Gokyo - EBC - Island Peak Climbing

An airport representative will greet and welcome you to Nepal upon your arrival. There are no planned activities due for the day, so we directly check into the hotel. 

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.

Today, we have an early morning transfer to the airport for the Lukla flight. The flight to Lukla is a lifetime experience in itself. The airfield is at a high elevation. The difference between the two ends of the runway is about a bare 60 meters only—Trek to Phakding with an arresting, green landscape with the view of Kusum Kangraru.

We follow the course of the Dudh Koshi River, ascending through the Himalayan Pine and Cedar forests to the famous 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. You will spend two days at Namche for acclimatization, visit local markets and spend time with your team. We capture our first glimpses of Everest and neighboring peaks on the hike.

This day is especially sectioned for acclimatization. We hike up to the Syangboche Airport (3700m), supposed to be the highest airport in the world, then continue climbing to the Everest View Hotel. We catch some great panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Amadablam, Tawache, etc. We visit the Sherpa Culture Museum and Everest Photo Gallery on the way back. 

The trails are accessible in the beginning up to Kyangjuma & climb steeply later out of the valley through rhododendron forests, which give way to fragrant stands of juniper and large conifers as the elevation increases.

This trek is lovely in spring when the rhododendrons are blooming. The trails pass many Kharkas; summer settlements are used when the local Sherpas bring yaks to feed in high pasturelands. The route also goes through the communes of (3950m) and Gayle (3960m) to Dole, where a few hotels exist. You can find the views of Khumbila and Tawache (6542m) are incredible throughout the day!!

The trail goes further to Lambara and Luza (4220, 4360m.), respectively. The course is usually vertical in many places as it ascends through Juniper brushes. We spot Kharkas at flatlands and water. The trails continue to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river, crossing sandy spurs to Machhermo at (4410m). 

We climb a ridge for an excellent view both down the valley to Kantega and up towards Cho-Oyu (8201m). Beyond the ridge, the valley widens as the trail passes through Pangka at (4390m) then descends to the riverbank before the beginning of Ngozumpa Glacier moraine. The climbing towards the moraine is a steep one switching back along to the stream of the moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier.

We have an early wake-up today and climb up to the Gokyo-Ri, for a panoramic view of the Mahalangur Himalayan range.

It takes us approximately about 2 hrs climb to the top of the Peak that bestows us with the panoramic views of Cho-Oyu, Gyachung Kang, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cholatse, and Tawache. We also see the great-looking Ngozumpa glacier, the largest glacier in Nepal. 

Today, we continue our trekking journey from the Ngozumpa glacier to reach Thagnak. The trail leading us to the foot of Cho-La pass is a brief one as we will be walking briefly for about 2-3 hours. 

Today is a long trek, and we start before sunrise at 4-5 am to reach the pass by 9–10 am; otherwise, weather conditions will significantly affect our journey. We cross over at an altitude of 5300 meters. We could be exposed to strong winds if crossing too late.

A few problems may arise on this day due to the altitude and snow. Crossing the pass often causes terrible problems if it is covered by snow. However, the magnificent views reward you as you reach the top, and then we descend to the Dzongla at noon. 

Today, our course is brief and more straightforward compared to the course of the trek earlier, which was complex and challenging. 

After a short climb through meadows, look down at the Khumbu glacier. Straight ahead is Kalapattar – the best vantage point to view the entire south face and the surrounding peaks. After a couple of hours, we reach Gorekshep and continue our journey to the Everest base camp.

There is not much of an 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 enjoy a magnificent view of the Khumbu glacier and icefall, where the Everest expeditions begin. 

The day starts with a hike up to Kalapattar (5545m), an excellent standpoint to observe the Mount. Everest and innumerable spectacular mountains views. Then, we later trek back to Gorekshep for hot breakfast and descend to Dingboche (4410m). Overnight at guesthouse, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

From Dingboche, we make a leisurely start following the Imja Valley with great views of Ama Dablam dominating the skyline and following the moraines that flow from Lhotse (8501meters) towards the sand flats at Pareshaya Grab. We reach there in the mid-afternoon. We stay at tented camps for the next two days, and our professional cook will serve you dinner. 

Pre-Climb Training: After lunch, our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and using climbing gears such as ice axe, climbing boot, crampons, harness, ascender 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, but a brief training does increase the chances of scaling the summit and thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Island Peak Ascent (6,189m) begins our climb early in the morning; generally, around 1 am. In the beginning, we climb the rock gully.

This is not tough, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to a compelling and uncovered traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier.

We need to rope up for the glacier as it contains several crevasses. The guides will fix a rope wherever necessary. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. After enjoying the summit views and taking pictures, we descend to Dingboche overnight. Overnight guesthouse/tent, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

There is no assurance that we can get favorable weather on our planned day for the summit (day 16), so this day is used as a contingency if we cannot summit the Island Peak on this day.

If the weather gets exceptionally adverse, we wisely have to postpone the program of summiting the Peak. Sometimes some trekkers in the group may get problems in acclimatizing well enough to make the ascent; we can use the extra day in that condition. If the trip goes smoothly, we stick to our original plan. 

As we leave the mountains behind us, our descent takes us through Orsho, Somare, Pangboche, Tengboche, Pungki Thanka, and complete steep to Kyangjuma more accessible trail Namche.

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

Today, we return to Kathmandu on a brief half-hour amazing scenic flight from Lukla. 

Today is set aside for relaxation in the bustling city. You can choose to either spend the day resting or exploring, as per your personal preference. 

Our tour finally ends today as approximately 3 hours before the scheduled flight, a representative from the Nepal Hiking Team will take you to the airport for your respective flight.