Field Notes

Stories fromthe Himalayas

Long-form essays, gear tested at altitude, cultural dispatches from Nepal’s trekking corridors, and practical guides for every kind of traveler. Written by the people who walk these routes.

Prayer flag mound before Mount Kailash's south face, Tibet

Trekking

Aug 18, 202616 min read

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Nepal Route or India's MEA Yatra

India's government Kailash Mansarovar Yatra runs a lottery for roughly 1,000 seats a year, a mandatory medical exam, and 21 to 22 days on the trail. The private route via Nepal has no lottery and gets pilgrims to Kailash in 10 to 15 days, for a price that comes with its own paperwork to get right.

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Potala Palace seen from Potala Square, Lhasa

Trekking

Aug 18, 202615 min read

Lhasa Tour from Kathmandu Cost 2026: The Full Price Breakdown

A Lhasa tour from Kathmandu runs $900 to $1,975 across our three tour packages, and the flight is priced separately on two of them. Here is what the flight costs, what each package includes, and what a day in Lhasa costs beyond it.

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Jokhang Temple and Barkhor square from above, Lhasa

Trekking

Aug 18, 202617 min read

Tibet Travel Permit Cost 2026: The Full Fee and Visa Breakdown

Tibet's own permit is free. Getting there from Nepal still means a China Group Visa, an Alien's Travel Permit, and sometimes a military permit, none of which you can apply for yourself. Here is what each one costs and how long each takes.

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A mound of coloured prayer flags on the open plateau before the snow-covered pyramid of Mount Kailash under a heavy sky

Seasonal

Aug 11, 202616 min read

Best Time for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: 2026 Month by Month

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra season runs May to September. September brings the clearest skies and the thinnest crowds; May 2026 carries Saga Dawa's full moon inside the rare Fire Horse Year. Here is what changes month by month, and which one fits your trip.

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Two pilgrims prostrating on the rocky trail before the snow-covered south face of Mount Kailash under a deep blue sky

Trekking

Aug 11, 202614 min read

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Cost 2026 from Nepal: The Full Price Breakdown

The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra costs $1,975 for the 10 day overland route from Kathmandu, or $2,800 for the 15 day tour via Lhasa. Here is the full 2026 cost breakdown, from the Tibet group visa to pony hire on the kora.

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The snow-striped south face of Mount Kailash rising behind a dark foreground ridge under storm cloud, with the tip of a prayer-flag mound just visible below

Preparation

Aug 11, 202615 min read

Kailash Mansarovar Yatra Difficulty Level: What the Kora Actually Demands

Both of Mountain Hawk Trek's Kailash Mansarovar departures are rated Strenuous. The real difficulty is not technical, it is the 52km kora and the Dolma La Pass at 5,630m. Here is what that demands, and who should think twice.

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The summit pyramid of Everest and the long wall of Lhotse rising above a dark ridgeline, seen across the valley on a clear morning

Trekking

Aug 4, 202614 min read

The Gokyo Ri Climb: Timing, Trail and What to Expect

What the pre-dawn climb to Gokyo Ri actually involves: when to leave, how long it takes and why that number moves, the cold at the top, and what to do instead if you skip it.

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Four trekkers in down jackets and wool hats walking single file along a rocky ridgeline against a deep blue sky, with snow-covered Himalayan peaks filling the horizon behind them

Trekking

Aug 4, 202614 min read

Island Peak Climbing Cost: The Full 2026 Price Breakdown

The 19-day Island Peak package with Everest Base Camp costs USD 2,175 per person, permits included, and the 16-day direct route is USD 1,975. This breakdown prices both line by line and corrects an NMA permit fee that every competitor page checked still gets wrong.

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Preparation

Aug 4, 202614 min read

Mera Peak Climbing Difficulty: Why the Highest Trekking Peak Is Not the Hardest

Mera Peak is Nepal's highest trekking peak, and a non-technical one. The real difficulty is altitude and a 10 to 14 hour summit day, not rope work. Here is what separates it from Island Peak, and who it suits.

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