EBC with Gokyo Lake Heli Shuttle Trek

Namaste! The Nepal Hiking Team welcomes you to Nepal!

Arrive at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu and our representative from Nepal Hiking Team will receive you straight from the Airport! We will also drive you to your hotel in our private vehicle where you will be spending the night. Meanwhile, you can further inquire about any information regarding the program.

Free day/Preparation day in Kathmandu allows you to acclimatize to the altitude, recover from potential jet lag, and get your bearings before the main trek begins. This day can be used to purchase any last-minute gear and attend a trek briefing.

From Kathmandu, a 25-minute flight to Lukla commences the trek. The Lukla flight is one of the most dramatic short flights in the world. The Tenzing Hillary Airport itself is located at the edge of a hill and has a single runway that drops off to the deep gaping valley below. Surrounded by tall mountains and jaded hills, the airstrip at Lukla is fascinating and the flight is deemed a thrilling adventure itself.

This flight to Lukla takes us to the gateway of the Khumbu Region - the land of the Sherpas. The mountainous landscape becomes prominent as the air carries a crisp freshness to it that can only be felt in the Himalayan region. From Lukla, we begin trekking towards the Cheplung Village from where you have a clear view of Mount Khumbila

From Cheplung, a gradual walk downwards leads us to the village of Phakding. The view from here is amazing as tall hills surround the trail like giant mounds of emeralds. Kusum Kanguru Mountain can be clearly viewed from here.

The village of Phakding lies in the Dudh Koshi River Valley, north of Lukla and has many guesthouses and lodges that cater to trekkers. We will spend the night at Phakding.

After breakfast at Phakding, the trail further opens out to reach the celebrated mountain town of Namche Bazaar. En route to Namche, we pass through several other smaller villages like Jorsale and Monjo. Monjo lies north of Phakding and is the entry point of the Sagarmatha National Park. The trail ventures through the national park and finally arrives at Namche.

The Sagarmatha National Park trail is alongside dense alpine woods, the gorgeous Dudh Kosi river, small brooks, and evergreen-deciduous forests. Thick acreages of Pine and Cedar cover the lands and provide a pleasant atmosphere to trek through.

Also containing upper catchments of the Dudh Koshi River and the Bhote Koshi River basin, the Sagarmatha National park is riddled with Blue Pine, Birch and Juniper Berries that are home to many endangered species of animals like Himalayan Tahrs, Langur Monkeys, the Musk deer, and Himalayan Black Bears.

Namche Bazaar, because of its strategic location, is the commercial hub of the Khumbu region. It is located on almost the edge of a mountainside and the view of the Thamserku Peak, Kongde Ri Himal from here is simply amazing.

After breakfast at Namche, we will only pack a few necessary items and hike to Everest View Hotel at 3780 meters. The best way to acclimatize is to hike to a higher elevation and sleep on a lower one. We will hike up approximately 400 meters and come back down to Namche.

The view from Everest View Hotel, however, is known for its panoramic view of the Everest Himalayas. The hotel is the highest-located hotel in the world and we can have coffee while enjoying the spectacular parallel view of Everest and other Khumbu Mountains.

An easy trail from Namche opens out towards the Dudh Kosi Valley at the settlement of Phungki Thanka. From the settlement, the views of Mount Everest are magnificent. Following the trail that marches along the right side of the Dudh Koshi River, it is an upward trek to the village of Tengboche.

The journey from Namche to Tengboche is along gorgeous rivers, hills, and Himalayan peaks. Surrounded by tall hills covered in rhododendron trees, the village of Tengboche is located at the confluence of the Dudh Koshi and the Imja Khola rivers.

The village is also famous for Tengboche Monastery, the largest monastery of the Khumbu region.  The Tengboche Monastery is regarded as the spiritual hub of the Khumbu region by Buddhists and is surrounded by forests that are inhabited by Impeyan Pheasants and eagles. The monastery is a hamlet from where Mount Ama Dablam, Mount Everest, and numerous other peaks can be seen clearly.

After breakfast, we begin the trek to the village of Dingboche on a trail that crosses the Imja River via a suspension bridge. We will cross the village of Pangboche on our way. We reach Dingboche after another few hours and will spend the night there.

Dingboche is called the “Summer Valley” of the Khumbu and contains a kilometer long wall built to protect the village’s crops from the cold winds that descends down the Imja Valley. Graceful views of Lhotse, the Ama Dablam, and the Island Peak are visible from Dingboche.

A hike to Nagarjuna Peak is a great way to acclimatize and spend time at Dingboche. Located at a height of 5100 meters, Nagarjuna Peak lies just above Dingboche on a hill at the edges of the Chhukung valley.

The hike is uphill, steep, windy, and requires strenuous energy. Walking for approximately 3-4 hours, we will reach Nagarjuna Peak from where we will be surrounded with mountains like Lobuche East (6119m), Lobuche West (6145m), Kangtega (6685m), Taboche Peak (6367m), Thamserku (6608m), and the Ama Dablam (6856m) on all sides.

If you are lucky, you can also spot stunning sights of Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth tallest peak on a clear day. The view of the Pheriche Valley from here is also splendid. The walk back to Dingboche is downhill and very easy.

After lunch, we can explore and relax in the village where we will spend another night again.

Making our way to Dhungla from Dingboche, we will come across the Trekkers Aid Post situated in Pheriche at 4210 meters. It is run by the Western Volunteer Doctors and assisted by The Himalayan Rescue Association. You can grab any necessary items that you may need or have run out of here.

