Frequently Asked Questions

Planning & Booking

Use the booking form or WhatsApp button on any trip page, or contact us via the Contact page. Once we confirm your trip details we send full payment and cancellation terms. A deposit of 25% secures your booking; the balance is due 45 days before departure. For trips booked within 45 days of departure, full payment is required upfront.

Within 24 hours for standard trips. Custom or multi-region itineraries may take 48 hours; we’ll keep you updated. All quotes are itemised with no hidden costs. Use our Trip Planner to help us scope your requirements before we build your quote.

Yes — most of our guests request some form of customisation. You can adjust duration, difficulty, accommodation grade, starting point, or combine a trek with a cultural extension. We can also build fully bespoke itineraries within our operating regions of India (Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand), Nepal, and Bhutan. Contact us with your interests and we’ll design around them.

Yes. Solo travellers are welcome on all fixed-departure trips. If you’d prefer your own departure date, a private solo trip is available — contact us for a custom quote. Note that a solo surcharge typically applies as certain fixed costs (guide, permits, camp infrastructure) remain the same regardless of group size.

  • 60+ days before departure: Full refund minus deposit (25%)
  • 45–59 days: 40% of total trip cost forfeited
  • 30–44 days: 60% forfeited
  • Under 30 days: No refund

Cancellations due to government travel advisories, natural disasters, or force majeure events are handled on a case-by-case basis. We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers trip cancellation. See our full Booking Policies for the complete schedule.

We cap group sizes at 10 participants on all departures. Most expeditions run with 4–8 climbers. Small groups mean better safety management, more personal guide attention, and significantly less environmental impact at fragile high-altitude sites. Private departures are available on request for any group size from 1 upward.

Travel Insurance

Yes — without exception. Valid travel insurance is a non-negotiable condition of joining any Summit Routes trek or expedition. We verify coverage before departure; participants without qualifying insurance cannot join the trip.

A helicopter evacuation from a remote Himalayan location costs between USD 3,000 and USD 10,000 or more. Without insurance, that cost falls entirely on you — and in a genuine emergency, there is no time to arrange payment before the helicopter flies.

At minimum, your policy must include:

  • High-altitude mountaineering or trekking to the maximum altitude of your trip (always add 500m buffer when specifying to your insurer)
  • Emergency helicopter evacuation — minimum USD 100,000 coverage
  • Medical hospitalisation and emergency repatriation
  • Trip cancellation and curtailment

For expeditions above 5,000m, confirm in writing with your insurer that the altitude is specifically covered. Many standard “adventure” policies cap at 4,000m or 4,500m without an explicit upgrade.

A copy of your insurance certificate showing coverage details must be sent to us before your departure date.

Usually not without a specific upgrade. Standard policies do not cover trekking or climbing above 3,000–4,500m, technical mountaineering, or helicopter evacuation in remote areas.

When purchasing insurance, explicitly tell the insurer the maximum altitude you will reach and that the trip involves glacier travel and/or technical mountaineering. Get confirmation in writing.

Reputable providers with known Himalayan coverage include World Nomads, Battleface, True Traveller (UK), and Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance. We are not affiliated with any insurer — research the policy that matches your specific trip’s altitude and technical profile.

In a medical emergency our lead guide makes the call on evacuation — this decision cannot be overridden. The standard procedure is:

  1. Immediate first aid on site using our expedition medical kit (oxygen, Gamow bag, medications)
  2. Assisted descent to the nearest road-accessible point by our guides and support team
  3. Ground evacuation to the nearest hospital if the patient is stable enough to travel by vehicle
  4. Helicopter evacuation if ground transport is too slow — coordinated by our base coordinator with local aviation operators and, where required, the Indian Army or Nepal Army aviation units

Your insurer’s emergency assistance line coordinates repatriation from hospital. Keep their number saved in your phone before you travel.

Permits & Visas

Yes. Summit Routes arranges every permit required for your trip as part of the service. No paperwork is required from you beyond providing your passport details in advance. We use local partners only for permit acquisition — people who operate daily within these administrative systems and know the exact current requirements.

