Gokyo Ri Everest Base Camp Trek

Gokyo Ri Everest Base Camp Trek

Day 1 Kathmandu 1360m to Lukla by air {this takes about 30 mins…trek to Phakding – 3-4 hrs
After being well rested after a solid night’s sleep, we wake up fresh the next morning, have an early breakfast, and get into our vehicle for a drive to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport for an early morning flight to Hillary’s Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft), a gateway destination from where our trip commences. After an adventurous scenic 40 minute flight above the stunning green and white mountains, we reach the Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. Arguably, this is one of the most beautiful sky routes in the world which concludes in a remarkable landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains peaks. Upon arrival at Lukla, we meet the other crew members and after some sorting and packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the pretty wealthy village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if you are interested in additional activities we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. This is our first Overnight in Phakding. All meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (B, L, and D)

Day 2 Trek to Namche Bazar – 5-6 hrs trek
today the hiking is pretty roughshod and includes the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. From Monjo, it is a short walk to the entrance of the National Park before we cross the Dudh Kosi to Jorsale at 2805m. The trek continues upstream on generally flat terrain, crossing back to the right bank, to the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Dudh Kosi rivers. It is here that we start the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. After crossing a large and stable suspension bridge high above the river we slowly ascend at a steady pace towards Namche. There are some fantastic photographic opportunities as the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam and Taweche (6542m) come into view for the first time. After arriving at the capital of the Khumbu region – Namche, we’ll have lunch and the afternoon is free to bargain in the shops for ‘Tibetan’ artifacts, or relax and marvel at lovely surrounding landscapes. {B, L, D}

Day 3 Acclimatise at Namche with some rest without being idle
this is the first ‘acclimatization’ day for this trek. Mountain climbing experts always advise us to stay active and move around on a rest day instead of being idle.We either spend the day taking a day hike to Thame or we visit Khunde; maybe we could just relax and explore the lively Namche Bazaar itself. This is the nerve centre of the Everest (Khumbu) region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday where any and everything is up for sale. If we trek a few hundred vertical feet during the day, it will help us to properly acclimatize. Gurkha Adventure guides will take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an collection of equipments related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. We also take an interesting side trip up to the vibrant Khumjung. We further climb up to the famous airstrip at Syangboche. Just above the airstrip will be the Everest View Hotel, a Japanese scheme to build a deluxe hotel with great views of the highest mountains on Earth. The Khumjung valley is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Kongde and Thamserku and the sacred peak Khumbila, which hosts a well known monastery that houses a yeti scalp. We also visit Hillary School which is located at the same site. After having lunch and spending some time in Khumjung, we walk back down to Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar (B, L, D)

Day 4 Trek to Phortse Tenga at 3680m – 5-6 hrs
After breakfast in Namche, we start our trek enjoying superb views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and close up views of Thamserku. Our trek goes by a gradual trail with few ups and downs overlooking magnificent views of the great Himalaya. Along the way, we can spot wild fauna like pheasant, musk deer, or a herd of Himalayan Thar. The trail goes gradually down up to Kyangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sanasa which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. We trek gradually going up through Mongla pass (3975 m) from where we glimpse Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Tawoche and Mt. Khumbila. Sherpas regard Mt. Khumbila to be a sacred mountain of the patron god of the Khumbu area. Descending to Dudh kosi Khola (3250 m), we cross a bridge and again trek up through rhododendron forest, home to Himalayan wild deer and musk deer. Finally, we arrive at the walled fields of Phortse. Phortse falls just under the snow dusted peaks of Tawoche and Cholatse. From here, a short trek leads to Phortse village where we crash out for the night. (B, L, D)

Day 5 Trek to Dole at 4110m – approx 5 hrs
The path is easy in the beginning up to Kyangjuma & climbs steeply out of the valley through rhododendron forests, which give way to fragrant stands of juniper and large conifers as the elevation increases. This trek is especially beautiful in spring when the rhododendrons are blooming. The trails pass many Kharkas, {summer settlements used when Sherpas bring herds of yaks to graze in these high pastures}. The route passes through the settlements of Tongba (3950m) and Gyele (3960m) to Dole where there’re few hotels. The views of Khumbila and Tawache (6542m) are just fantastic throughout the day!! Overnight at our lodge (B, L, D)

Day 6 Trek to Machhermo at 4470m – 4-5 hrs
the trail climbs to Lambara at (4220m) and Luza at (4360m) and is steep in most places as it climbs through brush junipers. There are Kharkas whenever there is a flat spot and the slightest hint of water. The trails continue to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river, crossing sandy spurs to Machhermo at (4410m). It was believed that here in Machhermo in 1974 that Yeti killed three yaks and attacked a Sherpa woman. This is the most credible yeti incident ever reported till date. Overnight at lodge (B, L, D)

Day 7 Trek to Gokyo at 4790m – 5-6 hrs
today, we energize ourselves with a good b/fast before the trail takes us for our ascending to Gokyo. We will climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first and second of the holy 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 is the colorful settlement of Gokyo. As we trudge by the side of the lake, the scenery is just so wonderful with the summits of Cho- Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters. Overnight at our lodge (B, L, D)

Day 8 Trek to Tragnak [4690m] – 6-7 hrs
feeling fit and acclimatised, we leave Gokyo to cross the stunning Ngozumpa Glacier. We descend to the second lake and drop down onto the glacier. The route across the glacier is marked by cairns and is generally quite well defined. We climb off the glacier by a small dwelling known as Tragnak and follow a shallow valley to our camp by a small kharka.

