Everest Island Peak (6153 M)

A Lantang Ri Trekking & Expedition representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. When you are ready you will be collected from your hotel lobby and driven to our Thamel office where you will be formally introduced to your Trekking Guide. We will go through all your trek itinerary and arrangements with you an ensure every detail is in place. We will also ask for your passport photographs and any other details so that we can organize any permits required for your trek and the region you will be exploring.

Very Early morning 4 hrs. Drive you to Ramechhap, catch the morning flight to Lukla and a very scenic flight to Lukla, just south of the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park and the Mount Everest region. The flight is brief and takes only about thirty minutes to complete. Once in Lukla and all your packs and equipment are organized you will start your trek with the walk northwards along the Dudh Kosi River valley to the village of Phakdings and its impressive suspension bridge over the river far below. At this stage, the scenery is a well vegetated and impressively large river valley with glimpses to the north of the towering snow-capped Himalayan peaks that await you.

The first stage of the walk takes you across the river and to the village of Monjo and the actual entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park. Your guide will handle all the formalities of ensuring you are carrying the necessary permit to enter the national park. All necessary permits will have been arranged for you following your visit to our head office a day or two earlier. The second stage takes you upwards from 3,440m altitude Namche Bazaar – so a very substantial altitude gain of over 1,600m is achieved in this stage – so just take it slow and steady up the many steps to Namche Bazaar and enjoy the scenery and beautiful mountain summit vistas deeper in the national park.

Since you will now be at quite a significant altitude you must let your physiology adapt the the thinner atmosphere and reduced oxygen levels. This is an essential step in the proper management of the risk of altitude sickness. Your guide will personally instruct you on what to do during the day and how best to acclimatise and how to identify any early symptoms of altitude sickness. There is plenty to see and do in Namche Bazaar itself and in the immediate surrounding area. So taking a rest day can be an interesting and fun day too. Talk with you guide about visiting places such as the famour Edmond Hillary School established to assist the Sherpa community and residents of the region. Or perhaps pay a visit to the beautiful Everest View Hotel – the view of the Mount Everest summit can be inspiring for the next days of your trek.

Today you will head a little higher and closer to Everest base Camp. Your walk will take you via one of the many scenic trails to the very important village of Tengboche and its world famous Tengboche Monastery. Take your time and enjoy the gorgeous mountains along the trail. Look for the very distinctive twin-peak summits of Mount Ama Dablam and the towering snow and ice-capped mass of Mount Thamserku. This walks takes about five hours to complete and the last section brings you up to the distinctive gates of Tengboche village. Take the time to visit the monastery. Your guide will explain some of the history of the facility, its significance to the Sherpa community and its importance to Buddhism. Then get some rest for the next stages of your trek.

Today you cross the altitude transition from trees and shrubs lining the trek path to bare ground above the tree line. This is the point where the long hard winter and extended deep winter snow cover make it impossible for trees to establish and grow. Today you can clearly see that you have gained some substantial altitude since the commencement of your trek at Lukla. You start your five hour walk through grazing lands and beautiful rhododendron forests as you head towards the little village of Pengboche. Take a short break in Pengboche and visits its Buddhist gompa, a place of study and contemplation for monks learning the ways of Buddhism. Then continue on to Dingboche and soak up the stunning Himalayan vista that surrounds you.

Another five hour walk today that takes you to an altitude of almost five kilometers – many aircraft do not even fly this high! You will pass little settlements were a short break and cup of tea will fuel you for next stage. As you reach Lobuche you will be walking the southern section of the mighty Khumbu Valley and be walking beside the shattered and creaking ice flows of the Khumbu Glacier that drains from the flanks of Mount Everest itself. This is a high Himalayan landscape that can leave some treks thinking they are exploring another planet. Today’s walk will also take you past the tiny settlement of Periche that is home to the Himalayan Rescue Association Aid Post. This wonderful facility is staffed by international volunteer doctors and can provide excellent care to trekkers or expedition members suffering signs of altitude sickness.

Your trail will take you along the western edge of the Khumbu Glacier initially to the small settlement of Gorakshep. This is a very well appointed location with accommodation and all the facilities a trekker may need. A quick tea stop might be useful before pushing on to the goal of this trek – Mount Everest Base Camp. The walk continues northward along the edge of the glacier before arriving at the shattered jumble of ice and snow that is the main camp site for expedition parties attempting to summit Mount Everest. However, it depends on the month you visit as to whether expedition parties will be encamped. There are short seasonal windows before and after the annual monsoon when the ascent of Mount Everest is potentially possible. But once you arrive at base camp the presence or absence of expeditions is immaterial – just take in the awe of Mount Everest, the Khumbu Icefall and the many 7,000m plus peaks jutting towards the sky in every direction you look. This is the power of nature at its most impressive. You will complete the day be returning to your accommodation for the night at Gorakshep.

