Every trek on our website has a grade: easy, moderate, strenuous or challenging. Grades are a shortcut, and they can't capture everything about a trek, but they help you choose. Here is what our grades mean, what goes into them and how to match a trek to your fitness and experience.
Quick answer: easy treks have short days and stay below about 3,000 m; moderate treks have 5–7 hour days on good trails and reach up to about 4,600 m; strenuous treks go to 5,000 m or higher, often over a high pass, with long days; challenging treks link several high passes with rough, icy or glaciated sections. Altitude matters more than distance. Choose a grade below your limit for your first trek in the Himalaya.
What we consider
- Walking time: hours per day and number of consecutive days.
- Altitude: the highest point and the highest sleeping altitude.
- Terrain: stone steps, rough moraine, snow, glacier or river crossings.
- Passes: whether there is a high pass with a long, cold day.
- Remoteness: how far you are from roads, lodges and help.
- Facilities: comfortable lodges, basic homestays or camping.
Our grades
| Grade | Daily walking | Altitude | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2–5 hours | Below about 3,000 m | Australian Camp, Ghandruk, Chisapani–Nagarkot |
| Easy to moderate | 4–6 hours | Up to about 3,700 m | Poon Hill, Helambu |
| Moderate | 5–7 hours | Up to about 4,600 m on good trails | Annapurna Base Camp, Mardi Himal, Ama Dablam Base Camp |
| Strenuous | 5–8 hours, some longer days | 5,000 m and above, often a high pass | Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit, Manaslu Circuit, Dhaulagiri Circuit |
| Challenging | 6–10 hours on pass days | Several passes over 5,300 m, glacier or steep, icy sections | Everest Three Passes |
Why altitude changes everything
A 6-hour day at 1,500 m and a 6-hour day at 5,000 m are completely different. Above about 3,000 m, there is less oxygen in each breath, so you walk more slowly, sleep less well and tire more quickly. Some people adapt easily; others don't, regardless of fitness. That is why our itineraries include acclimatisation days and why we grade high treks more strictly. Read our altitude sickness guide.
How fit do you need to be?
- Easy: you walk regularly and can manage a few hours on hilly paths.
- Moderate: you can walk 15–20 km with significant climbing and do it again the next day.
- Strenuous: as above, plus previous multi-day trekking experience, ideally at altitude.
Two or three months of hill walking, stair climbing and cardio will make any trek more enjoyable. See our training guide.
Choosing your trek
- First time in the Himalaya: choose an easy or moderate trek, and keep the high passes for next time.
- Short on time: a shorter, lower trek is better than rushing a high one.
- Travelling with children or older relatives: easy treks near Pokhara or Kathmandu.
- Experienced trekkers: strenuous treks offer quieter trails and wilder landscapes.
See also our best treks for beginners and first-time trekking mistakes. Contact us and we'll recommend the right trek for you.