Ama Dablam Base Camp Teahouse+
Nepal

• For better acclimatisation, we organise a longer trek to Ama Base Camp at 10 days from Lukla. 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 the Base Camp of Mount Ama Dablam.
• 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.
• Our AITO Traveller Reviews for Ama Dablam Base Camp have a holiday rating of 100%. Based on client feedback we won the 2018 Gold Award as AITO Tour Operator of the Year. Read more about our Testimonials and Awards.
• We pay for private weather forecasts from EverestWeather.com. We also use in house forecasting throughout the duration of this 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, with the Nepalese Himalaya sprawling out below you. After customs, you will pass out of the restricted area and into the passenger pick-up area outside the building. You will see a Mountain Company signboard and our representative will be waiting to welcome you to Nepal.

After transferring to your hotel, you will be given a chance to catch your breath and then be given a full briefing. The rest of the day will be yours to explore and to shop for any items that you require. Today you will hear the Nepalese word for hello ‘Namaste’, you will probably never forget that word after this trek.

This is a one day guided sightseeing tour of the Kathmandu Valley visiting three out of the seven World Heritage Sites. You will start off by visiting Patan Durbar Square then drive to the Buddhist stupa at Boudhanath followed by 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 as well as to pack your bags for the trek starting tomorrow morning. You can leave a bag at the hotel with items not needed on trek.

Three major towns are located in the valley, Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, each having a great artistic and architectural tradition. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city in the country. Patan, the second largest is separated from Kathmandu by a river. Bhaktapur, the third largest, is towards the eastern end of the valley and its relative isolation is reflected in its slower pace and more distinctly mediaeval atmosphere.

In the streets of Kathmandu there is a constant bustle of activity, especially in the bazaars and markets where the farmers sell their vegetables and fruit as well as products imported from China and India. While the city has dramatically expanded over the last 10 years, on the outskirts of the valley it is still possible to see traditional houses set in landscape sculpted by contours of the paddy fields. These villages are alive with the colours of farm produce, ranging from pyramids of golden grain to the vivid red chillies of laid out on mats drying in the sun.

Our morning flight by Twin Otter aircraft takes us to Lukla, the most renowned mountain airstrip in the world. Originally conceived by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust, Lukla is now one of the busiest runways in Nepal. On the flight we watch the rugged foothills give way to the snowline of the Himalayas; many of the world’s highest mountains, including Cho Oyu (8,153m), Lhotse (8,516m), Gauri Shankar (7,145m), Menlungtse (7,181m) and of course Mount Everest may sometimes be seen from the window of the plane.

After an exciting landing at Lukla and a warm welcome, you will meet your porters that will carry your luggage every day until you return to Lukla. Make sure you make time to get to know them and to acknowledge them even if it is through smiles and hand signs. After a cup of tea in Lukla giving the porters a chance to load up we then depart Lukla on the typically stony path that descends from the forested terraces of Lukla which takes us right into the Dudh Kosi (river of milk) valley. Along the way, the trail offers tantalising views and you will pass large stones carved and painted with prayers, carved mani stones, and prayer wheels which are typical of Sherpa Buddhist country. Buddhists hold these sacred and you must as a sign of respect, pass these in a clockwise direction.

After passing through the small hamlets of Chaurikharka and Ghat we arrive at the small hamlet of Phadking which is situated right next to the Dudh Kosi river. The trail from Lukla to Phadking is a moderately easy walk and follows undulating terrain. Memories of the first day will include the sounds of porters, a cacophony of different languages, and strange-sounding birds, the sights of porters with loads resting on sticks outside tea houses, tired trekkers on their way back to Lukla, prayer flags, the gaudy colours of the tea houses and of course the dramatic scenery.

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 into the Sherpa capital and heart of the Khumbu .You will now be becoming familiar with the local protocol for passing chortens, mani stones, yaks and spinning prayer wheels and enjoying the hustle and bustle of trekking and everyday life that exists in the Khumbu.

Walking up the hill to Namche will be one of the harder days of the trek but we take it slowly (or the Nepalese word for slow is “bistari”). Walking slowly at altitude is the key to acclimatise so this will become the norm for the trek.

From Phakding its about 2 or 3 hours walk to Monjo, the trail follows the Dudh Kosi valley north, staying on its west bank and soon there is a good view of Thamserku (6,608m). After a walk uphill and over a ridge there is a traverse high above the river to Benkar, and a little further on you cross over a suspension bridge to the east bank of the Dudh Kosi to reach the small hamlet of Monjo at the entrance to the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.

As you enter into Everest National Park area entry formalities have to be completed.  We then follow the right bank of the river to where it starts to climb to the Hilary Bridge which is a tremendously impressive suspension bridge spanning a deep chasm. To reach Namche from here there is a long ascent which zig zags up through the forest, but with a slow plod and several stops to catch our breath, we make our way steadily upward. Half way up there is a view point and cloud permitting should give us our first view of Everest appearing majestically behind the great ridge of Nuptse-Lhotse.

We then pass through another entry point and as we traverse the hill we get our first views of the capital of the Khumbu- Namche Bazaar which is built on the steep sides of a sloping mountain bowl. It really is an impressive sight of colourful houses and lodges and prayer flags. Namche is a prosperous, busy and vibrant Sherpa village as most treks pass through here.

We have a few options for this day and both are helpful to aid your acclimatisation to the high altitude by following the golden rule of “climbing high and sleeping low”.

The first option is the longer walk up to Thame village at 3,800m and back to Namche taking between 7 to 8 hours. If you prefer to have a shorter walk taking around 4 hours you can visit the Everest View hotel also at 3,800m near Khumjung village located above Namche. We have enough guides so, if required, we can organise both of these walks for different members of the group.

