The Headlamp Question: Which Nepal Mornings Start at 3 AM, and What Survives Them

Trek Guide Our itineraries leave at 3:00, 4:00 and 4:30 AM. Why alkaline dies in the cold, how many lumens you need, and the red mode nobody thinks about. By Laxman Rawal · Aug 28, 2026 Read the full story

Ask a trekker what they wish they had spent another twenty dollars on and a surprising number say the head torch. Not the jacket, not the boots — the small thing they grabbed at the airport, which then died on a pass at four in the morning. This is a genuine… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

The mornings you will actually be walking in the dark

Most headlamp guides are written by people who have never had to be somewhere at 4am. Here is the honest list, taken straight from the itineraries we run — not from a gear catalogue. That is before you count the ordinary stuff: finding the toilet block at… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Cold is what actually kills your batteries

This is the part people get wrong, and it is worth understanding rather than memorising. Alkaline batteries run on a water-based electrolyte . As the temperature falls towards freezing, ion mobility in that electrolyte drops, the chemical reaction slows, and… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

The 4 a.m. start and the walk to the toilet block

Best overall Black Diamond Spot 400 Bright enough for a pre-dawn pass and simple enough to fix in the dark with cold hands — it runs on AAAs, which is heavier than a rechargeable and is exactly why we recommend it. ↑ Swipe up Bright enough for a pre-dawn pass and simple enough to fix in the dark with cold hands — it runs on AAAs, which is heavier than a rechargeable and is exactly why we recommend it. Not for: Weight-counting fastpackers. Take the rechargeable and accept that a flat battery at 4,800 m is your problem. Check price on Amazon Read the full review If 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.

What we would actually put in your bag

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… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

For people already carrying a power bank

Best rechargeable Petzl Actik Core The hybrid design is the honest compromise: charge it off your bank most nights, drop in AAAs when the solar has failed for three days — you pay more than either single-format lamp costs. ↑ Swipe up The hybrid design is the honest compromise: charge it off your bank most nights, drop in AAAs when the solar has failed for three days — you pay more than either single-format lamp costs. Not for: A short low-altitude trek. This is a two-format solution to a two-week problem. Check price on Amazon Read the full review If 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.

Which of these mornings are you doing?

Everest and Annapurna were untouched by the 2026 floods and are running normally this autumn. Every itinerary tells you the start times before you book. Annapurna Circuit — 13 days &middot; Thorong La at 4 AM &middot; from US$1,400 Everest Base Camp — 14 days… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

Three mistakes we watch people make every season

Using a phone instead. It occupies the hand you need for a pole, the battery dies faster in cold than any headlamp, and dropping it on a frozen pass costs you your camera, your maps and your way of contacting anyone. Packing it in the duffel. Your duffel is… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

The only AAA that still works at −15 °C

Best in cold Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA Alkalines lose most of their usable capacity in real cold and a headlamp dies mid-descent; lithium does not, and it costs roughly three times as much per cell. ↑ Swipe up Alkalines lose most of their usable capacity in real cold and a headlamp dies mid-descent; lithium does not, and it costs roughly three times as much per cell. Not for: Low-altitude treks in warm months. Ordinary alkalines are fine below 3,000 m. Check price on Amazon Read the full review If 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.

Keep reading

Not sure which pass you are crossing or when you will be walking in the dark? Ask us — we will send you the actual start times for your itinerary. The rest of our gear advice. We keep every recommendation in one place at what to buy and what to rent —… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News

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