Trekking
Why Poon Hill Is the Perfect First Himalayan Trek
Four days, good lodges, no serious altitude and a sunrise that includes two 8,000 m peaks. If you are wondering whether trekking is for you, start here.
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There is a kind of trekker who wants the biggest possible adventure, and there is everyone else. For everyone else, Poon Hill is where a Himalayan trek should begin.
It is genuinely achievable
The highest sleeping point is Ghorepani at 2,860 m, below the altitude where acute mountain sickness becomes likely. Days are four to six hours of walking on well-made trails, and the lodges serve hot food, hot showers and sometimes cake.
The payoff is enormous
The pre-dawn climb to Poon Hill takes under an hour. From the top the view runs from Dhaulagiri in the west through the Annapurnas to Machhapuchhre, with two of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks in frame. In spring the forest below is red with rhododendron.
It teaches you what you need to know
Four days is enough to learn how your body handles stairs, cold mornings and a daily routine of walking, and to decide whether the ten-day treks appeal. Many people finish Poon Hill and start planning Annapurna Base Camp on the bus back to Pokhara.
Trekking is not about suffering. It is about walking somewhere beautiful, slowly, and sleeping where the walk ends.
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