Ever year, several thousand hikers complete the trek to Mount Everest Base Camp.

After completing the adventure, a small portion of them feel inspired to pursue an even greater challenge鈥攃limbing to the top. It’s no secret that many of the guiding businesses that take hikers to Base Camp also operate expedition companies that guide climbers to the summit.

Does the Everest trek motivate everyone to reach the top? In his latest video dispatch, our Mount Everest reporter Ben Ayers discusses whether or not his adventure to Base Camp inspired him to someday try and reach the summit.

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Mainstream coverage of Mount Everest has provided a distorted view of the peak, the Himalayan mountaineering industry, and the climbers who attempt to reach the summit.

In his latest video dispatch, our Everest correspondent Ben Ayers addresses two common misconceptions about the world’s highest peak:

• Climbing Mount Everest is only attainable by the wealthy
• Mount Everest is covered in dead bodies and garbage

Ayers also dives into a topic that often spurs debate: the climbing industry’s treatment of Everest’s local workforce, the Sherpa.

Ben Ayers聽is a filmmaker, journalist, and adventurer who splits his time between Vermont and Nepal. In 2022 and 2024 he chronicled the Mount Everest climbing season for聽国产吃瓜黑料.

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Every climbing season is different on Mount Everest.

The dynamics on the world’s highest peak are shaped by a variety of forces: geopolitics, new technology, changing weather patterns, and of course the global economy. Every year, a handful of storylines help define the climbing season on the mountain.

The 2025 season was no different. Expeditions attempted experimental rapid ascents of the mountain from sea level; ultrarunners Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff attempted to jog up the mountain in pursuit of speed records; helicopter pilots made risky rescues at 23,000 feet, and the swirling Jet Stream winds forced climbers to wait for weeks.

In his latest video dispatch, our Everest expert Ben Ayers dives into the biggest stories on Everest this year, and explains how they may shape future dynamics on the mountain.

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Every spring, climbers trudge to the summit of Mount Everest along two different routes.

On the peak’s southern flank, several hundred ascend the popular Southeast Ridge route, which takes in many of the landmarks that have become synonymous with the peak: the Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, South Col, and Hillary Step.

But on the mountain’s northern side, far fewer venture up the route that originates in Chinese-controlled Tibet. In 2025, estimates placed the number of successful summits from Tibet at approximately 65, compared to the 750 or so from Nepal.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of climbing Mount Everest from the north? Is the Tibetan route safer than the one from Nepal? In his latest video dispatch, our Mount Everest reporter Ben Ayers compares the northern route up the world’s peak to the southern one.

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If you are drawn instinctively and helplessly to high mountains, then the Nepal Himalayas are something of a holy grail. Home to eight of the world鈥檚 ten highest peaks, a dense network of trails, and an unrivaled trekking infrastructure of lodges, guides, and porters, Nepal is perhaps the world鈥檚 ultimate hiking聽destination.

In 20 years of writing guidebooks about the country, I’ve learned that Nepal has far more to offer trekkers than the famous hike to聽Everest. The world鈥檚 highest mountain dominates news headlines, sucking up all the oxygen in the room. But Everest has serious downsides鈥攏otably high-season overcrowding, the hassles (and dangers) of flying into Lukla airport, and the dangers of traveling to聽such high altitude. Most tour leaders agree that Nepal鈥檚 best trekking experiences actually remain outside the Everest region.

So, where else should you trek in Nepal? Choosing the perfect trail depends largely on your priorities. If you want a logistically simple, budget-friendly hike, and you also enjoy the social side of trekking, then opt for a teahouse route like the Annapurna Sanctuary or Langtang Valley. On these trails you can get meals and a bed en route鈥�you can also spend the evenings trading tales with a collection of like-minded travelers.

If you prefer a quieter experience, as I do, try a less popular teahouse route such as around the one that circumnavigates 26,781-foot聽Manaslu, perhaps in shoulder season. I’d also suggest a camping trek like the ones to Kangchenjunga or Makalu Base Camp, generally organized with porters and a guide, which allows you to soak up achingly beautiful landscapes in splendid isolation. If village culture and Buddhist monasteries are more your thing, then head to the Tibetan regions of Mustang or Dolpo.

And if committing to a single Nepal trek feels like having to choose your favorite child, don鈥檛 worry. Nepal鈥檚 unrivaled combination of spectacular Himalayan scenery, logistical ease, and charming people means that you are almost certain to come back for another round. So, if you are finally ready to look beyond Everest, here are our favorite other treks in Nepal.

Around Manaslu: Nepal鈥檚 Best Teahouse Trek

Duration: 11 to 12 days
When to Go: April to May, October聽t0 November
Maximum Elevation: 16,785″
Permit: U.S. $75-100 permit, plus Manaslu Conservation Area and Annapurna Conservation Area (ACAP) permits, $22 each.