For the full breakdown by destination, see our Permits & Visas guide.

  • Inner Line Permit (ILP) — required for foreign nationals visiting restricted border areas including Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, and Tso Moriri. Not required for Indian nationals.
  • Hemis National Park Entry Fee — required for the Markha Valley circuit and related routes
  • Trekking Permit — for specific valley routes within Hemis NP and other regulated areas
  • Mountaineering Permit — required for peaks above a certain height, issued via the IMF or state bodies

We handle all of the above and will advise you of the current status for your specific route when you book. See also our Ladakh travel guide for current entry requirements.

  • TIMS Card — required for most trekking areas
  • National Park / Conservation Area Permits — e.g. Sagarmatha NP (Everest region), Annapurna Conservation Area, Manaslu Conservation Area
  • Restricted Area Permits — required for Manaslu Circuit, Upper Mustang, Dolpo, and Tsum Valley; carry a per-day fee and require a licensed trekking agency
  • Mountaineering Permits — issued by the NMA for trekking peaks; by the Government of Nepal for expedition peaks above 6,500m

The Manaslu Circuit requires a Restricted Area Permit in addition to the Conservation Area Permit and TIMS. Independent trekking in the restricted zone is not permitted — a licensed guide is mandatory, which Summit Routes provides.

All foreign visitors (except Indian, Bangladeshi, and Maldivian nationals) must enter through a licensed Bhutanese tour operator and pay the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) of USD 100 per person per night. Summit Routes manages the full Bhutan visa and entry process as part of your trip cost.

Read more about why Bhutan’s policy protects the trekking experience.

India: Most nationalities can apply for an e-Visa online (evisa.india.gov.in). A standard tourist e-Visa covers 30 or 90 days with double entry.

Nepal: Visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport and major land borders. Fees are USD 30 (15 days), USD 50 (30 days), or USD 125 (90 days).

Bhutan: Visa is arranged through Summit Routes as part of the booking — you cannot obtain a Bhutan visa independently.

Always verify current requirements for your specific passport with the relevant embassy. Our full Permits & Visas guide covers all three countries in detail.

Altitude & Health

Altitude sickness (AMS) occurs when the body doesn’t have enough time to adjust to reduced oxygen levels at high altitude. It can affect anyone regardless of fitness — the key risk factor is the speed of ascent, not physical ability.

Common symptoms (typically above 2,500–3,000m): headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, difficulty sleeping.

Serious forms — High-Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE) and High-Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) — are rare but life-threatening and require immediate descent. Our itineraries are designed with acclimatisation days and gradual ascent profiles to minimise risk. See our Altitude Sickness in the Himalaya guide.

Our guides conduct daily blood-oxygen checks with a pulse oximeter from the first high-altitude night onward. Any client showing AMS symptoms will not ascend further until symptoms resolve.

Non-negotiable rule: Any client showing signs of HACE or HAPE is descended immediately. This decision is made by the lead guide and cannot be overridden by the client under any circumstances.

All expeditions carry a Gamow hyperbaric bag, supplemental oxygen, and the medications Diamox, Dexamethasone, and Nifedipine for emergency management. In severe cases, helicopter evacuation is coordinated from the nearest landing zone. See our full altitude sickness guide for our complete emergency protocol.

Diamox accelerates acclimatisation by stimulating faster breathing. It is widely used in Himalayan travel and genuinely effective, particularly for rapid ascent itineraries such as flying directly to Leh at 3,500m. Common side effects include increased urination and tingling in the fingers and toes. It is a sulfonamide — people with sulfa allergies should not take it.

Consult your doctor 4–6 weeks before departure. Do not start Diamox for the first time on the day of your flight.

Diamox is a supplement to proper acclimatisation, not a substitute for it. It does not prevent HACE or HAPE.

