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Day 1 Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotel
Elevation:
1400m/4600ft
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
D
On arrival in Kathmandu, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. The hotel is located within walking distance of Thamel in Kathmandu. The rest of the day is free to explore the city or can choose to relax. Depending on your arrival time and other participants, your guide will inform you of the time for the briefing. Most of the time, the briefing time will be around 5-6 pm Nepal time. During the briefing, your guide will check the climbing equipment necessary for the climb and will instruct you to pack the climbing equipment and trekking gear.
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Day 2 Fly to Lukla and Trek to Phakding
Elevation:
2610m/8562ft
Distance:
8.5 km/5.3 miles
Time Taken:
4 hours
Meals:
BLD
After an early breakfast, we take a bus to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport for the 40-minute flight to Lukla (elevation: 9,382 feet). Landing on the narrow, sloping runway in the heart of the mountains is a very spectacular way to arrive. Next, we start our Trek with a downhill leg from Lukla to Phakding beside the river. This first stop's altitude is lower than Lukla's at 2610 meters, taking 3 hours.
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Day 3 Trek to Namche Bazar
Elevation:
3450m/11318ft
Distance:
10.5 km/6.5 miles
Time Taken:
5 hours
Meals:
BLD
After a short walk by the river and through the pine forest, we cross a short climb to escape a narrow gorge section. We pass Monjo's Sagarmatha National Park entrance and continue up the wooded valley on a good trail. Crossing the river again, we make our last crossing on a high suspension bridge (one of the steepest parts of the Trek) and begin an hour-and-a-half-long ascent to Namche. Arriving in Namche, we check into one of the town's many lodges—elevation 3400 meters.
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Day 4 Acclimatization day at Namche Bazar
Elevation:
3880m/12730ft
Distance:
2 km/1.24 miles
Time Taken:
3 hours
Meals:
BLD
Acclimatization is an integral part of the climb, as it will allow your body to adjust to the ever-increasing altitude. We spend one day acclimatizing at Namche Bazaar to gain this advantage before heading towards Phortse (3840m). After breakfast, we hike towards Everest Hotel, a close Viewpoint of upper Khumbu Valley, and the rest of the day is free for last-minute shopping or hanging out in the cafes and bars.
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Day 5 Trek to Dole
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Trek from Namche Bazar to Dole takes you through an unforgettable experience of nature and the Himalayas. The beginning of the trail is almost level-stretched, and abruptly the passage ascends on a staircase of rocks embedded in a narrow cleft in a large boulder and continues towards a large Chorten (a smaller version of Stupa) on the top of the ridge, which is in Mong La. From Mong La, the trail descends in steep switchbacks down a sandy slope to the Dudh Koshi River for a short period and then climbs steeply out of the valley through rhododendron forests, which give way to fragrant stands of juniper and large conifers as the elevation increases. The trail passes a herders' hut at Tongba, then ascends smoothly to Dole with few lodges and predominant views of Khumbila.
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Day 6 Trek to Machhermo
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
This day, the route is steep in a few places as it climbs through scrub junipers, and along the way, we encounter Kharkas (grazing fields for yaks) wherever there is a flat spot and the slightest hint of water. Most of the Kharkas are noticeable at Luza, and people from Khumjung own them. The trail continues to climb along the side of the valley, high above the river, traversing sandy spurs to Machhermo.
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Day 7 Trek to Gokyo
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
The trail then begins an ascent of the Potato Patches. Leaving Macchermo behind, you will enjoy superb views down the valley to Kantega and up towards Cho Oyu. Further up, the valley widens as you reach Pangka and leaves this place behind; you drop briefly, then climb to a large cave called Nilibuk. As we pass Nilibuk, the trail climbs steeply along a narrowly crafted staircase trail and drops below; clear water from the Gokyo lakes merges with glacial outflow from the massive Ngozumpa Glacier. Nearby is a small lake home to one family of Brahminy ducks for many years. Next, come two more lakes called Taujun and Gokyo.
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Day 8 Acclimatization to Gokyo Ri
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Our acclimatization hike to Gokyo Ri is an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with the mighty Himalayan peaks of Everest, Lhotse and Makalu. We'll leave the lodge just after sunrise and follow a zigzag path up the hillside, crossing an ablation valley. From the Summit of Gokyo Ri (5360m), there are panoramic views of Everest and other surrounding peaks in Khumbu. Some say it is a finer view than that from Kala Patar, a similar peak much closer to Everest and one that we climb later in the Trek.
