Trekking Grades

Before you go on any hiking trip, you must know the grade or the difficulty level of the trip and its route. The trekking routes and trips are graded on the scale of 1 to 4 which will help you know if the hike you selected best suits your fitness and abilities or not.

For this rating, the physical difficulty involved, the degree of technicality of the landscape, and the risks associated have been taken into account.

Level 1: Easy and Accessible

This is more or less a nature-focused treks which are easily accessible, with short distances and minimal elevation changes. The daily walking stage can occur between 2 to 4 hours amid the nature with few to no obstacles en route.

The landscape is also mostly flat, and the route mostly follows clearly marked trails, mule tracks, or well-kept trails. The travel program is also relatively brief with elevation changes generally under 500 m and the maximum elevation of up to 3500 m with little or no risk of AMS.

There is also no requirement for special skills or physical training for participation. Examples: Ghorepani Poon Hill, Chitwan National Park, the Kathmandu Pokhara Tour, and the Lhasa Tour, among others.

Level 2: Moderate

On these levels of hikes, you can expect the elevation gain from 500 to 1000 m with the highest elevation reaching up to 4500 m. The walking trails vary from easy to intermediate difficulty with no technicality needed.

The daily walking stage also lasts between 4 to 6 hours occurring along the path that are generally clear of significant obstacles with the very less risk of accidents and minor injuries.

The routes mainly follow well-established paths across various terrains, including pastures and scree, and are usually clearly marked. Some experience in mountainous environments will be advantageous along with some hiking training.

Examples include the Everest Base Camp trek, Mardi Himal Trek, Annapurna Base Camp trek, Thousand Lakes Trek in Bhutan, and the Everest Base Camp journey in Tibet.

Level 3: Strenuous/Difficult

This category of trek consists of daily altitude change that exceeds 1000 m with the highest elevation reaching up to 5700 meters. The journey may include several passes as well that need to be tackled.

The routes are pretty demanding and the daily walking stage can last between 6 to 8 hours. This type of trekking trip is designed for those who are in a very good physical condition and who engage in regular exercise (at least twice a week).

A previous experience in mountain hiking is required along with the usage of some gear such as trekking pole. Some section along the route may contain technical difficulties such as such as scree, steep drops, vertigo, and some snowfields.

There is also a considerable risk of serious injury and accidents, making it essential to have good balance, and thorough physical preparation. Example include Everest Three Passes Trek, Kailash Mansarovar Trek, Upper Dolpo Trek etc.

Level 4: Very Hard and Technical

A very challenging tough trek that involves an altitude gain of over 1500 m with the highest elevation reaching above 5700 m. The daily walking stage also last between 7 to 9 hours across the terrain that involves some sports activities, technical skills, off-trail tracks, and high ledges.

This type of trekking trip is suitable to those who often explore mountainous regions and are in great shape used to 2 to 3 endurance training session per week.

The physical requirement is also intense with obstacles that include passes which height can go above 5000 m. You may need to use your hands in some section and some section may even need the use of ropes, harnesses, jumar etc.

The trails will also contain some steep ascents and descents with a considerable risks of accidents and injuries. So for this type of trek, it is important to have skill in using technical gear safely and have a good understanding of mountaineering conditions.

Examples include the Dhaulagiri Circuit Trek, Kanchenjunga Circuit Trek, etc.