Everest, Annapurna, Langtang and now Kangchenjunga. These are just a few of the trekking routes that have enchanted adventure-seekers the world over for years, with reason.

Yet enjoying the Himalaya, and Nepal’s natural riches, doesn’t need to be such a journey. For those of us living in the Kathmandu Valley a short, yet occasionally breath-sucking, climb can lead to breathless views within a few hours.

If you have a couple of days, you can take the well-marked trail to Chisapani in Shivapuri National Park, stay overnight in one of the lodges and roll out of bed – or be pulled out if your legs are protesting the previous day’s exertion – in time for the glorious sunset that lights the snow-covered peaks one by one.

Legs up for more after breakfast? Hit the trail again for a longer, but more gentle, walk to Nagarkot. The first few hours are an idyllic stroll through nature – broken only by the hoo-haw of vehicle horns drifting up from villages below. Expect slightly more traffic after lunch on the ever-encroaching access roads.

Marty Logan