Gokyo Kalapathar EBC Trek - 19 Days

Flying into Kathmandu on a crystal clear day is itself a truly breathtaking experience. The views of snow-capped mountain peaks sprawling down below you are almost ecstatic, & begin a whole sequence of memorable experiences that stay with you for a real long time. Upon arrival, a representative and driver from our office will meet you at the airport and escort you to your hotel. Our team will assist you with check-in process and provide an orientation about your daily activities. This will be your first overnight stay in the city of temples.

Kathmandu, is the historical heart of Nepal, has been a popular destination for tourists ever since the country opened its borders to outside world. The city presents a wonderful combination of Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism and Western influence in the Valley. Patan and Bhaktapur, its two prime neighboring cities bear immense historical, cultural and religious significances.

We will arrange a professional tour guide for you and a private tourist vehicle with a driver to explore between monuments. The tour guide will take you to UNESCO World Heritage Sites such Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and Boudhanath Stupa, the historical and cultural sites you’ll visit today. Offering panoramic views of the valley.

After completion of your day tour, you will be having meeting with your trek guide at our office/hotel. He will brief you about the Trek and all the essentials. The Thamel has many trekking gear shops, where you can buy missing gear in the late evening and get ready for the flight to Lukla.

The most awaited adventures EBC Trek begins today. First, we take a short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla [2850m], which offers aerial and stunning views of the mountain scenery.

The next part of the day involves a 4 hours trek to Phakding through the Dudh Koshi River Valley. It’s a gentle descent from Lukla along rocky and well-made stone paths. On the way we will pass Cheplung village and reach at Ghat then trail will ascends to the Phakding Village.

From Phakding; we cross on the river over suspension bridges. We then head into Monjo which is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park and was set-up in order to protect and preserve this fragile mountain environment. We then ascend up to Namche and along the way, if the weather is clear, catch a first glimpse of Mt Everest in the distance. Namche is a busy town & is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market – an ancient meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La.We camp near the bazaar at Namche.

Namche is geographically situated between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu. This outpost situated town, is well known for its lodges and tea shops and souvenir shops. You can even stay in communication with your office from namche. This is a place where you can rest your self & acclimatize to the new altitudes before heading off towards Gokyo. Your options for acclimatization can include an uphill visit to Khunde Hospital, which was set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a one hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche. From this point, you can watch the sunset over Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest. We can also get good views from the National Park Centre and Museum above the village.

We now will approach altitudes of 4500m, so we will stay at Machermo for an extra day. Today is a special day for great sceneries as we follow the main trail north out of Namche. A short climb to a crest reveals a wonderful view towards Everest and Lhotse. We hang on to this primary trail for a while longer, passing many traders selling Tibetan handicrafts, to crossroads high above the Dudh Kosi. The trail to Everest drops down the hill but we steer off here and climb to cross the Mon La before reaching Phortse Tenga. From Phortse Tenga, the trail climbs steeply to Dole, through rhododendron and birch forest bedecked with hanging mosses and lichens.

From Dole we climb progressively along the side of the valley, where the rhododendron forests give way to scrub juniper as the altitude increases. The trail passes many summer settlements [versa], which are used when yaks are taken to these pastures to graze in the summer months. As we look far beyond, we get excellent views of Cho Oyu, while at the rear are the peaks of Kantega and Thamserku. We don’t hike much today and arrive at Machermo in time for lunch.

As we approach 4,500m, we spend an extra day at Machhermo to acclimatize and prepare for the higher altitudes ahead. The area offers plenty to explore, with gentle walks around the village that help your body adjust. Just above Machhermo, the viewpoint reveals a stunning panorama of Cho Oyu (8,210m) and the majestic peaks flanking the Ngozumpa Glacier—a perfect spot for photography and soaking in the grandeur of the Himalayas.

After we feel much rested, we make headway for the lakes at Gokyo. We hike through a scenic trail to Pangka and then descend slightly, hanging to the route of the rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. We climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes. We soon arrive at the second of the lakes, crossing the path which heads across the glacier to Cho La – our route to Lobuche and Everest, later in the trek. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its eastern shore we come across the settlement of Gokyo. Walking by the outer rings of the lake, the scenery is almost stunning with the summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters.

