Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek

On the very first day of your 14 days Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek, you will touch the grounds of Kathmandu airport, get your tourist visa approved, and meet our representative who will drive you to your accommodation for the night. One of the best things about visiting Nepal is the easy visa-on-arrival option; it just makes getting a visa a breeze. To obtain your Nepalese tourist visa, you need to present a couple of documents. These include your proof of return tickets, bank receipts of visa fee payment, your passport that is valid for at least 6 more months, fully filled visa application form, and two passport-sized photos. You can get the bank receipt at the nearby bank counter after you pay your fees. You can also apply for a Nepalese tourist visa online. For this, you need to visit the official immigration website of the Government of Nepal, fill out a digital visa application form, pay your visa fees, and wait for your tourist visa clearance which will be sent to you via email. You will be sent a barcode which you will have to print out and present at the immigration booth at the airport. After you pop up at the terminal, our representative will find you and take you to your hotel for the night. Activity: Driving for 35 Minutes Max. Altitude: 1,324m/4,344ft. Kathmandu Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel

Lukla is our starting point for the 14-day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek. After a lovely breakfast at our 3-star hotel, we will get in a car to get to the airport and catch the flight to Lukla. Flights to Lukla happen early in the morning since the mountainous region is infamous for cloudy and windy afternoons. We will get to Lukla (Tenzing Hillary Airport) in just about 35 minutes and begin our day trek shortly afterward. The village of Lukla sits at an altitude of 2860 meters above sea level and is the last place for you to stock up on necessary supplies and trekking gear. From Lukla, our destination of Phakding is just 8 km, which should take about 2.5 hours to trek. The trail is mostly descending, so it should not be an exhausting first day of the trek. The trail starts with a slight descent through a thick pine forest with some rhododendron trees. There are multiple ascents and descents throughout the trail, as well as a bunch of suspension bridges. Firstly, we will get to Chheplung, a traditional Sherpa village not far from Lukla, followed by the Thado Koshi River bridge. Trekkers can enjoy scenes of Kusum Kanguru, Kangtega, and more peaks from the bridge. From Thado Koshi, we will get to Ghat, a beautiful Sherpa village with an old monastery at its center. This is the final leg of our trek today, and also our lunch spot. By the end of the trek, we will be at 2610 meters above sea level, losing about 250 meters of altitude throughout the day. Activity: Fly & Trek for 4-5 Hours Max. Altitude: 2,610m/8,563ft. Phakding Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Covering a total distance of 11.7 km is around 6 hours, day 3 of the 14 Days Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek is a day to remember as we reach the famous, charming, and vibrant town of Namche Bazaar. We will also gain quite some elevation today, going from 2610 meters to 3440 meters above sea level in Lukla. Today’s trail starts along the banks of the Dudh Koshi River going along its western edges. The terrain is uneven and the dirt track is full of pebbles but this is all a part of the experience, you probably did not join a Himalayan trek to walk on smooth pitch black roads. First of all, we will get to Zamfute, then to Tok Tok, and Monjo, the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. We will cross the Dudh Koshi River many times, using the sturdy and reliable suspension bridges. One of them is the famous Tenzing-Hillary Suspension Bridge which is one of the highest suspension bridges in the region. It’s a great viewpoint to see the deep gorge of the Dudh Koshi River. As we reach Monjo, our permits will be checked at the checkpost before we are allowed to enter the Sagarmatha National Park, home to Himalayan Thar, Red Panda, Musk Deer, Himalayan Pheasant, Snow Leopard, and more. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is protected by the government of Nepal. Making our way through the national park, we will get to Jorsale which will be our last stop for the day. It is also the last village before we reach Namche Bazaar so we do not really have much choice. We will have our lunch there, and get some rest, before climbing the hardest part of today’s trek. This part of the trek is about 2 hours long. You will see Mt. Everest for the first time during the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek as we get to a viewpoint on the way up to Namche Bazaar. We will reach the viewpoint after about 1.5 hours of climb. After 30 more minutes of uphill climb, we will finally reach Namche Bazaar. As we go up in elevation, the weather predictability plummets. There’s always a chance of heavy clouds and bright sun, you just cannot guess what will happen within the next hour. