Island Peak Climbing - 18 Days

Early in the morning, we’ll board a scheduled flight to Lukla. This flight with the duration of 30 minutes render the aerial view of verdant valleys, lush greenery, terraced farmlands, and sparkling rivers. Besides that, you’ll also catch the aerial glimpses of lofty mountaintops and spectacular snowscapes. The exquisite display of snow-capped peaks charms the heart of spectators. Following our arrival in Lukla, we’ll commence our trekking venture and head along the well-marked trail. Accompanied by the outlook of Mt. Kusum Kanguru (6,367m), we’ll advance through the picturesque landscapes to Phakding Village (2,652m), leaving behind the Sherpa settlements of Chheplung (2,700m) and Ghat (2,590m).

We’ll wander over our first suspension bridge and reach the west bank of the river Dudh Koshi. As we advance on the trekking route further, we’ll make it to Benkar. Afterwards, the trail traverses the river again to climbs through the woodland of pine and rhododendron. Continuing past Jorsalle and Monjo; we’ll push forward across the Territory of Sagarmatha National Park, a site listed in the UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites since 1979. The trail now crosses and re-crosses the river before converting into a steady ascent to Namche Bazaar. Halfway up the slope, we can spot an abandoned teahouse at the left-hand bend and it is here, we can have the initial sight of Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse in a clear weather. Due to its unique geographical location, Namche Bazaar functions as the commercial hub of the Khumbu Region and home to modern amenities such as internet cafes, a bank, pharmacy, an ATM, bakery, numerous lodges and Tibetan souvenir shops. From down jackets to woollen hats and used pieces of equipment left from previous expeditions, you can shop anything here. Just keep in mind that the increase in altitude results in the rise of the price of goods.

Positioned on a mountainside, Namche Bazaar put forward the delightful vistas embracing Kongde Ri (6,187m) to the west and Thamserku (6,623m) to the east. This day, we’ll take a break from the trek and adapt according to the surrounding atmosphere. Acclimatization is necessary as the higher elevations lead to decreased levels of oxygen which may induce Altitude Sickness among the trekkers. Explore the sublime Sherpa ‘capital’ and acquire an insight into the culture as well as traditions of the native communities. Spend some time in the Sherpa Culture Museum and Everest Photo Gallery to perceive the classical lifestyle of people living in high mountains. If you don’t wish to rest, you may go for a short hike to nearby villages above the Namche Bazaar such as Thame or Khumjung for beautiful Himalayan panorama can be observed in the clear weather from these elevated spots.

This morning, we’ll resume our trek. The trail uphill is fairly easy and heads in the direction of Everest outlook. Navigating along the Dudh Koshi River, we’ll wander through the woods to Phungki Thanka. We can enjoy the majestic views of Mt. Everest from here.  Across the rhododendron woodlands, we’ll make our way to Tengboche (3,860m).  En route, we’ll encounter breathtaking natural scenery of Himalayan summits, rivers, and hills. The settlement of Tengboche is settled at the conflux of Dudh Koshi and the Imja Khola Rivers. Overlooked by the high hills, this Sherpa village is enclosed in the rhododendron forest and well renowned for magnificent Tengboche monastery i.e. largest in the Khumbu Region.  From here, you can witness the impressive vistas of Everest, Ama Dablam and other adjacent summits. Have a pleasant time in the mountainous countryside.

Keeping on with the trail, we’ll traverse the lush woodlands. Find your pleasure in the fresh aroma of green vegetations because this will be your final opportunity until we descend back. Succeeding the walk on a suspension bridge over the river, we’ll reach to its north side. From this point onwards, we’ll move up to Pangboche (3950m), the Sherpa Village dominated by Mt. Ama Dablam. It is an excellent place to stopover for some tea. We’ll now range over the river and continue to Tsuo Og, a remote outpost of not many houses. The trail splits here. The path to the left guides to Pheriche (4,275m); whereas, to the right, it leads to Dingboche (4,360m). Advancing on the left of the river, we’ll get to Pheriche.

We’ll move along the trekking trail until it subdivides further. Continuing to the right, we’ll cross a small bridge then arrive at Dughla (4,620m), a good place for rest and refreshments. Subsequently, we’ll ascend upward on a rugged rocky moraine track till a plateau and small pass. Up to this point, we have gained an elevation of 200m. This is where the Khumbu Glacier ends. All the stacks of rock at front of you are the monuments dedicated for the climbers who perished on Everest expeditions.  It constantly reminds of the risks and endurance individuals come into contact with at the time of Everest expeditions. Here on, the trail gets muddy up until Lobuche (4,910m). It is an isolated and windy place with a collection of lodges.

We’ll march alongside the north-west side of the Khumbu Glacier. If lucky enough, we can view the shape of Pumori emerging in front of us. Afterwards, we’ll ascend on the standard trail to the U-shaped Lobuche Pass (5,110m) then continue beyond an intersection f three glaciers. At last, we’ll make it to Gorakshep (5,181m) Like Lobuche; this Sherpa settlement comprises a handful of lodges that service the trekkers and climbers.  Later on, we’ll climb our way to Everest Base Camp. This stretch of trail is arduous in both directions and surprisingly the hike down takes as long as uphill. We’ll take some caution as the Colossal Himalayas around us confuses our sense of scale; thus, things appear closer than it is. The route initially proceeds beside the Khumbu Glacier then crosses it to Base Camp i.e. positioned at the muzzle of the notorious Khumbu Icefall. Contemplate the mind-boggling outlooks of Himalayan snowscape. Also, capture these magical moments in your camera. We’ll then move back to Gorakshep.

