Everest High Passes / Circuit
This trek offers a more challenging alternative to the traditional trek to Everest base camp. There is an ascent Kalapathar and Gokyo Ri along with crossings of both the Cho La (53330m) and Renjo la (5340m) . The Trek has been carefully planned to ensure there is adequate time for the necessary acclimatization.
The route starts by following the classic Everest base camp trek but, rather than retracing your steps back to Nameche, goes over the Cho la pass to enter the quieter Gokyo Valley. This valley has a string of glacial lakes and Gokyo Ri peak which we walk up in the morning for some of the best views of the everest massif. Our last pass is the Renjo la from where we descend into the Thame Valley, one of the main trading routes with Tibet.
Office representative will be sent to collect you on arrival at Kathmandu airport and to bring you back to the hotel. Please provide travel plans on booking and we will arrange the pickup and transfer.
Today we explore Kathmandu with a good local guide, the day is flexible depending on what you would like to see by the most popular places generally are :
- Pashupatinath is a Hindu temple with burning ghats on the banks of the Bagmati river.
- Boudhanath stupa has many traditional gompas hung with strings of multi coloured prayer flags, it attracts many Sherpas and Tibetans for the circumambulations of the Stupa (Kors)
Kathmandu, Sightseeing and trek preparations
Fly to Lukla (2840m) trek to Phakding (2610m)
You will be transferred from your hotel to airport for the early morning flight to the mountain airstrip at Lukla. This is a truly spectacular beginning to the trek as you fly for the rolling foothills of Nepal with the huge Himalayan peaks visible to the north.
On arrival we meet our Sherpa guides and then being the trek by following Dudh Khosi Valley to the village of Phakding. Overnight lodge.
Trek to Namche Bazaar (3445m) - 5-6 hours walking.
Today there is a long and steep climb up to the trading town of Namche Bazaar. Halfway up the hill we are rewarded with our first views of Everest Lhotse. Namche is the largest town in the Khumbu and has superb views of Thamserku (6648m), Kwangde(6220m) and Khumbila(5700m). Overnight in lodge.
Acclimatization day, trek to Sherpa villages of Khunde and Khumjung and return to Namche.
Trek to Deboche (3800m) - 5 hours walking
The trail descends from Khumjung through rhododendron forest with superb views of Ama Dablam, Kangtaiga and Everest. After crossing the Dudh Khosi at Phunki Tanga we start the climb through forest to Tengboche. Themain monastery of the Khumbu is located here and is well worth visiting in the afternoon.
Trek to Dingboche (4350m) - 5 - 6 hours walking.
After a descent to the lmja Khola, we cross the river and climb gradually to the village of Pangboche. We spend two nights at Dingboche to help with the acclimatization process. This village is in a sheltered location above the Lmja Khola and is warmer and less widely than Pheriche.
Rest and acclimatization day in Dingboche
Today we recommend you have walk in Chukhung towards Island Peak. This greatly helps your acclimatization by following the golden rule of "Climbing high and sleeping low". The views from this valley are superb with Ama Dablam and the massive wall of Nuptse and south face of Lhotse.
Trek to Lobuche (4931m) - 6 hours walking
The trail contour above Pheriche and heads towards the moraine of the Khumbu glacier and then diagonally north across to Thughla. Today there are views of Tawachee and Nuptse are particularly spectacular from Lobuche, towering almost two kilometers directly above you!
Trek to Gorakshep (5160m) EBC same day.
After an early start we follow the trail along the western side of the broad Khumbu valley. The conical peak of Pumori Comes into view further along, it is on a lower ridge of this mountain that we will be going tomorrow for the Everest view point of Kala Pattar.
The trail makes a short descent onto the sandy area at Gorakshep. It should take between 2 to 3 hours walking to get to Gorakshep from Lobuche.
After a light lungh those in the group we would like to walk to Everest base camp will head off for the 6 hours return trek. The trail is manly on rocky moraine before crossing over on to the glacier. There is a dramatic view of the infamous Khumbu icefall from the basecamp.
Ascend Kala Patar (5545m) and return to Lobuche
We have another early morning start to climb Kala Patar in order to get the clear morning views. There is a steep climb for a couple of hours to Kala Patar summit. It is definitely worth it for the great views of Everest (you can not see Everest from base Camp) along with the other Himalayan giants of Pumori, Changtse, Nuptse, Lhotse and many others!
After the climb to Kalapatar we return to Gorakshep for breakfast. We then start our desent and return to the thicker air of Lobuche in the afternoon.
Trek to Dzongla (4830m) -3 hours walking
From Lobuche we retrace the trail until branching off before Dughla and traversing around a spur above the Chola lake. Dzongla is a beautiful spot at the base of the Cho la pass with many yak pastures and surrounded by high mountains.
On the other side of the valley are the impressive peaks of Tawoche and Cholatse with Ama Dablam visible at the end of the valley.
Cross the Cho La (5420m) and walk to Dragnag (4700m)
The cho La is a great way of combining a visit to the Gokyo valley and Everest base camp. It is an enjoyable and scenic route without any serious technical difficulties although bad weather and poor conditions can make this a challenging route.
