Mt Everest Expedition  - 70 Days

Upon arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), we will be greeted by a representative from Himalayan Glacier who will transfer us to our designated hotel. After check-in at the hotel, we will freshen up and rest for a while. If you arrive Kathmandu in the morning or early afternoon, we will visit Himalayan Glacier office and meet our trekking/climbing guide and discuss our upcoming trip for any preparations. Later in the evening, Himalayan Glacier will host a welcome dinner that will introduce us to the Nepalese food culture. Overnight in Kathmandu.

On these 2 days, we will explore the fascinating city of Kathmandu with a sightseeing tour to Kathmandu’s World Heritage Sites. We make a guided tour to some of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Kathmandu Valley. These sites include the Kathmandu Durbar Square, Pashupatinath Temple, Swayambhunath Stupa, and Bouddhanath Stupa. While our climbing leaders will attend a formal briefing in the Ministry of Tourism, we will have time to rest as well as get familiarized with the local surroundings. These days are also set apart for finalizing official procedure and other necessary arrangements. We will also be briefed on the nature of the expedition, equipment and team composition. We can also make our last minute shopping of personal items as we will be leaving for the mountains the following day. During the late afternoon on the day before we leave for the mountains, our climbing leader will check our gears and equipment as Kathmandu is the last opportunity to buy anything missing. We will also be introduced with fellow expedition members and guides/crew members. Overnight in Kathmandu.

We take an early morning flight to Lukla which is where all the Everest treks begin. This mountain flight is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a dramatic landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountain peaks. At Lukla, we will meet our camp staff and porters and start our trek. We will walk on a gradual trail gradually descending to Cheplung Village from where we get a glimpse of Mt. Khumbila, a sacred mountain which has never been climbed. With a final descend, we will reach Phakding, which lies on the main trade route through the area, and has a number of clean, well-built lodges where we can spend the night.  Overnight in Phakding.

Our trail passes through a pine forest and we continue our walk on the trail that goes north up the Benkar valley. We cross Dudh Koshi River and pass Chumoa and Monjo villages before reaching the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park. Then, after crossing a suspension bridge, we pass Jorsale village and walk along the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We ascend on a steep trail and reach Namche Bazaar which is probably the biggest town in the Everest region and a prosperous trading town and the capital of the Khumbu region with genuine Tibetan artifacts. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

We spend a day in Namche Bazaar resting and allowing our bodies to become acclimatized. Although a leisure day, it’s important not to remain idle. We can tour Namche Bazaar which is the primary town of the Everest or Khumbu region and has government offices, ATMs, internet cafes, shops, restaurants, and a colorful market. We can hike up to Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the sunrise over the Himalayas including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, Kongde and so on. If we are interested in a day hike, we can trek to Khumjung village or hike to Thame or visit Khunde. Today we also visit the Hillary School and a monastery which houses a yeti scalp!  Our guides will take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

The trek until Phunki is an easy walk. From here we ascend towards Tengboche village that houses the very famous Tengboche monastery, which is the biggest monastery in the Everest region. It is located within the Sagarmatha National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The monastery is blessed with panoramic views of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Thamserku. The Tengboche Monastery opens at 3:00pm, so if we reach there by 3 o’clock we can observe a Buddhist religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.

Our trail descends and passes through lush forests of birch, confer and rhododendron trees l eaving behind several Chortens, Mani walls and small villages. While trekking we can admire good views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. We walk downhill to Deboche and cross the Imja River to reach Pangboche. We choose the upper Pangboche trail and admire the Himalayan vista and the Pangboche Monastery. We continue our walk to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River before ascending to Dingboche. It is a picturesque village with beautiful barley, potato and buckwheat fields complete with grazing animals dotted along those fields.

This is an important phase of the expedition. Dingboche is a good location for acclimatization. Spending few days here will help us acclimatize to the high altitude properly. The team leader will organize daily outings to the adjacent hills with the aim of providing gradual acclimatization. Walk some of the nearby hills in order to slowly increase exposure to altitude. Follow the regime that you have previously found most suitable, in order to give you maximum acclimatization before arrive in base camp. While in Dingboche, we can attend a seminar on high altitude acclimatization at a hospital run by the Himalayan Rescue Association nearby Pheriche. The walk over to Pheriche and back will also serve as good acclimatization training. During this acclimatizing, we will also climb a ridge located behind the village and see 6 of the world’s tallest peaks including Lhotse, Makalu and Cho Oyu. Overnight in Dingboche.

Today, we leave Lobuche behind and continue up the trail across a wide pass enjoying the company of the mighty Himalayas on all sides. As we keep walking, the valley begins to narrow and we pass the campsite of the first successful Everest Expedition in 1953, with views of Mt. Pumori. Crossing a stream, we ascend to Duglha which is situated below the snout of the Khumbu Glacier, a convenient place for lunch. After lunch, we ascend to the steep terminal moraines of the Khumbu Glacier. We keep ascending up to Chupki Lhara, which is a ridge that provides spectacular mountain views. After a couple of hours of steep climb, the track eventually leads to a small cluster of teahouses pleasantly situated at Lobuche. Overnight in Lobuche.

Today, we begin the walk from Lobuche towards Gorak Shep meandering on rough terrains. After 2 hours of walk, we will reach Gorak Shep where we will have our lunch. After lunch, we continue to hike on a fairly steep trail at a comfortable pace to arrive the top of Kala Patthar. The views from the summit of Kala Patthar are outstanding where we will be able to see the world’s tallest mountain Everest and other mighty Himalayan peaks. After spending some time at the summit and soaking in the beauty from the vantage point, we walk back to Gorak Shep, which is relatively easier than hiking up to Kala Patthar. Overnight in Gorak Shep.

