex.

We are probably going for the three passes. Have you been already on that trek? We are planning to do it unguided, do you have any recommendations ?

Replies

Travel Partner
 

Hi Lyvie,

I did the Three Passes trek in 2010, going counter-clockwise from Lukla – Namche – Chokhung – Kongma La Pass – EBC – Cho La Pass – Gokyo – Renjo La Pass – Namche – Lukla…

It’s hard to tell people if they need or don’t need a guide, no matter what trek they’re doing in Nepal. It all depends on the individual and how comfortable they feel in the outdoors and when trekking at altitude.

As far as being remote or wild, the Everest region is very developed. You’ll find villages ever 1-2 hours and numerous other trekkers on the trail, so you don’t need a guide for this reason.

For the altitude, if you’re trekking alone (without any friends) and unsure of the proper safety precautions, it would be wise to hire a guide, especially for crossing the three passes at which times you’ll come across fewer trekkers.

When crossing the Kongma La, I teamed up with two other trekkers I met in the village of Chukhung who felt safer going as a group. (For that matter, you may also be able to hire a local person in the village to guide you over the pass although they wouldn’t have the same safety skills as a trained guide.)

So, it all depends whether you should hire a guide or not. Does that help?

Alex

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.