Pre-Monsoon Treks (Trips #1 - #3)
From Kathmandu, we fly into the village of Lukla at 2,800m/9,383ft, the beginning of our trek. The trek takes 15 days from our departure from Lukla until we return to that point. The walking is over mostly gentle terrain with a couple of long hill climbs that follow very well formed tracks through the Sherpa homeland.
Each day you will walk 4 - 5 hours at a casual pace with plenty of scenic breaks, and an extended lunch stop at one of the lodges along the way.
From Lukla the trail contours the valley walls of the lower Khumbu valley following the Dudh Kosi River, with fine views through the stands of Himalayan pines, up to the high mountains above. We spend the first night in Phakding and the next morning you follow the valley and river to the base of the Namche hill.
A long climb brings us to the famous village of Namche Bazaar, which is the centre of trade for the Sherpa people as it has been for hundreds of years. There are many sights to delight in Namche Bazaar with the dramatic views across the valley to Mt Kwonde, a wonderful backdrop to the unique Sherpa architecture of the houses and lodges here. On our rest day, we explore the local Sherpa Museum and bustling Namche markets.
The next stage of our trek takes us through Khumjung, home of Sir Edmund Hillary’s School and famous for its high altitude bakery. From Khumjung, we follow a gradual incline skirting around the hillside to the Mong La Pass (3,970m/13,025ft), then a steep descent through rhododendron forest, which is in full bloom in April, to the river at Phortse Tenga. From here it is a short walk to the small village of Phortse, where we overnight.
From Phortse we follow a high traverse, passing through the village of Pangboche. This route through Pangboche is one of the less frequently travelled trails in the Khumbu. As a result, it’s not uncommon to see Himalayan tahr and danphe, the Himalayan pheasant, near the trail. As we continue on, we enjoy splendid views of the world’s highest mountains. Mount Everest pokes its head out above the high ridges of Mounts Nuptse and Lhotse whilst Ama Dablam stands omnipotent over the valley. We gradually climb above the tree line into the sub-alpine regions and our next stop, Pheriche, is situated on a green plain with yaks grazing contentedly. A rest day here allows us the opportunity to walk about and enjoy the views.
Our next stage takes us to Lobuche village and the base of the Khumbu glacier. Mt Everest is hidden from us even though we are so close, but Pumori, Nuptse, Lobuche and Taweche provide plenty of scenic splendour.
Then we move to Everest Base Camp! It is here that the climbers rest and recuperate when not actually up on the mountain and our group will have the privilege of spending some time at the Adventure Consultants Base Camp. There is always plenty of activity as the Sherpas and climbers prepare for their next phase of climbing on the mountain. Loads of food, fuel, tents and oxygen cylinders are carried through the spectacular Khumbu Icefall to the camps high on the mountain. We enjoy a night here which this gives us a chance to explore Base Camp and see the inner workings of an expedition.
We say goodbye to Base Camp and begin our descent to lower altitudes, down to our Gorak Shep Camp. Above Gorak Shep is Kala Patar, which is the highlight of the trek up the Khumbu. At sunrise or sunset, the views of Everest can be magical and we hope to enjoy a photographic session with you there! After an attempt on Kala Patar we descend to Pheriche and then on to Namche Bazaar. From Namche, we trek back to Lukla and the following day we fly back to Kathmandu and the finish of the trek.
Post-Monsoon Trek (Trip #4)
From Kathmandu, we fly into the village of Lukla at 2,800m/9,383ft, the beginning of our trek. The trek takes 15 days from our departure from Lukla until we return to that point. The walking is over mostly gentle terrain with a couple of long hill climbs that follow very well formed tracks through the Sherpa homeland.
Each day you will walk 4–5 hours at a casual pace with plenty of scenic breaks, and an extended lunch stop at one of the lodges along the way.
From Lukla the trail contours the valley walls of the lower Khumbu valley following the Dudh Kosi River, with fine views through the stands of Himalayan pines, up to the high mountains above. We spend the first night in Phakding and the next morning you follow the valley and river to the base of the Namche hill.
A long climb brings us to the famous village of Namche Bazaar, which is the centre of trade for the Sherpa people as it has been for hundreds of years. There are many sights to delight in Namche Bazaar with the dramatic views across the valley to Mt Kwonde, a wonderful backdrop to the unique Sherpa architecture of the houses and lodges here. On our rest day, we explore the local Sherpa Museum and bustling Namche markets.
The next stage of our trek takes us through Khumjung, home of Sir Edmund Hillary’s School and famous for its high altitude bakery. From Khumjung, we follow a gradual incline skirting around the hillside to the Mong La Pass (3,970m/13,025ft), then a steep descent through rhododendron forest, which is in full bloom in April, to the river at Phortse Tenga. From here it is a short walk to the small village of Phortse, where we overnight.
From Phortse, we follow a high traverse around to Pangboche for our next night. This route to Pangboche is one of the less frequently travelled trails in the Khumbu, and as a result, it’s not uncommon to see Himalayan tahr and danphe, the Himalayan pheasant near the trail. From Pangboche, we have splendid views of the world’s highest mountains. Mt Everest pokes its head out above the high ridges of Mts Nuptse and Lhotse whilst Ama Dablam stands omnipotent over the valley. We gradually climb above the tree line into the sub-alpine regions and our next stop, Pheriche, is situated on a green plain with yaks grazing contentedly. A rest day here allows us the opportunity to walk about and enjoy the views.**
Our next stage takes us to Lobuche village and the base of the Khumbu glacier, where Mt Everest is hidden from us even though we are so close, but Pumori, Nuptse, Lobuche and Taweche provide plenty of scenic splendour.
Then we move on to our Gorak Shep camp, for the first of our camping nights, utilising Adventure Consultants private camp complete with heated dining tent and comfortable stand-up sleeping tents. The camp is stunningly located to allow a glimpse of Everest from the comfort of our tents. Above Gorak Shep is Kala Patar, which is the highlight of the trek up the Khumbu. At sunset, the views of Everest can be magical and we'll make the climb in the hope of enjoying a photographic session from the summit!
The following morning we rise early and enjoy a hearty breakfast before making our day trip to Everest Base Camp! It is here that the climbers rest and recuperate when not actually up on the mountain and although the camp itself is quieter during the post-monsoon season there is much to see, and we have plenty of time to explore and absorb the magic of the place. We trek close to the base of the spectacular Khumbu Icefall, where loads of food, fuel, tents and oxygen cylinders are carried through to the camps high on the mountain. The icefall and surrounding mountains make perhaps our most extraordinary lunch stop of the trek and it's with some reluctance that we say goodbye to Base Camp and begin our descent to lower altitudes, returning to the comfort of our Gorak Shep Camp.
The following morning we descend to Pheriche and then on to Namche Bazaar. From Namche, we trek back to Lukla and the following day we fly back to Kathmandu and the finish of the trek.
**Please note that for our 2020 post monsoon itinerary, we will proceed directly from Phorste to Pheriche on the same day.
Hayley Furze, Client Liaison
City Tour
Luxury Hotel Upgrades
Chitwan
Pokhara and Tiger Mountain Lodge
Dispatches - Everest Base Camp Trek #4 2019