Why we love it: If only there was one trail that combined magnificent high-altitude scenery, traditional Tibetan-style villages and the comfortable lodges that Nepal is famous for, but without the crowds of Everest and the Annapurnas. Well, don鈥檛 tell anyone, but Manaslu has all of that, and I feel totally justified in calling it Nepal鈥檚 single best teahouse trek. Highlights include waterfall-lined gorges, epic views of the world鈥檚 tenth highest peak, the snowfields of the Larkye La pass,聽and some of the Himalaya鈥檚 most beautiful glacial lakes. The route鈥檚 optional detour to Pungyen Glacier might well be my favorite day hike in the entire Himalaya.

Need to know: Cramped buses and shared jeeps run to the trailheads, but for sanity鈥檚 sake, it鈥檚 worth splurging to hire your own jeep. Bring Microspikes for the often icy crossing of the Larkye La pass.

Kangchenjunga North & South: Trek to the World鈥檚 Third Highest Peak

Duration: 15 to 20 days
When to Go: March to May, October to November
Maximum Elevation: 16,863″
Permits: U.S. $20 per week, plus $22 conservation area fee.

Why we love it: Way out in the far eastern corner of Nepal, on the border with India鈥檚 Sikkim province, lies a monster: 28,169″ Kangchenjunga, the world鈥檚 third highest peak (presumed the world鈥檚 highest until the fifties). Getting here takes time but the rewards are immense, from traditional Limbu villages and stunning springtime rhododendron blooms, to high yak pastures and neck-craning views of Kangchenjunga鈥檚 five sacred summits. Separate routes lead to the southern and northern base camps, but the best itinerary combines both by crossing the Mirgin La pass in one incredible trek.

Need to know: The simple local teahouses that line the routes offer basic food and porter accommodation, meaning you can cut down on heavy supplies such as fuel and food and turn this into a hybrid teahouse-camping trek. Getting to the trailhead involves some effort: most likely a flight to Bhadrapur and then a day-long jeep ride.

Langtang Valley: The Best Bang for Your Buck

Duration: 7 to 9 days
When to Go: September to May
Maximum Elevation: 12,697″
Permits: Langtang National Park fee $22

Why we love it: Nepal鈥檚 third most popular trekking area is just a day鈥檚 bus ride from the capital Kathmandu and packs a powerful scenic punch for a relatively short time investment. In a week, you鈥檒l climb through lush forests up into alpine pastures, crossing the ruins of former Langtang village, destroyed by a landslide during Nepal鈥檚 catastrophic 2015 earthquake.

The real highlight of the trek is basing yourself in the highest village of Kyanjin Gompa for several days of awesome radial day hikes, up to dramatic glacier and lake viewpoints or yak pastures just a stone鈥檚 throw from the Tibetan border. It鈥檚 hard to imagine a better week in the mountains.

Need to know: Good lodges line the Langtang Valley, offering food and accommodation every couple of hours. Kyangjin Gompa even offers a bakery-cafe and locally-made nak cheese (a nak is a female yak). Combo options with nearby Gosainkund and the community-based Tamang Heritage Trail make for great extensions if you have time.

Gosainkund & Helambu: Sacred Lakes & Himalayan Panoramas

Duration: 6 days
When to Go: April to May, October t0 November
Maximum Elevation: 15,124″
Permits: Langtang National Park fee U.S. $22

Why we love it: A great add-on to the Langtang Valley trek, this underrated walk climbs past panoramic Himalayan views into the high bowl and dozen sacred lakes of Gosainkund. Be sure to budget half a day to explore the main lake, adorned with Buddhist cairns and Hindu tridents, as well as some of the lesser-visited tarns. During the August monsoon, thousands of sadhus (holy men) make the trek here to celebrate the lake鈥檚 associations with the Hindu god Shiva.

From Gosainkund the trail crosses the rugged pass of the Laurebina La and then plummets through wild valleys to reach big Himalayan views at Tharepati ridge. From here, it鈥檚 a day鈥檚 descent through the rhododendron forests of Helambu to the roadhead at Kutumsang.

Need to know: This is one trek where you have to watch out for altitude sickness, as the first few days see rapid altitude gain. Consider acclimatizing on the Langtang Valley trek first. Instead of ending at Kutumsang, you can continue for another two or three days, descending through Shivapuri National Park to enter the Kathmandu Valley on foot, a stone鈥檚 throw from the yak steaks and two-for-one cocktails of Thamel.

