Monsoon Trekking

[johnboywalton]

I'm looking for some practical, no bullshit information on trekking in Nepal - specifically Annapurna and EBC - in June and July. I'll be in Asia for a full year and will have to be SOMEWHERE for the monsoons, so I am trying to figure out if Nepal would be a waste of time during the summer. Keep in mind that I have been trekking elsewhere in Asia during the monsoons before, so rain and mud don't bother me.

A lot of the time, travel guides tell you the horror story, worst case scenario. What's the real deal?

1) Leeches. Everything mentions leeches. They make it sound like if you stand under a tree, a dozen leeches will fall off the thing and attack you. If you stand next to a stream, they'll come flying out of the water at you. Just how bad is it?

2) Do the trails get washed out?

3) Is the cloud cover so thick you can't see anything? Keep in mind I am expecting it to be too cloudy to see much of a view some of the time, and on some days all of the time. What is the real deal there?

[Michael Sunkist]

Dude, you won't believe the leeches. In some places you can see them by the thousands standing up on the trail waiting for you to walk thru. They can feel the vibrations you make on the trail. I have stepped aside to let mule trains pass me only to find later a dozen leeches hanging in the brush hopped on my pack and found their way down my neck before the days trekking was out. They inject a painkiller when they bite you so you won't feel them but you sure will when you disrobe at the end of the day. Hope you like wet boots, clothes, etc. The rains are intense. Also when you get to the high altitude for sight seeing all you'll see is clouds, no gorgeous peaks unless you get a rare break in the sky. Happy trails

[Oli]

Fly up to Jomsom, above the leech line (with luck) you'll find the Mustang valley is in a bit of a rain shadow as Annapurna and Dhaulagiri protect it from the monsoon, and the crops make the landscape more lush than during the peak trekking seasons.

To some extent I'm guessing, but I think it might be worth considering. You'll be needing a local crew & permits as it's not teahouse trekking, so a bit more expensive.

[johnboywalton]

That is exactly what I was looking for - an idea of how bad the leeches are. I'm used to having to pull a leech, maybe two, off my body every day - not a horde of them.

So what is the ebb and flow of the monsoon up there? Are things clearing up by August?

[Nick Nepal]

That is exactly what I was looking for - an idea of how bad the leeches are. I'm used to having to pull a leech, maybe two, off my body every day - not a horde of them.

So what is the ebb and flow of the monsoon up there? Are things clearing up by August?

Not really some of lower Mustang (tea houses) is also in general in the rain shadow check your map.. Jomsom up to Muktinath taking in Kagbeni and jharkot you are then pretty much O.K. down to Tuckche..If you do not mind loosing the odd pint or two and walking well get down for some good food in Tatopani in a couple of reasonable days you can then bail out (no pun intended) not far from here and take a bus back to Pokhara from Beni.
One tip for leeches is the local chewing tobacco which comes in a small yellow tin
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