The Ultimate Everest Trek
The worlds most famous trek via the recently opened Nangpa Valley. Climb both Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar and camp overnight at Everest Base Camp.

The Ultimate Everest Trek travels to the remotest parts of the Khumbu Himal and visits all the main valleys of the region. Not only does this trek include ascents of both Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar, we even camp overnight at Everest Base Camp, allowing you to soak up the atmosphere of this historic place.

We fly up to the remote airstrip at Lukla and head north along the well-worn trail which follows the mighty Dudh Kosi river to Namche Bazaar. But from here we leave the crowds behind and head up the remote Nangpa Valley. This valley was off-limits for many years owing to its proximity to the sensitive Tibetan border. Its unspoilt authentic Sherpa villages offer a unique insight into how the area would have been when Ed Hillary first walked these paths fifty years ago. Our route now takes us across the Renjo La (5340m) to the cobalt-blue lakes at Gokyo. From our campsite by the lakes we can trek to the farthest reaches of the valley for close range views of Cho Oyu (8201m) and Gyachung Kang (7922m). We can also make the ascent of Gokyo Ri (5483m) for a unique panoramic view of the Everest massif. We continue across the Cho La (5420m), a classic pass which links Gokyo with the Khumbu Glacier and the small settlement of Lobuche. The fantastic peak of Nuptse (7879m) towers over our campsite here, but Everest is tantalisingly hidden from view. Only by trekking further up the valley to Gorak Shep does the Earth’s highest mountain gradually begin to reveal itself. Our ascent of Kala Pattar (5545m) is followed by a trek along the Khumbu Glacier to Everest Base Camp, and here at the foot of the mountain we can marvel at the spectacle of the Khumbu icefall cascading from the Western Cwm.

Grade
Strenuous

Duration
24 days

Suggested Itinerary

DAY 1 Depart UK
We depart from the UK for the overnight flight to Kathmandu. We fly from London Heathrow airport and change aircraft in the Gulf.

DAY 2 Arrive Kathmandu
We arrive in Kathmandu in the afternoon and are met by some of our team of Sherpas. We trensfer by private coach to the comfortable Hotel Marsyangdi situated in the very centre of the Thamel tourist district of the city. We are within close walking distance of the many restaurants, bars and shops which this part of the city is famous for. After checking into our rooms we can relax in the hotel’s pleasant garden before an early evening meal. Flying to Kathmandu produces considerable jet lag on this first night and most of us will be asleep by 10pm.

DAY 3 Free Kathmandu
A free day to explore this lively and exotic city. Guidebooks will suggest many popular excursions including the Buddhist stupa at Bodnath and the Monkey Temple at Swayambunath. These are best visited using a taxi or by bicycles which are available for rental at every street corner. In truth there are so many places to see in the Kathmandu valley that you will not have time for all of them. Many people enjoy just wandering about the narrow alleyways of Asan market place, or down by the temples and pagodas of Durbar Square, near to the old hippy area of Freak Street. Others will need to scour the plethora of walking and climbing shops for that last essential piece of trekking equipment. And for those who just have to stay in touch with the outside world you can check your email in one of the many internet cafes which have sprung up around Thamel Chowk and the Kathmandu guest house. In the evening we will visit a traditional Newari restaurant for an authentic Nepali meal and live entertainment.

DAY 4 Fly to Lukla
An early start today for our flight to Lukla. We will need to be ready in the hotel lobby by 5.30am at the latest in order to drive to the airport for the 7.30am flight. Our Sherpa crew will handle everything so you can go onto autopilot and grab a cup of coffee when we enter the mayhem of the domestic terminal building. Flights to Lukla operate within the constraints of the weather at Lukla itself and if there is cloud in the morning we may have a delay which can be up to several hours whilst planes fly other routes until the conditions at Lukla improve. The airport in Lukla has recently undergone an extensive upgrade and the old gravel landing strip of legend and notoriety has been replaced with impressive new tarmac and there is also a modern stone-built terminal building. We fly across the grain of the land over a series of ridges and our Sherpas will be able to point out villages and paths on the original trekking route from Jiri up to Lukla. With clear weather we get fantastic views of the mountains and as we turn into the deep gorge of the Dudh Kosi valley we can look ahead and see Everest itself. But most people will have their sights firmly set on the approach to Lukla and our exciting descent to the runway will cause those of a nervous disposition to hold onto their seats. After we arrive we meet the remainder of our Sherpa crew who will have flown up the previous day to arrange porters and yaks and to make sure all our trek provisions are in place. Depending on our arrival time we may have lunch in Lukla or start trekking directly, walking down for 45 minutes to the Dudh Kosi valley. When we hit the valley we follow the course of the river northwards, staying at all times on the east bank. After another couple of hours or so we come to the village of Phakding where we stop for the night.