Upper Mustang: A Former Himalayan Kingdom

Duration: 10 days
When to Go: May to October
Maximum Elevation: 14,190″
Permits: U.S. $500 for the first ten days, then $50 per day

Why we love it: A thumb of Nepal sticking into the Tibetan plateau, the former Himalayan kingdom of Mustang, off-limits to foreigners until the nineties, represents one of the world鈥檚 last pockets of unfettered traditional Tibetan culture. The scenery is more Tibet than Nepal鈥攁 dusty, treeless, high desert of Martian landscapes, and fantastical, eroded valleys. It鈥檚 also home to some of the finest Buddhist murals in the Tibetan world, in the spectacular temples of the walled capital of Lo Manthang, but also hidden in cliffside cave complexes. This is one trek where culture ranks higher than high mountain scenery.

Need to know: An unpaved road popular with Nepali motorcyclists now connects Jomsom airport on the Annapurna Circuit to Lo Manthang and the China border beyond, but hiking trails avoid most of the road, especially if, like I did, you return down the roadless eastern side of the valley, via Tange and Tetang. Here鈥檚 another tip: splash out on the high-end Royal Mustang Resort in Lo Manthang, belonging to the former royal family of Mustang, but book well in advance if coming for the spectacular masked dances of the Tiji festival in May.

Annapurna Sanctuary: The Best Annapurna Teahouse Trek

Duration: 10 days
When to Go: April to May, October聽t0 November
Maximum Elevation: 13,345″
Permits: $22 ACAP permit, best purchased before departure

Why we love it: The most popular of the routes winding into the stunning Annapurna massif in central Nepal, the sanctuary is a classic Himalayan journey. It starts in sultry rice fields and climbs through ethnic Gurung villages until entering a breathtaking high mountain cul-de-sac, surrounded by the horizon-filling peaks of Machhapuchhare, Hiunchuli, and Annapurna鈥檚 epic south face (26,545″).

Need to know: While the long-popular Annapurna Circuit has been transformed by roads along 70 percent of its course (the reason it鈥檚 not listed here), the Sanctuary remains road-free. The clearly marked trails, excellent teahouses, and relatively short duration make it an understandably popular trail, so try to visit toward the beginning or end of the season.

Tarap Valley Loop: A Taste of Tibetan-style Dolpo

Duration: 9 Days
When to Go: May to October
Maximum Elevation: 17,356″
Permits: $20 for the first week, then $5 per day

Why we love it: The remote western region of Dolpo ranks with Mustang as one of the Himalaya鈥檚 most fabled and little-visited regions. This Tarap Valley trek stays in lower Dolpo, enjoying much of the same traditional Tibetan culture and unspoiled wilderness of remoter upper Dolpo, but without the latter鈥檚 eye-watering $500 permit. Highlights include timeless villages, iconic stupas, and the monasteries around Do Tarap village, plus the stunning high passes of the Numa La and Baga La and a night beside Nepal鈥檚 most beautiful lake, Phoksumdo. Only a few agencies offer this trek, but it鈥檚 a real hidden gem.

To venture even further off the beaten track, use Phoksumdo as the jumping off point for an expedition into upper Dolpo, following in the footsteps of George Schaller and Peter Matthiessen to reach the crystal monastery of Shey, as described in the Matthiessen鈥檚 classic travelogue The Snow Leopard.

Need to know: This is a camping trek requiring a restricted area permit, so you鈥檒l have to trek with a registered guide and, most likely, porters to help carry your equipment. Start the trek by flying into Juphal airstrip from either Kathmandu or Nepalganj.

Makalu Base Camp: The Heart of the High Himalaya

Duration: 13 Days
When to go: March to May, October聽t0 November
Maximum Elevation:聽16,404″
Permits: $20 per week, plus $22 Makalu Barun National Park fee

Why we love it: This rugged trek remains deliciously off the beaten trek. Despite being the world’s fifth highest peak (at 27,762″), there are so many awesome mountains in Nepal that many people haven鈥檛 even heard of Makalu. The route takes you from the Arun river, over ridges, pastures, and the Shipton pass, to follow the Barun valley into the very heart of the high Himalaya. The astonishing views of Makalu, Lhotse, Baruntse, and Everest鈥檚 Kangshung face are as dramatic as you鈥檒l find anywhere in the world. The only downside: you have to return the way you came.

Need to know: Simple trekking lodges line the route in high season but they do fill up, so come with a backup tent. Access is via a prop flight to Tumlingtar.

Annapurna North Base Camp: Historic, Short, and Spectacular

Duration: 6-7 Days
When to Go: March to May, October to November
Maximum Elevation: 14,124″
Permits: $22 ACAP permit

Why we love it: Here鈥檚 a wild card. Not many people know about this short but spectacular camping trek that leaves the Annapurna crowds in the dust to follow Maurice Herzog鈥檚 classic 1950 expedition route to Annapurna I (the first time an 8,000 meter peak was summited鈥攔ead his adventure classic Annapurna). No other trek gets you so close to such epic mountains so quickly. A three-day valley approach drops you at Narchang Lake and Annapurna North Base Camp, from where astounding day hikes lead to a series of high base camps and close-up mountain views of the Annapurna, Tilicho, and Nilgiri peaks. This is high mountain heaven, served with a deep slice of climbing history.

