Everest High Passes

Detail Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival and transfer to the hotel in Kathmandu (1360m):

Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will be met by our Himalayan Hikers representative and transferred you to the hotel. The drive from the airport to the hotel is around 20 minutes.After your checkin the group leader will set a time for your trek briefing to discuss in regards to the trek. The evening is free but your trek leader will organise a welcome dinner at a fine local restaurant.

Day 2 : City Tour (1360m):

Today, you will visit BodhnathStupa, one of the biggest Buddhist shrines in the world and Pashupatinath ,the main temple for the Hindus. Here you will see Hindu holy men (sadhus) meditating, pilgrims bathing, and occasionally funeral pyres burning on the “ghats”. The rest of your afternoon is free. In the late afternoon you will be handed over with your trek pack. Departure information for the next morning will also be given. Meals included: B

Day 3 : Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding (2652m):

In the early morning you will take the spectacular flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (2827m) with breath taking views of the Himalayas. The flight time is about 40 minutes and you will land at an airstrip built by Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas in the mid-1960s. After landing you will have time to explore the village while the Sherpa crew sort and load your trekking equipment.You will begin the trek by walking through the Lukla village and join the main trail to the Everest Valley. The walking is easy today with great views of KusumKhanguru. We trek through small villages of Thadokoshi andGhat. After passing through Ghat (2550m), it is only a short walk to Phakding. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 4 : Trek to Namche Bazaar (3446m):

From Phakding you will head towards the valley for Namche Bazaar following the DudhKoshi river. You get spectacular views of Mt.Thamserku from Benkar.From here it is only a short walk to Monjo (2835m), the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park. After lunch, its fairly an easy walk till we get to the last suspension bridge. The views of Lhotse, Nuptse and Tawache come into views for the first time, You now make a steep ascent to get to Tope Danda where you have photo opportunities of Everest Nuptse and Lhotse. We now make a gradual climb to get to Namche Bazaar. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 5 : Rest & acclimatization day at Namche Bazaar (3446m):

(Acclimatisation Day) We have an extra day today for you to Acclamatise.You can either go for a hike to Syangboche or do other optional walks around Namche.The stunning vista includes a superb panorama of the Khumbu peaks and great views of Everest.The afternoon is free to wander through Namche. You can enjoy the bakeries, surf the internet or buy souveneirs,etc. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 6 :Trek to Tyangboche (3875m):

On today’s walk there will be opportunities to spot local wildlife including the beautiful Danfe pheasant, himalayanthar (mountain goat) and musk deer. From Namche Bazaar, you will climb towards the park headquarters and follow a contouring trail high above the DudhKosiriver. Above Namche the route to Thyangboche becomes visible and is a fairly easy hike to PhungiTanga.This is where we have lunch .After lunch you will ascend, initially steeply, through pine, fir, black juniper and rhododendron forests to get toThyangboche.The views of Everest,Amadablam,LhotseKhantega and Thamserku arebreathtaking.In the late afternoon we go and visit the Monastery to join the daily prayers with the Monks. This is one of the best spots for sunset. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 7 : Trek to Pangboche (4040m):

After breakfast we descend through the alpine forest to get to Debuche. You might be lucky enough to come across Mountain Goats and the Musk deer as it is mostly seen here.After crossing the ImjaKhola the trail gradually climbs up with views of Amadablam to the village of Pangboche.we stop for a night here.In the afternoon you will visit the monastery ,known to be the oldest in the khumbu valley and start heading towards a ridge below Tawache for your acclimatization. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 8 : Trek to Dingboche(4360m):

Today you will have a pleasant walk, ascending gradually high above the ImjaKhola River and passing the tea houses at Shomare and Orsho before crossing the river to get to the lodge at Dingboche. The scenery is spectacular and although Everest disappears behind the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge here, but you get stunning views of Amadablam and Island Peak.Today you will be completely above the tree line and the temperatures could drop quickly.The nights could be freezing from here on and you might start to feel the altitude from here.it is important to take notice of your trek leader’s advice and recommendations regarding rest and fluid intake. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 9 : Rest & acclimatization day at Dingboche (4360m):

Dingboche is a beautiful patchwork of small fields enclosed by stone walls. The walls protect crops of barley and potatoes from the cold winds. It is occupied mainly through the monsoon months, when large numbers of yaks are brought here to graze in the valley pastures.There are plenty of options for your acclamatisation,you can climb nakarsang or take a walk through the chukungvalley.The views are fantastic with Makalu,the 5th highest mountain coming into sight and other mountains surrounding you.The afternoon is free for you to explore Dingboche. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 10 : Trek to Lobuche (4930m):

In the morning you will ascend the small ridge behind the village above Pheriche Valley. From the chorten at the top, Taweche and Cholatse (6440m) make a striking scene;To the north, Lobuje Peak (6119m) and the snowfields of Cho La dominate the skyline. The walking is now generally flat on wide-open fields.

