Makalu Base Camp

Name: Makalu Base Camp
Address: NP

OSM hiking route to Makalu Base Camp, Nepal (19.99 km line). Out-and-back; one-way 19.99 km, round-trip 39.97 km in prose. Not the Arun-valley variant and not Makalu the summit. typicalDays 18 is the published 17–18 day window for the longer Num itinerary (typical, not a statute) — that window is not implied by this OSM figure.

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Distance 19.99 km Reported · Ascent provisional (DEM sample) · High point provisional (DEM sample) · 18d · SAC T3 · Challenging (extreme altitude, remote)

Last checked 2026-10-07

Cite this record

The Hiking World, Makalu Base Camp, read 2026-10-07, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/makalu-base-camp

How we verify · last checked 2026-10-07

Byline

The Hiking World editorial team · author

Makalu, Barun Pokhari, and the Lower Barun Glacier from orbit, Nepal

Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.

Forecast at page generation, 2026-11-04T22:08:36.775Z

Representative point on Makalu Base Camp: 27.794°, 87.138°, about 4880 m. A forecast, not a trail-surface reading.

At generation: -10°C, Clear.

2026-11-05 -11–-3°C, 0 mm
2026-11-06 -12–-4°C, 1 mm
2026-11-07 -9–-5°C, 10 mm

Source Open-Meteo. Mountain weather changes with elevation and aspect.

Life-safety notices on this page come from the issuer.

Altitude weather delta

High 4,880 m minus low 3,430 m is 1,450 m of relief on this record. A standard tropospheric lapse of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m implies about 9.4 °C cooler at the high point than the valley, all else equal.

That is a model (International Standard Atmosphere environmental lapse), not a forecast and not a trail-closure. Wind, snow, and storms stay in Hazards.

derived:lapse-rate · read 2026-09-10 · provisional

ISA 6.5 °C / 1,000 m · wikipedia.org · 2026-09-10

Stored line for Makalu Base Camp, from 27.734°, 87.191° to 27.836°, 87.076°. The drawing is the simplified record, not a surveyed GPS track.

Map loads when this section is on screen.

GeoJSON

This line is a schematic. The files are not a GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON

Facts27.734, 87.191

Distance19.99 km*

partial OSM line (ODbL, rel 19876100), upper Barun segment only; not the Num/Tumlingtar trek; route line pending verification; not walking distance · read 2026-09-21

Partial line — the figure understates the trail.

Ascent+1,604 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 · read 2026-10-07 · provisional

Descent228 m*

copernicus-dem:glo-30 · read 2026-10-07 · provisional

High point4,880 m

Copernicus GLO-30 · read 2026-09-21 · provisional

Low point3,430 m

Copernicus GLO-30 · read 2026-09-21 · provisional

Routeout-and-back

Days18

SeasonMar–May and Sep–Nov (NTB / NTNC walking season, checked 2026-09-21)

GradeSAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2

Catalog entry

DifficultyChallenging (extreme altitude, remote)

SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade): Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
YDS Class 2: Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.

Where the walking ends

This record covers the walk to Makalu Base Camp (4,830 m). Beyond that, the continuation is mountaineering, which we do not map as a trail — it needs ropes and high-camp mountaineering on Makalu — not a trail.

Source: ntb.gov.np · checked 2026-09-17

We have not verified the technical section. Where hiking ends · Walk-up & trekker summits

Elevation

Stored distance is 19.99 km. The chart axis follows the DEM sample (19.03 km), not the published line length.

Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 19876100 (ODbL). The mapped line is that geometry. Permits are official-sourced (NTB/NTNC, 2026-09-21); geometry stays OSM-provisional.

OSM 2D length is 19.99 km (relation 19876100; OSM name=Makalu Basecamp). Out-and-back: the published figure is the one-way 19.99 km; round-trip is about 39.97 km in prose only. This is the named hiking line on the upper Barun toward base camp, not the Arun-valley variant 9387979 (not stitched) and not a summit line to Makalu 8,485 m. The OSM start is not the Num road-head. Operator leads of about 120 km and about 140 km disagree with this figure; both are Unverified cross-checks.

typicalDays 18 is the published typical 17–18 day window for the longer Num itinerary, not a figure.

