Everest Base Camp Trek

18 days/17 nights

Duration

Gokyo, Kathmandu, Lukla, Namche Bazar

Location

Everest Base Camp Trek

Everest base camp trek is perhaps on every trekker’s wish list. The prospect of being on the top of the world is always enticing. However, this trek adds a bit more to the traditional trek to himalayas, by enabling you to experience the culture and tradition of the Himalayan folks, which will provide a better understanding of their lifestyle and bring greater appreciation of the work they do. This combined with the opportunity to scale the Island Peak is every trekkers delight.

Everest base camp trek is more than a mountain and the journey to its base camp is more than just a trek. Along a route dubbed by some as “the steps to heaven,” every bend in the trail provides another photo opportunity — beautiful forests, Sherpa villages, glacial moraines, and foothills. For active adventurers not afraid to break a sweat, our full trekking support staff will bring you close to local cultures before opening a window to the top of the world.

Tour Highlight

Trek through the most famous mountainous trekking route
Beautiful forests, Sherpa villages, glacial moraines, and foothills
Scale the magnificent Island Peak
Indulge yourself in the majestic views of the mighty Himalayas
Immerse yourself in the culture and tradition of the people from the Himalayas

Everest base camp trek.

Additional information

Hotel	1 Star, 2 Star, 3 Star, 4 Star, 5 Star
Available Options	Mountain Flights, Cable Car

Kathmandu Airport Arrival (1345 meters).

Upon Arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport, You will be met and greeted with a traditional welcome by TravHill representatives and be transferred to your hotel in Kathmandu.

Kathmandu- Lukla Flight and Trek to Phakding.

AIl the morning you will make a scenic flight to Lukla which lies towards the southern entrance of Sagarmatha National Park and the Mount Everest. Upon reaching Lukla you will prepare and head towards Phakding during which you will trek along the Dudh Koshi River Valley.

Overnight at Phakding.

Phakding- Namche Bazar Trek

On this day you will trek to Namche Bazar, a gateway to Everest. All necessary permits and documentations will be arranged by your official guide. Overnight stay at Namche Bazar.

Rest day at Namche Bazar

Apart from visiting areas in and around Namche Bazar, this day marks an important day for travelers to acclimatize oneself to the significant altitude. Your guide will instruct you regarding the steps to be undertaken in order to properly acclimatize to local conditions and mitigate any risk of altitude sickness.

You also have the option of visiting places such as the Edmond Hillary School and the Everest View Hotel.

Overnight at a Namche Bazaar.

Namche Bazar- Tengboche Trek

Today we will be ascending a bit closer to the Everest Base Camp as we travel some scenic routes to reach Tengboche which houses the pre-eminent Tengboche Monastery. Along the way you will be rewarded with some scenic delights of Mt Ama Dablam and Mt Thamserku. The trek will last for about 5 hours.

Overnight at a Tengboche .

Tengboche- Dingboche Trek

With the Himalayas as its backdrop, the monastery in Tengboche is in an excellent location. We visit the monastery in the morning and enjoy taking pictures of the monastery and the amazing landscape. We descend for about half an hour through a forest before crossing a river. Next, we trek uphill and notice that as we climb higher, the landscape becomes drier. We walk past a traditional Sherpa village of Pangboche before reaching Dingboche, a beautiful village located on a riverside. Here, we will also see a small helipad that is used for helicopter rescues during emergencies. We may even take a class with a mountain specialist in a medical clinic at Dingboche. Overnight in Dingboche.

Dingboche-Lobuche Trek

After breakfast, we start with an easy walk towards Thukgla. Next, we trek up the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier, and then pass through the boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara where we find an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer) and 10-time Everest summitter Babu Chiri Sherpa (Nepalese mountain guide) who perished on a mission to climb Everest. The trail then continues to the Khumbu Glacier moraine and we find ourselves facing several great peaks – Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. Overnight in Lobuche.

Lobuche-Gorakshep- Everest Base Camp Trek

Today we will travel along the western edge of the Khumbu Glacier to reach Gorakshep. The place has excellent facilities for trekkers. After a short break, we will head towards the Everest Base Camp. A difficult trek indeed, but the destination is fraught with magnificent views of the Mount Everest, Khumbu Icefall and many other towering peaks. At the end, we will again make a return trek to Gorakshep.

Overnight at a Gorakshep.

Gorakshep-Kalapatthar-Lobuche Trek

On this day we will make trek to Kalapatthar before the crack of dawn to catch the early morning sunrise which is truly a sight to behold. The trek will be challenging and will take around 2 hours. After catching the majestic views of Mt Everest, Mt Nuptse, Mt Lhotse, Mt Ama Dablam among others, we will return to Lobuche.

Overnight at a Lobuche.

