Everest High Passes Trek

Your day begins by hiking the route through pine forests till Benkar valley. Crossing and re-crossing quite a lot of suspension bridges including the famous Hillary suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, you will keep moving ahead passing the villages of Chumoa and Monjo. Rewarded with glistening glimpses of Mt. Thamserku and Nuptse, you will again cross another suspension bridge passing by Jorsale village. A steep ascent from here brings you to Namche Bazaar, a real paradise for mountaineers, the gateway to the Everest region of Khumbu, and the prime heartland of Sherpa village. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Staying active even during the rest day, also known as acclimatization is highly recommended this day. Walking, climbing and hiking throughout the day and sleeping low is the best way to get properly acclimatized. You may hike up to Syangboche airport and the Everest View Hotel, one of the highest placed hotels in the world. You have other options to hike up to Khumjung, Thame or Khunde villages or explore Namche Bazaar itself. Here you may observe the traditional Sherpa life, visit the Khumjung Hillary School, visit the mountaineering museum and spend some time interacting with the fun-loving Sherpas or simply enjoy the flora and fauna of the neighborhood at an altitude as high as this. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today’s hike starts with a downhill walk to the Dudh Koshi River and continuing along the hastening glacial waters. You will be greeted by awe-inspiring views of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Kongde, and Thamserku. Crossing the Dudh Koshi near Phunki Tenga you will now enter the Imja Khola Valley, from where it is another 2 hours uphill walk till the hilltop village of Tengboche. Here you will visit the renowned Tengboche monastery which is the largest monastery in the Khumbu region. Inside the antique monastery, you will witness incredibly ornate wall hangings, a 20-foot sculpture of Buddha and the traditional musical instruments and the attire of the local monks. Overnight in Tengboche.

Pursuing the scenic trail through birch, conifer and rhododendron forests, the day’s hike is a short descent to a scattered stone village Deboche. Crossing the Imja Khola through a suspension bridge, the trail ascends to Pangboche amongst thousands of Mani stones and a closer view of the towering Ama Dablam. Moving towards the Imja valley and Lobuche River, the trail continues to the quaint traditional Sherpa settlement Dingboche with its exquisite views of Lhotse, Island Peak, and Ama Dablam. Overnight in Dingboche.

Yet another scheduled rest day kept aside for acclimatization with higher altitudes, today you can either take short distance hikes to Nagarjuna Hill or the Chhukung Valley, which offers astonishing views of Makalu, Cholatse, Tawache, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. Another option would be a few hours hike up to Nangkartshang peak just above Dingboche. This peak is an excellent viewpoint, which provides incredible views of Ama Dablam from its summit to its base in the floor valley. Overnight in Dingboche.

Beginning with a pleasant walk after breakfast, you will leave Dingboche through alpine settings and stone-walled fields. Passing the Imja Khola Valley with Lhotse on the left and Ama Dablam on the right, you will enter the glacier moraines to reach Bibre, a yak herdsman’s place with stupendous views of Amphu Laptsa and the glorious Island Peak (Imja Tse). Walking for a few more moments will lead you to Chhukung, which is a great place to explore the Himalayan glaciers and the mighty snow-clad mountain peaks on all sides. You will have your lunch in Chhukung and then continue climbing up to Chhukung Ri. Astonishing views of Lhotse, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse and Amphu Laptsa can be witnessed from the top of Chhukung Ri. Spending some photographic sessions at the summit, you will revert back down to Chhukung. Overnight in Chhukung.

Today is rather a challenging day where you will reach the highest part of the entire trip, the Kongma La Pa. Thus, starting off as early as possible in the morning fully equipped with sufficient water, snacks and packed lunch, you will leave Chhukung. Note that there are no tea shops on the route until you reach Lobuche. Two paths lead you towards Kongma La Pass; one path ascends over the hill over the Nuptse moraine glacier moraines, and another is descending to Bibre and following a high trail above Niyang Khola. Astounding sights of the Island Peak Valley and the serrated ridge of Amphu Laptsa is visible during your walk today. You will finally reach the top of the Kongma La Pass where you can catch sights of the beautiful cairns wrapped in multi-hued prayer flags. Behind you, there is a picturesque landscape of the icy lakes and further below is the Khumbu Glacier. The harshest portion of the trek today is descending from the Kongma La Pass as the trail may be covered with snow or ice making it more grueling. Turning northwards through the Khumbu Glacier after climbing the moraines and walking further, leads you to a small village of Lobuche. You are rewarded with magnificent views of Mt. Pumori and Nuptse. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today is the big rewarding day yet one of the most difficult days requiring extra attention due to the thin air at high altitudes. Following the rocky path along the barren Khumbu moraine, you will arrive at the last village of Gorak Shep, from where it is a straight walk across the Indian army mountaineers’ memorials passing through rocky dunes, moraines, and streams finally leading you to the Everest Base Camp. The view of the dreaded Khumbu Icefall, the most dangerous section of an Everest ascent, from the base camp is spectacular. You will return to Gorak Shep after spending some moments capturing photographs at the base camp. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

