Trip Overview
The Imja Tse, also known to the world as the famous Island Peak climb (6189m), is a mountain lying in the eastern part of Nepal. It derives its name from mountaineer Eric Shipton and his party in 1951 as the hill resembles an island surrounded by a sea full of ice. The Island peak expands its edge, coming down south to the tip of Lhotse Shar. The ultimate objective of this 14 days tour is climbing the classic Island Peak, which was also used by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay as a training peak when progressing towards Mount Everest. One of the challenging escapes in the Khumbu region gives you a chance to get some of the best views in the world. To name a few, you can grab the panoramic views of other reigning peaks such as Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Baruntse, et cetera.
We begin our Island peak journey from Kathmandu, traversing into Lukla. The journey moves across Phakding, and we ascend and descend many uneven trails on our way. As we progress, we climb several high suspension bridges, amidst the dense Pine and Cedar forests that takes us to the heart of Khumbu, Namche Bazaar. The famous Namche Bazaar (3440 m.) serves as our acclimatization point, and we hike up to the Everest View hotel to catch the spectacular Everest range. As we move along and ahead, we will be meeting a lot of Sherpas in the region. Having the native mountain people serve you in the journey and being a part of their hospitality is another subtle yet essential part of this trek. We learn about the way of life of other ethnicities in this region and make our way to the famous Sherpa settlements of Dingboche (Summer Valley).
After reaching Dingboche, we hike up to Nagerjun (5100 m.) and rest for a day as we prepare to get to the Island Peak Base camp (5240m.). We learn some skills of peak climbing as we move forward to a long journey leading us to the summit of Island Peak at 6189 m. One of the major highlights of this entire trip is climbing up to 11 hours on a single day of reaching the summit. The journey on this day is arduous as we ascend to the rock ravine to get to the narrow edge line and arrive at the glacier’s mouth. Yes, the long journey will get strenuous, and we also separate a day for contingency (in case of a situational problem), but the views from the summit are bound to stay in your memories forever. Our experience says you will never have enough of this journey in the Khumbu region.
Hence, we suggest the Island Peak Climb to explorers traveling to the Everest region but looking for a slight challenge with some mountaineering experience. This trip is recommended for people who love touring the area’s untouched beauty and want to raise the levels of their adventurous side. So, if you are interested in an expedition contact members of the Nepal Hiking Team. We offer a range of packages and some of the best tours that might spark your climbing interest.