Quick answer: Hypothermia is a dangerous fall in body temperature. On a winter trek, where camp nights on Trekkaro's treks range from -2°C to -30°C, watch for shivering, slurred speech, slow breathing, clumsiness and, later, drowsiness or confusion. Prevent it with dry layers, warm food and drinks, no alcohol or smoking, and covering your head and feet at night.
On a winter trek the cold is a safety issue, not only a comfort one. This guide covers how cold each winter trek gets, the warning signs listed by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's health advisory, how frostbite shows itself, the habits that keep you warm and what to do if someone gets too cold. Trek figures come from Trekkaro's trek pages.
How cold do Himalayan winter treks get at night?
These are the winter night figures on our trek pages. They are camp temperatures; summit starts in the dark can feel colder with wind.
| Trek | Winter months on the page | Night at camp |
|---|---|---|
| Chadar | January and February | -15°C to -30°C (about -30°C at Nerak) |
| Kedarkantha | December to February | -15°C to -10°C |
| Brahmatal | December to February | -15°C to -5°C at base camp |
| Kuari Pass | December to February | -14°C to -8°C |
| Chopta Chandrashila | December to February | -10°C to -6°C |
| Gulabi Kantha | December to February | -10°C to -5°C |
| Dayara Bugyal | December to March | -10°C to -2°C |
| Nag Tibba | December to February | -7°C to -2°C |
Every one of these nights is below freezing. The Shrine Board's advisory also warns that temperatures at high-altitude sites can fall abruptly by 2–5°C, and that elderly people are especially at risk.
What are the signs of hypothermia?
The Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board's health advisory lists the signs in two stages.
| Stage | Signs | What it means on a trek |
|---|---|---|
| Mild to moderate | Shivering; slurred speech or mumbling; slow, shallow breathing; weak pulse; clumsiness or lack of coordination | Stop, tell your trek leader and get warm now |
| Severe | Drowsiness or very low energy; confusion or memory loss; loss of consciousness | An emergency: the trek leader takes charge |
The early signs are easy to miss in yourself, because clumsiness and slow thinking are part of the problem. Watch your tent mates and trek partners, and ask them to watch you. A trekker who starts stumbling or mumbling on a cold evening needs attention, not teasing.
How is frostbite different, and what are its signs?
Hypothermia is the whole body getting cold. Frostbite is damage to a part of the body, such as fingers, toes, nose or ears. The cold-wave sheet on the IMD website lists its warning signs as numbness and a white or pale look on the fingers, toes, ear lobes and tip of the nose. The Chadar trek page, written for nights down to -30°C, lists frostbite and hypothermia as real risks and asks you to watch for numbness and skin discolouration. Separately, the Uttarakhand Health Department's advisory lists bluish lips, nose or fingertips as a sign that needs immediate help at altitude.
If a finger or toe goes numb or changes colour, tell your trek leader straight away rather than waiting for camp.
What makes trekkers lose heat?
Four things on a winter trek drain heat faster than the cold air alone:
- Wet clothes. The Shrine Board's advisory says wet clothes lose around 90% of their insulation power. Sweat counts: a base layer soaked on the climb chills you the moment you stop.
- Alcohol, caffeine and smoking. The same advisory says all three increase the rate at which the body loses heat.
- Too little food and water. The advisory recommends a healthy diet with plenty of fluids, warm drinks and regular meals for energy.
- Night washing. The advisory says to avoid bathing at night, even with hot water.
How do you stay warm on a winter trek?
On the trail
- Dress in layers you can open and close. The Kedarkantha page asks for 2 thermal sets, 2 fleece or woollen layers and a waterproof shell, with the -10°C jacket from the free kit on top for camp and summit starts.
- Take a layer off before you sweat on a climb, and put it back on as soon as you stop.
- Keep hands and head covered: a woollen cap, a balaclava and two pairs of gloves are on the packing lists.
- Drink regularly. Carry two 1 litre bottles and keep one insulated so it does not freeze.
At camp and at night
- Change out of damp clothes as soon as you reach camp. The Shrine Board asks that underclothes are not wet with sweat before you sleep.
- Sleep with your head and feet covered in warm clothes, as the advisory advises.
- Eat the hot dinner and drink the warm drinks. Meals on our treks are pure vegetarian, and the Kuari Pass and Nag Tibba pages list tea, coffee and soup.
- Use the kit that is there for this: Trekkaro tents are shared by 3 trekkers (men and women in separate tents), sleeping bags are rated to -20°C (sub-zero sleeping bags on Chadar) and mats are included.
The Dayara Bugyal page asks for 5 warm layers from December to March, and our winter trek packing list explains how each layer works.
What should you do if someone is too cold?
Tell the trek leader first; on Kedarkantha, Brahmatal, Nag Tibba, Chopta Chandrashila and Gulabi Kantha the trek leaders are trained in Wilderness First Aid. The cold-wave do's and don'ts published on the IMD website give these first steps:
- For hypothermia, move the person somewhere warm and change their clothes.
- Warm the body with skin-to-skin contact and dry layers such as blankets or sheets.
- Give warm drinks, and no alcohol, which the sheet says lowers body temperature.
- For frostbite, use warm, not hot, water, and never massage the area: the sheet warns this can cause more damage.
- Get medical help if the condition gets worse.
For the medical certificate, insurance and on-trek health checks, see our guide to altitude sickness on Himalayan treks, which covers the same safety set-up.
See Trekkaro's winter treks and dates | Winter trek packing list | Altitude sickness on Himalayan treks
Frequently asked questions
What are the first signs of hypothermia on a trek?
Shivering, slurred speech or mumbling, slow and shallow breathing, a weak pulse and clumsiness. Tell your trek leader as soon as you notice them in yourself or someone else.
How cold does it get on a Himalayan winter trek?
Camp nights on Trekkaro's winter treks range from -7°C to -2°C on Nag Tibba to -15°C to -30°C on Chadar. Kedarkantha winter nights are -15°C to -10°C.
How do I keep warm at night in a tent?
Change into dry clothes, cover your head and feet, eat a hot dinner and use the sleeping bag provided (-20°C rated on most treks, sub-zero on Chadar). Avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking, which speed up heat loss.
What are the signs of frostbite?
The cold-wave sheet on the IMD website lists numbness and a white or pale look on fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose. The Chadar trek page asks you to watch for numbness and skin discolouration; tell your trek leader at once.
Is a -10°C jacket enough for a winter trek?
Not on its own. The Kedarkantha page pairs it with thermals, two fleece or woollen layers and a waterproof shell, so the jacket is the top layer of a system.