Gokyo RI stands high above the village on the northern edge of the lake and we leave camp just after first light, following a steep path up the hillside. As we climb, the summits of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu slowly come into sight and the view from the summit of Gokyo Ri itself is one of the most beautiful to be seen in the Everest region – some say it is even better than that from Kala Pattar. For those with all the energy, there are more good views to be had by dropping back down to the main path and following it north to the fourth and fifth of the Gokyo lakes, the latter being about three hours from Gokyo.

Once we feel fully acclimatized, we leave Gokyo and begin our trek across the vast Ngozumpa Glacier. We first descend to the second Gokyo Lake before making our way onto the glacier itself. The trail is marked by cairns, guiding us through a gentle, shallow valley across the icy expanse. Our day ends at a small kharka, where we set up camp surrounded by the striking Himalayan scenery—a serene and unforgettable spot after a challenging glacier crossing.

We must start early today, as we have to cross Cho La and make the long descent to Lobuche. Continuing up the valley, we cross a ridge and an old lateral moraine, before beginning the rocky jumble to the pass. From the pass there are excellent views, across to the Rolwaling Valley in the west and Ama Dablam to the south east. The descent from the pass involves the crossing of a small glacier [often covered with snow] which is fairly straightforward. There are more wonderful views of Ama Dablam and the forbidding north face of Cholatse as we descend to the green pastures below. The way to Lobuche winds around grassy slopes above a lake, the Tshola Tsho, to join up with the main Everest trail from Pheriche and Thyangboche. The trail runs flat out and follows the valley on the west side of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche.

To reach our next objective, which is Kala Pattar, the trail continues to follow the valley beside the Khumbu Glacier, and offers great views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the trail is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at our camping place for the night in Gorak Shep. Later in the afternoon, when the sun begins to set over the Everest, we make our way to the top of one of the finest viewpoints in the Khumbu, Kala Pattar [5549m]. As the light begins to become paler we stroll back to our camp at Gorak Shep and have an early night in preparation for our trek to Everest Base Camp the next day.

For us to reach Everest Base Camp, we’ve got to begin quite early. It takes several hours on a trail across the Khumbu Glacier which weaves its way along transparent ice pinnacles and past seemingly bottomless crevasses. At Base Camp, there will hopefully be great views up into the Khumbu Icefall where there is often some climbing activity. On the return leg, we can hike through a higher route to get a spectacular view of the Khumbu icefall and the route to the south Col. We then return to Gorak Shep.

From here on, It is downhill most of the way today, past Lobuche to Duglha and Pheriche. The Himalayan Rescue Association has trekkers’ aid post based here and is interesting to visit. After lunch, we cross the Khumbu Khola on a wooden suspension bridge and follow the Imja Khola to the village of Pangboche.

We continue to go on  the trail near the river and, after crossing it, climb up through birch and rhododendron forest to Thyangboche and its well known monastery. There are magnificent views from here and Kwangde, Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kantega and Thamserku are just a few of the Himalayan giants which can be seen from here. From Thyangboche, we descend to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi at Phunki Tenga, where there are water driven prayer wheels, before making our way back to busy Namche.

Towards the end of our trek, we hike along the Dudh Kosi back down to Lukla. This last evening in the mountains is the ideal time for a farewell party with our Sherpa guides and porters, who stayed with us all this time. This is where we can sample some chang and do a dance to some Sherpa steps and look back on a memorable adventure. It’s our last night on these mountains & we prepare for the night.

On touchdown, the rest of your day is free to do your own things. Today, we go for a local dinner to one of Kathmandu’s famous local kitchens where you sample some of the most delicious Nepalese cuisines & while enjoying your meal, you will also watch the local belles performing a wonderful & thrilling cultural dance. Your dinner & dance is complimentary which is provided to all our guests after your program before your departure home. Overnight at your hotel.

Our escort team will transfer you to the airport for your onward flight home. For those who wish to extend their stay in Nepal, a variety of optional activities can be arranged, including a jungle safari with a game drive in one of the national parks, adventurous white-water rafting, Tibet overland tours, or mountain biking experiences. Simply let us know your interests and budget, and we will be happy to tailor an extension program to suit your needs.