Clothing/Equipment/Gear for Champadevi Day Hike Kathmandu
Kathmandu Valley is surrounded by beautiful hill stations around its perimeter. So it is of no surprise that Kathmandu is really popular for day hikes. Champadevi is the third highest hill surrounding Kathmandu Valley located at an altitude of 2285 meters above sea level. To help you pack efficiently, we have prepared a gear list for Champadevi Hike based on seasons. Nepal has four primary seasons:-
Winter: Winter in Nepal falls in January and February. It starts getting cooler after Christmas. The temperature is usually 0-4°C in the morning, 10-12°C at noon, and -1 to 0°C at night. So if you are planning to hike here any time after Christmas to the end of February then we suggest you wear long-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies or sweater/fleece, windproof and preferably waterproof jackets because Phulchowki has temporary snowfall during winter. Similarly, we suggest wearing beanies/hats, gloves, trousers, sports shoes/hiking hoots, and thermals if you prefer an extra layer of warmth. Carrying a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking poles would be ideal.
Spring: March to May are spring in Nepal. The temperature in these months during the morning ranges from 10-12°C, 22-24°C at noon, and 14-16°C at night. Since the weather is pleasant during spring, apart from the basic essentials mentioned below, all you need is some casual shirts, shorts or trousers, a couple of long sleeves, sports shoes/hiking boots, a water bottle, sunscreen, sun hat/cap, sunglasses, and an overall/light jacket because it might get a bit chilly at the top.
Summer/Monsoon: June, July, August, and September are summer months in Nepal. But we have a summer monsoon that occurs from Mid-June to Mid-September. The temperature of Kathmandu ranges from 18-20 °C in the morning, 28-32°C at noon, and 16-18°C at night. We do not suggest you hike while raining but apart that that, Summer Hiking in Phulchowki is ideal too. So, besides the regular items mentioned below, casual cotton wears, sunglasses, a sun hat/cap, an umbrella, or a raincoat are some essentials for the summer. Because this hike takes place in a lush forest, there might be some leeches if it rains the previous night. These leeches aren’t harmful but might cause nuisance so the trick is to carry salt and if leeches try and stick to your body then you could sprinkle salt.
Autumn/Fall: October, November, and December are autumn in Nepal. It is the best time for the Phulchowki hike due to the delightful weather and visibility of beautiful vistas seen along the way and from the hilltop. The temperature of Phulchowki during fall ranges from 8-10 °C in the morning, 22-25°C at noon, and 5-7°C at night. December is comparatively cooler than the other two months. While hiking around Kathmandu during fall, you would be good to go with fleece/sweater or hoodies, hat/beanie, shawl/scarf, trousers, long-sleeved shirts, light jackets, or overalls, a water bottle, sunglasses, sunscreen, and hiking boots or sports shoes