Trekking is a way of life in this vertical land. While you are lumbering in your state-of-the-art hiking boots, villagers and Sherpas will waltz by in flip flops, with kids running on their way to school. Porters haul large loads in dokos (baskets) strapped to their foreheads with a namglo (rope belt). Take note: When the guide tells you today’s path is Nepali flat, he usually still means lots of ups and downs, just not as steep as usual. But it’s often worth the climb: the trails open up into panoramic vistas, fluttering Buddhist flags, and beautiful local villages scattered across the countryside