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 Hours Max. Altitude: 3,440m/11,286ft. Namche Bazaar Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Getting your body used to the environmental changes is a key preventive measure that you should follow to avoid altitude sickness. Aesthetically and scientifically, the village of Namche is a great place to spend your acclimatization day. Today, we will go to the Everest View Hotel, the most famous hotel in the Everest region, as part of your acclimatization hike. There are many other acclimatization hiking destinations, but this one is arguably the best option. Following a steep uphill trail, we will start the hike to Everest View Hotel, with a bunch of ascents and descents along the way. Winding our way through a snake-way trail, the valley below us starts to look distant, and the views get better as we ascent. After about an hour of trekking uphill, we will get to a leveled part of the trail. By this point, the bustling noise of Namche will be replaced by the calming sounds of birds chirping and winds chiming. As we get up to 3600 meters of altitude, we get to see a clear view of Ama Dablam Peak, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Himalayas. This 6,812-meter-tall peak is a scenic treat and a sign that more Himalayan views are coming your way. As we progress along the trail, we get to see views of Lhotse, Everest, and Nuptse. We will soon get to the Everest View Hotel, which is a great viewpoint to see the Everest region peaks. Sitting at an altitude of 3880 meters above sea level, the Everest View Hotel offers a 360 view with warm beverages to heat our bodies. We will get back to Namche Bazaar after we are done with the sightseeing. In total, this hike will take around 3 hours to complete (ascent and descent). Another great option for an acclimatization hike is to get to Khumjung Village. Located at 3790 meters above sea level, this village is an authentic Sherpa village that lets you take a peek into their daily lives. The village also has a monastery, which supposedly has a Yeti Scalp on display. Yetis are mythical creatures that are similar to Bigfoot in size and appearance; the only difference is that Yetis have white fur. Activity: Hiking for 3-4 Hours Max. Altitude: 3,880m/12,730ft. Namche Bazaar Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Day 5 of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek is where we depart from the traditional Everest Base Camp itinerary by going to Dole instead of Tengboche or Pangboche. Today’s trail is about 11 km long and we will reach 4038 meters of elevation by the end of the day. Leaving Namche Bazaar, we will get on a steep trail that leads us to a hilltop viewpoint. Heading forward, the trail levels a little, offering a gradual uphill trek to Kyangjuma village. At the village, we will come across a divergence, taking the right leads us to Everest Base Camp, so we will take the left to reach Mong La Pass. Also referred to as Mong Danda (hill), 3973 meters above sea level, this pass is hard to reach as we will have to climb up stone steps and the trail gets narrower at times as we make our way through the woodlands. We will get to the top of the pass in about an hour, and a lovely view of Mt. Taboche, Thamserku, Ama Dablam, Khumbila, Lhotse, and Everest will be waiting for us there. We will stop at Mong La Pass for a relaxing break before making our way to Phortse Thenga, following a descent to the Dudh Koshi River. Phortse Thenga is yet another divergence, one path leads to Phortse while the other leads to Gokyo Valley. We will take the latter and continue the trek to Dole. We will cross a river from there, which is where the trail gets sharply uphill. As we progress, the surroundings change to small shrubs and thin forests, typical characteristics of alpine vegetation. You will also get to see Mt. Cho Oyu, one of the top 10 highest peaks in the world, reaching 8188 meters above sea level. As we get closer to Dole, the trail smoothens out and the steepness vanishes. Activity: Trekking for 6 Hours Max. Altitude: 4,038m/13,248ft. Dole Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Day 6 of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek is a moderate trekking experience as we cover 5.5 km in about 4 hours of trekking. This may seem like a slow pace but since we are over 4000 meters of elevation, we should ascend slowly. Starting from 4110 meters at Dole, we will reach 4470 meters of altitude as we reach Machhermo village. Leaving Dole, we will descend a snow-covered trail that shortly turns into an ascending track with beautiful views of Kantega, Thamserku, and Cho Oyu. At this point, the alpine vegetation changes to a barren hillside landscape with small bushes and little patches of grass. The trail goes through the villages of Lhafarma and Luza before getting to a ridgeline above the Dudh Koshi River The trail now turns into a dry sandy track while the Dudh Koshi River flows way below the ridge. Following the trail, we will soon see Machhermo village in the distance. Activity: Trekking for 4 Hours Max. Altitude: 4,470m/14,665ft. Machhermo Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Today’s trek is about 5 hours long and requires us to cover a total distance of almost 7 km. Day 7 of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek gains us 320 meters of altitude. The trek to Gokyo begins with an ascent along a hill ridge accompanied by the scenes of Thamserku and Kangtega Peak. Moving along the route, we will get to Pangka following a narrow trail leading to a wide valley basin. Pangka is not quite a village but a small settlement housing a couple of eateries and tea houses. From there, the trail keeps going uphill and makes us walk over the largest glacier in Nepal, the Ngozumpa Glacier. To put it simply, the trail is rugged and windy. We will see the first Gokyo Lake as we continue along the trail. The beautiful blue shade of the lake will fill you with excitement and motivation to reach the Gokyo village. Located at an altitude of 4790 meters above sea level, we will spend the night there and get enough rest to re-energize ourselves for the upcoming day. Activity: Trekking for 4 Hours Max. Altitude: 4,789m/15,712ft. Gokyo Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Today is the ultimate day of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek as we take you to Gokyo Ri, the summit of the trek and the highest point of the trek (5357 meters above sea level). Taking it slow, it will take us about 6 hours to ascend and descend, not accounting for the time spent at the summit of Gokyo Ri. From Gokyo village, the distance to Gokyo Ri’s summit is just 2 km but since we are going to travel on snow-covered tracks and that too well over the 4500 meter mark, we will be slow. The decreased amount of oxygen means that you will take shorter breaths to make up for the less