DEM high 4,880 m / low 3,430 m are Copernicus samples of this upper-Barun line (lastVerified 2026-09-21), verified. Landmark Shipton La 4,216 m is on published Num itineraries and is not this short line's high. OSM camp ele 4,830 m sits with the high.

Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction).

Water

No water sources recorded.

Permits & fees

Conditions, fees and rules change. Confirm with the issuer and local authorities before you go. This is a reference, not a substitute for local advice. Terms

Permit: Makalu-Barun NP entry + TIMS; RAP may apply

Permits and fees

We are not the issuer. Fees and rules change — confirm with the issuer before you pay. Issuer page.

Permit	Cost	Quota / restriction	Issuer	Source	Checked
Makalu-Barun NP entry + TIMS; RAP may applyUnverified — not officially sourced	Not recorded	—	Not recorded	Issuer page	Unverified

Report a fee change or correction

Hazards

Extreme altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,880 m on this line (Shipton La 4,216 m is the published Num landmark, not this DataPoint). This is a serious high-altitude trek, not a casual hike.
Restricted-area RAP may apply if the itinerary enters Sankhuwasabha Bhotkhola Rural Municipality wards 1–5 or Makalu Rural Municipality ward 4 (https://ntb.gov.np/en/plan-your-trip/before-you-come/trekking-permit, checked 2026-09-11). Issued through a registered agency, not self-issued. This desk does not assert that every Num→base-camp variant enters those wards.
Remote east-Nepal corridor with limited rescue. Makalu-Barun National Park entry is required on the mapped line.

Getting there

Sourced legs to the OSM line start (upper Barun) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.

Road · Kathmandu (KTM) → Num / upper Barun approaches
Tribhuvan International Airport is the usual international air gateway (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribhuvan_International_Airport, checked 2026-09-11, CC BY-SA). Published approaches continue by road or via Tumlingtar toward Num; this OSM line starts on the upper Barun, not at Num. RAP is agency-issued in Kathmandu where the itinerary enters named restricted wards (https://ntb.gov.np/en/plan-your-trip/before-you-come/trekking-permit, checked 2026-09-11).
ntb.gov.np · read 2026-09-11 · provisional

Makalu-Barun National Park entry applies (https://ntb.gov.np/en/plan-your-trip/before-you-come/park-entry-fees, checked 2026-09-11). RAP may apply depending on wards — confirm with the agency. Amounts are on the trail permit record.

Plan from your location

Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.

Getting there car-free

OSM line start (upper Barun): car-free flag unknown.
Makalu Base Camp (OSM line end): car-free flag unknown.

Trailheads

OSM line start (upper Barun) car-free: unknown
This vertex is the assembled OSM start on the upper Barun, not Num. Published approaches use the Num road-head / Tumlingtar corridor from Kathmandu.
Makalu Base Camp (OSM line end) car-free: unknown
OSM camp_site Makalu Base Camp (2679535324). Not the 8,485 m summit.

Questions

Do I need a permit for Makalu Base Camp?

A permit is listed as required for Makalu Base Camp: Makalu-Barun NP entry + TIMS; RAP may apply. Status: Unverified. This desk does not treat that as an official ruling.

When is the best time to hike Makalu Base Camp?

On this record the best season is: Mar–May and Sep–Nov (NTB / NTNC walking season, checked 2026-09-21).

How difficult is Makalu Base Camp?

Makalu Base Camp is graded SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: Extreme altitude / AMS: GLO-30 high 4,880 m on this line (Shipton La 4,216 m is the published Num landmark, not this DataPoint). This is a serious high-altitude trek, not a casual hike.

How long is Makalu Base Camp?

The length on this record is 19.99 km (reported). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail

How do I get to Makalu Base Camp?

The record’s base start is OSM line start (upper Barun). A primary gateway on the record is Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.