I've always had a dream of one day trekking the Himalayas in Nepal. Before I make that journey I want to get a taste of mountain backpacking at home in the US. Are there places I can get a comparable experience to a Himalayan trek? Things like multiple biomes in a 4-5 day span, high mountain lakes, deep valleys and such. I live in Arizona, so I am no stranger to mountains although the ones here aren't exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe in the Rockies or the Pacific northwest? What do you say /out/?
>>669503
The cascades in Washington and the smokey mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina are both temperate rainforests and would be like what you woĆ¼ld experience in the Himalaya.
>>669523
I'd second The Northern Cascades or Olympic National Park.
>>669527
Thirded. I've been to the Cascades and the Himalaya. If you can get a free plane ticket to Nepal though, via churning credit card rewards, it's really quite an affordable vacation and an incredible experience. I felt like I was in a dream.
>>669503
The altitude is something you must get used to and it becomes all consuming as you get higher up. The closest thing you can get would be something in the Rockies.
Thru hike tthe Arizona Trail on your way to CO and PNW.
Anything similar to this in Europe?
>>669540
This. I'd worry way more about altitude than anything else.
I've been meaning to watch this one day.
Walking The Himalayas S01E01 HDTV x264-GTi
>>669540
Doesn't sound like from his description that he wants to be climbing frozen, oxygen-starved peaks, but more like trekking IN the mountains, like on smaller mountains and through valleys.
I'd rather look at Mt. Everest from some desolate plain than be the millionth person to climb its trash and body-riddled summit.