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Day 9 Trek to Dragnag
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
From Gokyo, we descend to the second lake and climb to the moraine's crest overlooking the Ngozumba Glacier. The route across is well-marked by Cairns and takes around 45 minutes. Finally, we climb off the glacier at Dragnag (4700m), where we check into a simple lodge.
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Day 10 Trek to Dzongla via Chola Pass
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Today will be an early start as we climb the Cho La Pass (5420m). The trail follows a long winding route approaching the pass, combining steep climbs with easy scrambling over boulders and loose scree. From the top, there are excellent views of Amadablam and other Himalayan peaks in the distant view. The descent from the pass involves crossing a small glacier which is relatively straightforward. As we descend to the grazing pastures below, the trail becomes more and more defined and walking beneath the impressive north face of Cho La Tse; we reach the several lodges of our overnight halt at Dzongla (4830m).
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Day 11 Trek to Gorakshep
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Leaving Dzongla and heading for Lobuche, the trail first drops down to Pheriche on the traditional Everest trail. After 20 minutes of walking, we join the main path below Lobuche, where we will have our lunch break before hiking up towards Lobuche. After Lunch, we trek on the left of the famous Khumbu glacier to Gorakshep, taking 3 hours from Lobuche.
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Day 12 Trek to Lobuche after hike to Kalapathar/EBC
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Today may be the highlight of your trip - either a 3 to 4 hours trek to Everest basecamp or a 2-hour ascent to Kala Patar (an excellent vantage point) from which to see Everest and the Khumbu Valley below; we return to Gorak Shep for refreshments, and finally we retrace our steps to Lobuche.
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Day 13 Trek to Lobuche High Camp
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
We spend a half day hiking from Lobuche to Lobuche High Camp, where we set up camp for the night. The first section of our trek is on a flatter dirt trail that leads to the steeper rocky path. After climbing the rock wall, we arrive at our overnight camp at 5400 meters above sea level.
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Day 14 Summit Lobuche and trek to Pheriche
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
Today is a tough but the most important day of the whole program. We wake up at 3 am and prepare for the summit push as we continue climbing on foot. After breakfast before 4 am, we start our climb sharp at 4:15 am on the rocky part of the peak. After 2 hours of climbing on the rocky part, we reach the crampon point, where we take a short break to put on crampons and tighten up our harness to steep climb on snow and glacier. We climb on a fixed line by your Sherpa or previous climbing groups. On the way, you encounter some crevasses on your left, which we avoid and continue climbing sharply for about 2 hours more to reach the Fall Summit of Lobuche East Peak. The area of this summit is only for about up to 6 climbers. After we summit, we climb and rappel down to high camp. And we further trek 3 hours to Pheriche, our overnight stop.
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Day 15 Trek to Namche Bazar via Tengboche Monastery
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
We follow the upward trail from Pheriche and pass several yak herders and tea shops to Shomare. After that, we get down to the tree line in Tengboche, the religious focal point of the entire 'Sherpa land', where you can visit the largest monasteries in Khumbu founded in 1919 by Lama Gulu, a monk from Khumjung. After lunch at Tengboche, we descend to the Funge Tenga River and cross it on a suspension bridge before ascending steadily to Kyanjuma. From here, we continue to Namche Bazaar, our overnight stop.
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Day 16 Trek to Lukla
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
BLD
From Namche Bazar, the trail descends the valley and becomes more enclosed as we pass the villages of Phakding, Chopling, and Chaumrikharka. The last hour's steady ascent up to the airstrip at Lukla will surely be rewarded you with a sense of satisfaction at completing an exceptional trek. We will celebrate the end of fantastic trekking with the porter and guides tonight.
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Day 17 Fly to Kathmandu
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
B
The day starts with a scenic flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, then check in to our hotel. The rest of the day is free for sightseeing or shopping, followed by an evening celebration dinner at one of Kathmandu’s most popular restaurants.
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Day 18 Contingency day for unpredicted delays
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
B
Today is a crucial contingency day in case of delays to the flights to and from Lukla and any other unforeseen delays. However, if we have experienced no delays, this is an opportunity to explore the fascinating city of Kathmandu.
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Day 19 Final Departure
Elevation:
N/A
Distance:
N/A
Time Taken:
N/A
Meals:
B
At the end of your program, we will arrange for transportation to the airport, and your guide will go to see you off. Flight check-in times vary based on the airline but are typically three hours before flight time.
