What to pack for a helicopter return from the trail
Go Heli Nepal4 min readReviewed
Photograph: © Guillaume Baviere / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.0
You are going from a teahouse at 4,000 m to Kathmandu in ninety minutes. Pack for both ends, for the twenty minutes between, and for the weight limit.
A helicopter compresses a four-day walk-out into an hour and a half, which sounds simple until you are standing on a helipad at dawn in a fleece you packed for Kathmandu. How the flight out of the Khumbu actually works is a separate question; this is what to have on you when it arrives.
What should you wear for a helicopter pickup?
The landing site is cold, exposed and often windy from rotor downwash. Put your insulated jacket, hat and gloves on before you get to the pad, not in your duffel.
Sunglasses are not optional at altitude on snow. Neither is sunscreen.
How much luggage can you take on a helicopter in Nepal?
One day bag on your lap, everything else in the hold if there is one. Confirm the baggage allowance when the operator confirms the flight — it is usually 10–15 kg per person and it is enforced, for the reasons thin air imposes.
| Item | Where it goes | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Insulated jacket, hat, gloves | Worn, not packed | The pad is cold, exposed and downwash-blown |
| Sunglasses and sunscreen | Worn | Reflected light off snow at altitude burns fast |
| Day bag | On your lap | It counts towards your weight allowance |
| Main duffel | Hold, or left at the hotel | 10–15 kg per person, enforced |
| ID, permits, policy number | Pocket, on paper | There is no signal at a Himalayan landing site |
| Small-denomination rupees | No card machines in the trekking regions |
What documents and cash do you need at a landing site?
Photo ID for every passenger, your permits, and your insurance policy number somewhere you can read it without a signal. Carry small-denomination rupees; landing sites have no card machines.
Questions
What is the baggage allowance on a helicopter flight in Nepal?
The baggage allowance on a Nepali helicopter flight is usually 10–15 kg per person, and it is enforced rather than nominal. Confirm the figure when the operator confirms the flight, because it varies by aircraft type and by how high the landing site is.
What should you wear for a helicopter pickup from the trail?
Wear your insulated jacket, hat and gloves before you reach the landing site rather than packing them, because a Himalayan helipad is cold, exposed and windy from rotor downwash. Sunglasses and sunscreen are not optional at altitude on snow, where reflected light is as much of a problem as the cold.
Do you need cash at a Himalayan helicopter landing site?
Yes. Carry small-denomination Nepali rupees for a helicopter pickup from the trail, because landing sites in the trekking regions have no card machines. Photo ID for every passenger, your trekking permits and your insurance policy number should also be somewhere you can read without a phone signal.
How long does a helicopter take from the trail back to Kathmandu?
A helicopter return from a teahouse at around 4,000 m to Kathmandu takes roughly ninety minutes, replacing what would be a four-day walk-out. The temperature difference between the two ends of that ninety minutes is the reason packing for a helicopter return is different from packing for a trek.
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