DAY 5 Trek to Namche Bazaar
Immediately after leaving Phakding we cross the Dudh Kosi river by a long suspension bridge and continue following the river northwards. We get our first good views of the mountains when Thamserku (6608m) appears at the head of a narrow valley. The path crosses back to the other side of the river and passes through the Sagarmatha National Park gates at Monjo where we will be required to show our permits. We then continue along an undulating riverside path until a final suspension bridge is crossed just below ‘Namche hill’. From here it’s all up hill for a good hour; a long steep hill climb where Sherpa guides and trek leaders can be seen cajoling tired trekkers up a relentless series of zig zags to Namche Bazaar, the principal village of the Khumbu region. We stay at the excellent Himalayan Lodge run by our good friend Anu Sherpa.

DAY 6 Acclimatisation in Namche
Today we make an acclimatisation trek up to Khumjung, a delightful Sherpa village situated just above Namche. Although only a short day we gain a couple of hundred metres of altitude which helps us to adjust to the altitude. And in addition Khumjung is a very quiet village which does not see the volume of trekkers that pass through Namche. After lunch we return to our lodge in Namche Bazaar.

DAY 7 Trek to Thame
We leave Namche and head up the Thame valley to the village of the same name (3800m). This valley is ‘off route’ for most trekking groups and we are likely to find the paths relatively quiet. The village houses are very spread out and we camp in one of the fields surrounding the house of a Sherpa friend. In the afternoon we can visit the small gompa situated on a rocky promontary above the village..

DAY 8 Trek to Marlung
We head north into the remote Nangpa Valley. Until last year this valley was off limits to trekkers because it was a main access route to the Nangpa La, a high pass linking Nepal with Tibet. For hundrdeds of years, many Tibetan traders have travelled this route, bringing a variety of Chinese goods on the backs of their yaks to sell in Namche Bazaar, but the ease with which China can be reached was in the past sufficient reason for the Nepalese Government to keep tourists out of the area. However, the catastrophic downturn in tourism following September 11 has forced the Nepalese Governent to open up many previously restricted areas in a desperate attempt to kick-start the tourism industry which is the country’s main earner of foreign currency. We camp at the village of Marulung (4150m) or just above at Lungare.

DAY 9 Trek to Chule
We continue trekking up the remote Nangpa Valley to our camp at the pastures of Chule, situated at the snout of the Nangpai Glacier. After pitching our camp and having lunch we leave our camp in-situ and trek further up the Nangpa valley. At the farthest reaches of the valley lies the superb Nangpai Gosum (7352m) and on the western side of the Nangpa La the spectacular peak of Jobo Lapsang (6668m) rises up. We should be able to reach an altitude of over 5000 metres at the collection of sherpherds huts at Lunag (5090m) before returning to our camp.

DAY 10 Trek to Renjo La High Camp
We descend down the Nanga Valley for some distance before beginning the steep climb up to the small lake of Renjo Tsho, effectively the high camp for the crossing of the pass.

DAY 11 Across the Renjo La
A big day over the Renjo La (5340m). We leave our camp after an early breakfast and climb into a wide corrie making for the ridge line ahead of us. The actual pass is only a small notch and the final section involves some very easy scrambling. When we come over the pass we are greeted with a fantastic panorama looking out over the turquoise lakes at Gokyo and across the the Everest massif. We descend over rough glacial slabs and moraine to our campsite in a secluded location on the western shore of Gokyo’s main lake, away from the lodges and other trekkers.

DAY 12 Gokyo
Our porters get a well-deserved rest day after yesterday’s exertions, whilst for us we can wander at leisure into Gokyo village and make the ascent of Gokyo Ri (5100m). In many ways the views of Everest from the Renjo La are superior to those from Gokyo Ri, but if the ascent is timed to co-incide with sunset over the mountains it offers a superb photographic opportunity. Take headtorches in case you are tempted to linger a little too long on the summit. One view from the top of Gokyo Ri which we don’t get from the Renjo La is that of Gyachung Kang (7952m). This formidable peak has only been climbed once, and if it were a mere 50 metres higher would undoubtedly be a sought after summit.

DAY 13 Trek to Cho La Base Camp
We trek down into the Gokyo valley and cross a grassy lateral moraine which gives access to the boulder strewn Ngozumpa Glacier. The path is very clearly defined across the glacier and there are no particular difficulties, apart from the general roughness of the terrain. In places huge boulders are perched precariously on ice ridges, and this is a great area to practise the noble sport of trundling (if you are not sure what this is you will soon learn). After about 90 minutes we reach the far side of the glacier and head past the yak herder houses at Tagnag (erroneously called Dragnag by the Schneider map). We then ascend over a small grassy col (4800m) to a pleasant campsite known as Cho La basecamp.

DAY 14 Across the Cho La
Across the Cho La. In snow free conditions this is a very easy crossing and although there is a small glacier on the col it is rare for crampons to be required. An easy rocky gully ascends diagonally up to the col. Whilst we climb this we are in shade but as soon as we emerge at the small notch which is the col we are in bright sunlight and can look up towards Lobuche Peak (6145m). We trek along the side of the small level glacier for about 20 minutes until we reach the the far side of the col and can look down to the meadows of Dzongla. Although the descent from the pass appears steep, the path finds an ingenious way down a rocky gully which poses no particular difficulty. We emerge at the foot of a huge rocky buttress to delightful grassy pastures. Our team of Sherpas will be here already with lunch on the go. We continue on an easy sandy path to the yak herders hut at Dzongla and camp here or just below with superb views of the huge and menacing north face of Cholatse (6440m) – called Jobo Lhaptshan on the Schneider map.

