Poon Hill trek in February: what are the conditions?

Hello,

I know there are plenty of discussions on VF about the Poon Hill trek, but most seem outdated and/or don’t provide info specific to February. That’s why I’m bringing this topic back up.

Here’s my plan: - Spending about two weeks in Nepal in the first half of February. - Maybe extending by a few days to a week if needed. - Heading to Pokhara—first time for my partner, second for me (I was there in September/October 1982!). - Doing a relatively easy 4- to 5-day trek. We’re not exactly spring chickens anymore (though we’re in pretty good shape for our age). - We don’t want to go above 3,000–3,500 meters, deal with difficult sections if there’s too much snow, or face daytime temperatures below 10°C. No problem if it drops to 0–5°C at night since we’ll be sheltered somewhere.

So, I’m wondering if the Mardi Himal trek might be too demanding for us, and if we’d be better off sticking with Poon Hill. What do the experts think?

Namaste, I can’t even imagine the difference between Pokhara in ’82 and today. Poon Hill is a great idea in terms of accessibility. It’s a much less touristy time, quieter, and really pleasant to explore. The trek to Mardi Himal will push you higher than Ghorepani, so there’s more risk of snow. Over 4-5 days but still accessible, the area between Falgune Danda/Nagi/Karbakeli/Fulbari/Kokhe Danda with a return via Ghorepani/Poon Hill could be awesome—it’s doable, and the snow risk is possible but more limited than elsewhere since it’s not as high. Dobato on the other side is amazing but has a much higher risk of snow.

That said, I’d be careful about what you mentioned—no less than 10°C during the day. Honestly, with the altitude and the time of year, it’ll definitely be colder. That’s roughly the temperature you’d get in KTM overall, so at 2,500-3,000m, it’ll be colder for sure, especially in early February.

Hope this helps you get a clearer picture! :)

Namaste, I can't even imagine the difference between Pokhara in '82 and today. It's a good idea for Poon Hill in terms of accessibility. It's a much less touristy period, quieter, so more pleasant to explore. The trek to Mardi Himal will push you higher than Ghorepani, so there's more risk of snow. Over 4-5 days but still accessible, the area between Falgune Danda/Nagi/Karbakeli/Fulbari/Kokhe Danda with a return via Ghorepani/Poon Hill could be really great—it's accessible and the risk of snow is possible but more limited than elsewhere since it's not as high. Dobato on the other side is amazing but has a much higher risk of snow.

However, where I'd be careful is that you mentioned no less than 10°C during the day, and honestly, with the altitude and the time of year, it's certain it'll be colder. That's the temperature we generally have in KTM, so at 2500-3000m, it'll definitely be colder, especially in early February.

Hope this helps you see things more clearly! :)

Thanks, Terry, for your message.

I read there’s a long, steep section with endless stairs. That could be a problem, especially if it’s icy...

Personally, I don’t have an issue with cold temperatures, even negative ones (I remember really cold winters in France when I was younger). It’s mostly for my Thai partner that I’m worried. The only ice she’s ever seen in her life is what they always put in beer in Thailand (😕), but I suppose with the right clothes and a proper sleeping bag, it should still be okay...

I’m wondering if the Mardi Himal trek might be too demanding for us, and if we’d be better off sticking with Poon Hill.

Hi there,

Poon Hill offers an amazing view of the Annapurnas! But it’s not as easy as it seems! Apparently, now (well, for many years actually), outside of monsoon season, local buses or minibuses leave Pokhara in the morning and go all the way to Ulleri. It’s a steep climb! Taking public transport to Ulleri lets you skip the thousands of exhausting stairs on the first day. From Ulleri, you’ve only got about 5 hours of hiking through rhododendron forests to reach Ghorepani village (2,870m), where you’ll stop before climbing Poon Hill (3,200m) the next day (or the day after). Personally, I did this route in the other direction (coming from Jomsom). The journey was tougher because we first went to Tatopani (1,150m) before climbing back up to Ghorepani (2,870m!) and then Poon Hill (3,200m)—a 1,700m elevation gain! It’s hard to predict the weather for February, but I’ve got a question: You’re retired, so why not give yourself the best chance in terms of temperature and rainfall? Last time, you went during the monsoon, and this time you want to face the cold? If you go in March, the weather will be better than in February!

I’m wondering if the Mardi Himal trek might be too demanding for us, and if we’d be better off opting for Poon Hill instead.

Hi there,

Poon Hill offers an amazing view of the Annapurnas! But it’s not as easy as it seems! Apparently, now (well, for many years actually) outside of monsoon season, local buses or minibuses leave Pokhara in the morning and go all the way to Ulleri. It’s a steep climb! Taking public transport to Ulleri lets you skip the thousands of exhausting stairs on the first day. From Ulleri, you’ve only got about 5 hours of hiking through rhododendron forests to reach Ghorepani village (2,870m), where you’ll stop before climbing Poon Hill the next day (or the day after) (3,200m). Personally, I did this route in the opposite direction (coming from Jomsom). The trip was harder because we first went to Tatopani (1,150m) before climbing back up to Ghorepani (2,870m!) and then Poon Hill (3,200m)—that’s 1,700m of elevation gain! It’s tough to predict the weather for February, but I’ve got a question: You’re retired, so why not give yourself the best chance in terms of temperature and rainfall? Last time, you went during the monsoon, and this time you’re planning to face the cold? If you go in March, it’ll be nicer than in February!

Going in March instead of February—yes, good suggestion. It just doesn’t fit with other arrangements I’ve already made. Maybe I’ll postpone Nepal for later...

Plus, from mid-March to April, the giant rhododendrons are in bloom!

I might well postpone Nepal for now...

You can definitely go in February. It’s unlikely you’ll be bothered by snow at those altitudes. Personally, in February I’ve already done the Everest Three Passes at over 5,400m. It was a bit tight for one snowy pass (Renjo La at 5,400m), but below 4,000m it wasn’t that cold during the day—though mornings, evenings, and of course nights saw temps drop below 0°C. Bring a "sleeping bag liner"—you’ll avoid carrying a sleeping bag since every lodge has thick duvets (a bit dusty). My wife used two of them (at 5,000m!)