Three Passes and Everest Base Camp Trek

Greetings and Tashi Delek! We are very thrilled and happy to welcome you all to the land of His Majesty- the Everest! After completion of the customs and you get out of the TIA gate, you will find our agency representative right at the exit. After assisting you with loading your luggage, you will be driven to your chosen lodging in the city. Once you are all rested and recovered from the flight, you can go out and discover the charm of this old city. In the evening, our tour guide will gather all the group members of our three passes and Everest Base Camp trek and give all of you the vital details regarding our Everest three high passes trek itinerary. Afterward, you can join our guide for a trip to the Thamel market to pick up any necessary gear. We advise you to retire early, as we may need to depart for Ramechhap around midnight for the early morning flight to Lukla. Note Please kindly note that the Kathmandu-Lukla flights will not operate during the high tourist season of autumn, spring and during the fog, inclement weather, and heavy congestion at TIA. In such an incident, we will need to make a 4 to 5-hour driving journey to Manthali airstrip in Ramechhap for which we will have to depart around midnight. After completing the trek, we may have to fly to Manthali to head back to Kathmandu via Lukla. If at that time, direct Lukla flights are operated, we will choose those. We therefore kindly request all our clients to reach Kathmandu early in the morning if possible. Max. Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft. Kathmandu Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel

An early morning departure will fly us over Everest, Jugal, Kanchenjunga, and Makalu towards Lukla. We will witness the skill of our pilot while landing on the unusually short runway of this iconic airstrip. Once we land, we will see our smiling crew of Sherpas along with the giant silhouettes of Kongde Ri. Once we have our breakfast here, together we will walk leisurely beside Dudh Koshi and pass through the scattered hamlets of Chheplung, Chaurikharka, Thadokosi, and Ghat to reach Phakding with the beautiful mountain environment. Activity: Fly & Trek for 4-5 hours Max. Altitude: 2,610m/8,563ft. Phakding Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Soon after breakfast, we will leave Phakding and walk through Benkar village towards Monjo where we will pass the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park. Now walking high above Dudh Koshi, we will pass by Jorsale Village and shortly reach the place where we see Dudh Koshi flowing into Bhote Koshi River. The 60 m-long Hilary Suspension Bridge will allow us to cross the river and reach Top Danda (3140 m). Now, a steep climb to Namche begins which is tough but the white peaks of Lhotse, Thamserku, Everest, Kongde Ri, Khumbila, and Nuptse will ease our journey. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 hours Max. Altitude: 3,440m/11,286ft. Namche Bazaar Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Namche is like a bowl surrounded by high mountains. There are many things to do and see here or we can also take a short 2 hour acclimating hike up towards the Khumjung Village and see its monastery or eat lunch in the Everest View Hotel regarded as the tallest one in the world. On the way, we will have a romantic spectacle of Lhotse, Thamserku, Everest, Kongde Ri, Khumbila, Cholatse, Taboche, and Nuptse. Activity: Hiking for 2-3 hour Max. Altitude: 3,790m/12,434ft. Khumjung Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

After Namche, we will walk steadily for around an hour along the relatively easy terrain. The path will now go down sharply for around 1.5 hour till we are at the solid hanging bridge made of metal. After walking over this bridge, the dense forest path will lead us over 3250 m high Phungi Thanga where we may take a brief break to eat our lunch. Get ready for the sharp two hour upward climb which will march us to the religious ground of monastery of Tengboche. We can see numerous monks going around with their everyday rituals and meditation. This location also gives us the superb views of Thamserku, Ama Dablam, Kangtega, Tawache, Lhotse, Kongde Ri, Nuptse, and Everest. After boggling our mind for a while with these peaks, we will now head to our mountain shelter for the evening rest. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 hours Max. Altitude: 3,860m/12,664ft. Tengboche Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Walking above the treeline from Tengboche, we will push further along the steeply climbing trail towards Debuche. Once at this Village, we will walk a little farther and reach a section where we can see two branching trail. The left one goes right up towards the Upper Pangboche so we will take the right one that will take us to the lower Pangboche and then to Dingboche. The route will continue to take us upward sharply till we are at Shomare where the high white peak of Ama Dablam starts to show its features. The Imja Khola will now direct us along the rising track which ultimately takes us to our shelter at Dingboche. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 hours Max. Altitude: 4,410m/14,469ft. Dingboche Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

