Nepal - Jiri Everest Gokyo 26 Day Trek

Day 01 Arrival at Kathmandu (1527m.). Arrive at Kathmandu where we are met and transferred to our hotel. In the evening we will conduct a briefing session.

Day 02   A day in Kathmandu. Morning sightseeing by private bus to Bhaktapur, Pashupatinath and Boudhanath. The afternoon is free for you to explore the city at will. A little time to check bags, ready for the start of the trek, the following morning. You can leave items you will not need on the trek at the hotel.

Day 03 Kathmandu to Shivalaya (1800m). We bus from Kathmandu to Jiri or nearby town. After sorting out our gear and meeting our Sherpa trekking crew, we trek to Shivalaya. An easy day to get us started.

Day 04 Shivalaya to Kenja (1640m). An usual town giving you the chance to meet various ethnic groups.

Day 05 Kenja to Sete (2575m). You may need a rest so we plan to stop here (no other reason), but if you are fit enough we can go on to Junbesi.

Day 06 Sete to Junbesi (2700m). An interesting town with some very good lodges and Tea Houses.

Day 07 Junbesi to Trakshindo (2930m). The views are amazing from this tiny place, so make sure you get up early and leave enough time to stand and be amazed.

Day 08 Trakshindo to Monjo (2815m). We go through Phakding and on to Monjo, in the hope of dinding a quiet place for the night (we are now in the most popular section of the trail) where we camp by the river.

Day 09   Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3450m). We continue north following the Dudh Kosi river and on to Jorsale where we enter the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park. From here it is a short walk to the confluence of two rivers, the lmja Drangpa (Imja Khola) and the Nangpo Tsangpo (Bhote Kosi) followed by a steep climb (for about 2hrs.) to Namche Bazaar, the main town in the Khumbu region. Namche is a prosperous Sherpa town and an important trading centre with a weekly Saturday market.

Days 10 & 11 In Namche Bazaar to acclimatise. Namche Bazaar is tucked away between two ridges amongst the giant peaks of the Khumbu. Once named the 'Trekkers Mecca of Nepal, Namche now boasts an abundance of lodges and souvenir shops. It is an ideal place to spend a rest day, acclimatising to the new altitude of 3450m before heading off towards Gokyo. Options for acclimatisation walks include a visit to Khunde Hospital and also the one hour walk up to the Everest Hotel above Namche for the sunset view of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse and Everest.

Days 12 & 13   Namche Bazaar to Phortse (3800m). A very spectacular day in terms of scenery. The main trail out of Namche heads north to Everest. Following this trail, a short climb to a crest reveals a wonderful view towards Everest and Lhotse, whilst nearer at hand our route is a Yak trail, contouring around the hillside. The way to Gokyo is via Phortse Tenga and follows this main trail for a while longer, passing many traders selling Tibetan handicraft, to a crossroads high above the Dudh Kosi (Milk River). The main trail to Everest drops down the hill to Phunki, whereas our trail climbs to cross the Mon La to reach Phortse Tenga. The Nepal Kingdom Foundation is involved with various projects in this area. An extra night is spent here to see how the community lives and also to further acclimatise.

Day 14 Phortse to Machermo (4410m).   From Phortse we drop down a little and then climb steadily along the side of the valley, Rhododendron forests giving way to scrub juniper as altitude increases. The trail passes many summer settlements (yersa), used when yaks are taken to these pastures to graze in the summer months. Ahead of us are excellent views of Cho Oyu while back down the valley are the peaks of Kang Taiga and Thamserku, both over 21,500ft./ 7481m.

Day 15 Rest day in Machermo. We plan is to stay at Machermo for an extra day to acclimatise. There are plenty of possibilities for exploration above the camp. Just above the village there is an excellent view encompassing Cho Oyu (8210m) and all the mountains that flank the Ngozumpa Glacier.

Day 16 Machermo to Gokyo (4794m). Rested, we head for the holy lakes at Gokyo. We follow a very scenic path to Pangka (4548m) and then descend slightly, following one of the melt-water rivers which flow down the west side of the Ngozumpa Glacier. We climb a steep rocky incline into the ablation valley by the side of the glacier, passing the first of the holy lakes. We soon arrive at the second of the lakes, crossing the path that heads across the glacier to the Cho La - our route to Lobuche and Everest, later in the trek. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its east shore is the summer settlement of Gokyo (4791m). Walking by the side of the lake, the scenery is magnificent with the summits of Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang reflected in its emerald green waters. There are several dwellings, including two lodges that boast solar shower and heating.

