EVEREST BASECAMP & AMA DABLAM TREK – 16 DAYS

Upon arrival at Kathmandu International Airport our staff will greet you and escort you to your hotel in Kathmandu. Depending upon your arrival time you may spend free time visiting nearby cultural sites, shopping or simply resting at the hotel. 

Today we will be finalizing your trek preparations and permits. You will have the afternoon to explore the shops and cultural sites of Kathmandu and do any last minute gear shopping. In the afternoon or evening (your preference) you will enjoy a traditional Nepali welcome dinner and a trek briefing with your guide.

Early morning you will be picked up by one of the ITrekEverest staff to go to the airport, from where you will take the 35 minute flight to Lukla.  The Lukla flights depart from Ramechhap during peak season and Kathmandu during the off-season. You can read more about this here – (Lukla flights) At Lukla we will meet with our porters and head north to Chablung (2700m). Here we will cross the Tharo Kosi river on a local-style suspension bridge. Just past the bridge we can see the peak of Kusum Kangru (6367m), which is the most difficult of the so-called “trekking peaks”. Beyond the Tharo Kosi the trail climbs a bit towards Ghat (2590m), we will cross a ridge marked with painted mani stones and then cross a bridge over the Dudh Kosi river to our overnight lodge in Phakding (3 hrs).

From Phakding we follow the valley of the Dudh Kosi river, staying on the west bank of the river. We climb steeply over a rocky ridge towards Benkar (2710m). All along this part of the 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 (2840m). 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 Dhud Kosi river on a 120m-long suspension bridge towards Jorsale (2830m). After crossing this river a few times we make a long, steep ascent up to Namche Bazaar (3420m). Namche Bazaar is the main trading centre in this region and features numerous shops, hotels and restaurants (6 hrs).

Acclimatisation is important before proceeding higher. Today we will take a day hike through the villages of Khunde and Khumjung. We start with a steep one-hour climb to the Shyangboche airstrip (3790m), from where we will slowly ascend towards Khunde passing numerous chorten (stone Buddhist monuments). From Khunde we follow the trail eastwards to Khumjung, the largest village in Khumbu, at the foot of the sacred peak Khumbila. After enjoying lunch here we will follow a steep switchbacking trail descending to Chhorkung (3540m). From here it is a quick descent back to Namche Bazaar (5 hrs).

Our route of today to Tengboche weaves in and out of side valleys, making small ups and downs, to the teashops of Kenjoma, and joins the trail from Khumjung just before a collection of mani stones. The views of Everest and Ama Dablam are excellent from this part of the trek. We pass the small settlement of Sanasa from where the trail drops towards Phunki Thanga (3250m). From here the trail climbs steeply through forests and around mani stones as it follows the side of a hill to the saddle on which the monestary of Tengboche sits at 3870m. The view from here is rightly deemed to be one of the worlds most magnificent. Kwangde (6187m), Tawachee (6542m), Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse (8501m), Ama Dablam, Kantega and Thamserku provide an inspiring panorama of Himalayan giants. (4-5 hrs)

You start your route today in Tengboche.  The early morning air is crisp and cool, often filled with the sound of prayer chants and the distant ringing of monastery bells. Enjoy panoramic views of Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse, and Nuptse as you make your way through the rhododendren forest down to the village of Deboche.  From there you will cross a suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River before gradually climbing through juniper forests and open pastures to reach the village of Pangboche, the oldest village in the Khumbu region.  After a quick snack in Pangboche you will begin the 700m (2,297 ft) climb to Ama Dablam basecamp where you will have lunch under the majestic peak of Ama Dablam. After lunch you will descend through yak pastures surrounded by white capped peaks back down to Pangboche where you will spend the night.  (7-8hrs)

The route from Pangboche (3,985 m / 13,074 ft) to Dingboche (4,410 m / 14,469 ft) is a scenic and gradual ascent through the Imja Valley, covering approximately 6 km (3.7 miles). Leaving Pangboche, the trail follows the Imja Khola River, with Ama Dablam towering to the south and Lhotse and Island Peak coming into view as you advance. The path winds through alpine meadows, yak pastures, and low-lying shrubs, with scattered mani walls and chortens reflecting the deep-rooted Sherpa Buddhist culture. As you ascend, the vegetation becomes sparser, and the air thinner, marking your entry into a more arid, high-altitude environment. Upon reaching Dingboche, a windswept village nestled beneath the Imja Tse ridge, you’ll find teahouses offering food and rest, with stunning panoramic views of Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and the distant Makalu to the east. (2-3 hours)

To help insure our proper acclimatization before ascending further up to EBC we will spend another day in Dingboche. The acclimatization hike to Nangkartshang Peak is one of the highlights of the trek to EBC. From it’s summit you can see Kangtega, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and Taboche in their full glory. There are numerous stopping points along the way to rest, have a snack and take in the views. Most importantly you will be able to climb higher than Lobuche village where you will be travelling the following day.  (4-5hrs)

From Dingboche the trail goes directly up a ridge overlooking the deep valley and the village Periche. After a steep climb from Dulgha where we can stop for tea we reach the memorial area known as Chukpilhara which was built in memory of six Sherpas who died in an avalanche during the 1970 Japanese skiing expedition on Everest. From here the trail drops a bit and follows the western side of the valley to Lobuche, a summer settlement at 4930m that has become a major trekking stop. The sunset on Nuptse, seen from here, is a memorable sight.(5 hrs)

The first section of todays trail follows the western side of the broad Khumbu valley and ascends gently through meadows besides the glacial moraine. The ascent becomes steeper and rougher as it crosses several side moraines. After rounding a bend in the trail, the conical peak of Pumori comes into view. On the lower slopes of this mountain a ridge extending to the south terminates in a small peak, known as Kala Pattar (5545m), meaning ‘black rock’. The trail then makes a short descent onto the sandy, flat expanse of Gorak Shep. From here we will continue to the current Everest base camp, which is about a 4 hours return walk from Gorak Shep. We will return to this small settlement after our visit to the base camp (6 hrs).

We will start our day very early by climbing the Kala Pattar (5545m) for a spectacular dawn view of the classic Himalayan peaks. This is a steep ascent up the grassy slopes west of Gorak Shep. From Kala Pattar the entire Everest south face is visible as well as Lho La (the pass between Nepal and Tibet, also named the Western Cwm), Changtse (the northern peak of Everest) and most of the West-Ridge route. We return to Gorak Shep and continue to descend to Lobuche and Periche which we trekked above on our way up to EBC. (6 hrs).

The route from Periche descends the Imja valley, then crosses the Khumbu Khola on a wooden bridge and climbs to rejoin the upward trail at some stone huts. Following the trail downhill from here we will arrive at Tengboche in time for lunch (5 hrs). From Tengboche we retrace our steps down to the Dudh Kosi River before ascending back up to Namche. (7 hrs)

Today we retrace our trail down toward Monjo and hike along the river before ascending up to the entry of the Sagarmatha National Park where we will have our trekking documents checked . It’s a fairly long trek day but mostly downhill and flat until a final one hour moderate climb up to Lukla, where we will reconfirm our flight tickets for the next day and spend the night (5 hrs).

The 35 minute flight from Lukla will bring us back to Kathmandu. Since the flight usually arrives in the morning you should have plenty of free time for sightseeing or shopping in Kathmandu.

Transfer to airport for international departure flight or continue to your next destination in Nepal.