Great Himalaya Trail

The Great Himalaya Trail is the full thru-hike of Nepal — 1,700 km along the entire Nepalese Himalaya from Kanchenjunga (8,586 m, the world's third-highest peak) in the east to Humla on the Tibetan border in the west, traversing 10 distinct trekking regions including all the famous ones (Everest, Manaslu, Annapurna, Dolpo). Conceived in 2009 by Nepal Tourism Board and Robin Boustead, it knits existing regional treks into a single continuous east-to-west line and represents one of the most ambitious thru-hikes anywhere.

The trail comes in two flavours. The High Route (Upper GHT) stays at 3,000–6,000 m for most of its length, crossing dozens of 5,000 m+ passes including the iconic Sherpani Col (6,150 m, with rope work) between the Makalu and Everest regions. It's the rawer experience but demands 5+ months and serious high-altitude mountaineering skills on certain sections. The Low Route (Cultural GHT) stays at lower altitudes (1,500–3,000 m), threading authentic villages and terraced hill country, and can be walked in 100 days at less extreme altitudes. Most thru-hikers cover the famous Everest/Annapurna/Manaslu sections on the High Route and drop to the Low Route for the remote eastern and western ends.

Walking season is mid-September to early December for east-to-west travelers (or March–May for west-to-east). Restricted-area permits are required for Kanchenjunga, Makalu, Manaslu, Mustang, Dolpo, and Humla — every section except Everest and Annapurna requires a licensed guide and a minimum group of two. Total cost runs $15,000–25,000 per person for the supported 150-day trek; unsupported attempts are essentially impossible due to permit rules. Only around 100 people have completed the full GHT since 2011. Robin Boustead's *The Great Himalaya Trail* (Cicerone) is the canonical guide.