Gifts for hikers who already have the gear: a map of the trek they walked

Most gifts for hikers are gear, and the hiker in your life probably owns the boots, the jacket and the headtorch already. A print of a route they walked is something they cannot buy for themselves on the trail. We make maps of ten treks in Nepal, each with its stops and altitudes, from €29.95. Below are the ten routes, what each print costs, and the date to order by for Christmas.

What is a good gift for a hiker who has everything?

A good gift for a hiker who has everything is something about a walk they have already done. A map of a trek they finished, with every stop and its altitude printed on it, puts the days they still talk about on the wall. If they have not been to Nepal yet, the same map works for the trek they keep planning.

The prints carry the names hikers remember: the lodge villages, the passes, the highest point. On the Everest Base Camp map that means Lukla, Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche, Gorak Shep and Base Camp at 5,364 m. On the Annapurna Circuit map, it is the climb from Besisahar over Thorong La at 5,416 m.

Which trek map is the right gift for a hiker friend?

The right trek map gift for a hiker friend is the one for the trek they walked. If you are not sure which that was, ask about their highest day; the pass or base camp they name is usually on one of the ten maps.

Each route comes in a light and a dark version. Here are the ten, with the figures printed on each map.

• Everest Base Camp: about 130 km in 12 days, highest point 5,364 m at Base Camp.
• Annapurna Circuit: about 160 km in 15 days, over Thorong La at 5,416 m.
• Annapurna Base Camp: about 110 km in 10 days, up to 4,130 m.
• Manaslu Circuit: about 177 km in 14 days, over Larkya La at 5,106 m. This print is an elevation profile chart.
• Langtang Valley: about 75 km in 8 days, up to Tserko Ri at 4,984 m.
• Ghorepani Poon Hill: about 45 km in 5 days, up to the Poon Hill viewpoint at 3,210 m.
• Mardi Himal: about 43 km in 5 days, up to Mardi Himal Base Camp at 4,500 m.
• Gokyo Lakes: about 95 km in 12 days, up to Gokyo Ri at 5,357 m.
• Everest Three Passes: about 166 km in 20 days, highest at Kongma La, 5,535 m.
• Upper Mustang: about 120 km in 12 days, highest at Marang La, 4,230 m, ending at the walled city of Lo Manthang.

All ten are in the Trek Route Maps collection, and each linked route above has its own guide with every stop and altitude.

How do I find out which trek they walked?

Ask where they started walking. Each of our ten maps begins at a named village, so the start tells you which print to look at.

• Lukla (2,860 m): Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Lakes or Everest Three Passes. Then ask whether they reached Base Camp, the lakes at Gokyo, or crossed three passes.
• Nayapul (1,070 m): Annapurna Base Camp, which goes up to 4,130 m, or Ghorepani Poon Hill, which tops out at 3,210 m.
• Kande (1,770 m): Mardi Himal.
• Besisahar (760 m): the Annapurna Circuit, over Thorong La.
• Syabrubesi (1,550 m): Langtang Valley.
• Soti Khola (700 m): the Manaslu Circuit.
• Jomsom (2,720 m): Upper Mustang. Jomsom is also where our Annapurna Circuit map ends.

Is a trek map a good gift for trekkers?

For someone who trekked in Nepal, yes: it shows the whole walk at once. A trekker comes home with photos of single moments. The map puts the route in order, from the first village to the highest point, with the altitude of each stop, so they can trace the days with a finger and show visitors where they slept.

It also suits the trekker who is still planning. A map of the route they are training for goes on the wall months before the trip, and it means something different once they are back.

What are good Christmas gifts for hikers?

A trek map print, ordered early enough to arrive. Each print is made to order. The product page shows the delivery window for your country. For delivery before Christmas Eve, order by Friday 4 December. In Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Czechia, Poland, Denmark and Sweden you have until Wednesday 9 December. To Cyprus, Malta and Ireland, order by Friday 27 November. After that, a gift card arrives in time.

Delivery dates are estimates, so earlier is safer in December. If the hiker is someone who trekked Everest Base Camp, we put together Everest Base Camp gift ideas as well.

What are good small gifts and stocking fillers for hikers?

A print does not fit in a stocking, but a gift card does. Our gift card comes in amounts from €10 to €200 and is digital, so it can go inside a Christmas card and still be on time after the last order date. The hiker then picks their own route and size.

How much does a trek map print cost?

An unframed 30 x 40 cm print costs €29.95, 50 x 70 cm costs €36.95 and 70 x 100 cm costs €49.95. Wood framed, the same sizes cost €71.95, €147.95 and €220.95. There is also acrylic glass, from €95.95. Delivery within the EU is €5.95, free from €40.

That makes the large unframed print, at €49.95, the cheapest way to get free delivery on a single map. If you are unsure about wall space, our sizing guide draws each size to scale against a person and has a calculator for your own furniture. Standard prints can be returned within 30 days of delivery, and we pay for the return shipping, which helps when the gift turns out to be the wrong route.