Today is another challenging yet a rewarding day of the trek where you will make a pre-dawn departure amidst cold temperatures to savor the most beautiful sunrise views of the Himalayan chain from Kala Patthar, the black rock. Though the ascent is demanding, you will experience one of the best moments of your life with 360 degree up-close and tantalizing views of Mt. Everest. After spending some stunning moments at this historic locality, you will make a quick downhill descent to
Gorak Shep, where you will have a sumptuous breakfast. After breakfast, you will pave your way on an easy trail towards Lobuche, a tiny hamlet enveloped by rocky mountains and the colossal Himalayas. Here, you will encounter mostly old-fashioned lodges and teahouses, but recently, more comfortable lodges and teahouses have sprouted owing to the frequent invasion by the trekkers and mountaineers. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today after breakfast, you will head south of Lobuche following the EBC trail along the Khumbu Glacier and it is a short and comparatively easier day of walking with almost flat trails except for some gentle downhill trod. After a short while of hiking, the trail forks into two; the right path leading to Dzongla and Cho La Pass while the left one heading towards Pheriche and Dingboche. You will follow the right fork and follow the ridge around the south side of Awi Peak passing through a stupa and tombstones in the distance. The well-distinct trail bends westwards to offer awesome views of Arakam Tse, Cholatse, and Taboche. Just below, you will find the frozen lake, Chola Tsho. The primeval village of Pheriche is also able to be seen during today’s walk. Continuing further to pass another lake, you will cross the Chola Khola to finally reach Dzongla. Overnight in Dzongla.

This is the day where you will be gaining height and most trekkers consider this as one of the most challenging days of the entire trip. The Cholatse soars high in the west and Ama Dablam heads above in the south while the Cho La Lake begins to appear. You will begin very early in the morning with a steep descent down to a stream twisting and turning with ice at places. The final ascent to Cho La seems to be quite illusory as the track bends around a crevasse. You will witness ample colorful prayer flags strung across Cairns, and fluttering along with the gusty wind. Thamserku, Kantega, Taboche, Cho Oyu, Ama Dablam, and Cholatse proffer its awe-inspiring views all around today. Dropping down from Cho La Pass is equally arduous, demanding and quite slimy. The path leading down to Thagnak is not difficult although it is a long walk. After lunch at Thagnak, you will begin ascending gently up to Gokyo Lakes. The trail leads to the periphery of the Ngozumpa glacier, the longest glacier in Nepal. The trail beyond Thagnak is mostly over glaciers. You will finally reach the first glacial lake in Gokyo known as Longpongo. Proceeding towards the second lake Taboche Tsho, the path becomes flat but an increase in altitude is likely to slow your pace. This lake with its sparkling turquoise water shimmering in the sun is a spectacular sight to capture. Dudh Pokhari, the third lake is further ahead on the trail and it is here that the Gokyo village lies in tranquility. Overnight in Gokyo village.

Today is the day reserved for getting acclimatized to the higher elevations in the days ahead. You will, for this purpose, hike up to Gokyo Ri, a small peak above the village. Views of the entire Khumbu region at its magnificent best can be glimpsed from this peak. You will reach the fourth lake, Thonak Tsho and the fifth lake, the Ngozumpa Tsho after which you will retrace your footsteps back to the third lake. You will be rewarded with the most captivating views of the Ngozumba Glacier from the Scoundrels Viewpoint located at the edge of the fifth lake. It is here that your heart will be overwhelmed as you are bound to be encompassed by panoramic mountains such as Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku, Taboche, Makalu, Changtse, Nuptse, Kantega, Cholatse, Pumori, Lhotse, and the mightiest of all, the Mt. Everest. Overnight in Gokyo village.

Today, you will begin early in the morning as you will be trekking for a comparatively longer time tracing the trails to Marlung after conquering the third pass of your trip, the Renjo La Pass. Not just that, but there are no other places between Marlung and Gokyo to spend the night unless you opt for camping. Climbing gently up the periphery of Gokyo Ri, the trail moves along the Dudh Pokhari for a brief span of time. Leaving the main trail, you will reach the Renjo La Pass which is an excellent spot that offers tantalizing views of Everest, Taboche, Lhotse and the Rolwaling ranges. Walking over very rocky trails to leave the Renjo La Pass, you will wind down on a staircase leading to Angladumba Lake. Walking past Relama Tsho Lake and Renjo Lake, the path drops down amidst tapered valley congested with huge boulders. It is a short ramble from here to arrive at Marlung village lying on the east bank of the Bhote Koshi River. Overnight in Marlung.

After breakfast in Marlung, you will begin the trek following the traditional route used for centuries by the Tibetan traders crossing the Bhote Koshi River and dropping down to Taranga. Crossing a couple of bridges, you will reach Thame, a rambling village that houses an ancient monastery on a hill. Amazing views of Thamserku, Kantega, and Kusum Kanguru can be perceived from this village. With another descend and crossing a stream, your trail will lead you to Samde and then further ahead to Thamo village. At Thamo village, you may visit the Khari Gompa, a nunnery and make a brief halt to ease your weary feet. From here, the trail further drops down passing a check post and a power station and then reach the Phurte village known for the Laudo monastery, a popular meditation center among the westerners for Buddhist learning. Rambling further ahead passing few monasteries, Mani stones, and chorten, you will ultimately arrive at Namche Bazaar with a huge sigh of relief. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today is your last trekking day; the major portion of the trail is flat with few descends and brief ascends. Passing Phakding and Cheplung villages, the trail declines steeply until it cuts up to the airstrip in Chauri Kharka. Crossing the Dudh Koshi several times, it is a final ascent of about one hour from Cheplung to reach Lukla. The final evening in the mountains is a perfect opportunity to spend a few moments with your trekking mates. Have a few celebratory drinks and dance around tonight because the porters who accompanied you on the trek won’t travel to Kathmandu with you; they will stay behind. Overnight in Lukla.

Boarding on an early morning flight to Kathmandu, you will carry back nostalgic moments of the glimpses of the astounding snow-capped mountains and the wonderful memories of the Himalayan sojourn. On arrival at Kathmandu, you will be guided to your hotel room where you may relax for a few hours or simply freshen up and wander around Thamel for some souvenir shopping. Overnight in Kathmandu.