Island Peak Climbing

Our representative will welcome you at Tribhuvan International Airport, after introductory meeting transport you to hotel in Kathmandu. We will explain about the program in briefly along the way to hotel. Rest of the day varies upon your arrival time; we can organize some activities if you arrived by midday or early afternoon but late afternoon and evening arrivals have a free day for individual activities

Our early morning flight by Twin Otter aircraft rushes us to Lukla, the most renowned mountain airstrip in the world. Originally conceived by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust as an emergency evacuation runway for casualties brought to the Trust’s hospital at nearby Kunde, Lukla is now one of the busiest runways in Nepal. On the flight we watch the rugged foothills give way to the snowline of the Himalaya; many of the world’s highest mountains, including Kanchenjunga, Lhotse and Makalu (the world’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th highest respectively) may sometimes be seen from the window of the plane. On arrival, we meet our Sherpas and after a cup of tea we pick up the trail out of Lukla. Surprisingly, this high-altitude trek begins by descending to the river at Phakding.

After breakfast we start walk to Namche Bazaar first thing in the morning. At about half-way up the hill, a gap in the trees allow us to spy Everest for the first time. If the weather is clear the top of the South-West Face will be just visible behind the long Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. A plume can often be seen stretching away from the very summit.

Namche is the most prosperous and the largest town in the Khumbu. A bazaar is held here every Saturday. The wares on display include meat, grains and vegetables, tennis shoes and trinkets as well as hand woven aprons and Tibetan boots. The Sherpas play host to trader from the foothills, as well as Tibetans from over the border. Thamserku (6648m), Kwangde Ri (6187m) and Khumbila (5707m) surround the natural bowl that Namche sits in.

We take the day off to allow our bodies to adjust to the rarefied atmosphere before ascending to higher altitudes. The secret of safe acclimatisation is to ‘climb high, sleep low’ so it is safe for the more energetic amongst us to hike up the hill behind Namche to the airstrip at Syangboche, or stroll across to the museum behind the police post. Others may prefer to ‘chill out’ and visit one of the lodges for a freshly-baked cinnamon roll. Namche is a busy and bustling trading place and there is always plenty going on.

After Breakfast we begin our day with a short hard climb to get to the ridge and walk towards Kyanjua. On the way you can have a breathtaking view of Highest Mountain in the world Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kondge and many more mountains. The trail on which we will be following today descends to Fungi Tanga then ascends to Thyangboche through the forest. You can visit the Thyangboche monastery in the evening time and stay overnight at the hotel.

We follow the path down from Tengboche through the rhododendron forest to Deboche and cross an exciting bridge with the boiling, roaring Imja Khol beneath our feet. A gradual climb takes us to the village of Lower Pangboche. We are now in the heart of the Khumbu, with spectacular views across to Ama Dablam. The afternoon stroll takes us along a path that hugs the valley wall and then across wide plains to a split in the valley. The Khumbu breaks left, up to Periche, but we take a detour right to the hamlet at Dingboche at the start of the Imja Tse valley.

We climb up to the ridge behind Periche and stay high, mesmerised by the views of Tawoche and Cholatse, until we reach the tea houses at Dughla. A steep, stiff ascent to the terminal moraine of the Khumbu glacier is now tackled. The top of the climb is marked by a series of stone monuments to commemorate some of the climbers that have not returned from expeditions to this region. A rough but obvious trail cuts across left, away from the glacier, to our camp site at Loboje, a windswept collection of huts tucked in a narrow meadow between the glacier and the Loboje Peak (6156m). The Lhotse ridge is simply awesome from this angle.

A long day and an early start. We trek along the rough path along the side of the Khumbu glacier to the tea shacks at Gorak Shep. Behind rises the attractive 7000m peak of Pumori which dwarfs our trek’s summit of Kala Pattar. The route up is straightforward and takes most people between 90 minutes and 2 hours. All the peaks – Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Changtse, Ama Dablam and scores of other lesser peaks can be seen from this wonderful vantage point.

The trail from Lobuche follows the grassy ablation valley with great views of Pumori then crosses a tributary glacier to reach the dry lakebed of Gorak Shep. We then climb the 5545m Kala Pattar for incredible views of Everest and Everest Base Camp. After an hour excursion, we descend to Gorakshep for the overnight.

The next part of our adventure brings over craggy mountain terrain to Lobuche, a small settlement with amazing views of Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Pumari and the Nuptse. Prepare to snuggle up for a cold night, as we are now almost three miles above sea level and the evenings can be downright chilly!

Today we trek up to Namche Bazzar. The first part of the trail on which we are going to descend directly goes through Rhododendron forest and pine forest. The trail slightly goes uphill to Namche via Trashinga and Sanasa village. You can see the marvelous breath taking views of the Khumbu Himalaya. Overnight at Namche

Most people head towards Lukla with a heavy heart. There is something very special about the setting, the villages and the people of the high Khumbu hills and valleys and our memories help us up the deceptively long, final climb into Lukla. Our campsite and house are well located and offer a good final resting spot.

Another chance to enjoy this great flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. Please note that flights into Lukla are sometimes delayed due to un-flyable conditions either in fog-bound Kathmandu or windy Lukla; be reassured that our staff in Lukla and in Kathmandu will be doing everything possible to minimize the inconvenience caused if this happens. Your patience in the trying circumstances which can occur will be greatly appreciated.

Our office representative will come to hotel to pick you up at hotel and then transfer to the Kathmandu international airport for final departure.