Lobuche to Kongma La (5,535m/18,159ft) to Chhukung (4,730m/15,518ft): 6-7 hours

After breakfast, we trek via Khumbu Glacier to Kongma La Base Camp (5,000m/16,404ft). The ascent to Kongma La pass is the most difficult part of our trek today. In the Kongma La, we see cairn wrapped in prayer flags to mark the pass. Then we descend gradually to imja Khola valley, followed by another descent to Chhukung, a small summer settlement. After reaching Chhukung we will also check our equipment in order to get ready for our ultimate climb. Overnight in Chhukung.

Chhukung to Island Peak base camp (5,200m/17,060ft): 3-4 hours

The trek to Island Peak Base Camp is on a fairly steep trail. First, we climb south then turn east to the main line of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside. The route to the Amphu Labtsa lies to the southeast. A crisscross route through the imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the SW side of Island Peak. Overnight at Island Peak Base Camp.

Pre-climb training on Island Peak Base Camp

We begin our pre-climb training today after breakfast. Our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and the proper ways of using climbing gears such as the ice axe, climbing boots and crampons, harness, ascender, etc. The training will also include using ropes to go up and down. Although it is not mandatory to have prior training for Island Peak Climbing, we strongly believe that some training experience will boost your confidence and climbing skills to increase the chances of scaling the summit as well as to fully enjoy the experience. We can spend the rest of the day hiking to high camp and back or resting for the next day’s climb. Overnight at the base camp.

Island Peak base camp to Island Peak summit (6,189m/20,305ft),back to base camp: 10-12 hours

We wake up early today at around 12 to 1 am and have our breakfast before beginning our climb. It is important we reach the summit before noon because in the afternoon the strong winds in the highlands might become a barrier for a successful summit. The trail moves up beyond the base camp for several hundred meters before striking off the steep hillside. Initially sandy, the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder strewn.

As we climb up the hill, we will see that the slope narrows and the trail enters a steep rock channel. We climb the rock gully. This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then follows a ridge-line, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. The guides will fix a rope when required. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. Both fixed rope and man rope will be used during the climb for safety. We use fixed rope after successfully climbing on rock.

The length of the rope will usually be 350 m. However, the length depends on the time of the season and the crevasses.There are two newly formed crevasses which are approximately 3 and 4 meters long. We will be using ladders to cross them. After enjoying the summit views and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Island Peak Base Camp where some of our crew are waiting for us. We celebrate on our successful Island Peak climb.

Island Peak Base Camp to Pangboche (3,985m/13,074ft) 5-6 hours

Today’s walk will be a much easier as we descend to the lower altitudes. Following the same route back through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, we pass through the beautiful Sherpa villages, Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different trail to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region or take the regular trail to reach Pangboche. Pangboche is a scenic village surrounded by Everest to its north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtaiga to the east, the Kongde range to the south and the Imja Tse river flowing through the wide fertile valley.

Pangboche to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,286ft): 4-5 hours

From Pangboche we retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sansa. We keep a lookout for wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while passing through the forest. After passing a chorten, we reach the army camp at Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,800m/9,186ft): 6-7 hours

The trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk cautiously as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries, the trail becomes more level and natural. After our arrival in Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. Overnight in Lukla.

Flight to Kathmandu (1,350m/4,428ft)

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenirs shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the climbers’ successful summit of the Island peak. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Final Departure

After Breakfast – free time till departure – A representative from TravHill Dot Com will transfer to Airport for onward destination with sweet memories of Nepal. We will drop you to Kathmandu Airport 3 hours before your flight time.

Cost Includes

Airport pick up & drop off transportation as per itinerary
Twin /double sharing accommodation at Kathmandu in 2-3 star hotel with breakfast
Kathmandu /Lukla /Kathmandu flight fare for member & Nepali staff and cargo
Accommodation in Tea House during trek and tent in Island base camp
Meals (breakfast with 2 cups tea and coffee in Tea House, lunch, dinner) in trekking
Sleeping bag
All necessary paperwork and permits
Garbage deposit
Island Climbing royalty and National park fee
Experienced cook, and kitchen boys in base camp
Tents, mattress and cooking utensils
First Aid and Eco trained & government licensed holder English trekking guide
Trekking map for group
Accommodation, meals, salary, equipment, transportation and Insurance of trekking staff
Emergency Oxygen in base camp
Satellite phone
All government taxes
One porter between two members during trek
Farewell dinner

Cost Excludes

International Airfare
Nepal Visa fee (US$40 per person for 30 days)
Excess baggage charges
Lunch/Dinner in Kathmandu
Climbing Guide & his equipments fees
Water during tea house trek as per itinerary
Tea Coffee in Lunch & Dinner time during Tea House trek as per itinerary
Personal mountaineering gear
Medical evacuation in case of emergency
Tips for staff
Client’s insurance, Items of personal nature i.e. soft/hard drinks etc
Expenses incurred due to mishaps, landslide, strikes, political unrest etc. In such case extra will be charged as per actual
Anything not specified in the Cost Include section