Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lakes and Cho La Pass

After breakfast, our tour guide will take us to the monuments and places that come under the category of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu. We will visit Kathmandu Durbar Square, where we might see "Kumari", the living goddess, as well as visit pagoda style temples. Then we will visit Swayambhunath Stupa, a Buddhist temple which is known as the monkey temple. After that, we will visit Pashupatinath temple, one of the biggest and popular Hindus temples of Nepal, and thousands of devotees visit this temple every day. We might see cremation taking place on the bank of the Bagmati River. From here, we move towards Bouddhanath stupa, one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world where over 50 Tibetan Gompas or monasteries are located. After, we drive back to the hotel.

An early morning start takes us to the domestic terminal Kathmandu Airport for the 35-minute scenic flight to Tenzing and Hillary Airport at Lukla (2,850m/ 9,350ft). On arrival at the airport, the guide will brief us and introduce our porters before we begin our trek towards Phakding (2,610 m).

After landing we have time to explore the village while our Sherpa crew sort and load our trekking equipment. Then we begin our trek by descending towards the Dudh Kosi River where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, located just above Chaunrikharka (2,713 m). The walking is easy. After passing through the small village of Ghat (2,550 m), it is a short walk to Phakding.

We follow the Dudh Koshi, ascending through Himalayan pine and cedar forests, to the celebrated village of Namche Bazaar. The village of Namche is a historic trading post where Nepalese and Tibetan traders exchange salt, dried meat and textiles.

Besides being a splendid destination to shop for traditional crafts, Namche remains the central trading post in the Khumbu that attracts Himalayan and lowland merchants. If the weather permits, on the hike we capture our first glimpses of Everest and neighboring peaks.

The rest day at Namche Bazaar is crucial for acclimatization. It is advisable to stay active instead of being idle for this day. There are plenty of things to do around Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar is the main center of the Khumbu region and has ATMs, cyber cafés, shops, restaurants, bakeries, and a colourful market each Friday evening and Saturday morning. To acclimatize, we visit Khunde Hospital set-up by Sir Edmund Hillary or take a one hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche for the sunset view of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest and so on. We then go to Khumjung where we visit Khumjung Hillary School and enjoy flora and fauna found at such altitude. We begin our hike after enjoying lunch; bypassing the route of Khimde. There are also good views from the Sagarmatha National Park Centre and Museum just above the town. After going through our acclimatization drills, we head down to our lodge for a good sleep.

We climb the Khumjung hill and descend to the east of the village down the broad valley leading to the Dudh Koshi from where the route turns north. There are two trails and our guide will choose the best option for us to follow. There is a chorten on the ridge top at 3973 m which descends from Mt. Khumbila (5761 m). We visit Mohang, the birthplace of the re-incarnated Lama of Rongbuk Monastery of Tibet who is believed to have introduced Buddhism in the Khumbu region of Nepal. The trail descends in a series of steep switchbacks down a sandy slope to the Dush Koshi. We stay overnight in Phortse Tanga, near the river.

Post breakfast we start our uphill climb to Machhermo from Phortse Thanga. We walk on a trail alongside a rhododendron forest and pass through a waterfall before reaching Tongba Village. We continue our uphill trek and pass through Dhole, Labarma and Luza villages before reaching Machhermo. There is a Chhorten right before the Luza village. Throughout today’s journey, we will be walking alongside the Dudh Koshi River. 

The trail rises gently from the village to a ridge that offers the first views of the north face of Cho-Oyo (8210m/26 907ft) and more views of Kangtega and Thamserku. Ahead in the valley is the snout of the Ngozumpa Glacier: the trail drops back towards the river. A metal bridge crosses the edge of the frozen Longponga Tsho (4,690m/15,383ft): the first of the Dudh Koshi’s six sacred lakes. Before Taboche Tsho, a path leads up onto the glacier - and the Cho La. A strenuous half hour’s walk beyond the lake leads to the summer village of Gokyo set on the side of the moraine and overlooking the blue-green Dudh Pokhari which nestles in a semi-circle of high peaks at the foot of Gokyo Ri. Cho-Oyo and the ice ridge to Ghyachung Kang, from which the Ngozumpa glacier flows, are clearly visible behind ridges.

Acclimatization day is very necessary for our body to adapt according to changing surroundings. For active acclimatization, we step up towards the fourth lake also known as Thonak Tsho and Ngozuma Tsho a fifth lake too that helps not only in acclimatization but also to view amazing views of surrounding peaks visible. Basically, we will climb at a viewpoint known as Soundrel’s viewpoint and witness never seen before views of Makalu, Nuptse, Lhotse, Everest, Cho Oyu, and Gyanchung Kang.

