Trek Guide
UV rises 10-12% per 1,000m and snow reflects 80%. But most trekkers wear category 3 and are fine. When category 4 is actually worth it.
By Laxman Rawal · Aug 28, 2026
Snow blindness is sunburn. Not a metaphor — the same injury, on the surface of your eye. And the cruel part is the delay: the damage is done on the pass and the pain arrives six to twelve hours later , usually in a teahouse after dark, when you are hours from…
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Two things stack up on you, and neither is obvious from the valley. First, there is simply less atmosphere overhead to absorb ultraviolet. UV intensity rises roughly 10 to 12 per cent for every 1,000 metres you climb. By Kala Patthar at 5,545 m you are…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Under the European standard EN ISO 12312-1 , every pair of sunglasses carries a filter category from 0 to 4. It tells you how much visible light gets through — the VLT figure. It is the only number on the box worth your attention, and it is usually printed…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
About the links below. Some go to Amazon, and as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you. It changes nothing about the advice: we tell people to rent down jackets and sleeping bags in Thamel rather than buy them, and we…
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Best overall
Julbo Shield M
The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
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The one pair that works from Lukla to the Cho La — shields on for snow, off for the walk-in. You pay roughly double a normal sports sunglass for that flexibility.
Not for: A short trek that never touches snow. A decent Category 3 wraparound at a fifth of the price does that job.
Check price on Amazon Read the full reviewIf you buy through that link we earn a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rental and advice-only entries in our gear guide earn us nothing at all.
Everest and Annapurna were untouched by the 2026 floods and are running normally. Our guides carry a spare pair for exactly the reason above. Everest Base Camp — 14 days · from US$1,650 per person Annapurna Base Camp — 7 days · from US$730 per…
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Best overall
Julbo Explorer 2.0
The right glasses for Island Peak or a snowbound pass, and the wrong glasses for everything either side of it — Category 4 is too dark to walk into a lodge or read a map in shade.
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The right glasses for Island Peak or a snowbound pass, and the wrong glasses for everything either side of it — Category 4 is too dark to walk into a lodge or read a map in shade.
Not for: A teahouse trek. If your route never crosses a glacier or a long snow slope, Category 3 with side shields is enough and far more usable.
Check price on Amazon Read the full reviewIf you buy through that link we earn a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rental and advice-only entries in our gear guide earn us nothing at all.
Since we are the ones telling you to buy something, here is the other half of it. Ski goggles. Unless you are going above 6,000 m or climbing a peak, they are overkill, they fog on a hot climb, and they are one more thing in the pack. Glasses that fit…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
You will know six to twelve hours after the exposure: a gritty feeling like sand under the lids, watering, real pain, and light becoming unbearable. It is frightening and it is almost always temporary — the surface of the eye heals in a day or two. What…
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The classic
Julbo Vermont Classic
Still the reference for a reason, and the glass lens is optically better than anything plastic; it is also heavier, and the leather takes days to dry once soaked.
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Still the reference for a reason, and the glass lens is optically better than anything plastic; it is also heavier, and the leather takes days to dry once soaked.
Not for: Anyone who wants one pair for everything. This is a specialist tool bought by people who already own trekking sunglasses.
Check price on Amazon Read the full reviewIf you buy through that link we earn a commission. It costs you nothing and it does not change what we recommend — the rental and advice-only entries in our gear guide earn us nothing at all.
Questions about a specific trek and what the light will be like on it? Ask us — we walk these trails every season and we would rather tell you to spend less. The rest of our gear advice. We keep every recommendation in one place at what to buy and what to…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
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