We will acclimatize another day in Dingboche where we can just sit out in the lodge enjoying the view and the village environment. Or, we can also set forth for a 3 hour climb towards the Nagarjung Hill (5080 m). The ridge is locally called Nangkartshang Peak which rewards all its climbers with the view of the towering snowy titans of Island Peak, Baruntse, Thamserku, Cholatse, Lobuche, Ama Dablam, Makalu, Khakaru, and the pass of Amphu Laptse. Activity: Rest Day Max. Altitude: 4,410m/14,469ft. Dingboche Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

We have a beautiful short acclimating walk today that will lead us towards Chhukung Village. The route to the village is however not that easy as we hike alongside the impressive cliffs of Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Nuptse. Further, the landscape will become even more challenging with high sharp edge rocks and ice streams. Once we are through, we will be at the Village where we can look straight at Makalu, Kongde Ri, Karyolung, Cholatse, Taboche, and Numbur Himal. There is a 5546 m high ridge of Chhukung Ri we can try but it is advisable to rest, as we will be preparing for the first Everest pass the next morning. Activity: Trekking for 2-3 hours Max. Altitude: 4,730m/15,518ft. Chhukung Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

One of the first passes of Everest awaits our footprints today so we will start very early probably before the sun wakes up. We will then take the north direction and walk upward toward the glacier walls of Nuptse. We will walk past Bibre and arrive inside the Nyiang Valley protected by the Chhukung Ri and Pokalde. Now, heading west, we will keep climbing for about 4 hours and arrive the summit of the Pass that lies between Pokalde and Kongma Tse. We will be on time to see the sun painting the white faces of Gaurishankar, Lhotse, Makalu, Pumori, Everest, Lobuche, Ama Dablam, and Nuptse with its orange hue. Get ready for the tough sharp hiking down the pass, and once we are at the base, we will cross the side walls of Khumbu Glacier and make our way to our shelter at Lobuche. Activity: Trekking for 8-9 hours Max. Altitude: 4,925m/16,158ft. Lobuche Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Once again, the lateral walls of the Khumbu Glacier will lead us our way for a while till we are at the icy slope of the Lobuche Pass. From here, we will climb down towards the rocky and sand terrain of Gorakshep where we will take our time eating lunch and resting our feet. Now, we will set forth for a steep 3-hour climb towards Everest Base Camp where the notorious icefall of Khumbu awaits our stares. Side by side, we can also look at the massive structure of Nuptse, Khumbutse, and Lhotse but Everest will be nowhere to be admired. After an impressive historical moment at the camp, we will direct our feet back to our Gorakshep shelter. Activity: Trekking for 6-7 hours Max. Altitude: 5,160m/16,929ft. Gorakshep Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Since we want to witness the sun rising above the sparkly head of Everest, so we will begin our journey right in the dark before dawn. A 2 to 3 hour vertical but manageable climb will take us to the top of the sparsely grassy dark hill. At the top there is a view of the black pyramid of the Everest and slightly behind, we can also see the illuminating walls of Khumbutse, Lobuche, Changtse, Lhotse, Lingtren, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, and Pumori. Back at Gorakshep, we will savor a hot meal and prepare to descend towards Lobuche. Now the path becomes constricted as we cross the lake of Chola and arrive at the sunny Dzongla Village. Activity: Trekking for 6-7 hours Max. Altitude: 4,830m/15,846ft. Dzongla Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