Before the crack of the dawn, we’ll climb up to Kalapatthar. Regarded as the best viewpoint in the Khumbu Region; Kalapatthar boasts significant elevation of 5,545m asl. Due to its superior geographical position, the viewpoint in Kalapatthar possesses the ability to extend the phenomenal close-up outlook of Mt. Everest. On top of that, become a witness of the most amazing Himalayan sunrise in the world from here. Where in the world you can observe the morning sun above the highest peak in the entire planet? Kalapatthar provides more than you asked for! Feast your eyes on the panorama of the Himalayas, which includes the snow covered mountain tops of Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse. Moreover, you can gaze at the immense face of formidable Changtse (7,750m) placed just above the Lho La Pass. We’ll then move down to Gorakshep and stay with the course to Lobuche.

Leaving Lobuche, we’ll trek beyond the Khumbu Glacier and climb the precipitous trail to the top of the Kongma La pass i.e. marked by a cairn and fluttering Buddhist prayer flags. From this point, we can watch the stupendous outlook encompassing glacial lakes and snow-capped peaks of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kongtega. We’ll then overcome the Nuptse Glacier moraines and progress to the settlement of Chhukung. This segment of trail is situated in the remote region; so, we must be well-prepared physically and mentally. Besides that, we need to carry packed lunches and plentiful water as there are no teahouses available.  If you are fond of the real nature and isolation then you’ll find today very interesting.

On the day eleven of our escapade, we’ll trek to Island Base Camp.  The route consists of relatively precipitous climbs. At first, we’ll ascend to the south then move to the east where the major outline of the valley lies. Thereafter, we’ll forge ahead on the serpentine trail beneath the southern side of moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. The trail now becomes blissful and eventually continues along the side of a spouting stream. Along the way to the southeast, we can catch a view of the path to the Amphu Lapcha route. A lattice path across the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines guides to an open valley (Pareshaya Gyab) close to the southwest flank of the Island Peak.

The day twelve is allocated for our pre-climb training. Despite the fact that prior training for Island Peak Climbing is not obligatory, we firmly believe some training is essential in order to build up your confidence level and climbing skills. This will undeniably raise the chances of conquering the summit without being injured or harmed. The guidance, as well as instructions, will be provided by our experienced climbing guide. You’ll learn and practice the techniques of using climbing equipment such as climbing boots, crampons, harness, ascender and ice axe. You’ll also acquire knowledge of employing ropes so that you can move up or down while ascending the peak.  Utilize the day as much as possible to obtain new ability or hone the previously acquired expertise. 

Today is the day to fulfil our ambition of setting our foot on the top! We’ll initiate our climb before the break of the day (generally around 1 AM). The summit must be ascent prior to noon because the strong winds may create an obstacle for a successful climbing journey. Initially, we’ll ascend the rock gully as it is not tough yet consist of numerous rock steps. We’ll then make it to the right side of the gully. Along the ridgeline, the route leads to a delightful and bare crossing onto the face of the summit glacier. As the frozen glacier contains a number of crevasses, we need to rope up.  The ropes will be fixed by the guides wherever it is required. Traversing an abrupt snow slope, we’ll appear onto the summit ridge then to the top itself. This escapade to the vertex of a peak will test your endurance to its limit!! Now, it is time for rewards. Enjoy the mind-boggling views of the snowscapes and capture the mountain panorama in our cameras. Subsequent to that, we’ll move down all the way to Island Peak Base Camp.

We’ll first descend to Chhukung pursuing the exact same route which we used at the time of our ascent. Take pleasure in the marvellous mountain scenery along the way. After some refreshments, we’ll advance our steps to the Sherpa settlement of Dingboche where we’ll stay overnight. You can have a look at this beautiful village whose farmlands are encircled by kilometres of stone walls.

Resuming our return, we’ll make a descent to Tengboche leaving behind glacial moraines, chortens, monasteries, suspension bridges, boulderstone, pinewoods and Sherpa villages of Somare, Pangboche, and Deboche. Later on, we will negotiate the suspension bridge over Dudh Koshi River then proceed beyond a handful of Sherpa villages and pine woods to Namche Bazaar.

We’ll continue with the descent and follow the trekking trail that proceeds steeply down across the rugged terrain. After traversing lush woodlands and the suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi and its tributaries, the route passes through lower valleys putting forward the lovely vistas of rhododendron and pine forest, and snow-covered peaks. In the end, we’ll arrive at Lukla. We can finally provide the much-need rest to our tired feet and think of the thrilling experience we had in the last couple of weeks.

After the appearance of the first light, we’ll board a scheduled thirty minutes fight to Kathmandu. The flights are frequently cancelled or delayed due to bad weather in Lukla so we should be prepared for this misfortune. The scenic flight extends the final glimpses of Himalayan snowscapes so enjoy it to the fullest. Once at Kathmandu, you can visit the remaining landmarks and marketplaces. Don’t forget to shop the souvenirs for your family and loved ones.

This very day marks the end of your adventures in Nepal. We hope that you are satisfied with our hospitality and services. With the expectations to meet you again in your next escapade, we put forth our farewells. One of our representatives will escort you to Kathmandu Airport; three hours prior to your flight back home and make sure that you don’t encounter troubles during your final moments in Nepal. Cheers!!!