Nepal’s Himalaya

If there is a trail runner’s dream trip, it’s most certainly moving through the Himalaya. Ranking high on the where to go first list is Nepal’s Khumbu Valley, home to Everest.

In many ways, the Himalaya are quite similar to the Alps. There is a vast trail network, the trails tend to be very good for running, and there is food and lodging readily available allowing you to travel light. In the Himalaya, you will actually have many of the same luxuries, although on a far less luxurious scale. Traveling at over 4000 meters, among the biggest mountains in the world, having a bed to snuggle into in a private room with unrivaled mountain views feels pretty blissful.

From a cultural standpoint, witnessing how the Nepali people live is fascinating. So much of our experience is impacted by elevation and weather factors. But people live, and thrive, in these places where we come to “adventure.” While you’re trying to manage your adaptation to altitude, you’ll surely notice small children flying by on the same trails, book bags bouncing, trying to not be late for school.

Meanwhile, many of the visuals we all have in mind of the Himalaya are thanks to Buddhism. The ubiquitous prayer flags, prayer wheels, monasteries, mani stone walls, and monks are all very much a part of daily life and what you’ll experience.

Finally, and perhaps also thanks to Buddhism, the Nepali people are famously kind, gentle, full of joy, generous, playful, and proud of what they offer in the mountains.

There is a well known saying about traveling to Nepal that I fully agree with, “You come for the mountains, you return for the people.”

So many variables to deal with so you get to do this

Trail Running at Elevation

At some level, everyone going to the Himalaya has a common objective: to experience the biggest and most dramatic mountains in the world. The level of engagement with the process is dependent on the activity you are doing. Everyone has to deal with elevation. But once you bring in a performative component by running, mountaineering, or especially alpinism, the whole process becomes more complex.

After twelve trips of my own to the Himalaya, I’ve come to understand that a huge part of the experience is that everything I think I know about being a mountain athlete will be put to the test.

General mountain skills are a must and should be so well developed that you can continue to make good decisions even when fatigued or in a situation where you need to react quickly.

Gear needs to function perfectly and hold up to daily abuse. You need to have just the right amount of quality gear.

Nailing nutrition and hydration becomes absolutely essential to maintain health, energy, weight, to prevent too much muscle loss, to help acclimate, and even to stay warm and sleep better.

Understanding your body to allow it to recover as efficiently as possible is crucial. Elevation plays tricks on us—when we think we’re doing just fine and push things a bit, we can dip into the red zone from which it is hard to pull out of. Ueli Steck once explained to me that athletes can have a harder time adapting to elevation factors because they don’t let their foot off the gas. They continue to try to perform as they would at lower elevation. Non-athletes are often more likely to acknowledge that the elevation is doing damage (because it hurts!), slow down, and actually adjust a bit better.

For athletes, mental challenges also take some new forms. Doubting one’s ability to continue might take form unexpectedly because exhaustion and fatigue can kick in seemingly without the usual suspects—time on feet, distance, and vert. Instead, mental challenges can come purely from the elevation, or the mismanagement of any of these other factors.

Training for performing well and consistently at elevation was an incentive for us to work with specialized coaches at Uphill Athlete. Through the process, we learned an enormous amount about how best to prepare our bodies, how to most effectively acclimate upon arrival, and how to manage ourselves to remain as healthy as possible. Going to the Himalaya provides an opportunity to learn more about being a mountain athlete.

Maintaining control is a key skill in the mountains. We do this by being prepared, minimizing risk, and managing exposure to things that may cause the loss of control. In the Himalaya, with the elevation, the weather, the food, and the “out there” nature of it all, the ability to perform while having less control and being flexible is essential.

Rapid weather changes are a big issue in the Himalaya. Your gear plays a role, but even more so your mountain skills in recognizing patterns and red flags. Not getting caught out in threatening weather, or at least not too far out, is important.

Finally, managing all of this while planning and being there is a big part of the game. It’s as rewarding as the views. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin

Professional alpinist and fellow regular in Chukhung, David Göttler, keeping the pipes clean

Even pulling all of this off as best as you can, you can still get sick, either from altitude or germs, and fail at a set objective. Thankfully, even if this happens, all the other layers of Nepal more than make up for any disappointment of not fulfilling a goal.

On top of Chukhung Ri, 5600 meters, with Lhotse behind

There’s so much to do above the trails if you push it a little higher

Ultimately, and very simply put, a trail running tour in the Himalaya, and especially the Khumbu Valley’s Everest Region, is an enormously rewarding experience. The possibilities are endless.

By Dan Patitucci