Everest Gokyo Ri Trek

Half day sightseeing around UNESCO Bhaktapur / Kathmandu where your guide will escort you on a tour of Buddhist and Hindu temples and shrines reflect ancient local traditions. There is time to explore the city’s many places of interest on your own or take a rest while trekking permits are finalized. In the evening, devour a delicious traditional Nepali dinner. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Early in the morning, you will be picked up by your guide to go to the Kathmandu airport, from where we will take the airplane to Lukla, which will take us about 30 minutes of flight time. At Lukla, we will meet our porters and head north from the airstrip to Chablung (2,700 m). Here we will cross the Tharo Koshi river on a local-style suspension bridge. Just past the bridge, we can see the peak of Kusum Kangru (6,367 m), which is the most difficult of the so-called “trekking peaks." Beyond the Tharo Koshi the trail climbs a bit towards Ghat (2,590 m), we will cross a ridge marked with painted Mani stones and climb to Phakding where we will stay overnight (3 hrs).

From Phakding, we will follow the valley of the Dudh Koshi river, staying on the west bank of the river. We will climb steeply over a rocky ridge towards Benkar (2,710 m). From here, the trail continues alongside the river. On this trail, villages are interspersed with magnificent forests of rhododendron, magnolia, and giant firs. In both the early autumn and late spring, the flowers on this portion of the trek make it a beautiful walk. We cross the Kyashar Khola river and climb out of the valley to Monjo (2,840 m). Just beyond Monjo the trek enters the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, which was established in 1976 to protect a 1148 sq. km area surrounding Mt. Everest. Beyond the national park entrance station, the trail makes a steep rocky descent and crosses the Dhudh Koshi river on a 120-meter-long suspension bridge towards Jorsale (2,830 m). After crossing this a few times while climbing our way up the valley, we will reach Namche Bazaar (3,420 m). Namche Bazaar is the main trading center in this region and features numerous shops, hotels, and restaurants (six hours).

The Himalayan Rescue Association doctors have determined that you must acclimatize before we begin our trek to Gokyo. It is easy to become overly altitude-sick and suffer from altitude sickness. Today we will do the trek to Thami and back again. Thami lies at an elevation of 3,750 m, near the foot of a large valley west of Namche Bazaar. The route passes the settlements of Phurte (3,390 m), Thamo (3,440 m), and Somde (3,580 m) before arriving in the Sherpa village of Thami (3750 m). We will have good views of the snow peaks of Teng Kangpoche (6,500 m) and Kwangde (6,187 m) to the south. After our lunch, we will return to Namche Bazaar for the night (6 hours).

The trek of today climbs the hill to Khumjung and descends to the valley of Dudh Koshi. We then move toward the north. We will follow the frequented route to Tengboche and Everest base camp. It climbs gently to a ridgetop at 3,973 m. From here, we make our way down a sandy slope in steep switchbacks to the Dudh Koshi River. After crossing this river on a suspension bridge we arrive in Phortse Thanga (3 hrs).

In aid of acclimatization, the time spent trekking today is short. The trail first climbs steeply out of the valley through rhododendron forests, which give way to fragrant stands of juniper and large conifers. This part of the Trek is especially beautiful in spring when the rhododendrons are blooming. We pass a herders’ hut at Tongba (3,950 m) and then climb gently to Dole. From here the views of Khumbila and Tawachee are tremendous throughout the day, and it is possible to climb a ridge behind Dole for an even broader view up and down the valley (2 hrs).

The trail starts today by climbing steeply through scrub junipers to a single lodge at Lhabarma (4,330 m). We pass the small settlement of Luza (4,340 m) and continue to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river, to Machhermo. It was here that a yeti supposedly killed three yaks and attacked a Sherpa woman. This is the most credible yeti incident ever reported. (2 hrs)

Beyond Machhermo, we will climb a ridge for an excellent view of both Kantega and Cho Oyu. Beyond the ridge, the valley widens as the trail reaches the small village of Pangka (4,390 m). After passing Pangka, the trail drops briefly, then climbs to a large cave known as Nilibuk. After that, we will make a steep ascent up a new, narrow staircase trail. Atop the staircase, the trail crosses a simple wooden bridge to the first small lake, Longponga, at 4,650 m. The trail now becomes almost level as it follows the valley past a second lake, known as Taujun, at 4,710 m, and finally up a boulder-strewn path to Gokyo. Gokyo is a collection of stone houses and walled pastures on the shores of a large lake known as Dudh Pokhari (4 hrs).

The views around Gokyo are tremendous. For the best views, we will climb Gokyo Ri (5,357 m) today. From here, we will have a panoramic view of Cho Oyu, Gyanchung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cholatse and Tawachee. After we enjoy the view, we will return to Gokyo village for the night (4 hours).

To return to Phortse, we will use a different route than we used on our way up. We will follow the eastern side of the valley to gain different views of Khumbila. Climbing across the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier, we will reach the village of Na (4,400 m). The descent from Na along the eastern side of the Dudh Koshi valley is straightforward, and we will eventually arrive in Phortse (7 hrs).

A slippery trail descends from Phortse to a bridge at Phortse Tange and rejoins the original route from Khumjung. From here, it is easy to continue to Namche Bazaar, where we will spend the night (4 hrs).

It is a long walk from Namche Bazaar to Lukla, but we are probably all in good shape by now. From Namche, we will descent steeply back to the Dudh Koshi river and continue our way past the national park checkpoint at Monjo. The trail then returns to Lukla, where we will reconfirm our flight tickets for the following day and spend the night (7 hours).

Taking the early morning flight from Lukla will bring us back to Kathmandu. Staying at a hotel for the night

Today, you will depart from Kathmandu as per our itinerary. However, due to weather or unforeseen circumstances, the trek itinerary is subject to change.