Yaks, Mules and Suspension Bridges: Trail Safety Rules

On most of Nepal's trails you share the path with working animals, and the rule for staying safe is simple: when a train of yaks, mules or donkeys comes, step off the trail on the uphill side and wait until the last animal has passed. Never stand on the downhill side, never get between an animal and the slope, and give right of way on suspension bridges to animals and loaded porters, waiting at the end instead of entering. These are the habits that guides teach on day one. They are conventions rather than official rules, and the UK FCDO's general advice is to be aware of hazards all year, especially above 3,000 m. This guide explains why the rules work, how to behave on bridges and narrow paths and what to do if animals are startled.

This is general safety advice from experience on the trails, not an official regulation, and your guide's instructions take priority. For wider courtesy, see our trail etiquette guide.

Why animals matter on a trek

The trails are supply lines. The loads for lodges, from gas cylinders to food, are carried by people and animals, and the pack trains keep the trekking economy going. On the way to Everest Base Camp, yak trains carry supplies up the valley. Lower down, in the foothills and on routes such as the Annapurna Circuit and the trails of the Solu region, mules and donkeys do the carrying, and higher, yaks and their crosses. For a trekker, animals mean two things: a hazard on narrow paths and a reason to be patient. A loaded yak is big, wide and strong, and its load can swing; a mule train can move fast on a downhill, driven by a herder walking behind.

The uphill rule

When you hear bells or see a train ahead, move off the path early. Choose a spot on the uphill side, where a wall of rock or earth is behind you, and stand still with your pack and poles close to your body. If there is no uphill side, because the path is a ledge, wait where it is widest and keep your back to the rock. Do not stand on the outside, because even a gentle bump from a loaded animal can knock you off balance, and on a steep slope that can mean a fall. Let the whole train go by: there are often a few animals walking behind the herder, and some come late. Do not cross in front of the train or try to pass it in a narrow spot. Do not run, shout or wave. If the animals are going the same way, wait for a wide place and let the herder move them aside.

Never get between an animal and the drop

The commonest accident is also the simplest: a trekker on the outside of the path is hit by a load and goes over. The second is a trekker who walks round a yak on the downhill side to get a photo. The third is a trekker who panics and steps back. Keep calm, keep still and keep your body against the slope. If an animal stops or turns near you, give it a wide berth and speak softly to the herder. Dogs travelling with trains can make animals nervous, and a yak that is startled may swing its horns or kick. Do not touch or feed animals, do not try to ride them and do not stand directly behind a mule.

Suspension bridges

Suspension bridges are part of daily life on the trails, from the long steel bridge on the path from Ringmu to Junbesi to the crossings along every valley. They sway, they are narrow and some are high above fast water. Cross with calm, steady steps, hold the handrails and keep your poles stowed so they do not catch in the mesh. Cross one direction at a time: if a train of animals or a porter with a big load is on the bridge or about to enter it, wait at the end. If you are already on the bridge when animals arrive, go to the nearer end if it is close or stand against the side, holding the rail, and let them pass. Keep your pack's hip belt loose on a long bridge, in case you need to drop it. Do not stop in the middle to take pictures, do not run and do not jump. Use a different bridge or wait if one looks damaged or if the wind is strong.

Porters and heavy loads

People are part of the traffic. Porters carry loads with a headband, often very heavy and wide, and they cannot step aside quickly. Treat them like animals: give them space, wait at bridges and do not walk in front of them on narrow stretches. Say "namaste" or "dhanyabad" and keep your poles pointed down. Our guide versus porter roles guide explains who does what, and the way you treat porters says a lot about you. Do not ask a porter to carry more than the agreed weight, and do not hurry them.

Photos and etiquette

A photo of a yak train on the trail to Everest is one of the great trek pictures, but not worth a fall. Stay off the path to take it, from the uphill side. Ask before photographing people, and respect a refusal. Do not use a flash near animals. Do not offer food to animals or children. Do not litter on the trail, and do not block it for a photo. Many villages see thousands of trekkers each year, and their patience depends on your courtesy; see monastery etiquette for the places where manners matter most.

Routes and animals

The Everest Base Camp trail is the busiest for pack trains, with yaks and dzopkyo (yak-cattle crosses) carrying loads to Namche and above and a constant stream of porters; you will meet them daily and on bridges, so expect to stop often. The Pikey Peak trek in the Solu region and other quieter routes have fewer trains but the same rules. On the Annapurna Circuit, some stretches in the Kali Gandaki valley are now driven, as the route notes say, so expect jeeps as well as animals there. In every case, listen for bells, watch the dust and the path ahead and step aside early.

If animals panic

If animals bolt or a train breaks up, get off the trail, away from the drop, and into the uphill bank, a doorway or behind a boulder. Do not run along the trail; animals are faster. If you are on a bridge, hold the rail and stay still. If someone is hurt, follow the emergency steps guide. Tell your guide and the herder what happened so that they can calm the animals. A kicked or trampled trekker needs medical help quickly, and a fall from the path may need a rescue.

Partners and the trail

Agree three habits with your partners: everyone steps uphill together, everyone waits on the same side and nobody stays on the path for a photo. Warn each other when you hear bells. Our partner safety guide suggests hand signals for stop and wait, and the partners and safety hub lists the rest of the series. For the busiest route, the Everest Base Camp partner page is the place to find people.