Everest & Gokyo-Ri (Cho-La Pass)

On arrival in Kathmandu, Nepal you will be warmly welcomed and received by us and transferred to your hotel where you will spend one overnight, but before that, we will discuss our itinerary and other details.

The early flight to Lukla (2886M) is about a 30-minute flight from Kathmandu. You spend some time in Lukla re-arranging your backpack and sharing your other burden with a local helper (Porter) once you’re ready to walk you walk about 2 hours to Phakding the trail is easy, mostly downhill. An easy walk on day one gets you to a small village on the bank of the Dudh Koshi River. You spend overnight in a tea house.

It is about a 5hrs trek from Phakding. You cross the bridge over Dudh Koshi river passing through the Toc-Toc, Bhenkar, and Manjo, you arrive at the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park where your travel detail would be transferred to the local authority further you will have your lunch somewhere before you cross the Dudh Koshi River once again and start steep uphill to the Namche Bazar. At Namche, you will spend the rest of your evening in a café or a restaurant if you like. Overnight in a hotel.

A perfect place for rest, before you head to a higher altitude, you head out a short hike to Everest viewpoint at the mountain museum in the morning. From here you can have your first sight of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Amadablam, and Thamserku, back in town, you spend the rest of your day exploring Namche or go for a hike on the other part of the hill. Overnight in a hotel.

Breakfast in Namche and about 5 Hours walk to Dole (4040M.) A long day’s walk starts with a climb of Namche’s northern wall towards Kyandjuma where you can have an additional cup of Himalayan coffee and apple pie just before a steep high climb leaving one trail on the right that leads to Tangboche. You go steeply high and suddenly flat (Mostly) through the mountain edge to Mong Village (4000m.), from here, you can see panoramic views of various mountains. You trek steeply descending the pass through Phortse Tenga and from there, the trail climbs steeply to Dole, through rhododendron and birch forest festooned with hanging mosses and lichens. You can enjoy a delicious meal at Phortse Tenga (3650m.). Overnight in a tea house lodge.

Trek from Dole to Machhermo (4150m) which takes about five hours. From Dole, you climb steadily along the side of the valley, where small and thorny bushes give way to scrub juniper as the altitude increases. The trail passes many summer settlements, which are used when yaks are taken to these pastures to graze in the summer months. Ahead of you are excellent views of Cho Oyu, while back down the valley are the peaks of Kantega and Thamserku. This is a short day, and you will arrive at Machhermo in time for lunch. Overnight in a tea house lodge.

Trek from Machhermo to Gokyo (4750m) takes about four and a half hours. Today you head for the lakes at Gokyo. You follow a very scenic path to Pangka and then descend slightly, following one of the icy-water Rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. You climb a steep rocky incline into the valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes named Longponga at an elevation of 4710M. You soon arrive at the second of the lakes the Taugung Tsho (4740), crossing the path which heads across the glacier to Cho La (5420m.). The third lake is known as Gokyo Tsho (4870M) and on its eastern shore is the settlement of Gokyo. Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald, green waters. Overnight in a tea house lodge.

You start your hike early in the morning at around 3:30 (Depending upon sunrise time) to Gokyo Ri which is at an elevation of 5360 M it is about 600 meters to hike, and a steep hike takes little more than 2 hours. As you climb, the summits of Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu slowly come into sight and the view from the summit of Gokyo Ri, is one of the finest in the Everest region, down below the Turquoise Lake Gokyo. The rest of the day is free, and you spend it exploring the lakeshore or hiking surrounding mountains or simply reading the book back in your hotel.

After having your breakfast you move slowly east to the Gokyo village uphill in initial and then downhill into the glacier it’s a crumbling lose ground with many sink-hole of icy glaciers scatters all around, sometimes you may hear bang sound of falling ice into the sinkholes nearby but you walk slowly and carefully for several hours, Ngozumba Glacier is Nepal’s longest as well as largest glacier once you step on to solid ground once again you head further east through the long valley for an hour and a half to another settlement called Dragnag. You stay overnight in the teahouse.

