Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek in February

Dry, firm and quick, with snow at Ghorepani less likely than in January and gone within a day or two when it comes. The Ulleri staircase is still the hardest hour of the trek and still easier in cool air than in warm.

Watch the low forest in the last ten days. Rhododendron flowers from the bottom up, and the stands above Tikhedhunga and Ulleri, around 1,500 to 2,000m, are the first to turn. It is a scattering rather than the canopy people book March and April for, but it is the first colour of the year and almost nobody is there for it.

Ghandruk is worth an unhurried afternoon in February. The stone-paved lanes and slate roofs of the Gurung village are at their best in low winter light, and with the trail quiet you can actually sit in the square without competing for a table.

Numbers build gently through the month without approaching the spring rush. You will meet other parties at every lodge and still get a choice of rooms at Ghorepani. Everything on the route is open and running normal service, and by the end of February owners are visibly preparing for March.

The Pokhara flight remains dependable through February, with the same occasional Kathmandu morning fog delaying early departures. Pokhara itself is quiet and easy for hotels. Nothing about February logistics needs planning around.