Multi-day mountain trek

What's inside

1. Choose a route within your fitness

   Plan gradual elevation gain with a rest day every few days. Altitude sickness is not something to shrug off — learn its symptoms (headache, nausea, insomnia) in advance so you can catch it in yourself or your group early.

2. Get any required trekking permits

   Many popular routes require paid permits, sometimes date-restricted or requiring a guide. Check the specific park or region's rules ahead of time — rangers can turn you back at the trailhead without one.

3. Register your route and timeline

   Leave your route and dates with a trusted contact and, where available, local rescue services before you leave. If something goes wrong, they'll search where you said you'd be — not where you actually are.

4. Buy insurance covering trekking and evacuation

   A standard travel policy usually excludes high-altitude trekking. Get one that explicitly covers trekking up to your route's maximum altitude AND includes helicopter evacuation as a separate line item.

5. Pack an expanded first aid kit

   Beyond the basics: an elastic bandage for sprains, hydrocolloid blister plasters (regular ones don't hold up over multiple days), and an antihistamine for allergic reactions and stings.

6. Ask a doctor about altitude sickness medication

   Take altitude sickness medication only after a doctor's consultation — it has contraindications and side effects that can be riskier than the altitude sickness itself if misused.

7. Pack SPF 50 sunscreen and category 3–4 sunglasses

   At altitude, UV exposure is 30–50% stronger than at sea level — snow and thin air intensify it. Regular sunglasses won't cut it; you need category 3–4 lenses with side coverage against snow blindness.

8. Break in your trekking boots beforehand

   New boots on a multi-day trek are a guaranteed blister factory. Use trekking socks, not cotton — cotton holds moisture and chafes once it's wet.

9. Pack clothing in layers

   Base layer wicks moisture, insulating layer holds warmth, shell blocks wind and rain. In the mountains you can hit all four seasons in a single day.

10. Pack a hat and gloves even in summer

    Temperatures drop sharply at altitude and on passes regardless of the season in the valley. A lightweight set weighs almost nothing, and you'll be miserable on an exposed ridge without it.

11. Bring trekking poles

    On descents with a loaded pack, poles take real strain off your knees. On a multi-day route the difference is obvious by day two.

12. Fit your backpack to your back

    A properly fitted pack shifts weight to your hips instead of your shoulders — the difference between tired and in pain by day's end. Don't forget the rain cover.

13. Pick a sleeping bag rated for your actual nights

    Rate your sleeping bag for the nights on the route itself, not the valley at the trailhead — nighttime temperatures at altitude can run 15–20°C colder.

14. Bring a water filter or purification tablets

    Plan on 2+ liters of water per person per day, plus a way to refill from streams along the way — carrying all your water for several days isn't realistic.

15. Pack calorie-dense food plus an emergency reserve

    Choose food that's calorie-dense but light to carry, plus a separate untouched reserve for one extra day — routes often take longer than planned.

16. Bring a headlamp with spare batteries

    You'll need it for pre-dawn starts, late camp chores, and in case the day's hike runs past sunset.

17. Prepare offline navigation and a paper map

    Download the route as an offline track, carry a power bank, and pack a paper map as backup — electronics drain and glitch faster in the mountains than they do at home.

18. Pack a whistle and an emergency blanket

    They weigh almost nothing — a whistle carries where your voice won't, and a foil blanket genuinely prevents hypothermia if you're forced to stop and wait.

19. Check the weather window before setting out

    Check the forecast for the route's actual area and elevation, not the nearest valley town — mountain weather changes fast and very locally.

20. Plan a bailout option from any point

    Work out ahead of time how to descend quickly from any point on the route if weather turns or someone gets sick. A decision made calmly beforehand beats one made under pressure on the trail.

21. Weigh your pack and cut the excess

    Your pack shouldn't exceed roughly 20% of your body weight. Weigh it at home and ruthlessly cut anything you can live without.

22. Give close ones checkpoints and a call time

    Agree in advance: if you haven't checked in by a set time, they call rescuers instead of waiting a bit longer. A clear rule saves critical time in an emergency.