Note: We can opt to visit Kala Patthar the following morning (for sunrise views) before heading out towards Everest Base Camp.

The trek to Everest Base Camp is not very difficult. However, we ascend and descend mostly on glacier paths and a lot of meandering on rough terrains. Leaving Gorak Shep, the trail leads on to the moraines of the Khumbu Glacier and becomes quite vague, weaving between mounds of rubble. As we reach the base camp, we enjoy the incredible melt patterns and admire the gently rounded ice towers on the upper part of the Khumbu glacier. The Everest Base Camp is stunningly beautiful. We can enjoy amazing views of Nuptse, Khumbutse and Pumori mountains from the base camp. We soak in the beauty, watch and count the stars while sleeping at the Everest base camp. Overnight in Everest Base Camp.

Note: In case we did not visit Kala Patthar the previous day, we can make an early start up to the viewpoint today before making way to the base camp.

The next two days, we will rest at the base camp to get properly acclimatized with the high altitude and make the necessary preparations for the upcoming expedition to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in a period of little bit over 6 weeks. We will also clean and re-organize our equipment and personal gear during this time. Overnight in Everest Base Camp.

We begin our ascent today after breakfast by heading out for a glacier walk, halfway into the Khumbu Icefall. We will climb as high as 5,500m crossing a few ladders, limiting the major risks of climbing in this area. Later, we will return to the base camp and rest there.

The following day, we will head up walking through the daunting Khumbu Icefall and continue up to Camp 1, where we will set up our tents, prepare food and make things ready for an overnight camping on the mountain. We will probably spend about 2 nights at Camp 1 before continuing further to Camp 2. Camp 1 is positioned at a flat area of limitless snow, deep clefts, and mountain walls on the top of the Khumbu Icefall. The reflection of sun at camp 1 will provide warmth and a heating ambience, while in the night time, we get to hear the deep rupturing sounds of the crevasses beneath our tents.

After a few days in Camp 1, we proceed climbing and making way up to Camp 2. We will wake up early and get glimpses of the wonderful mountain sceneries surrounding us and head higher up at a slow pace. After reaching Camp 2, our crew members will set up our tents and cook meals for us. We will be spending a few nights at Camp 2 before we head higher. Camp 2 is positioned at the foot of the icy mount Lhotse wall, in a sidelong moraine at the lower part of the west ridge. The weather at camp 2 usually remains fine but black clouds roll in from the low Himalayan valleys. Camp 2 is a safe and sheltered location with mesmerizing vistas on the Lhotse. Most of the expedition organizers set up their primary climbing camp here at camp 2, probably a place where most of our time is spent after the base camp. This location is a very important site for acclimatization and getting prepared to reach camp 3.

After spending few nights and getting properly acclimatized, we will head higher and go up to Camp 3. Camp 3 is located at a site adjoining Mt. Lhotse, that is, on a small ledge on the Lhotse wall. We have to cross a glacier to the right side and begin climbing on the compact snowfield. It is a long climb up to camp 3, but comparatively has a safe route with a couple of short ice cliffs that has been fixed with ropes by the climbing Sherpas. We will spend few nights at camp 3 for getting properly acclimatized and prepared for ascend to higher altitude in the next few days.

After spending few nights at camp 3, we will continue our climb to get up to Camp 4, which is located at South Col, and the last camp on the Everest expedition. There are two rock sections to navigate before camp 4, namely Yellow Band and Geneva Spur, which are set up with fixed ropes by the climbing Sherpas. Yellow Band is an inter-layer of marble, phyllite (foliated metamorphic rock) and semi-schist rocks. The Geneva Spur is an anvil-shaped rib of black rocks. Most of the climbers get up to camp 4 without supplementary oxygen. It is only 500m from here to reach the highest point on earth, so we will spend a few more nights here before pushing for the summit from here.

After a good number of acclimatization days at camp 3, we will push to bid the final leap of the summit. It is the last and most dangerous part of the climbing with violent wind blows. The best way to go to the summit is via the narrow Southeast ridge, which takes about 9 to 13 hours to navigate. We will encounter the Balcony, the Hillary Step, and the south summit before reaching the central panel. The entire route to the top is setup with fixed ropes while the route to the true summit is a moderate snow slope. This was the route used by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Sherpa back in 1953. Being on the top of the world gives us immense happiness and pride like never before. It is now time to retrace back safely to the base camp.

Today after breakfast at the base camp, we will return to Dingboche via Lobuche on the same trail that we walked earlier on the expedition. On arrival at Dingboche, we will retire early tonight to make sure that we get ample sleep before beginning to trek the next day. Overnight in Dingboche.

We begin trekking back from Dingboche to Tengboche on the same route first by descending to Lobuche River and walking past the Imja Valley. From here we reach Pangboche through the upper trail and a bit of uphill walk will take us to Deboche. Crossing the Imja River and walking past birch, conifer and rhododendron forest, we will reach Tengboche to stop for the night. Overnight in Tengboche.

After breakfast in the morning, we will start hiking back to Namche Bazaar. It is mostly a downhill walk until we reach Phunki. From here the trail is rather very easy and in a short while, we will arrive in Namche Bazaar and check-in at our hotel room and relax the remaining time. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

The trail descends steeply downward, so we need to walk very cautiously as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky terrain. After crossing several suspension bridges over the fast-flowing Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries, the trail becomes more leveled and natural. After our arrival in Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experience of the last couple of weeks in the Himalayas. Overnight in Lukla.

We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides will help you with both souvenir shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the successful completion of our journey. Overnight in Kathmandu.

Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. We will be dropped at the Tribhuwan International Airport (TIA) by a representative from Himalayan Glacier, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight back home. However, there is always an opportunity to extend our holidays in Nepal by embarking on other exciting activities, if we decide to return home later on!