Everest High Passes trek
Nepal

• For better acclimatisation we organise a longer trek. The gradual ascent profile for this trekking holiday has worked well for our past groups. We have a very high success rate of our trekkers reaching Everest Base Camp and crossing the high passes.
• We include all meals at the teahouse lodges (breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner) while on the trek. Importantly, we clearly define what dishes and drinks we provide so there is no confusion in terms of what is allowed. Given the amount of food and drinks we include, there should be no need to spend any extra money on additional food.
• We are Himalayan trekking specialists having operated trips in Nepal for many years. Roland Hunter has designed the itinerary from his first-hand experience of this trek.
• Based on client feedback we won the 2018 Gold Award as AITO Tour Operator of the Year. Read more about our Testimonials and Awards.
• Weather forecasts for the Everest region during your trek.
• We send a Thuraya satellite phone on our group treks in Nepal. Your leader will have reliable communications for logistics, planning, and group safety.
• We provide the porters with windproof jackets & trousers and shelter. We follow International Porter Protection Group (“IPPG”) guidelines.
• We bring a comprehensive medical aid kit.
• Our team with first-hand knowledge of this trek provides pre-trip support. During high season we have someone from our UK Operations team based in Kathmandu.

Flying into Kathmandu on a clear day is in itself an unforgettable experience. The Himalayan peaks are only a short distance north of the capital of Nepal as seen from the plane. After customs, you will pass into the passenger pick-up area outside the building. You will see a Mountain Company signboard. Our representative will be waiting to welcome you to Nepal.

After transferring to your hotel we will give you a full trek briefing. The rest of the day will be yours to explore Kathmandu and to make final preparations for the trek. You will hear the Nepalese word for hello ‘Namaste’, you will never forget that word after this holiday.

This is a one day guided sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu Valley. We visit three out of the seven World Heritage Sites. You start off by visiting Patan Durbar Square. Afterwards you drive to the Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath. The last stop of the day at the Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath. The tour is likely to finish around 4pm and the rest of the day is free to further explore Kathmandu.

Three major towns in the valley, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur. Each place has great artistic and architectural traditions. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city in the country. Patan, the second largest separated from Kathmandu by Bagmati river. Bhaktapur, the third largest, is towards the eastern end of the valley. Its relative isolation reflected in its slower pace and more medieval atmosphere. In Kathmandu there is a bustle of activity especially in the bazaars and markets. While the city has expanded over the last 10 years it is still possible to see traditional buildings and temples.

We take an early morning flight by a twin-propeller plane to Lukla. This is a mountain airstrip called Short Take Off and Landing known as STOL. The late Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust created the runway and is now one of the busiest in Nepal. The best mountain view is on the right side of the plane when we take the flight to Lukla. Along the way we watch the foothills give way to the snowline of the high Himalayas. On a clear day, we see many of the world’s highest mountains in Nepal and on the border with Tibet. We see Cho Oyu (8,153m), Lhotse (8,516m), Gauri Shankar (7,145m), and the summit of Mount Everest at an altitude of 8,848m.

After landing at Lukla, we get a warm welcome from the porters. They will carry our duffel bags until we return to Lukla. Make sure you have time to get to know them and to acknowledge them even if it is through smiles and hand signs. After a cup of tea at a teahouse lodge in Lukla, the porters load up and start the trek. We leave Lukla on a typical stony path that we will follow for most of the way through the upper Khumbu. It is important to take your time and walk at a slow pace, especially for the first few days on the trek. We need to ease our way into the trek after days of international travel to Nepal.

The trail descends from the terraces of Lukla and we contour above the Dudh Koshi (river of milk). You pass large stones carved and painted with Buddhist prayers. We see carved mani stones and prayer wheels which are typical of Sherpa country. We show our respect and pass these sacred monuments in a clockwise direction. We hike along an undulating trail on the East bank of Dudh Koshi. We pass through several small hamlets of Chaurikharka, Cheplung, Thado Koshi, and Ghat. We continue onto the village of Phakding where we stay our first night at a teahouse lodge.