Late in the morning you will cross the Khumbu Khola at Dughla (4620m) and take a light lunch at the foot of the huge terminal moraines of Khumbu Glacier. In the afternoon, there will be a solid and quite steep climb on a rocky trail to the top of the moraines. On the crest of the ridge, you will pass a line of memorial cairns, built in memory of Sherpas and other climbers who have died on the various Everest expeditions . From here the view is spectacular – Pumori (7145m), Lingtren (6697m), Khumbutse (6623m) and, across the border in Tibet, Changtse (7550m) can be seen at the head of the valley whilst Everest remains hidden behind the towering walls of Nuptse and Lhotse. You will then follow the valley stream to the lodge at Lobuje, arriving early afternoon. Today will be tiring but the fantastic scenery makes it all very worthwhile. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 11 : Trek to Gorakshep & Everest Base Camp (5364m):

Today we start early for Gorekshep following the broad valley that runs parallel to Khumbu Glacier.A gradual ascent enables you to build the slow, steady rhythm required when walking at high altitude. When you reach the moraines of Changri Nup Glacier, you will make a series of small ascents and descents over a rocky trail lined with cairns that eventually leads to the surprising glacial sands of Gorak Shep (5160m) – reached after about three hours of walking.

After a quick bite you will gear up appropriately and head off towards the Everest Base Camp. The trek to the base camp will take you around three hours and if trekking in the popular climbing period of March to May, you will almost certainly encounter yaks and porters supplying food and equipment to expeditions here. From Everest Base Camp you won’t get views of Mount Everest, but you will be able to see the notorious Everest Ice Fall that flows from the Western Cwm, which is regarded as technically the hardest and most dangerous section of the mountain. The return journey from the Base Camp to Gorak Shep takes the same amount of time. You’ll have an early dinner so you can get up early the next day for the awe-inspiring views of the Himalayan giants from Kala Patar. (Trekking: approximately 3 hours to Gorak Shep, 5 hours round trip to Everest Base Camp). Meals included: B, L, D

Day 12 : Trek to Kalapathar & Zongla (4850m):

We wake up early the next day for the trek to Kala Patar (5545m) to experience sensational sunrise views from this amazing vantage point. From the lodge the ascent is quite steep, so start very slowly and try to ascend at a steady rhythmic pace. Kala Patar is the rocky hilltop below Pumori. It is a tough walk because of the altitude, but the view from the top surpasses the wildest imagination. It will probably take a good hour and a half to reach the summit from GorakShep, although lower viewpoints can provide views that are almost as good. Pumori, Nuptse, Changtse, AmaDablam, Taweche, Kantega and Everest, the highest mountain in the world, surround us. About three kilometres away and some 200 metres below, the area of the Everest Base Camp can be seen in a bowl at the bottom of the Khumbu Ice Fall. For many trekkers, reaching Kala Patar is a very emotional experience and it is worthwhile spending as long as you wish in order to savour this special moment. The descent back down to GorakShep is easy and once back at the lodge we have a quick drink and head off to the rooms to pack our kit bags whilst breakfast is being prepared. After breakfast we set off to Lobuche, where we stop for lunch. We then follow the LobucheKhola downstream where, after a while, we take a trail to the right heading off towards Dzongla. Upon arrival we settle into our lodge and prepare for the crossing of the snowfields that lead to the top of Cho La (Pass). Meals included: B, L, D

Day 13 Trek to Cho-La & Thaknag(4600m):

The day begins very early in order to reach the top of the pass in the best possible conditions. From camp we ascend steeply on a narrow trail passing large boulders and huge rock slabs and keeping to the left of the main glacier. There are a number of cairns lining the route to the snowfield and, while the trail is well-defined, it does involve a little scrambling. Once on the snowfield the angle eases off and we soon reach the top of the Cho-la pass (5420m), where the views are spectacular and include Baruntse (7220m) and AmaDablam, as well as a sea of lesser peaks. Do not wander around the snowfield as there are crevasses and we may need to rope up for the pass crossing! The descent from the pass is steep and care should be taken as we follow the narrow rocky trail down to the Nymagawa Valley, where we enjoy a packed lunch. From the valley we cross rockyscree and boulders and ascend the short distance to a small saddle that leads downhill all the way on an easy trail to the huts and tea houses at Thangnak. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 14 : Trek to Gokyo (4790m):