From Dzongla, we will take on a downhill walk for a short distance and reach the foot of the wide valley. From here, the base of the pass is just 1 hour 30 minutes away. The last section of the Pass from its base is quite tricky and steep that goes over rocky edge and some ice. A fixed rope can be of help if the stretch seem to be quite difficult. Once atop, Rolwaling Peak can be seen enormously. We will now prepare for the descent from the Cho La on the Gokyo side which is steep and can be done with the fixed ropes. Once we descend, we will have to tackle one more short climb of around 100 m before we finally descend over the bumpy grasslands to Thaknak. Activity: Trekking for 8-9 hours Max. Altitude: 4,358m/14,298ft. Thaknak Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

From Thaknak, we will set forth to cross the longest glacier of Ngozumpa. First, we will begin from the eastern side and then turn north. We will then ascend the side wall and traverse the section with huge boulders and rock blocks. Once we reach the end, we will head back up the moraine, and the stunning blue-green Longponga Lake will come into view. Then, moving on further, we will see the next blue Taujung Lake. Not too far away is the Dudh Pokhari or the Gokyo Lake itself where we can find resorts and lodges in front of Kangtega, and Cho Oyu. Activity: Trekking for 3-4 hours Max. Altitude: 4,790m/15,715ft. Gokyo Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Gokyo Ri is a mountain peak in the Gokyo Valley which we can leisurely from our lodge. Traversing the glacial trail, we will climb past several other chains of Gokyo Lakes and reach the top of the peak. We will have a good and clear view of Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu and Lhotse from here. Let’s just go back and sit at the lodge as we will have a third Everest pass to cross tomorrow. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 hours Max. Altitude: 4,790m/15,715ft. Gokyo Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

We will be triumphing the last pass of our three passes and Everest base camp trek- the Renjo La which is the most simple among the three. The initial journey to the top pass summit will be quite simple and non-technical but the descending journey can be quite tough. To help us out, there will be stairs down the pass. We will first encircle the Gokyo Ri and follow the upward trail towards the Pass. It will take around 3 to 4 hours to reach the foot of the pass from where the track now bends here and there till we are at the top. Makalu, Cho Oyu and Everest will be at their best from here. Now get ready to climb down towards the valley of Bhote Koshi where the village of Lungden will wait for our arrival. Activity: Trekking for 7-8 hours Max. Altitude: 4,370m/14,337ft. Lungden Village Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

We will journey inside the Bhote Koshi Valley and reach the Marlung settlement. From here, we will walk relatively easy mostly downhill for around 3 to 4 hours to reach Thame. The small village is bordered by the rock and ice cliffs of Kongde Ri and Thyangboche. A little later, we can take a small walk towards the Thame Gompa (Monastery) a little above the village. Activity: Trekking for 4-5 hours Max. Altitude: 3,800m/12,467ft. Thame Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Outside Thame, we will walk over the bridge over the Bhote Koshi and walk towards the Dudh Koshi Valley once more. In the middle of the route, we will ascend towards the Thamo Monastery and then climb some more to reach Namche. Activity: Trekking for 4-5 hours Max. Altitude: 3,440m/11,286ft. Namche Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Walking the way back down, we will delve deeper into the Dudh Koshi Valley and pass through Phakding and Ghat to reach Lukla. Here, our loyal and friendly Sherpa companion will leave us while we remain with the pleasant memory of Everest and its three passes. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 hours Max. Altitude: 2,860m/9,383ft. Lukla Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Teahouse

Either a straight flight or a diverted flight will take us back to Kathmandu. In the case of Ramechhap landing, our private transfer will be in order at the airport to journey us back to the capital. You enjoy the rest of the day with massage, movies, or a small visit to the Garden of Dreams. We will sit together in the evening over a tasty Nepali meal and celebrate the completion of our Everest Three passes with the Everest Base Camp trek. Activity: fly for 30 minutes Max. Altitude: 1,350m/4,429ft. Kathmandu Meal: Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel

Final farewell from Nepal! One of our team will be with you till TIA and graciously leave you at TIA for your onward journey. Meal: Breakfast