A very long day starts early in the morning at about 4 you leave the teahouse through back door and head upward toward the Cho-La Phedi it is about 5 a half-hour long trail. As the sun comes up you will realize the beautiful snowcapped mountains around, ascending to Cho-LA from Phedi is mostly through the rocky path, The Chola pass is most of the time covered with blue ice giving you a chill feeling. Here you can also enjoy the panoramic view of various mountains and the beautiful white carpet of thick ice. You take the path on the right-hand side until the very end of the valley. You walk further right downhill to Dzong-La. You stay overnight in a Tea House.

Trek from Dzongla to Gorakshep (5180m.) via Lobuche is about 5 hours long trail. You start descending at initial for about 30-40 minutes and then up-hills for another one and half hours, a beautiful mountain on your right side with Turquoise Lake of Dudgla Glacier it is just fantastic, a very good start of the day. You take the left to the base camp leaving the beautiful view of Firiche valley with mighty Amadablama standing just above it. Now you are heading towards Gorakshep with the view of Nuptse-Lhotse and other mountains neighboring Everest further you come to the meeting point of the trail coming from Firiche from here the trail becomes one to the base camp. You are reaching Gorakshep crossing one steeper hill and an old rocky glacier. You can take a short tea break in the guest house and head to the base camp (5200M) leaving your backpack in the lodge except for the Camera, it is about 3 and a half hours walk two ways in the base camp you get just enough time to take pictures of the scattered tented camp of those who waiting to summit the Mt. Everest. Overnight in Tea House in Gorakshep.

It is around two and half-hour before sunrise you start hiking to the Kalapatthar with headlamps the trail is demanding you go slowly to the very top of the rocky atop, the sun comes up behind the Everest and lit its tip first and gradually it drinks by all the surrounding mountains you stay for few hours taking the picture and then start descending. Kalapathar is at an elevation of 5545 Meters, and this is your maximum elevation climbed on this trip. You come down for breakfast and after breakfast, you descend slowly to Firiche via Lobuche. The Majestic view of Amadablam can be seen from the Firiche valley and for sure it will stay the best shot for many years until you travel back to the Himalayas in the future. Overnight in a teahouse.

It is about a five-hour walk from Firiche to Namche Bazaar via Tangboche once you cross River at the end of firiche valley you ascend to the higher flat ground and then go almost flat to the suspension bridge over Imja Khola Passing Deboche and other scattered settlements now you entered the rhododendron forest with a gradual high trail to Tangboche monastery. You have lunch here in a fine restaurant and then you will visit the Monastery a well famous furry skull is preserved inside the Tangboche monastery and is locally believed to be of a “Yeti” legendary Snow Man from Himalaya. You might see it if are lucky. In a while, you descend once again to the very bank of the River to cross and again hill up to a very good hike before you catch up the cross trail between Gokyo and Everest Base Camp trail just passing a small commercial settlement of Chhatyang Kharka just before Khyangjuma and from here you go further mostly flat with small UPS and down to the edge of Namche Bazar and with the final downstairs you end your day in your hotel. In Namche, you still get some hours to celebrate the success of your trip with friends and a supporting team. Overnight in a hotel.

You start descending soon after breakfast after some leveled slope you catch the stairs that lead to the suspension bridge and further with many ups and downs and lunch break you cross the last bridge at Phakding and with the last minute's effort you start your last ascend to Lukla you pass through Rhododendron Forest and entre into Lukla. Here you can relax with a nice cup of coffee and say goodbye to your supporting team.

Early flight to Kathmandu is about 30 minutes, back in Kathmandu you will visit some of the historical monuments, you will visit Patan Durbar square which is in the south of Kathmandu city Patan is the second oldest settlement in the valley after Bhaktapur and stupa.

You have your breakfast in the hotel. Noon you check out from the hotel and transfer to the airport for final departure from Nepal.