Sunrise from the top of Kala Pattar is just a spectacular sight you will always remember and no doubt record in many photos. But the walk up to the vantage point at 5,545m altitude is steep and a challenge, often requiring a slow two hour walk. At the top, 5,545m, you have just 52% of sea level oxygen available to you, so some exertion is required. But the rewards for this effort are beyond words – all of the most beautiful and inspiring Himalayan peaks and rugged icy landscapes are laid out before you as you are left speechless by the power and beauty of the west face of Mount Everest, its neighboring peaks of Nuptse and Lhotse and the nearby summits of Ama Dablam, Thamserku and more peaks than you can count. Kala Pattar is the Himalayan vista high point, literally, of any Everest Base Camp trek.

You will find you walk a little easier and faster with each hour as you descend and gain a little more oxygen with each breath. But take you time, continue to enjoy the mountain scenery. You will walk along the edge of the Khumbu Glacier on the main trail to the busy little settlement of Dingboche near the toe of the glacier and its jumbled moraine

This part of the trek takes you along a side-branch glacier valley that feeds into the main Khumbu Valley. The walk takes you through a valley rimmed with high peaks on either side and a small lake near the Island Peak Base Camp. From here you will prepare for the attempt on the summit. It may look daunting towering above you at this point. But while the slopes are steep your guide has done this climb many times before.

The morning will start with a safety review and instructions from your guide on your equipment – harness, ropes, ice axe, carabiner, crampons – and some practice on the lower slopes of the mountain. You will then be guided up the increasingly steep slopes along clearly defined snow paths and fixed ropes. After some hours of serious effort you will reach the final summit ridge and then slowly make you way to the 6,189m summit of Island Peak. At this altitude the air you and working hard to breath contains just 47% of the oxygen at sea level – this explains why making your way up these steep slopes is so challenging. But the spectacular vista from the summit is worth every step. The views to the summit of Mount Everest and nearby Mount Lhotse will be imprinted on your memory for ever. But soon it will be time to descent where the air is just that little more oxygen rich.

You head through familiar trails and scenes as you proceed largely down hill for four or five hours of easy walking. There are still a few hills to summit but you will find it easy going today. You will also pass through Khumjung and Khunde where you may like to take a break and visit its little monastery. Visitors are always welcome.

Today involves a long walk as you descend rapidly from Namche Bazaar and head for Phakding. After a rest in Phakding you will continue on to Lukla. Since this evening will be the last on your trek it will be time for some celebrations with your guide and fellow trekkers. A few drinks, some music and some Sherpa and Nepali dancing is often on the menu. So please celebrate your achievements and friendships of this trekking experience.

Your flight from Lukla will depart early in the morning to Ramechhap and 4 hrs drive you back to Kathmandu and overnight in hotel in Kathmandu  

After breakfast we will collect you from your hotel and escort you on a tour around the cultural highlights of fascinating Kathmandu. We will arrange a guide of your chosen language for your tour. Kathmandu is a busy city with a rich cultural heritage arising from the mix of religions and peoples of many ethnic origins that make up the city – something of a harmonious cultural melting pot. No introduction to the rich culture of Nepal and Kathmandu would be complete without a visit to the Monkey temple Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Kathmandu Durbar square.

Durbar Square: This is a UNESCO world Heritage site and deservedly so. It comprises a royal palace which has many buildings and courtyards that are now a fascinating museum of the history of Nepal and its royal Malla Kings heritage. Some of the royal buildings date back to the 12th century. Foreign visitors must pay an Rs. 250 fee to enter the museum. Outside the palace in the Durbar Square area there and many beautifully designed and constructed temples, each with its own historical and special religious significance. Your guide will tell you fascinating stories about each structure and explain its religious function and associated beliefs.

Swayambhunath Buddhist Stupa: Is a 2000 year old Stupa – a religious hemispherical structure – that is the most important of all Buddhist shrines. It is the focal point of Buddist belief in Nepal. The main stupa structure is very large and its ornate central spire carries the all-seeing eye of the Buddha who observes all adherents and knows all.

Pashupatinath Hindu Temple: At the very large and complex Pashupatinath temple we explore aspects of the Hindu religion. This old and very revered complex of buildings and shrines is dedicated to the Lord Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism. While Lord Shiva has multiple forms he is often seen as the destroyer. And this has great significance for the Pashupatinath temple as it is the site of many Hindi ritual cremations each day. Pashupatinath is considered by Hindus to be an auspicious site for passing from one stage of life to the next through the purifying and destroying flames of cremation. However, on a happier note, visitors may also get to see the temple in a buoyant festival mode with one of the many Hindu festivals celebrated every year.

We will meet you at your hotel and take you to the airport in plenty of time to meet your flight home.