DAY 15 Trek to Lobuche
The lake of Chola Tsho lies below us and late in the Autumn season this may be frozen over. We stay on a high path above the lake and contour around the hillside to the Khumbu valley. We get our first views of the moraine-covered Khumbu Glacier whilst the symetrical pyramid of Pumori (7145m) is now seen to the north. We descend into a grassy ablation valley beside the glacier and follow this easily to the small collection of lodges at Lobuche (4930m). We are now in the heart of the Everest area and although the world’s highest mountain is not yet visible the spectacular peak of Nuptse (7879m) towers above us. Sunset on its fluted face can produce some fantastic photographs.

DAY 16 Trek to Gorak Shep
A short but spectacular day today as we trek on a rough path high above the Khumbu Glacier to Gorak Shep (5200m). Consisting of just a handful of basic lodges and yak herders huts, this is the last habitation before Everest base camp. Every Everest expedition over the last 50 year has passed through here and their general detritus litters the lodges, with expedition paraphenalia of every kind suspended from the rafters. We camp here on the sandy flats, and in the afternoon can make the ascent of Kala Pattar (5545m) for the classic views of the world’s highest mountain. The best time to be on the summit of Kala Pattar is the late afternoon when the sun is setting in the west away from the mountain. We are eyeball to eyeball with Pumori and our panorama stretches across the Lho La to Changtse in Tibet.

DAY 17 Everest Base Camp
From Gorak Shep we descend a short scree gully down to the moraine covered Khumbu Glacier. The route to base camp is generally well-defined with a series of cairns marking the way. However, there is scope to get lost so it is best to keep the porters and trek leader in sight at all times. We walk on the glacial ice which is pitted with many small stones and as we approach the basecamp area the occasional ice tower juts up. This is not a snow-covered glacier so any crevasses are clearly visible and do not present any difficulty. After three or four hours we arrive at the basecamp area, which is a spawling mass of tents during the main Spring climbing season. Although we cannot see the summit of Everest from base camp the Khumbu icefall is right in front of us and we may be able to see the black dots of climbers descending through this chaotic jumble of ice blocks. To the west we get a new perspective on Pumori and can pick out the usual route of ascent, while to the south we have a panorama of lesser Khumbu peaks including Cholatse, Taboche and Kwangde.

DAY 18 Return to Lobuche
We have a free morning at Everest Base Camp. This will provide an opportunity to trek to the foot of the Khumbu icefall or perhaps chat with some of the climbing teams here. After an early ‘brunch’ we head back down the glacier to our campsite at Lobuche.

DAY 19 Trek to Pangboche
From Lobuche we retrace our route for an hour and continue descending to the small collection of buildings at Dugla (4600m). We continue down the broad valley to Pheriche (4240m) where we have lunch. This sprawling village is home to the Himalayan Rescue Association and there is a small medical post here staffed by western volunteers. We cross the Dudh Kosi by a small wooden bridge and continue on a delightful path high above the river to the village of Pangboche. There are superb views of Ama Dablam (6856m) from all along the trail, offering varied perspectives on this famous peak. Pangboche is a sizeable Sherpa community with a large Gompa situated high above the village. It is here that they used to claim to have a yeti skull, but this questionable artifact was recently stolen.

DAY 20 Return to Namche Bazaar
Our final day in the high mountains takes us back to Namche Bazaar. Although we are leaving the Khumbu now, this is one of the best days walking on the entire trek. The path initially descends to the river below Pangboche and crosses via a rickety suspension bridge spanning a narrow chasm. We then climb up through pretty forest to the famous Gompa at Tengboche. Here we can gaze back north at the fantastic panorama which includes Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam, whilst to the east we can see Kang Tega and Thamserku. We will also be able to visit the Gompa which has been newly built since the old one was destroyed by fire in 1989. We then begin the long descent down a seemingly endless series of switch-backs to the Dudh Kosi at Punki Tenga. We stop here for lunch in a very pleasant and sunny location. Finally we begin our last big hill which climbs up to the lodges at Sanasa. From here the path contours around the hillside in a superb high level position until we reach Namche and our comfortable lodge.

DAY 21 Namche to Lukla
Today we retrace our route down the Dudh Kosi and back to Lukla. Although we took two days to make the same journey on the way up, we are now well acclimatised and most people cover the distance to Lukla in five or six hours. We stop for lunch in Phakding before the final slow climb back up to the airstrip. We stay at the Mera Hotel in the centre of the village and will have a final celebratory meal with our Sherpa team. This is a time for traditional Sherpa songs and dancing.

DAY 22 Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
Saying goodbye to our Sherpas and porters we board our flight and make the exciting one hour flight back to Kathmandu. If the flights are running to schedule we should be back at our hotel by 10am for showers, maybe a second breakfast and some lazing around the hotel garden.

DAY 23 Kathmandu - evening departure
The morning will be free. After lunch we transfer to the Airport for our homeward flight.

DAY 24 Arrive UK
We arrive into London Heathrow Airport early in the morning.