Important note: there is a safety risk to consider when flying on airlines in Nepal. If you would like to avoid the STOL flight from Kathmandu to Lukla there is an option to extend your trek. You can walk to Lukla in three days after driving to Salleri. Or you can follow the traditional approach from Jiri taking five to six days walking. There are also safety considerations with driving in Nepal and road traffic accidents happened from time to time. For information about the aviation risk in Nepal read the relevant sections “Threat and Risk Assessment” and “Internal flights in Nepal”. Please get in touch with us if you would like to discuss this further.

Today we trek to the Sherpa capital at Namche Bazaar and into the heart of the Upper Khumbu. By now we are familiar with the local protocol for passing Buddhist chortens and mani stones. We enjoy the hustle and bustle of trekking and everyday life that exists in the Khumbu. There will be animal traffic on the trail as yaks and ponies carry supplies up to Namche. For your safety keep away as they can be unpredictable and stay on the uphill side of the trail.

 From Phakding we cross a suspension bridge to the East bank of Dudh Koshi and follow the river to the North. It takes 2 or 3 hours to  reach Monjo where we enter Sagarmatha National Park. Along this section of the trail we get a good view of Mount Thamserku (6,608m). After descending to the river we cross a bridge to Jorsale. Shortly after leaving this village we cross back to the East side. We follow the river until the trail ascends to the Hilary Bridge. This is an impressive suspension bridge spanning a deep chasm.

The walk up the hill to Namche will be one of the harder sections of the trek. We hike at a slow pace (the Nepalese word is “bistari”). This is the key for acclimatisation and will become the norm for the trek. Halfway up the Namche hill there is a resting place for our first view of Mount Everest. The Everest summit appears behind the high ridge between Nuptse and Lhotse. As we start traversing the hill we get our first views of Namche Bazaar. This Sherpa town has buildings built on terraces in a mountain bowl. It is an impressive sight of colourful houses and lodges and prayer flags.

We stay for two nights in Namche to help acclimatisation as we are now over 3,000m in height. To help your body adapt to the high altitude we go for a walk by following the golden rule of "climb high, sleep low". We have several options for day walks from Namche. The first option is the long walk to Thame village at 3,800m and back to Namche taking between 7 to 8 hours. If you prefer to have a shorter walk you can visit the Everest View hotel also at 3,800m. This takes around 4 hours and you can visit Khumjung village too. You should listen to your body and do not push too hard on the walk. Having time to rest at high altitude is an important part of the acclimatisation process. We have enough guides so, if required, we can organise both of these walks for different members of the group.

Thame valley is less visited by trekkers as it is away from the main Everest Base Camp trail. We leave Namche on the high trail that contours out the village high above the Bhote Khosi river. We walk through rhododendron forest and then into open pastures. We pass through the small hamlets of  Samsing and Thamo. It is a beautiful valley with their traditional houses and terraced fields. We are following the old Tibetan trade route. In the past Tibetans travelled over the Nangpa La to trade in Namche. Before reaching Thame the path descends to a bridge with water roaring below. On the rock there are large wall paintings of Guru Padmasambhava.

The path then climbs to the picturesque village of Thame with a backdrop of snow covered peaks. The late Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's house is near the top of the village where he lived with his first wife. Apa Sherpa who has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest twenty one times also lives in Thame village. Above the village is an important monastery over 600 years old. After lunch at a teahouse lodge we make our return trip on the same trail back to Namche.

This morning after a short climb out of the Namche bowl we contour on a trail high above the Imja Khosi. We get views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku and Ama Dablam (6,812m). Ama Dablam means ‘Mother's necklace’ as the ridges on each side are like the arms of a mother protecting her child. The hanging glacier is the dablam and this is the traditional pendant worn by Sherpa women. There is no doubt that the majestic Ama Dablam is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

We pass the two lodges at Kenjuma and then make the descent on a steep trail to Phunke Tenga. We often have lunch at one of the lodges by the river. Afterwards, we walk uphill through a forest for about two hours to Tengboche. The setting of Tengboche monastery is magical and it is a lovely building. At 3pm every day, the monks have their prayers and it is a special experience to watch this ceremony. Once leaving Tengboche the path descends through trees to Deboche and to our lodge taking about 20 minutes. We chose to stay at Deboche rather than Tengboche as it is warmer lower down in the trees, it is less busy and Rivendell is a lovely lodge to stay at. 

