Trekking in Nepal in March

March is the beginning of spring and warmer weather. Westerly disturbances from the Arabian Sea or The Hindu Kush bring snowfall to Nepal’s higher elevations in March. Despite more snowfall in the higher mountains than during the winter, it is warmer, and the warmth helps melt the snow. However, the precipitation can make the trails wet, muddy, and slippery. Take precautions 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 favourite trekking trails if you are an experienced hiker, except for the less trodden treks such as Manaslu Circuit, Upper Dolpo Circuit, or Dolpo Traverse, because deep snow will make it challenging to get through the passes that are above 5000 meters.

As always – it pays to invest in the right equipment such as a suitable down jacket, sleeping bag, a couple of layers of fleece, the right thermal underwear, thick hiking socks, gloves, trekking pants, and warm hats, to name a few essential gears. 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 March.

It 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. The rain and snow are good as they can clear the clouds and clear the clouds for excellent mountain views the following day.

1) The spring rain, hail, or snow can drop the Rhododendron petals and make the forest floors bright and colourful.

2) All the lodges and restaurants will be open during the spring season.

3) You will be warm while hiking in the sunny weather – perhaps even sweat on the uphill climbs.

4) You will get to meet many other trekkers in the lodges.

5) All food on the menu will be available.

6) The lodges will be fully stocked.

Can I do a high-altitude trek in Nepal during March?

You can undoubtedly do a high-altitude trek in Nepal during March. This is because we receive some monthly precipitation for a few days. However, we receive more massive snowfalls during February and March rather than in the middle of winter.

Dangers/Inconveniences of trekking in Nepal during winter.

1) The lodges can be crowded with other trekkers and their support crew, such as guides and porters.

2) The Internet can be prolonged due to many people who have logged on.

3) There could be a lot of people queuing for hot showers.

4) The food might take longer to be prepared due to the number of people staying at the lodge.

5) The toilet floors could be wet and dirty due to the muddy trails.

6) The paths could be icy or muddy due to the spring rain/snowfall. However, the trail could be, and dirt can camouflage the ice.

7) There could be very windy conditions as mid-March is the beginning of the windy season.

8) You will likely face rain in the lower elevations and snow in the higher mountains during March.

9) The views might not be as good in spring as during late autumn and winter. Forest fires could worsen the views during spring.

10) Sudden windy conditions bring rain or hail storms during March, which is the windy season. In addition, you have to be careful of flying debris, such as signboards, tin roofs, falling branches, and even trees that get uprooted.

Trekking during the second half of March 2020 was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 2022 experienced the average amount of rain and snowfall depending on the altitude of the locations in Nepal. Mid-March is the beginning of the windy season here, but it wasn’t windy this year.

March 2021, experienced a dry mouth. However, there was some rainfall in the first week, and the last day of March saw the most rain of the year.

March 2020 experienced average rainfall with the usual gusts of wind, thunder, and lightning in different parts of the country. The visibility and environment were much cleaner and clearer due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
March 2019 experienced good rain and snowfall. We witnessed more precipitation than in the past two decades, especially during March’s beginning and the end.

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