Absorbing excellence of Himalayan beauty, we might too hike for the sixth lake only if we have time and your interest. Getting there at the sixth lake is quite challenging as we will be very near to Cho Oyu Base Camp. Inspiring views of Mt. Gyachung and Cho Oyu will be almost in a touching distance. 

Today, the most important day of our trip as we hike towards Gokyo Ri for a great experience. We start our day early in expectation for amazing morning views. Hiking to the top of Gokyo Ri is demanding as it is steep and takes about 3 to 4 hours to reach the top. But the scenery of Gokyo village, on the edge of the third lake overlooked by Cholatse and the broad Nogzumpa Glacier, is magnificent. We are surrounded by panoramic mountains like Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku, Kangtega, Taboche, Cholatse, Makalu, Lhotse, Nuptse, Everest, Changtse, and Pumori. The sight of sunrays kissing Everest which towers over all the surrounding peaks is astounding. We trek through down the lateral moraine of the Ngozbuma glacier, before finding our lodge at Thangnak. It will be a short hike today with an afternoon of rest which will prepare us for long hiking days and elevation gain to come.

Today will be the toughest, but most rewarding day of the trek. It calls for a very early start - to beat likely cloud at the pass. The trail is steep from the hotel and climbs through grazing lands over a hill. It then drops into a minor valley before climbing steeply up a vast, loose scree slope on ill-defined paths that eventually lead to the flags that mark the narrow neck.

Behind are views of the glacier, Pharilapche, and Kyajo Ri. At your feet is the Cho La glacier and to the southeast views that include impressive Cholatse, Baruntse, Lobuche West and East and out to pyramidal Ama Dablam.

The descent requires walking down the glacier followed by a boulder scramble to easier terrain below, then down to the summer grazing village of Dzongla.

This will be a very short trek so we have a lot of time to relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us. We pass through high on the edge of Awi Peak, above the village of Chola and continue past Cholatse Lake. Beyond the lake, the Chola Glacier flows steeply from a saddle between the cliffs of Cholatse and Tawoche in a rugged and beautiful display. We climb up and before we unfold the striking form of Nuptse (7745 m), rising above the Khumbu Glacier. We continue our traverse until we join the busy trail from Tengboche to Lobuche. We are now in the vicinity of Everest but the great mountain still remains elusive. After reaching Lobuche we can spend the rest of the day taking a rest which will help us prepare for the next day’s long trek.

We take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorakshep Lake. Continuing straight ahead, we come across the Indian army mountaineers' memorials. The path from here can be misleading; hence, it is important that we follow our lead Sherpa diligently. The walk is strenuous due to thin air in the high altitude. We pass through rocky dunes, moraine, and streams before reaching the Everest Base Camp. Upon reaching the Everest Base Camp, we see tents of mountaineers that stand out in bright colors against the monotony of gray surroundings (especially in the spring). Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori are the mountains we can view from the base camp. We get back to Gorakshep for a good night's rest.

We prepare for an early morning departure, amid pre-dawn darkness and cold temperatures (-10 to -14 C). Plus, there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse tower to the east even as Everest begins to reveal itself. But, it is upon reaching Kala Patthar that we get to see 360 degree up-close and formidable views of Mt. Everest. We take pictures, enjoy the magnificent mountain panorama, and then return to Pheriche for a good night's rest.

Leaving the mountains behind us, our descent takes us away from the Everest Base Camp through Pangboche and Tengboche before continuing to the town of Namche Bazaar. We arrive back to Namche in the afternoon.

This is our last day on these lovely mountains that have been home to us all of these days. Early in the morning, we'll begin our journey towards Lukla through the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We will then pass through several forests and bridges.

Catching wonderful views of the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6618 m) we’ll come across several suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi River. Once we reach Lukla, where the trek began we enjoy this time to recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks and the personal achievement of all those who took part. In the evening we’ll get a moment to cherish after such a great adventure.

Today, we will extend our final goodbyes to the Khumbu region. After Breakfast, we catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. On arrival in Kathmandu, we will be transferred to our pre-booked hotel. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey.

Our journey in Nepal comes to an end today! But the memories will remain forever of the wonderful times we spent together. A High Wonders Travel representative will drop us off at the airport approximately 3 hours before our scheduled flight.