We head off towards the Ngozumba Glacier where we do a touch of boulder hopping as we pass small glacial lakes. The views are astounding as we enjoy different views of the Gokyo Valley as Cho Oyu and adjacent mountains bordering Tibet loom to the right. The trail then reaches the second lake of Gokyo, where we can see Brahminy ducks swimming in pairs and feeding on algae. From the second lake it takes another 45 minutes to reach the settlement of Gokyo where we spend the night. We have lunch at Gokyo and then have the afternoon to relax and rest. If feeling well-acclimatised there is an option to head off to GokyoRi in the afternoon for spectacular sunset views. It is a steady climb to the top of GokyoRi and takes about 2½ hours to reach the top. Though it is hard work but in the end we are rewarded with an unsurpassable 360-degree of views of four 8000-metre peaks – Everest (8848m), Cho-Oyo (8153m), Lhotse (8511m) and Makalu (8481m). There are countless other towering snow-capped peaks and rock spires fill the horizons including Gyachung Kang (7922m) to the east of Cho-Oyo, Cholatse (6440m), Taweche (6542m) and Kangchung (6103m). After spending time snapping breath-taking photos, we head back down to our lodge at the bottom. With the fading lights the descent can be tricky and our flashlights will come very handy. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 15 : Trek to Gokyo-ri (4790m):

(Rest and Exploration Day) Those who have opted for the morning views at GokyoRi have to rise early for an ascent of Gokyo Peak (5360m), while others can have a late breakfast and possibly take an optional walk up the Gokyo Valley to enjoy further magnificent scenery. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 16 : Trek to Lungden (4350m):

We have an early start as we have a long day ahead of us. The trail skirts around north of Gokyo Lake and then climbs up though scree slope as we reach a highland pasture. Looking back, we enjoy excellent views of Gokyo and the mountains in the background. We continue to climb on scree and also boulder hop towards Renjo La (Pass) (5420m). We finally reach the top of the pass, which is marked by prayer flags, from where we can have a look into Nangpa Valley and, looking back, we have views of Everest and Makalu. We stop at the pass to have our pack lunch and take a well deserved rest. The descent is tricky as we have to walk on scree and loose rocks (ropes are fixed in icy conditions to facilitate the descent). After a while we reach a glacial lake from where the valley opens up. We continue to head down the valley through open pastures for sometime before bearing left to reach the small settlement of Lungden, the main occupation of the people around here is farming . We can also see the famous trading route bwtween Tibet and Nepal and from where the caravans from Tibet still comes to Namche for trading. To the right bottom of Lungdenis the BhoteKhosi being fed from Tibet. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 17 : Trek to Namche (4440m):

You start the day descending all the way, following the BhoteKosi River downstream. We walk down Nangpa Valley, passing through small settlements to finally reach the village of Marlung, where we stop for a rest or can enjoy soft drinks. From Marlung the trail continues to descend and passing through the village of Taranga to reach Thami for lunch.ThamiTeng, the birth place of Tenzing Sherpa. Thami is quite a famous village with many Everest summiteers living here, including Appa Sherpa who has climbed Everest an incredible 21times.After lunch our route continues through the village of Thamo and onto Namche Bazaar for the night. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 18 : Trek to Phakding (2652m):

You will enjoy a leisurely departure from Namche Bazaar with a final opportunity to visit the shops in the bazaar before descending steeply down to the large suspension bridge over the DudhKosi River. You will follow the trail through Jorsale and back to Monjo, where you will stop for lunch. In the afternoon it is only a short walk via Benkar through blue pine and rhododendron forest, with great views of KusumKangaru, back to the lodge in Phakding. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 19 : Trek to Lukla (2840m):

This is your last day of trekking, where it is only a short walk in the valley before making the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. You will then have lunch at the lodge and the afternoon is free to wander around, relax. In the evening you will enjoy a farewell dinner, followed by a few celebratory drinks and dancing with your Sherpa companions. Meals included: B, L, D

Day 20 : Kathmandu:

You will rise early in the morning today for your flight back to Kathmandu. On arrival in Kathmandu you will be met and transferred back to the starting hotel. The rest of the day is free to do some souvenir shopping or further sightseeing. Your final night in Kathmandu offers you the chance to go out on the town and enjoy a final dinner (optional) with your travelling companions and newfound friends. Meals included: B

Day 21 : International Departure:

Your trip comes to an end today after breakfast. Your leader will be on hand to advise and assist with your onward travel arrangements. A departure transfer to the airport is included.