Day 9 Trek from Cho La to Dzongla – 5-6 hrs
at the break of dawn as we move out of our lodge, we are straightaway greeted by the gripping sight of Cholatse looming over. Today is going to be one of those hard days of our trip. The walk begins as we transverse through a spur extending westward from Cho La. The path descends to a basin across which meanders a murmuring stream crusted with ice at places. In about an hour, we reach the top of the basin readying for the triumph on Cho-La. As we gain height, the view back gets increasingly more captivating; the Cho- La Lake begins to appear and the Ama Dablam in its pyramidal form presides over a range of mountains on the south as Cholatse soars on the west. Climbing the incline is not easy; it is steep, but made worse by boulders over some of which we will have to scramble. We need to be alert as rocks can be glazed by ice. The final climb to the Cho-La can be a little tricky as the trail curves round the bergschrund. Upon reaching the top, we see prayer flags, strung across cairns, flapping in the strong wind. Scenery of majestic peaks in all directions is simply jaw-dropping. From here, the trail descends steeply down for an hour and then slightly descends all the way to Dzongla. We bunk out overnight at a lodge.

Day 10 Trek to Gorakshep [5184m] – 7-8 hrs
To reach our next objective, Kalapathar, the trail continues to follow the valley beside the Khumbu Glacier, and offers fantastic views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at our camping place for the night, Gorakshep. 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, Kalapathar [5549m]. As the light begins to fade we stroll back to our camp at Gorakshep for an early night, a hot meal and some much needed rest in preparation for our trek to Kalapathar the following day.

Day 11 Trek to Kalapathar (5545m) and return to Lobuche (4940m) – 8-9 hrs
today is the pinnacle point of our trip. We start early in the morning to catch the epic views from Kalapathar witnessing the first light of day with shimmering rays of light falling on Mt. Everest. However, we need to get prepared for an early morning, dark and cold temperatures (-10 to -14 C) departure beforehand. Further, there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse stand tall to the east even as Everest begins to reveal itself emerging between the west shoulder crest with Nuptse.During the ascent to Kalapathar we can pause to catch our breath at several outstanding view points to snap pictures. After several hours of ascent, we will be Kalapathar. From this juncture, we scramble to climb the rocky outcrop near to the summit marked by cairns and prayer flags. As we reach the top, we sit on the Kalapathar where our eyes rook taking in the unbelievable Himalayan Panorama, wandering from one mighty massif to another. We take as many pictures as we can and digest the lovely views with our mind’s eye to memorise this moment for a lifetime. On getting back to Gorakshep, we have a hot breakfast and wait for the other participants to return back as some members will or maybe slower than the others.

Day 12: Trek to Tengboche [3867m] – 4-5 hrs
From Gorakshep, the trail contours on to the side of the valley, high above the Dudh Kosi.  We get our first really good views of the great peaks of the Khumbu including Mt Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages and numerous tea shops, we descend steeply to a bridge over the river at Phunki Tenga. The village is an ideal stopover for lunch. Here we can rest before making the steep climb to Tengboche. Although the hike up the zigzag path is tiring, it presents us with many beautiful sights of rhododendron bushes with beautiful birds and superb mountain scenery. Tengboche is famous for its legendary monastery, the largest in the Khumbu. A spectacular panorama of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam rising in the horizon can be seen from the campsite. We crash out in Tengboche for the night.

Day 13: Trek to Namche at 2835m
we continue to follow the river and, after crossing it, climb back up through birch and rhododendron forest to Namche. Kwangde, Tawache, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Kantega and Thamserku are just a few of the Himalayan giants we get to see on the way. From Tengboche we descend to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi. At Phunki Tenga, we get to see the water driven prayer wheels, before making our way back to where it’s all happening at the lively Namche bazar for a well earned rest. We have a hot shower and rest at our hotel in Namche for the night. {B, L, D}

Day 14: Trek to Lukla at 2840m {our last day on these breathtaking mountains that was home to us for all of these days.
our trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk slowly and under control as our tired legs continuously tussle with the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Kosi and its tributaries the trail becomes more level and natural. By today we begin to get warmed up by the light normal breeze we encounter at the lower altitudes. With some of us experiencing sore throats and colds earlier will now see it gone by today as we pass through this cool mountain air. Although we revert to the same path down, we get the feeling that the views are now somewhat different. We take some pictures of open terrain, rhododendron and pine forests, and in the distance snow covered peaks. We hike through Sherpa settlements as we observe their faith in Buddhism and the culture of prayer stones and prayer flags that we see on the way. Overnight in Lukla (B, L, D)

Day 15: Lukla to Kathmandu by air 1350m
we get up early in the morning to be ready for the arrival of our aircraft for the flight back to Kathmandu. We will be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel and a soft warm bed. Please note, our flight will be subject to good weather for the sake of our overall safety. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch.