How to Plan a DIY Himalayan Expedition

Planning a self-organised Himalayan expedition gives you full control over your climb — your dates, your pace, your team. Our dry-price model provides the permit and basecamp. You handle the rest. Here is the process, step by step.

Step 1: Choose Your Peak

Match the peak to your experience, not your ambition. First 6000m peak? Island Peak or Mera Peak. Ready for technical terrain? Lobuche East. Use our peak comparison guide if you are undecided — this single decision shapes everything downstream.

Step 2: Secure Permit and Basecamp

Book your permit and two nights basecamp through our expedition pages. This is the one piece of Himalayan logistics you cannot DIY — climbing permits are issued to registered operators. Once booked, you will receive the permit paperwork, basecamp coordinates, and arrival instructions. We respond within 24 hours.

Step 3: Plan Your Transport

Most expeditions route through Kathmandu, then a mountain flight to Lukla and a 7–10 day trek to basecamp. Book flights early in spring season, allow 2–3 buffer days for weather delays, and confirm your visa and permits before you fly.

Step 4: Sort Your Gear

Work through our gear guide item by item, then the specialist pieces: boots, layering, crampons and axe. Buy boots and shells at home; rent sleeping bags, down suits, and technical hardware in Kathmandu to save baggage weight.

Step 5: Train for 4–6 Months

Follow a structured programme: aerobic base, leg and core strength, loaded hiking. Our training guide lays out the full plan, and mental preparation matters as much as fitness once you are above 6000m.

Step 6: Insurance, Visa, Nutrition

Close out the logistics tail: specialist high-altitude insurance (standard policies exclude mountaineering), visa on arrival plus TIMS and park fees, and a nutrition strategy for altitude. See the cost comparison to understand how much you save with the dry-price model.