From there, we leave for Chupki Lhara, a rock-strewn oblique from where we’ll have a 360-degree view of the Everest Himalaya. The path follows further down to the Khumbu Glacier moraine from there.

Mountain peaks like Khumbutse, the Mahalangur Himal, Lingtren and the Pumori are clearly visible from the moraine and Mount Nuptse also looms up ahead once we pass the glacier. We then will reach Lobuche where we will stay overnight at our guesthouse.

The most anticipated day of the trip will begin with a slow walk after breakfast. Further on from Lobuche, we keep our pace slow as we walk alongside Khumbu Glacier - the world’s highest glacier to avoid altitude sickness

Walking for about 2-3 hours from Lobuche, we will get to Gorak Shep at 5181 metres/16994 feet, a tranquil location dotted with some lodges. Gorak Shep is a frozen lakebed covered with sand and surrounded by the Everest Mountains.

From here, the path moves uphill to the top of the edge, finally arriving at the Everest Base Camp. Congratulations! We made it to the foothills of the highest mountain in the world! From here we will clearly see the stunning Khumbu Icefall and the magnificent Khumbutse and Lingtren mountains.

After taking hundreds of photos and taking a moment to digest all that we’ve achieved, we’ll spend some time at the base camp before we head back to Gorak Shep where we’ll spend the night.

The day starts with a hike up to Kalapattar (5545m/18188ft), the best viewpoint to witness Mt. Everest and the spectacular Himalayan range. Then trek back to Gorekshep for hot breakfast and then descend to Dzongla 4830m/15840ft

An early morning hike to Kala Patthar - the highest point of our trek - from Gorak Shep is one of the major highlights of this trip. Kala Patthar is a famous vantage point popular for providing panoramic views of Mount Everest, Nuptse, Chagatse, Lhotse and the Pumori among many other peaks.

We will begin before dawn for our hike to Kala Patthar because the sight of the rising sun seen from this vantage point is absolutely amazing. As the sun rises from amidst the Mount Everest Mountains, it changes the color of the mountains from silver to gold.

After spending time at Kala Patthar, we will return to Gorak Shep and walk down to Dzongla where we will spend the night.

Today is possibly the most challenging day of our trip. We begin with a steep ascent from Dzongla to cross the Cho La pass at 5420 meters which can be quite challenging. But since we have been trekking at high altitudes for the last week, it is achievable.

With a continuous strenuous uphill trail, the views once you get to the Pass is mesmerizing and totally worth the climb. Once we cross the Cho La Pass, it is a gradual descend all the way down to Thanga where we will stay for the night.

From Thagna, we climb again to gain all the altitude we dropped from the Chola Pass the day before towards the Gokyo Lakes. However, it is not as steep and challenging as the Pass trail from yesterday.

On our way, we cross the Ngozumpa Glacier - the largest glacier of the Himalayas that measures across 36 Kilometers in length. The glacier itself is magnificent. From the Glacier, we should make it on time for lunch at Gokyo.

The Gokyo village stands by the third lake (out of the 6) and Mount Cho-Oyu - the 6th highest mountain in the world. The still lake reflects the Himalayas on its surface, which sets as one of the most dramatic backdrops of our entire trip. After lunch, we will explore the village and the Gokyo Lake, and the Dudh Pokhari Lake. We will return to our guesthouse for dinner and rest here for the night.

Gokyo RI is another MAJOR the highlight of this trip. After breakfast, we will take an early morning hike up to the summit of Gokyo RI at 5483 meters. Climbing to Gokyo RI is obviously arduous and takes about 3-4 hours on a rough trail that climbs steeply upwards.

Once we get to the top, a trial scenery of the Gokyo village on the edge of the third lake overshadowed by Cho Oyu, Cholatse and the massive Ngozumpa Glacier will blow your mind. The views of the Himalayas are better than what we got at Kala Patthar from here.

Straight in front of you will be the 4 tallest mountains of the world, namely, Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. Apart from these, we will be surrounded by other Mountains of the Himalayas like Kusum Kanguru, Thamserku, K-4, Kangtega, Taboche, Cholatse, Nuptse, Changtse, and Pumori on all the sides! The sight of the sunrays kissing the towering Everest that dominates all the other peaks is unlike anything we’ve seen.

P.s - If you notice, Nuptse seems taller than Everest from Kala Pattar. Standing on Gokyo Ri’s summit, you will get up close and personal with the Himalayas.

We will head back to our guesthouse at Gokyo for breakfast and wait on our chopper. Once that arrives, get ready for an exciting Helicopter ride all the way back to Lukla. Enjoy idyllic aerial views of the route you trekked on for the last 2 weeks while you take a last look at the stunning Himalaya range.

A 45-minute flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla marks the end of the trekking journey. Indulge in the changing sight of the landscapes one last time while on the flight.

After we land at the Kathmandu airport, we will go back to our hotel where we can sleep out our exhaustion. Or go out and get yourself a good massage!

Flights to and from Lukla, which are often the entry and exit points for the trek, are weather-dependent. Bad weather can cause significant delays, potentially extending the trek duration or causing missed connecting flights. Having a buffer day allows for flexibility and prevents rushing or potentially missing international flights. 

Day 17 marks the end of this wonderful journey. A representative from Nepal Hiking Team will drop you off at the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight.

Heavy-hearted, we bid you farewell so you can go home filled with memories and wonderful stories to tell. Your journey in Nepal ends here.