Ghorepani Poon Hill Trek in October

Dry, firm and busy. The Ulleri staircase is at its most pleasant in October air, the forest is open and quiet with the flowers long gone, and the descent to Ghandruk is fast.

The panorama is the thing. Dhaulagiri at 8,167m sits directly across the Kali Gandaki from the viewpoint, with Annapurna South, Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhre filling the east, and in October you can see the individual ridgelines rather than a white mass. It is the view every photograph of this trek is trying to be.

The crowd is the cost. Between 4:45 and 5:15am the path from Ghorepani carries a continuous line of head torches, the wooden tower at the top fills, and the railing spots go early. It is still worth doing. It is not a solitary experience.

Peak season, and Poon Hill is one of the busiest trails in Nepal. Ghorepani lodges are full most nights in October and booking ahead is not optional in the middle of the month. Ghandruk and Tadhapani are busy without being tight.

Everything runs at full strength: staffed kitchens, complete menus, warm dining rooms. Dashain and Tihar fall in October or early November depending on the year, and around those weeks transport gets busier and some lodge staff travel home to their villages.

The Pokhara flight is at its most reliable and its most in-demand, and needs booking well in advance along with hotels at both ends. Roads are dry and fast. Nothing about October access is difficult, and everything about it needs arranging early.