After leaving Tengboche we descend through pine forest to Deboche and down to the Imja Khola. We cross a bridge over the gorge and then follow the path on the other side. There are stunning views of Ama Dablam ahead. We pass chortens and mani walls as we gain height to reach the village of Pangboche. The walk to Pangboche takes about 2 to 3 hours. Today is a shorter walk and this is to help the acclimatisation process now that we are close to 4,000m. We ascend in height at a slow rate to avoid getting altitude sickness.

After arrival at the lodge we will have lunch. In the afternoon we walk around to explore the village. Upper Pangboche is the old part of the village with traditional Sherpa houses. This is a 15 minutes hike uphill from our lodge. We visit the oldest monastery in Khumbu set among old juniper trees.

After breakfast we head off the walk towards Ama Dablam Base Camp. This is an opportunity to get away from the main trail and explore a quieter area in the Khumbu. Today's walk will also help acclimatisation and you will feel the benefits later on.

We cross Imja Khola on a suspension bridge below Pangboche. We follow a trail uphill through juniper and heather. The mountain views are a 360 degrees panorama. Ama Dablam Base Camp is at a height of 4,576m in a yak pasture beneath the west face of the mountain. The summit is 2,300m above us and from here we get a sense of the immense scale of the mountain. The climbing route follows the southwest ridge. Base Camp affords particularly fine views of Kangtega (6,783m), Thamserku (6,618m) and Taboche (6,542m). After enjoying some time at Ama Dablam Base Camp you return by the same trail back to Pangboche.

We leave Pangboche on a path that passes through yak herders huts and walled fields. We walk past the lodges at Shomare (4,010m) and Orsho (4,190m). We cross a bridge and make a final steep ascent to Dingboche. The village of Dingboche is a scenic place surrounded by high peaks. The altitude is at 4,240m and we spend two nights here for acclimatisation before moving higher.

This morning we walk up Nangkartshang Peak. We follow a steep, rocky trail above Dingboche to the summit at an altitude of 5,080m. There are fantastic views of Ama Dablam, Taboche, Cholatse and Mount Makalu to the East. By walking up Nangkartshang Peak this helps acclimatisation to high altitude. We walk back to our lodge in Pangboche for lunch. In the afternoon it is best to rest to allow your body to adapt before pushing higher tomorrow.

From Dingboche we climb the ridge behind the village next to the large chorten.  The trail flattens out and we walk across the high grassy plateau above the Pheriche valley. Before Dughla we cross a bridge over a stream and then arrive at the two lodges located here. From Dughla the steep trail climbs onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier. We pass a poignant place where there is a line of memorials in tribute to the climbers who have died on Everest. The panorama of the peaks from this point is beautiful. From the memorial the route descends a little and follows the side of the valley to Lobuche. Here there is a cluster of teahouse lodges. Taboche and Nuptse Peaks are particularly spectacular from Lobuche.

Today is one of the highlights of the trek as you walk to Everest Base Camp. After an early start we follow the undulating trail along the western side of the Khumbu valley. The views today are magnificent with towering snowy peaks. The conical peak of Mount Pumori soon comes into view. The Everest view point of Kala Patar is on a lower ridge of this mountain.

After Lobuche pass (5,110m) the trail is rockier as we walk along the lateral moraine of Khumbu glacier. After about 2 to 3 hours from Lobuche we descend to a sandy basin to reach the lodges at Gorakshep. After a light lunch we set off for the walk to Everest Base Camp. This is approximately a 5 to 6 hour return trek back to Gorakshep where we sleep tonight.

After crossing the sandy flats at Gorakshep we climb back onto the lateral moraine. After a couple of hours we drop down onto the glacier. The trail then winds up and down and through icy seracs to Everest Base Camp. From here there are fantastic close up views of the Khumbu icefall. In spring season Base Camp is a tented village with mountaineers from around the world. We celebrate our achievement and enjoy the moment. Afterwards we retrace our trail back to Gorakshep.

