Skirt

Hi Ruth,

I just returned home last week from EBC. Yes, it was very hot and then cooled off at night. It was snowing up above so the weather is variable to say the least. I did see a few women in shorts and tanktops....if I had a picture of the looks on the Nepalis' faces you would never do it. I'm glad I never wore them! The women are very modest.

Yes the LP Trekking in the Nepal Himalaya is an excellent guide, but it is now a bit out of date on a couple of issues (last edition is about 6 years old...). In any of the popular trekking regions, Annapurna, Khumbu, Langtang, trekking pants are quite ok for both males and females. Just don't dress like the Pussycat Dolls and you'll be fine.
Nepalis undersand the limitations of the western tourist and have addapted to them, provided you don't stand out and dress to kill.

Ruthie, women dress very modestly in Nepal, and India too for that matter. The only people you'll ever see wearing shorts are those who are totally insensitive to the culture. It's highly insulting to them if you dress in any way other than modest. You can wear T-shirts when it's warm but always keep your legs covered.

I can't imagine trekking in a skirt would be comfortable. Skirts are hard to deal with on long hikes and any sort of climbing would suck. Having to gather it up just to haul yourself over a rock. Many women get rashes if they walk too long in a skirt. Then there's the bugs, dirt and leeches...

I wore a skirt on some days of my trek in 1993--probably 'cause my LP guidebook recommended it. It was so much more comfortable than pants--quite refreshing, 'cause the breeze can reach your legs. My friend and I were both so delighted we decided to try hiking in skirts back in the States, as well. Yes, I remember peeling off lots of leeches, but that's just part of the adventure! I was so grateful to be wearing a skirt when I had to squat and pee at the side of well-exposed trails.

I find rather than letting a breeze up my legs, it just sticks to my legs in weird ways as I sweat...but to each their own :)