The walk up to Thame valley is beautiful and is less visited by trekkers than the main trail to Everest Base Camp. We leave Namche on the high trail which contours out the village high above the Bhote Khosi river through rhododendron forests and then open pastures and pass through the small hamlets of Phurte, Mende & Samde all of which are beautiful with their traditional Sherpa houses and green, terraced fields and pastures.

The trail is an old Tibetan trade route and you may pass Tibetans who come over the Nangpa La to trade in Namche. This well-formed, wide path makes for a mostly easy walk all the way to the village of Thame. You are more than likely to see Griffin vultures today. Before you reach the village of Thame the path descends to a bridge over a narrow fissure with water roaring below where there are large wall paintings of Guru Padmasambhava.

The path then climbs steeply to the picturesque village of Thame with a backdrop of snow covered peaks. Sherpa Tenzing Norgays house is situated 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. If we have time after lunch we will then walk to the monastery (3,940m) situated above the village. The monastery is over 600 years old and is one of the four oldest in Sherpa country. The trail climbs steeply from Thame to join the ridge on which there are many hand carved mani stones. The views from this ridge are spectacular and well worth taking an opportunity to sit peacefully for a while to reflect on your trip. After visiting the temple we will make our return trip the same way back to Namche which is mostly downhill.

This morning after a short, steep climb we leave Namche on the classic approach route to Everest which contours the hillside high above the Imja Khosi. Today’s walk continues to contour the hillside with short steep sections as it crosses over ridges.

There are spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse and also the beautifully shaped Ama Dablam (6,812m). Ama Dablam means ‘Mothers necklace’, the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother protecting her child, and the hanging glacier is thought of as the dablam, the traditional double-pendant containing pictures of gods worn by Sherpa women. There is no doubt that the majestic Ama Dablam is one of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

Passing by several villages and tea houses we will cross a tributary of the Dudh Kosi river on a suspension bridge at a place called Phunki Tenga before beginning a climb with a steep ascent for about two hours all the way up to the monastery. This part of the trek is forested by rhododendron and pine so it is well shaded and should be quite cool.

The setting of Tengboche monastery is nothing short of magical and is a spectacular building and incredible to think that the temple was burnt down only a few years ago and rebuilt largely through the efforts of the Sir Edmund Hillary Trust. 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 a descent through Deboche to the Imja Khola, we cross a bridge over a picturesque gorge and then the path gradually climbs, with stunning views of Ama Dablam ahead. There are numerous fantastic photo opportunities in both directions, and frequent chortens and mani walls to pass as height is gained to reach the village of Pangboche. The walk to Pangboche takes about 2 to 3 hours.

On arriving at the lodge you will have lunch and in afternoon there are several options to explore the village. Pangboche is a photogenic village with stone walled fields and in upper village there is the oldest monastery in Khumbu set among very old juniper trees. If the weather is fine then it is worth walking up to the viewpoint above the village for the mountain view.

After breakfast we start the walk towards Ama Dablam Base Camp. This is an opportunity to get off the main Everest Base Camp trail and explore a quieter area in the Khumbu below one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. By walking up to Ama Dablam Base Camp this will help your acclimatisation by following the golden rule of “climbing high and sleeping low”.

For the walk to Ama Dablam Base Camp you start by crossing the Imja Drangka river on a suspension bridge, followed by a gradual ascent until Lhabarma where you are suddenly standing right in front of the mountain ridge. You can walk to its foothill and absorb the enormity of the mountain.

Ama Dablam Base Camp sits at 4,576m on an open yak pasture beneath the west face, with the summit some 2,300m almost straight up above. The climbing route follows the southwest ridge – the right hand skyline as you look at it – moving onto the face above the hanging glacier three-quarters of the way up. Base Camp affords particularly fine views of Kangtega (6,783m), Thamserku (6,618m) and Taboche (6,542m).

Your trek may coincide with the main climbing season and it is more than likely that you may find climbing groups at Ama Dablam Base Camp either acclimatising or fixing the route. With a pair of binoculars it may well be possible to see climbers descending the 50/60 degree ice-slopes from the summit.  After enjoying some time at Ama Dablam Base Camp you return by the same trail back to Pangboche.

Today we start the walk down and for interest, we take a different trail through Phortse village. From Pangboche you take a wonderful high trail above the Imja Drengkha river. This trail undulates along the valley side. We have fabulous views across to the mountains and Tengboche perched on its ridge. 

After about three hours, you round a corner and the isolated village of Phortse lies below. From Phortse we take a steep trail through birch and rhododendron forests to the Dudh Koshi. After crossing the river on a bridge we have a steady climb on a switch-backed trail. We reach Mong La pass at an altitude of 3,963m. This is a lovely spot to have a rest and a cup of tea at one of the lodges here. From here we descend on a small path to reach the main trail to Namche where we shortly arrive at the small cluster of lodges at Kenjuma.

In the morning we make our return trip on the same trail back to Namche. After lunch in Namche we descend down to Monjo.

From Monjo we carry on the descent of the Dudh Khosi valley through the villages of Phakding, Ghat and Cheplung. At Chaurikharka we start ascending the final hill of the trek to reach Lukla. On getting to the Numbur Lodge you can relax and enjoy your last evening with the Sherpa guides and wonderful porters.

If the weather is fine in Lukla then we will get a morning flight back to Kathmandu which takes 40 minutes and then we will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel in Kathmandu where you can then spend the rest of the day doing what you please.

Today is a free day to rest and relax in Kathmandu after the trek, go shopping or to do more sightseeing around the city by yourselves. However the main reason for having this extra day is as a buffer in case of any delays or cancellations flying back from Lukla in order to minimise the risk of missing your flight back home.

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