During the day you circumnavigate Jobo Lhaptshan (6440m) and Taboche (6367m)- once over the pass the t rail desends to Dragnag. This is a true mountain experince with a scramble up to the pass and down the other side.
Trek to Gokyo (4750m) 3 hours walking
After crossing the Ngozumba Glacier we trek past the first lakes to the lodges at Gokyo.
Day trek to Gokyo Ri (5357m) back to Gokyo
An early start for the climb of Gokyo Ri (5357m), the view from the top is generally considered to be the best of the Everest range. You will be back at the lodge for a late breakfast. The rest of the day you can either relax or if you feeling energetic explore the valley following the Ngozumba Glacier towards Cho Oyou base camp passing numerous lakes.
Renjo la (5345m) and trek to Lungden in the Thame valley 7 to 8 hours walking.
Today you walk up the Renjo la from where we can see Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Makalu and then on the other side of the pass the Rolwaling peaks.
The trail comes down past lakes and yak pastures to join the Thame valley one of the main trading routes with Tibet over the Nangpa la.
Return to Namche Bazaar (3445m) 4 -5 hrs walking
Today we follow the historical trading route used by generations of Tibetan traders to Namche Bazaar.
Spare day/buffer day
An extra to be used in case of bad weather on one of the high passes.
Its feels good to finally end an exhilarating Himalayan journey toady. At the same time its is a celebration moment and felicitate the Sherpas and the porter staff for their dedicated service and have dinner together one last time.
Fly to Kathmandu
At leisure in Kathmandu
Transfer to Kathmandu airport for the flight back home. End of trip.
Note: No Visa required for Indian nationals.
Definitely! Our airport representative or your group Leader will be there catering you from day of your arrival till departure. Do check for MNT clip board on your arrival in Kathmandu airport outside the arrival terminal hall. Make sure you have provided your flight details to us in advance.
Yes, you can obtain Nepal tourist visa on arrival at Kathmandu International Airport. In fact for some countries Nepal visa is to be prearranged from their country itself prior to their entry to Nepal. For more details please check Nepal Visa and Entry Procedure in our website.
Any sort of vaccination is not mandatory while visiting Nepal. But we strongly suggest for a personal medical consent before you sign up for ‘ Visit Nepal’ packages if you have any pre medical history.
MNT has no overhead expenses on overseas offices. This means we can offer top quality service and facilities at a competitive price to exceed your expectation. No Hidden cost. The trip cost includes from your accommodation, local flight, private transportation, tours, trek permit, National Park or conservation fees to all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) while on trek, for details link to Cost inclusion and exclusion. In every detail, we set the highest possible standards from safety to the high quality type of warm gears and food provided to meet the international standard. We balance of exploration and relaxation, comfort and adventure at its best.
To book your spot on any of our trips, please fill up the online booking form at our website www.mysticalnepaltreks.com and send it to us along with the trip Security Deposit of 20% per person. Deposit can be paid by bank swift transfer, please see details in the website. On receipt of your booking details we will send you Trip Confirmation Receipt of your booking.
Typically our trekking days involve 4 to 8 hours of walking per day, including a lunch stop.The trail varies from easy hiking on the lower elevation to the strenuous walking over 5000 meter in Himalayas. A common misconception is that if you are a slow walker you may hold people back – Not So. The group members string out and there will always be one local staff walking with the last one, usually the Group Leader stays last. You walk at your own pace and stop when you feel like. There will always be our Trekking Sherpa, the assistant to guide who will be leading from the front ensuring that no one gets lost.
Trekking Days are so designed that the walking is enjoyable and safe. The companionship of other trekkers and staff positive attitude creates great environment and many memorable events. The day begins early at 6.30 am with a wakeup call. Before breakfast pack your gears into duffle bag by keeping some essential things in your daypack. After breakfast, we are usually on the trail by 8am and following a good morning walk, we stop for lunch break for about an hour. Continuing our walk for the second part of the day we reach the days destination usually around 4.00 pm as the afternoon walk is usually shorter than the morning. Having afternoon tea you can relax, read or have some game activities involving the local staff. Dinner is usually served around 6.30 to 7.00 pm.
We book clean and comfortable teahouse which we know very well. Our standard trips are based on twin bedded sharing accommodation. We can book private room for you if you like to add a supplement cost as per your requirement.
We offer the OPEN AND CHOICE MENU in our teahouse trek where you can select the food on your breakfast, lunch and dinner time. Your guide will help with menu selection and ensure that you get the hygienic, plentiful and nutritious food. Most teahouse offer a variety if rice and noodle dishes, as well as seasonal vegetables. A variety of cereals, bread and egg dishes are generally available for the breakfast.
We have our own experienced trek cook on all of the camping trips. We adhere to strict hygiene guidelines. To start the day, breakfast consists of a choice of porridge, muesli and cereal followed by omelet, fried or scrambled egg with bread. Lunch is generally a selection of salad, cooked vegetable dishes, pasta and traditional bread. Dinner is a hearty 3 course meal, starting with soup followed by main course and sweet dessert, tea coffee etc. Your trek leader is generally taking good supervision of how things are done in the kitchen keeping in control for hygiene and safety.
