Trekking in Nepal in April

April is the middle of spring, and you can expect much warmer weather. Despite some snowfall in the higher elevations and rainfall in the mid to lower altitudes than during the winter, it is warmer, and the warmth helps to melt the snow quicker. This can make the trails wet, muddy, and slippery. Take every precaution to trek safely. When you come across wet stones/rocks, green or black rocks/trail, muddy trail, or roots of trees in the forest – assume it is slippery and tread carefully. You should make most of the popular trekking trails if you are an experienced hiker except for the less trodden treks such as Upper Dolpo Circuit or Traverse because deep snow will make it challenging to get through the passes above 5000 meters.

As always – it pays to invest in proper equipment such as a suitable down jacket, sleeping bag, a couple of layers of fleece, right thermal underwear, thick hiking socks, gloves, trekking pants, and warm hats, to name a few necessary gears to invest. It is always better to have more than less.

It is good to dress up in layers that you can ‘peel’ one at a time when you start to warm/heat up as you begin trekking.

Benefits of Trekking in Nepal Himalaya during April.

This is the spring season, and flowers bloom in the middle hills of Nepal. Rhododendron forests can be very colourful with white, pink, and crimson red (Nepal’s national flower) flowers in bloom, Magnolias and wild orchids, to name a few. However, the clouds can begin to form in the latter part of the day, and it can start raining at the lower altitude and snow in the higher elevations during the late afternoon or evening. This is a good thing as it can clear the clouds and clear the clouds for excellent mountain views the following day.

• The spring rain, hail, or snow can drop the Rhododendron petals and make the forest floors bright and colourful.
• All the lodges and restaurants will be open during the spring season.
• You will be warm while hiking in the sunny weather – perhaps even sweat on the uphill climbs.
• You will get to meet many other trekkers in the lodges.
• All food on the menu will be available.
• The lodges will be fully stocked.

Can I do a high-altitude trek in Nepal in April?

You can undoubtedly do a high-altitude trek in Nepal during April. This is a better time to do a high-altitude trek than February or March. We do receive some precipitation for a few days every month. We receive more massive snowfalls during February and March rather than in the middle of April.

Dangers/Inconveniences of trekking in Nepal during April.

• The lodges can be full of other trekkers and their support crew, such as guides and porters.
• The Internet can be very slow due to many people who have logged on.
• There might be a lot of people queuing for hot showers.
• The food could take longer due to the number of people staying at the lodge.
• The toilet floors could be wet and dirty due to the muddy trails.
• The paths could be icy or muddy due to the spring rain/snowfall. The trail could be slippery, and dirt can camouflage the ice.
• There could be very windy conditions from mid-March to the end of April as it is the windy season.
• You will likely face rain in the lower elevations and snow in the higher mountains during April.
• The views might not be as good in spring as it is during late autumn and April. In addition, forest fires could worsen the views during spring. 

The first rainfall of April 2021 arrived on the 8th and 9th of the month. It came at a crucial time when the Air Quality in Kathmandu and parts of Nepal was dangerously bad due to forest fires. The third week last and the five days of the month received a good amount of rainfall which also helped eliminate the pollution by forest fires.

 

April 2022 experienced a lot more precipitation than usual. However, it was not windy as is the norm during April. 

Trekking during April 2020 and 2021 was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

April 1st, 2020, brought a lot of heavy rain, hail, and snowfall. The nation witnessed strong wind and thunderstorms from the middle to the end of the month. Precipitation was 15 per cent higher than usual in April 2020. The COVID-19 lockdown considerably cleaned the skies as there was little to no land and air traffic.

April 2019 experienced, heavy rain, hail, and snowfalls throughout the month due to disturbances from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. As a result, domestic flights were delayed, while some afternoon flights were cancelled due to bad visibility.

April 2018 experienced more rainfall than the average caused by the Western disturbances and the Bay of Bengal.

 

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