Island Peak Climbing & Everest Base Camp Trek -19 Days

Your arrival in Kathmandu will be marked by landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). A company representative of Himalayan Adventure Treks & Tours will receive you and transfer you to your hotel. Evening you can meet the participants and the trek members. Overnight stay at a hotel in Kathmandu.

After breakfast, we start for the Kathmandu city tour which includes four of the UNESCO world heritage site in the Kathmandu valley.

Pashupatinath: It is a very large, complex, and focal point for the Hindu religion. This old and very revered complex of Temple and shrines is dedicated to Lord Shiva, one of the main deities of Hinduism and very popular in Nepal as well as Indian devotees. Hindu people believe that Lord Shiva has multiple forms he is often seen as the destroyer god. This has great significance for the Pashupatinath temple as it is the site of many Hindu ritual cremations each day on the bank of holy Bagmati River. Pashupatinath Temple is considered by Hindus to be an auspicious site for passing from one stage of life to the next through the purifying and destroying flames of cremation on the bank of Bagmati river and feet of Lord Shiva called Brahmanal. However, on a happier note, visitors may also get to see the temple in a buoyant festival mode with one of the many Hindu festivals like Shivaratri, Teej, Janaipurinma and many celebrated here throughout the year.

Boudhanath Stupa: It is a Buddhist religious complex with a long history back over 500 years and more. which is also the World Heritage Site UNESCO. Located on the eastern part of Kathmandu valley it is now a site of great pilgrimage for Buddhist followers who circle its massive stupa, spin its many prayer wheels and visit its beautiful monastery. The main feature of Boudhanath is its huge hemispherical white stupa with a central golden tower and the all-seeing eyes of the Buddha. It also believes that eyes represent peace and love. Visitors should circle the stupa in a clockwise direction and spin prayer wheels for good fortune and get Nirvana. Boudhanath surrounding is a kind of school for the visitors who are interested in Thangka painting to see highly skilled artists at work on religious mandala paintings.

Kathmandu Durbar Square: It holds the places of the ancient king who ruled over the Kathmandu Kingdom. The durbar square is an ancient Malla king of the Kathmandu Valley. It is all of the arts and architectural treasures of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also called the Hanuman Dhoka in central Kathmandu. It believes that the Kasthamandap temple was build in the 5th century from the single tree. The durbar square has many beautiful multi-storey pagodas and temples with ornate carving and carpentry artwork that tells some of the stories of the ancient kings and their mystical time and beliefs. The durbar square contains many important Hindu temples and statues such as Kal Bhairab, Swyat (White) Bhairb, and Lord Shiva. The main attraction for tourists contains unique and intriguing Kumari Chowk. This is an ancient and ornate house where resides in the Living Goddess. The young girl has chosen through an ancient and mystical selection process from the Newar community to become the human incarnation of the Hindu mother goddess, Durga. At the Kumari courtyard the right time is in the afternoon you may see a brief glimpse of the Goddess at her window.

Swayambhunath (Monkey Temple): Swayambhunath stupa complex that sits atop a high hill overlooking Kathmandu and the entire Kathmandu Valley with Mountain ranges on the north side. Swayambhunath is probably the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal. It is another famous tourist destination and holiest Buddhist and Hindu pilgrims. This temple also called the Monkey temple due to the lots of monkeys and they have their swimming pool. This is a wonderful place to catch your breath and observe the sunset, start to understand the deep importance of Budd]\p-

hist belief to the people. It consists of a very large white stupa with the all-seeing-eyes, it believes the love and peace of Lord Buddha and many small stupas and beautifully carved stone shrines on the top of the hill. If you feel more energetic then you might also like to try some or all of the 350 steps or more that lead all the way from the eastern part from the temple called Bhagwan pau (God Feet)up to your Swayambhunath stupa vantage point.

After breakfast, we will be taken to the domestic terminal of TIA for an early morning flight to Lukla. After flying above the breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains.

Upon our arrival at Lukla, we meet our other crew members and after some packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if interested in additional activities, we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. Overnight in Phakding.

After breakfast, we walk through beautiful pine forests and then along Dudh Koshi River ending our nature-filled journey at Namche Bazaar. After walking for almost over an hour, we come across the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6,608m) on our right and also experience the serenity of pine, fir, and juniper forests throughout our journey.

If the weather is clear, we may even catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. We continue walking until we reach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Mt. Everest, and the main trading center of this region. On this day we cross five suspension bridges, the last one also known as the Hillary Bridge being the highest. It is an uphill walk from Hillary Bridge to Namche Bazaar. Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

This is the day set aside for acclimatization. Health experts recommend that we stay active and move around even during the rest day instead of being idle. There are a few options set aside for this day. We can either stroll around Namche’s quaint villages or come in contact with the Sherpa people and their rich culture, or we can hike up to the Hotel Everest view and enjoy an up-close view of the mighty Everest.

While in the Namche village or upon returning from the hike to the Everest View Hotel, trekkers may also visit the local museum containing exhibits displaying the area’s native flora and fauna as well as the history of the Mount Everest region.

For trekkers who want to hike for a little longer, a hike to Khumjung village (5-6 hours) may also be an option. While in the village we can visit the Edmund Hillary School and Khumjung Monastery (a monastery famous for housing the head of the Yeti!). Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

After breakfast, we trek towards Tengboche. It is an easy walk from Namche to Phunki. Upon reaching Phunki, we ascend towards Tengboche, a village that houses the very famous Tengboche monastery which is the largest monastery of the Everest region.