In the morning at first light we leave the lodge to climb up to the summit of Kalapatar at an altitude of 5,545m. We do not leave earlier in the morning as it is too cold and walking in the darkness is risky. Kalapatar is the highest point reached on the Everest Base Camp trek. It is hard work walking uphill when at high altitude and you will be out of breath even if well acclimatised. The walk to the top takes about 2 to 3 hour. It is well worth the effort for the great views of the summit of Mount Everest. There are other Himalayan giants of Pumori, Changtse, Nuptse and Lhotse. We spend time on the summit to allow you to sit down and reflect. The majestic beauty of the mountains and ice flutes surrounds us.

We return down the same trail back to the teahouse lodge at Gorakshep. We have lunch and then head off for our return to Lobuche

From Lobuche we walk downhill and after 45 minutes we turn off the main trail. From this junction we traverse around a spur above the Chola Tscho lake and follow the valley to Dzongla. This is a beautiful spot at the base of the Cho La pass surrounded by high mountains. We see the impressive peaks of Taboche and Cholatse with Ama Dablam visible down the valley.

Cho La connects Everest Base Camp trail to the Gokyo valley. Crossing the pass is a scenic route without any serious technical difficulties. The hardest section is the descent from Cho La and for about 200m we scramble down a steep rocky slope. Once over the pass the trail descends to Dragnag.

Bad weather and poor conditions can make this a challenging route. If there is deep snow on the ground we may not be able to cross the pass in a safe manner. It is for this reason we choose the optimal dates for success based on our experience of trekking in Nepal. We also include micro crampons, trekking poles and gaiters on our kit list. This personal equipment will increase chances of crossing the pass in marginal conditions.  

From Dragnag we cross the Ngozumba Glacier and hike up to the lodges at Gokyo. 

We have an early start for the climb up to the top of Gokyo Ri at an altitude of 5,357m. The view from the top is generally considered to be the best of the Everest range. Gokyo Ri is further away from Mount Everest than the viewpoint at Kalapatar. We have a wider panoramic view of the high Himalaya with more peaks seen compared to Everest Base Camp trek. We get back at the lodge for a late breakfast. The rest of the day we explore the Gokyo valley following the Ngozumba Glacier to the North. We walk towards Cho Oyu Base Camp passing the Gokyo lakes. Few trekking groups venture into this area so it is likely you will have it to ourselves to enjoy.

Today we walk up Renjo La at an altitude of 5,345m. As we are well acclimatised by now the ascent will feel less strenuous than our previous walks over 5,000m. At the top of the pass we have another wonderful view of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Makalu. On the other side of the pass we see the Rolwaling peaks. The trail descends down past lakes and yak pastures. We join the Thame valley and this is one of the main trading routes with Tibet over the Nangpa La.

We descend from our lodge at Langden down the Thame valley. This is less visited by trekkers as it is away from the main Everest Base Camp trail. The path descends to the picturesque village of Thame with a backdrop of snow covered peaks. The late Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's house is near the top of the village where he lived with his first wife. Apa Sherpa who has climbed to the summit of Mount Everest twenty one times also lives in Thame village. Above the village is an important monastery over 600 years old. 

After leaving Thame the path descends to a bridge with water roaring below. On the rock there are large wall paintings of Guru Padmasambhava. We follow the trail down the valley following the Bhote Khosi river. We walk through open pastures and pass through the small hamlets of  Samsing and Thamo. It is a beautiful valley with their traditional houses and terraced fields. We enter Namche on a high trail then walk to our lodge.

From Namche we continue our descent down the trail following the Dudh Koshi valley. This is along the same trail as our ascent and the villages we pass through will be familiar. At Chaurikharka we start the ascent of the final hill of the trek to reach Lukla. On arriving at Numbur Lodge we can enjoy our last evening with the guides and wonderful porters.

If the weather is clear in Lukla then we will get a morning flight back to Kathmandu. We will meet you at the airport and drive you back to the hotel. You can then spend the rest of the day doing what you please.

Today is a free day to relax in Kathmandu after the trek. You can do some independent sightseeing around the city. You can enjoy spending time at the restaurants and cafes. The reason for having an extra day as a buffer is in case of any delays or cancellations flying back from Lukla. This helps to minimise the risk of missing your international flight back home. 

Transfer to Kathmandu airport for the flight back home. End of trip.