ISLAND PEAK TREK AND EVEREST BASE CAMP

Arrive Kathmandu. You will be met on arrival at the Tribhuwan International Airport. Look out for a sign “Crystal Mountain Treks”. Don’t let anyone besides the person holding the sign or wearing a “Crystal Mountain Trek” t-shirt/jacket touch your baggage.

Transfer to Hotel. Day Free. Enjoy welcome dinner. Briefing during dinner. Overnight Hotel Tibet or similar. (Dinner)

Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu: At around 9:00 am begin tour with a visit to Bodhanath to watch Buddhist monks and devotees circum-ambulate the largest stupa in Nepal. Then visit Pashupatinath, Nepal’s most sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, with its two-tiered golden roof and silver door. On the banks of the Bagmati river, you will witness a Hindu cremation.

Drive to Patan for lunch in the garden of the Patan Museum Café. After lunch, visit the well-maintained Patan Museum. Drive back to your hotel. You will be back at the hotel by 4/5 pm which should give you ample time to pack and make final preparations for your trek.

Overnight Hotel Tibet or similar. (Breakfast and Lunch)

Early morning flight to Lukla. The short flight is around 25 minutes long. At Lukla, you will meet your porters and other trek staff. After a quick breakfast at a lodge, begin trekking. Today’s trek to Phakding is on fairly level trail though with a lot of short ascents and descents. The hike should take between 4 to 5 hours.

Phakding is located along the Dudh Koshi river. It is quite fertile and there are several clean and well-kept lodges here. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Begin the day by crossing a suspension bridge. Continue a slow ascent following the Dudh Koshi river to the village of Monjo. A little past Monju at Jorsalle,  you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park. After completing formalities at the Park check point, you will cross the dramatic suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi river and begin the steep climb to the largest Sherpa village of Namche. You will share the switch-back trail with many other trekkers, porters and pack animals. Remember, pack animals always have right-of-way. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

This is a rest and acclimatization day. You are expected to rest and allow your body to acclimatize. A slow stroll through town or to the park headquarters is recommended – any strenuous activity should be avoided. You are now above 11,000 feet and it is important for your body to acclimatize and this it can achieve only if it is allowed to relax. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Begin for about 15 to 20 minutes by ascending steeply past the lodges of Namche. Once at the top, the trail widens and so does the vista – Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam can all be seen in the distance. Descend to Phunki Tenga. After lunch, it is all uphill to Tengboche monastery. The monastery was recently rebuild and is quite spectacular. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Begin today’s trek by making a descent through a rhododendron forest to Debuche where there is a nunnery. Cross a bridge and continue on a gradual trail to the village of Pangboche from where there are spectacular vistas of Mt. Amadablam. From today, you will start to notice the change in the landscape. Forests give way to arid, alpine landscape. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Today is another day for acclimatization. You may climb a nearby hill or make a day trip to Dingboche on the other side near Imja glacier. In the evening, it is highly recommended to attend the talk organized by the Himalayan Rescue Association. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Today is a long day involving a steep ascent to Dughla and a more gradual ascent to Lobuche. Climb directly up the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier into an area dedicated to climbers who have perished on Khumbu’s mountains. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

A short hike to Gorakshep. Begin the climb today by ascending gently through high altitude meadows. Then cross several steep moraines while also walking on an active glacier. Gorakshep is situated on a sandy flat that served as base camp for the 1952 Swiss Everest expedition. Optional hike to the Everest Base camp. Return to lodge at Gorakshep. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Hike to Kalapathar (18,195 ft.). The steep ascent to the top of Kalapathar can take up to 3 hours or more but the view of the South face of Everest and other mountains is one you are unlikely to forget. Descend to Lobuche. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Descend to Dughla and and take the high route over Feriche to Chukkung. Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Another rest day. Optionally you may climb Chukkung Ri . Overnight lodge. (All meals)

Short three to four hour hike to Island Peak Base Camp. From today, we will be sleeping in tents for the ascent of Imja Tse. For small groups of 5 or fewer, we will use camping facilities provided by the local Sherpas. For larger groups of 6 or more, we will set up our own tents and even set up a high camp (2 hours hike above base camp). Overnight tents. (All meals)

Start out early to reach the summit of Island Peak (20,300 ft.). As all summit days go, today is a long, hard slog to the top; and back. After hiking for around two hours, you arrive at High camp. Past high camp, navigate past scree for around 1,000 ft. before a scramble to a steep rock section. Continue to climb to a narrow ridge to arrive at a glacier from where you rope up to arrive at the head wall where the climbing Sherpa will have placed a fixed rope. Clip onto the rope for the final trudge to the summit.

Begin the long descent back to base camp. Continue back to Chukhung. A contingency day is planned for possible weather and health delays. Overnight tents. (All meals)

 

Today is a contingency day for possible weather and health delays. Overnight Tent. (All meals)

Descend to Lukla via Tengboche and Monjo. Overnight Lodge. (All meals)

Fly Lukla to Kathmandu. Day free. Overnight Hotel Tibet or similar. (Breakfast)

Full day sightseeing in Kathmandu. Visit Bhaktapur Durbar Sqare which is around 13 kilometers/8 miles east of Kathmandu. The Bhaktapur Durbar Square was the palace of the kingdom of Bhaktapur and the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square).

After lunch, continue to Swayambhunath stupa which is a complex of a stupa, shrines and temples on a hillock inside the Kathmandu valley. This shrine is the most important Buddhist shrine for the Newars of Kathmandu.

Overnight Hotel Tibet or similar. Farewell dinner celebrations. (All meals)

Transfer to airport for final departure. (Breakfast)