Need to know: You鈥檒l need a 4WD from Pokhara or Tatopani to take you up the spectacular mountain road to the trailhead.

Bradley Mayhew is a travel writer specializing in the mountains of Asia, and is the author of Lonely Planet guides to Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Central Asia and others.

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After avoiding illness during the 11-day trek from Lukla to Base Camp, our Mount Everest reporter Ben Ayers came down with the dreaded “Khumbu Cough” while living amongst the guides and climbers for several weeks. The sickness got bad enough that Ayers returned to lower elevation to rest and recover for several days, before heading back.

In his latest video dispatch, Ayers explains why daily life at Mount Everest Base Camp is so hard on the human immune system.

Ben Ayers聽(right) is a filmmaker, journalist, and adventurer who splits his time between Vermont and Nepal. In 2016 he led an expedition to document the last harvest of wild cliff honey by Nepal鈥檚 Kulung Rai people for聽National Geographic.听

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The trek to Mount Everest Base Camp in Nepal has become a popular adventure for hikers, and every hear tens of thousands of tourists complete the journey.

But what should hikers know about the journey? Should you hire a guiding company, or hike by yourself? What’s the food like? And how hard is the altitude on your body?

This past April,聽国产吃瓜黑料’s Everest columnist Ben Ayers did the 11-day hike from the town of Lukla in the Himalayan foothills聽to Mount Everest, and documented his journey via a series of travelogue journals, feature stories, and videos. In his latest Dispatches from Everest video, Ayers offers crucial advice for trekkers who dream of one day completing the journey.

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Hardcore Mount Everest geeks (myself included) can close their eyes and envision route connecting Nepal’s Base Camp to the summit.

The Southeast Ridge ascent passes the familiar landmarks that, over the decades, have come to define the peak: Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, Lhotse Face, South Col, and of course the Hillary Step. And last year, a drone video made by Chinese manufacturer DJI helped fans view every step up the ascent in a thrilling eight-minute clip.

But what about Mount Everest’s Northeast Ridge route? The peak’s other flank, which sits in Tibet, does not have the same level of name recognition as the southern route. This is despite the fact that 100 or so climbers ascend the northern flank each year, including teams led by British-American guide Adrian Ballinger, and Austrian guide Lukas Furtenbach.

But a new high-definition drone video may help Everest fanatics who will never set foot on the peak better understand the nothern route.

In June, Chinese high-altitude photographer Ma Chunlin published a crips video that captures the north slope ascent in a single and uninterrupted cut.

, a state-run news outlet, Ma Chunlin hiked to the advanced base camp in Tibet at 21,325 feet and then waited for clear skies and calm winds to launch his draft.

“The shoot had to begin at sunrise, timed down to the exact minute, and follow the climbing route precisely, without a single error in camera movement,” the story states.

I wholeheartedly encourage you to watch the 4:30 clip鈥攊t’s stunning overhead images capture the mixture of snow, rock, and ice that climbers must navigate on the way to the top. It showcases the seemingly precarious spots of Camp I on a snow-covered ridge and Camp II in a wind-sept slope, as well as the iconic yellow band just below the top. No, it’s still not as cool as the 2024 virtual reality film The Quest: Everest VR.听But it’s definitely a welcomed addition to the growing collection of high-altitude Everest footage.

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Conditions can be inhospitable at the foot of Mount Everest. Swirling winds blow snow and debris, overnight temperatures drop below zero degrees Fahrenheit, and the midday sun will burn uncovered skin and gear.

Our Everest correspondent, Ben Ayers, recently spent a month living at the Mount Everest Base Camp. During that time, Ayers tested a long list of gear, from boots and socks, to undergarments. In his latest video, Ayers discusses the gear that helped him live at 17,500: puffy coats, insulated pants, sunglasses, and sleeping bags.

Want to stay up on 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 2025 Everest Season coverage? Sign up for our聽.

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The trek to Mount Everest Base Camp is the ideal setting to test gear, due to the rugged terrain, tough living conditions, and massive fluctuations in temperature. In May, our reporter Ben Ayers completed the 11-day hike to Mount Everest Base Camp, before spending a month living at 17,500 feet.

During his reporting mission, Ayers tested a wide range of gear. He says that smart use of base layer and midl ayer garmets kept him warm and dry amid the temperature changes. In his latest video, Ayers discusses the often overlooked clothing that helped him thrive.

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