Located amidst the Sagarmatha National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site of "outstanding universal value”), it is draped with the panoramic 360-degree view of the Himalayas, including Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Thamserku. The monastery opens at 3:00 pm so if we are lucky we might just be able to witness a religious ceremony. Overnight in Tengboche.

With the Himalayas as its backdrop, the monastery in Tengboche is in an excellent location. We visit the monastery in the morning and enjoy taking pictures of the monastery and the amazing landscape. We descend for about half an hour through a forest before crossing a river.

Next, we trek uphill and notice that as we climb higher, the landscape becomes drier. We walk past a traditional Sherpa village of Pangboche before reaching Pheriche, a beautiful village located on a riverside. Here, we will also see a small helipad that is used for helicopter rescues during emergencies. We may even take a class with a mountain specialist in a medical clinic at Pheriche. Overnight in Pheriche.

After breakfast, we start with an easy walk towards Dugla. Next, we trek up the steep terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier and then pass through the boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara where we find an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer) and 10-time Everest summiteer Babu Chiri Sherpa (Nepalese mountain guide) who perished on a mission to climb Everest.

The trail then continues to the Khumbu Glacier moraine and we find ourselves facing several great peaks - Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori, and Mahalangur Himal. Overnight in Lobuche.

We take the trail to Everest Base Camp through the once vast Gorak Shep Lake. Continuing straight ahead, we come across the Indian army mountaineers' memorials. The path from here can be misleading; hence it is important that we follow our lead Sherpa diligently. The walk is strenuous due to the thin air at a high altitude.

We pass through rocky dunes, moraine, and streams before reaching the Everest Base Camp. Upon reaching the Everest Base Camp, we see tents of mountaineers that stand out in bright colors against the monotony of gray surroundings (especially in the spring). Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori are the mountains we can view from the base camp. We get back to Gorak Shep for a good night's rest. Overnight in Gorakshep.

We prepare for an early morning departure, amid pre-dawn darkness and cold temperatures (-10 to -14 c). Plus, there is always the potential for chilly winds which are quite common. Familiar peaks such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, and Changtse tower to the east even as Everest begins to reveal itself. But, it is upon reaching Kala Patthar that we get to see360 degree up-close and formidable views of Mt. Everest.

We take pictures, enjoy the magnificent mountain panorama, and then return back to Lobuche for a good night's rest. Overnight in Lobuche.

After breakfast, we trek via Khumbu Glacier to Kongma La Base Camp (5,000m/16,404ft). The ascent to the Kongma La pass is the most difficult part of our trek today. In the Kongma La, we see cairn wrapped in prayer flags to mark the pass.

Then we descend gradually to Imja Khola valley, followed by another descent to Chhukung, a small summer settlement. After reaching Chhukung we will also check our equipment in order to get ready for our ultimate climb. Overnight in Chhukung.

The trek to Island Peak Base Camp is on a fairly steep trail. First, we climb south then turn east to the mainline of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside.

The route to the Amphu Labtsa lies to the southeast. A crisscross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the SW side of Island Peak. Overnight at Island Peak Base Camp.

We begin our pre-climb training today after breakfast. Our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and the proper ways of using climbing gear such as the ice axe, climbing boots, and crampons, harness, ascender, etc.

The training will also include using ropes to go up and down. Although it is not mandatory to have prior training for Island Peak Climbing, we strongly believe that some training experience will boost your confidence and climbing skills to increase the chances of scaling the summit as well as to fully enjoy the experience. We can spend the rest of the day hiking to high camp and back or resting for the next day’s climb. Overnight at the base camp.

We wake up early today at around 12 to 1 am and have our breakfast before beginning our climb. It is important we reach the summit before noon because in the afternoon the strong winds in the highlands might become a barrier to a successful summit.

The trail moves up beyond the base camp for several hundred meters before striking off the steep hillside. Initially sandy, the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder-strewn. As we climb up the hill, we will see that the slope narrows, and the trail enters a steep rock channel. We climb the rock gully. This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully.

The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. The guides will fix a rope when required. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. Both fixed rope and man rope will be used during the climb for safety. We use fixed rope after successfully climbing on rock. The length of the rope will usually be 350 m. However, the length depends on the time of the season and the crevasses.

There are two newly formed crevasses which are approximately 3 and 4 meters long. We will be using ladders to cross them. After enjoying the summit views and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Island Peak Base Camp where some of our crew are waiting for us. We celebrate on our successful Island Peak climb.

Today’s walk will be much easier as we descend to the lower altitudes. Following the same route back through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, we pass through the beautiful Sherpa villages, Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different trail to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region, or take the regular trail to reach Pangboche.

Pangboche is a scenic village surrounded by Everest to its north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtaiga to the east, the Kongde range to the south, and the Imja Tse River flowing through the wide fertile valley. 

From Pangboche we retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sansa.

We keep a lookout for wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while passing through the forest. After passing a Chorten, we reach the army camp at Namche Bazaar.  Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

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

After breakfast, you head towards the airport to fly to Kathmandu. This day is free for you. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. Evening you can do shopping in Thamel for your friends & family. Evening farewell dinner at an authentic Nepalese restaurant with a cultural performance.

A representative from Himalayan Adventure Treks and Tours will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home you'll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in the wonderful country of Nepal.