The following conditions require medical clearance before joining any high-altitude trip (above 3,500m) and may preclude participation depending on severity:

  • Heart conditions (arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, recent cardiac events)
  • High blood pressure not well-controlled by medication
  • Severe asthma or chronic respiratory disease
  • History of HAPE or HACE on a previous trip
  • Recent surgery (within 3 months)
  • Sickle cell disease or trait
  • Severe anaemia
  • Pregnancy

This list is not exhaustive. If you have any significant health condition, please disclose it to us during booking and consult a travel medicine doctor before your trip. We treat this information in confidence.

On the Trek

Accommodation varies by region and trip type:

  • City nights (Srinagar, Leh, Kathmandu, Thimphu): Comfortable 3-star equivalent hotels with attached bathrooms, hot showers, and Wi-Fi. Specific hotels are listed on each trip page.
  • Mountain camps: High-quality double-wall expedition tents on a twin-sharing basis. A separate dining tent, kitchen tent, and toilet tent are erected at every campsite by our support team. Sleeping mats are provided; bring your own sleeping bag rated for the minimum temperature specified on your trip page.
  • Teahouse treks (Nepal popular routes): Local teahouse lodges with shared or private rooms depending on the season and route. Blankets provided; sleeping bag liner recommended.

Our mountain cooks prepare fresh, hot, high-calorie meals three times daily. Typical menus include daal and rice, pasta, chapati with sabzi, soups, eggs, porridge, and fresh bread baked in camp.

We accommodate the following dietary requirements with advance notice:

  • Vegetarian and vegan
  • Gluten-free (limited menu but manageable on most routes)
  • Nut allergies
  • Halal (all our Kashmir operations are already halal by default)

Please specify any dietary requirements at the time of booking — not the day before departure. Resupply on remote routes is impossible once the trip begins.

Signal varies significantly by region and route:

  • Kashmir: Good coverage in the city and lower valleys; limited above treeline; none at most high camps
  • Ladakh: Sporadic signal at specific high points and villages; none above Nimaling Plateau on most routes. Airtel and Jio SIMs work best in Leh.
  • Nepal popular routes (Everest, Annapurna): Reasonable coverage at most teahouse stops on main trails; limited above EBC altitude
  • Bhutan: Good coverage in the Paro and Thimphu valleys; patchy on remote trekking routes

Inform your family before departure that daily communication may not be possible during the mountain phase of the trip.

Yes. All Summit Routes guides are licensed by the relevant regional tourism authority (Tourism Department of J&K, Government of Ladakh, Nepal Tourism Board, Tourism Council of Bhutan as applicable). Our expedition guides additionally hold:

  • Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification or equivalent high-altitude medical training
  • Minimum of five prior summit completions on the specific peak they are guiding
  • Training in rope management, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, and assisted descent

Every guide is local to the region they operate in. Read more about why local guides matter.

Gear & Preparation

Each trip page lists a specific fitness standard. As a general guide:

  • Easy / cultural tours: Normal walking fitness; no specific training required
  • Moderate treks: Comfortable hiking 8–12 km daily; regular cardio 3–4x per week in the 8 weeks before departure
  • Challenging treks: Able to hike 12–18 km daily above 4,000m; start specific training 12 weeks out
  • Technical expeditions (6,000m+): High baseline fitness plus prior high-altitude experience; training 16 weeks out minimum

The most important preparation for a high-altitude trip is prior experience above 4,000m, not your 5km run time. Our Himalayan training plan provides structured 8 and 12-week programmes.

Every trip page has a What to Pack tab with a full gear list specific to that route, season, and altitude. For a complete guide, see our Himalayan Trekking Gear List.

Key principles: layer rather than bulk; never bring new boots; bring more cash than you think you need; a power bank is essential.

Group equipment provided on all glacier and technical expeditions: ropes, ice screws, snow pickets, and anchoring hardware. Personal technical equipment included on most expeditions: crampons, ice axe, harness, and helmet. Check the Pricing tab on your trip page for confirmation.

Personal mountaineering boots are not provided — you must bring B2 or B3 rated boots compatible with step-in crampons. Boot rental is available in Leh and Srinagar on request.

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