EBC trek with Island Peak

You may arrive at the Tribhuwan International Airport at any time. Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by one of Nepal Hiking Team’s representative. He will help you get transferred to your hotel. Further plans and programs will also be explained to you. 

This day is reserved for the final preparations for the trek and climbing. You will be focusing on checking your gear and packing the necessary equipment. You may leave all unnecessary belongings at the hotel and re-pack only the necessary items for the trip. 

You will have an early morning transfer to the airport for your Lukla flight. The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself. The airfield is at a high evaluation and the difference between the two ends of the runway is about an exceptional 60 meters only.  From Lukla, you will be trekking to Phakding with an amazing, green landscape with the view of Kusum Kangraru accompanying you. 

Following the Dudh Koshi River, we will be 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 exchanged salt, dried meat, and textiles in ancient times. Besides being a splendid destination to shop for traditional crafts, Namche also remains the central trading post in the Khumbu that attracts Himalayan and lowland merchants.  

You will spend two days at Namche for acclimatization, visit local markets, and spend time with your team. On the hike to Namche, we can capture our first glimpses of Everest and its neighboring peaks. 

This day is especially sectioned for acclimatization. We will hike to the Syangboche Airport (3700m), supposed to be the highest located airstrip in the world, then continue climbing to the Everest View Hotel for great panoramic views of the Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Tawache among many others. On the way back, we can also visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and the Everest Photo Gallery. 

The uniform and easy trail leads us towards the view of Mount Everest, descending deep into the Dudh Koshi Valley at Phungki Thanka and from this point; it ascends the right flank of the Dudh Koshi valley to the Tengboche Monastery (3860m). The monastery is the spiritual center of the Khumbu.

The climb is lengthy, but is more than adequately compensated by gorgeous views of Mount Ama Dablam and on clear days, views of Mt. Everest and its surrounding peaks. Tengboche is located at the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and the Imja River and is surrounded by the ridges covered in alpine woods. Views of the Danphe birds can also be seen in the forests. Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Tengboche, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Descend through beautiful forests, we will cross the Imja Khola and trek through the village of Pangboche (3900m). Perhaps today is the most interesting trekking because you will not lose altitude like on other days. You can also enjoy views of Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse & many other peaks along the way. The route continues through pastures to Dingboche, known as the 'summer valley'. At Dingboche, you can see a kilometer long wall built to protect the village’s crops. Mani Stone walls also line the trail. Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Dingboche, breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

This would be your second acclimatization day that requires about 6 hours of trekking to an altitude of 5100 meters. After breakfast, you will ascend to Nangkartshang/Nagerjun (5100m), a hill located on the flanks of the Chhukung valley directly above Dingboche. The main aim is to climb high and sleep low.

The footpath becomes steep at times, resulting in a physically strenuous day.  Ascending the hill could take up to 5 hours at altitude. From this altitude, there are good views of the Lobuche East (6119m), the Lobuche West (6145m), the Taboche Peak (6367m), Thamserku (6608m), the Kangtega (6685m) and the Ama Dablam (6856m).

On a clear day, you could even see Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain, including great views of the Pheriche Valley.  After a short rest, you will then start the descent back to Dingboche and the walk at altitude takes about 2 hours.  After lunch, we can take a well-deserved rest, as afternoon temperatures could drop rapidly as the sun sets over the mountain tops. You will also spend a second night in Dingboche. 

Trekking along a broad valley floor to Dughla, we will be passing the Trekkers Aid Post at Pheriche (4240 m). This post is staffed by western volunteer doctors and supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association, which offers treatment and consultation to trekkers. Continuing up the valley, we will be gaining altitude. We will come out of the valley to descend to the yak pastures of Lobuche. 

After a short climb through meadows, you can look down at the Khumbu glacier. Straight ahead is Kalapatthar - the best vantage point to view the entire south face of Mt. Everest and the surrounding peaks. After a couple of hours, we will get to Gorekshep, and continue our journey to the Everest Base Camp.  There is not much elevation gain, but there are a lot of ups and downs and, combined with altitude, this can be an exhausting trek - but the journey is worth it.

After approximately 3 hrs of hiking, you will arrive at the base camp and can enjoy a magnificent view of the Khumbu glacier and icefall, from where the Everest expedition begins. Then we will go back to Gorakshep. Overnight stay at the guesthouse at Gorakshep, breakfast, lunch and dinner included

The day starts with a hike up to Kalapatthar (5545m), an excellent viewpoint to observe Mount Everest and innumerable spectacular mountains views. Then we will trek back to Gorekshep for a hot breakfast and trek descend back to Dingboche. 

Hike to Chhukung: A relatively easy day to prepare for upcoming challenges.

Optional: Consider a 3-hour round trip hike to Chhurung Ri for breathtaking panoramic views of the Himalayas.

After breakfast, we shall move to the Island Peak Base Camp. 

Pre-Climb Training: After lunch, our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and using climbing gears such as ice axes, climbing boots, crampons, harnesses, ascenders, et. cetera, and how to go up and down using ropes. However, please note that it is not compulsory to have a training experience for Island Peak Climbing. Still, a brief training does increase the chances of scaling the summit and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Today marks the pinnacle of our trek as we aim to reach the summit of Island Peak, situated at an altitude of 6,189 meters.

An early start is crucial, as we face an approximate 11-hour journey. Our path takes us through a rocky gorge, leading to a ridge that guides us to the glacier's snout. The ascent to Island Peak's summit promises unforgettable panoramic views, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

Following the summit experience, we will descend to base camp and proceed back to Chhukung.

While we aim to summit Island Peak on Day 14, there's no guarantee of favorable weather. Therefore, this day serves as a contingency. Should adverse weather or other unforeseen circumstances prevent our ascent on Day 14, we'll utilize this day for the summit attempt.

In cases of exceptionally poor weather, it may be prudent to delay our summit plans. This extra day also accommodates any issues with acclimatization or health concerns within the group. However, if our journey proceeds without any hitches, we won't need to use this spare day.

Leaving the mountains behind us, our descent takes us through various towns of Orsho, Somare and Pangboche, Tengboche then Phungki Thanka and complete steep to Kyangjuma, and easier trail to Namche.

The trek continues along the Dudh Koshi River to the small mountain airstrip at Lukla, where you will catch your return flight to Kathmandu the next day.

You will be delighted by the mountain views for the last time while flying from Lukla to Kathmandu on your 30 minute flight. As you reach at Kathmandu airport, you will be transferred to your hotel.

On this day, you can proceed to relax and can have another tour of the city or go shopping at the hub of “all things-tourist” at Thamel.