oxygen in the air. This is why you will be tired easily even if you have good stamina. The start of the trek is an ascent over a gravel track with loose rocks that call for attentive foot placement. You should follow the steps of our 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek guide. As we make our way up the track, the Dudh Pokhari Lake and the village of Gokyo fall into the background. The winding trail is easy for the most part, but since we will be short of breath, we will feel exhausted, and the barren landscape is not so motivating either. However, the scenes of the icy peaks and glaciers will be enough to motivate us for the time being. After about 1.5 hours of climbing, we will reach a small Chorten, which is also a great resting place. We will take a short, refreshing break to drink water and rest our legs a little. We will continue the trek shortly after and reach a narrow track; this is a sign that you are close to the summit of Gokyo Ri. The final section of the climb requires us to trek through a rocky ridge, which is a difficult section, so follow the instructions of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek guide. From the summit, you will enjoy a 360-degree view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and more. All of the aforementioned peaks are among the top 10 highest peaks in the world. After spending some time at the summit, we will head back to the Gokyo village for a restful night. Activity: Hiking for 1-1.5 Hours Max. Altitude: 5,358m/17,579ft. Gokyo Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Following the banks of the Dudh Pokhari River, we will begin trekking a slightly ascending route from the Dudh Pokhari Lake. This switchback path has a bit more life than the barren climb to Gokyo Ri and as we go deeper, the ascend becomes sharper. This road to Renjo La Pass is pretty simple but it will take us hours to get there since the environmental conditions are not complementary to trekking. After trekking 4.5 km and gaining an elevation of 600 meters, we will finally get to the top of the Renjo La Pass, reaching an altitude of 5345 meters above sea level. The reward for this difficult climb is an unforgettable view of the Everest Himalayan range and the Ngozumpa Glacier. It is a great place to sit and relax for a while and have a photography session. The descent down to Lungden is steeper than the ascent to the pass. The trail is a mix of gravel road and stone stairs which calls for careful foot placement, As we move up the trail, it begins to turn into plain land as we get close to the Bhote Koshi Valley. This is the sign that we are close to the village of Lungden. Our final altitude of the day will be 4380 meters, losing about 960 meters of altitude. Activity: Trekking for 6-7 Hours Max. Altitude: 4,380m/14,370ft. Lungden Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Following the Bhote Koshi River downstream, we will start the trek to Thame with a slight descent. The slopes are barren and there are not many settlements along the way with only a few sparsely populated communities. As we move ahead, the route rewards us with views of the valley and nearby peaks along with small pasture lands where Yaks often spend their afternoons. After about 1 hour of trekking, we will get to Marlung, a tiny village on the east side of the Bhote Koshi River. There are traditional stone houses all over the village but tin roof houses are gaining popularity at present. We will have our lunch there and continue the trek crossing a suspension bridge over the Bhote Koshi River that leads us to the village of Taranga. From there, the track begins to be greener as we head out of the Himalayan region into the hilly region. Moving on, we will soon reach Thame where our trek ends for the day. Covering over 10.5 km, we will trek for more or less 5 hours on the 10th day of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek. Activity: Trekking for 5-6 Hours Max. Altitude: 3,800m/12,467ft. Lungden Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Today, we will get back to Namche Bazaar and it will be an exciting day. It is about 9.5 km from Thame to Namche Bazaar which will take us 5 hours to reach. The trek starts with a slight descent paired with the views of Kusum Kanguru and Kongde Ri Peak. After about 2 km of trekking from Thame, we will get to Thamo village which is the home of Khari Gompa. This Gompa is one of the few nunneries that exist in the Himalayan region, the morning rituals and chants are just so good, that you can’t help but stand outside and listen. Leaving Thamo, we will trek along the Bhote Koshi River accompanied by the sound of the river. 4 hours in on the trek will take us to Samde village where we will have our lunch. The trail then continues to descend taking us to the valley basin before crossing over the Bhote Koshi River via a suspension bridge. Then, we trek an ascending path to get to Phute village. From there, getting to Namche Bazaar is a walk in a park. Activity: Trekking for 6 Hours Max. Altitude: 3,437m/11,276ft. Namche Bazaar Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

Day 12 of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek is one of the longest trekking days as we cover almost 18 km over 7 hours to get to Lukla, our starting point. Safe to say, we will be exhausted by the end of the day but there will be warm meals and comfy beds waiting for us at Lukla. Activity: Trekking for 6-7 Hours Max. Altitude: 2,858m/9,377ft. Lukla Meal: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Accommodation: Guest House

The following day, we will get on a flight to Kathmandu, we can not leave on day 12 because only morning flights are available from the Tenzing Hillary Airport in Lukla. Activity: Fly for 35 Minutes Max. Altitude: 1,324m/4,344ft. Kathmandu Meal: Breakfast Accommodation: 3 Star Hotel

Day 14 is the final day of the 14-Day Gokyo and Renjo La Pass Trek. We will work out if anything is left and bid you farewell before our representative drops you off at the airport.