Day 17 Excursion to Gokyo Ri (5483m). We leave camp just after first light, crossing the ablation valley and following a zig zag path up the hillside. As we climb, Everest, Lhotse and Makalu slowly come into view. From the summit of Gokyo Ri we have one of the finest views of Everest to be had in the Khumbu. Some say it is a finer view than that from Kala Pattar, but you will be able to judge for yourself. For those who still have some energy, there are more good views to be had by dropping back down to the main path and following it north to the fourth and fifth of the Gokyo lakes, the latter being about three hours from Gokyo.

Day 18 Gokyo to Thagna (4690m). Fit and acclimatised, we leave Gokyo to cross the Ngozumpa Glacier. We descend to the second lake and drop down onto the glacier. The route across the glacier is well marked by cairns and
in places, the path is actually quite well defined. We climb off the glacier by a small dwelling known as Thagna and follow a shallow valley to our camp by a small Kharka.

Day 19 Thagna to Lobuche (4928m) An early start is necessary as not only do we have to cross the Cho La, but we also have to make the long descent to reach Lobuche. Continuing up the valley, we follow a ridge to our right, at approximately 5000 metres and an old lateral moraine, before beginning the rocky scramble to the pass. From the pass there are excellent views westwards across to Rowaling and of Ama Dablam to the south-east. The descent from the pass involves the crossing of a small glacier (often snow covered) which is fairly straightforward. There are more excellent views of Everest and Nuptse as we descend to the grazing pastures below. The way to Lobuche contours the grassy slopes of Chola Tso to join up with the main Everest trail from Dugla. On route we pass a memorial to those Sherpas who have died on Mount Everest. The trail flattens out and follows the lateral moraine on the west side of the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche.

Day 20   Lobuche to Gorak Shep (5184m). To reach our next objective, Kala Pattar, the trail at first follows the valley beside the Khumbu Glacier, and offers superb views of the surrounding mountains, especially where the path is forced to rise to cross a tributary glacier. We stop for lunch at our camping place for the night, Gorak Shep. Later in the afternoon, when the sunset colours begin to appear on Everest, we make our way to the top of one of the finest viewpoints for Everest, the hill known as Kala Pattar (5549m). As the light begins to fade we stroll back to Gorak Shep and have an early night in preparation for our trek to Everest Base Camp the following day.

Day 21 Excursion to Everest B.C (5357m). For the trek to Everest Base Camp a very early start is required, as it takes several hours on a trail alongside the Khumbu Glacier to reach the traditional base camp site. On the return leg we can take a higher route to get a spectacular view of the Khumbu icefall and of the route to the south Col. Returning to Lobuche for our nights camp.

Day 22 Lobuche to Pangboche (3985m). Down hill most of the way, past Duglha and descending to Pheriche. The Himalayan Rescue, Association has a trekkers aid post here and it is quite interesting to visit. After lunch we cross the Khumbu Khola on a wooden suspension bridge and follow the Imja Khola to the village of Pangboche.

Day 23   Pangboche to Namche Bazaar(3450m). We continue to follow the river and after crossing, climb up through birch and rhododendron forest to the ridge where Tengboche ("Great High Place") sits magnificently. This site is the spiritual and social centre for the people of the surrounding area. From here are marvellous views of most of the giant peaks in the area. From Tengboche we descend to the bridge over the Dudh Kosi at Phunki where there are water driven prayer wheels, then climb and contour around the hillside to Namche.

Day 24   Namche Bazaar to Lukla (2,850m). From Namche Bazaar the trail descends steeply to the village of Jorsale. Passing the villages of Phakding (2640m) and Choplung, we reach Chaunrikharka and the trail that cuts up to the airstrip at Lukla. We will camp on the lawn of a lodge at Lukla.

Day 25 Early morning flight to Kathmandu. Afternoon free to tour around Kathmandu.

Day 26 Departure from Kathmandu for home.

Travel Advice

Price Indication per person:

Airfare (from the UK)
As a guide, the international airfare should be in the range £500 - £650 (high season) for economy class.

Visas
A visa is required for Nepal and this will cost £20. We will send the form to you on receipt of your booking.

Travel Insurance
Comprehensive personal insurance, including search and rescue is required on this trip. (UK clients only) We recommend the policies of the British Mountaineering Council, for their expertise in evacuation from remote areas worldwide. Details at www.thebmc.co.uk We are unable to advise anyone who lives outside of the UK about insurance matters.