We are aware about the protection of our fragile environment while organizing trekking and climbing trips. We discourage in buying the plastic bottled mineral water as currently there is no proper provision for waste management. For that matter in our Everest treks for anything over a group of 4 persons we provide boiled water every evening prepared and served by our Sherpa into your personal drinking water bottles. We also recommend use of purification stuff for your personal use. And for the Annapurna treks the villages provide Safe Drinking water at stations and teahouse.
There is a beautiful saying that if you want to come up with any new ideas go walking. Trekking in the wilderness of Nepal has so much variation and also depends on the choice of your destination. Terrain varies from effortless to strenuous plus yet with a very well organized itinerary and enough time for adaptation makes a difference in the genre of trekking.
As for the level of fitness and trek preparation we suggest that trekking in Nepal mountains is not appropriate for someone with very weak ankles, knee, heart or lungs problems and for all these your doctor’s advice is obligatory. But even the kids of early age to the adults of 70 plus have walked to varied landscapes of Nepal. However Mystical Nepal Treks designed itinerary are flexible and attainable. Nevertheless trekking is not a walk in the park, it includes tremendous amount of ups and downs so to prepare for any trips in Nepal you need to train yourself with the everyday undulating walking with the amount of weight you could carry in your daypack.
We are committed on the welfare of our staff from trek Leaders/Guides to Sherpas, Cooks, and Porters. We ensure good wages, salary provident fund, proper insurance, to the equipment and clothing. They are the most valuable members of our organization and the people who make every trip a success.
You need general travel insurance and trip cancellation insurance, as well as rescue insurance. Read your policy’s fine print to make sure it covers you for trekking or climbing, depending on what trip you have booked, and that it covers you for helicopter evacuation.
In case of a serious sickness or a casualty, which we believe will not happen; you shall be rescued by a helicopter. Since you are entirely liable for all the expenses incurred in evacuation please make sure that it is covered by your insurance before assigning for it or be prepared to pay on your own after getting back in Kathmandu.
MNT trip itineraries have been professionally designed to minimize the effects of High Altitude sickness. Extensive medical kit is carried on all our trips. In addition Portable Altitude Chamber Bag ( a life saving device) is brought as a safety backup on high elevation treks and expeditions. All our Leaders and Guides are well trained in Wilderness Medicine and First Aid Course who are competent to recognize any mountain ailment and act accordingly on the spot.
Trekking in Nepal Himalayas is an adventure holiday thus do not expect shower each day. Now days, some of the teahouses up to 4000 meters have hot shower facilities depending on the trekking regions. Laundry services are available at limited place on trek.
You will be carrying your day pack with warm clothes, rain pocho, drinking water, snacks, sun block, camera etc. you need for the day. Generally it will be light around 3 to 4 kilos.
Most airlines fly direct to Bangkok from North America, Europe and Australia and New Zealand. From there Thai Airways fly direct to Kathmandu 10 times a week. Silk Air ( Singapore Airlines) and Cathay Pacific via Hong kong also has regular flights and there are many flights via Doha, Qatar, New Delhi, Hong Kong to Kathmandu.
All our trip itinerary have an arrival and departure day from Kathmandu so you can arrive and leave Kathmandu as per the program. You are also welcome and encouraged to arrive a day earlier or leave Nepal a day later to have a look around the vibrant Kathmandu Valley. MNT arrange any extra activities as per your interest outside the main package.
Yes, the facility is available almost each teahouse at a cost of usually about 2 to 3 US$ per hour. We use the voltages 220 – 240 volts to power and 2 point plugs is recommended to bring.
It depends if you are used to it is very handy. It is recommended for knee support and for down hills specially. The walk is manageable without them at times.
Yes there are dozens of trekking shops in Thamel area of Kathmandu. Our trekking guide will be happy to assist you in this regard.
It works in most major cities. Check with your service provider before you go if they have a reciprocal agreement with countries you are travelling to and make sure you remember to get international roaming turned on. You can also buy a local mobile SIM card in Kathmandu.
It is notoriously difficult to predict the weather conditions in the Himalayas. Normally days are warm and nights are cold. There can be snow or rain storms at any time. Between 1000 and 3500 meters the temperature could go as high as 20 degree celsius to 5 degree. At higher altitude the temperature ranges from 20 degrees to -10 degree celsius. During winter month of December the days are 10 degree colder. Good polarizing sunglasses for high altitude and large brimmed hat are really helpful. Expect the unexpected.
Tipping is an accepted part of trekking although it is completely personal matter. The amount depends on your budget and appreciation of their work. Up to 10% of the trip cost as tipping could be a guideline.
Before we depart for the trek all your left luggage and valuable is to be deposited in the safety store and safety deposit box at the hotel or you could also feel safe with MNT office for storage which you can claim effortlessly on your return after trek.
The maximum weight they allow you is 15 kilos that is including your hand carry bag.