Our Friendship World Trek representative picks you up from the Tribhuvan International Airport and takes you to your hotel. You have the rest of the day to yourself.
This is the day you enjoy strolling around Kathmandu and exploring some of the UNESCO world heritage sites such as the Durbar Squares, Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath Stupa and many other places. You can also buy some of the climbing equipment at Thamel in case you left out purchasing some gears back home.
Today we make sure we have arranged all the climbing and trekking permits for you. You will also get an official briefing from the government officials of the Department of Tourism regarding the standard procedures and protocols during the Everest Expedition.
We get an early-morning flight to Lukla, the starting point for all Everest expeditions. One of the most picturesque aviation routes in the world ends with a dramatic landing on a hillside surrounded by tall mountain peaks during this journey over mountains. We will start our trek after meeting our camp staff and porters in Lukla.
The sacred mountain Mt. Khumbila, which has never been climbed, can be seen from Cheplung Village, where we will be heading on a trail that progressively descends. With one last descent, we will arrive at Phakding, which is on the primary commerce route that passes through the region and has many pristine, well-constructed lodges. We have an overnight stay at Phakding.
We continue our stroll on the track that ascends the Benkar valley to the north after passing through a pine grove on our route. Before arriving at the Sagarmatha National Park’s entrance, we cross the Dudh Koshi River and travel by the villages of Chumoa and Monjo. Then, after passing through the Jorsale hamlet and a suspension bridge, we continue trekking alongside the Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. We climb a rocky trail till we reach Namche Bazaar, the Khumbu region’s capital and likely the largest town in the Everest region. It is a thriving trading town with authentic Tibetan antiquities. We have an overnight stay at Namche Bazaar.
We can go to Sir Edmund Hillary’s Khunde hospital or the Sherpa Cultural Museum. The Syangboche Airstrip and the Everest View Hotel are both accessible via a quick hike. You will be mesmerized by the breathtaking views of the entire Himalayan range, including Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kusum Kangaru.
Our trail drops and travels through verdant forests of birch, confer, and rhododendron trees, leaving some Chortens, Mani walls, and small settlements in its behind. We can appreciate excellent views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam while trekking. We ascend a hill to Deboche and descend to Pangboche after crossing the Imja River. We decide to climb the upper Pangboche trail and enjoy the view of the Himalayas and the Pangboche Monastery. The Imja Valley and the Lobuche River are our next stops on the way to Dingboche. It is a charming community with lovely fields of buckwheat, barley, and potatoes, as well as scattered grazing animals. We have an overnight stay at Dingboche.
This portion of the expedition is crucial. The region of Dingboche is ideal for acclimatization. We can adequately acclimate to the high altitude by staying here for a few days. To facilitate gradual acclimatization, the team leader will plan daily excursions to the nearby hills. Hike up some of the local hills to gradually expose yourself to higher altitudes. To ensure that you get the greatest acclimatization possible before you arrive at base camp, stick to the regimen that you previously discovered to be most effective. At a hospital managed by the Himalayan Rescue Association close to Pheriche, we can take part in a session on high altitude acclimatization while we’re in Dingboche.
The hike to Pheriche and return will be a beneficial acclimatization exercise. We will ascend a ridge behind the hamlet during this acclimatization period so that we can observe six of the world’s tallest peaks, including Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. We spend the night at Dingboche again.
You must keep going till you reach a stupa. The trail descends to Pheriche village from here. Beautiful vistas of peaks like Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Tawache, Ama Dablam, and others can be seen as you go. You’ll walk past Thukla and a small wooden bridge on your approach to Pheriche. On your way farther, you will see a memorial to those who perished trying to cross this treacherous terrain. Even though it’s a hard climb, the better views we get as we approach closer to our destination encourage us to keep going until we reach Lobuche. The ascent to Lobuche becomes extremely steep. We have an overnight stay at Lobuche.
You set out on your adventure in the early hours of the day. The trail will be more difficult today than it was yesterday. You must climb a glacier route and a rough moraine.
Gorakshep is the first stop on the trail to Everest Base Camp. It is heartwarming to realize that snow-covered mountains surround you. After fully immersing ourselves in the scenery from the EBC and snapping several pictures, we make the trek down to Gorakshep and rest for the day. We have an overnight at Gorakshep.
The Khumbu icefall is the most hazardous section of the ascent. It is a steep glacier with numerous sizable crevasses and misleadingly unstable seracs. The difficulty of navigating around this obstacle increases the high objective threat of falling ice.
The Sherpas will help fix ladders over the crevasses for your safety during the expedition. Hence, they help establish a trail through the ice fall, making the climbing more efficient, safer, and effective.
You complete the ascent early in the morning when the force of the wind is still low. The terrain is warmed in the late afternoon sun, which reduces the friction between the ice formations and raises the possibility of crevasses opening or ice chunks falling. It is not safe to cross the Khumbu icefall during the afternoon.
To avoid the high afternoon gusts at the summit, we set off as early as possible. Our experienced Sherpa climbers will take the lead to help you accomplish the ascent.
Our equipment will be carried by the Sherpa guides to assist us. On the way up to the peak, there will be a total of four camps set up.
On top of the Khumbu icefall, Camp 1 is set up. The mountain cliffs are encircled by a level of horizontally falling, heavy snow. The powerful gusts of wind blowing on the mountain make the night cold and the days warm. Camp 1 to Camp 2’s glacier is a level one glacier. A ladder is used to mend the wide crevasses adjacent to Camp 1. Just underneath the tents, a distinct crackling sound is heard. Before relocating to Camp 2, Camp 1 is a place for recuperation and transition.
The location of Camp 2 is either the lateral moraine at the base of the west ridge or the foot of the Lhotse wall. With breathtaking views of Mount Lhotse, it is a secure and protected spot. The cooking and dining tents, as well as individual tents, will be erected at Camp 2. The main acclimatization camp and the starting point for the ascent to camp 3 are both Camp 2.
A fixed rope is used to access Camp 3, which is next to the Lhotse division. As we continue to ascend, the Geneva Spur appears to our east. At this elevation, the oxygen levels will be rapidly decreasing. There is additional oxygen available in the event of any inconvenience. The majority of climbers won’t need extra oxygen until Camp 4. The glacier is traversed by the right side, requiring a 600-meter climb across the snow at a 40-degree angle. With only a few ice cliffs less than 3 meters high, the route is relatively safe.
Camp 4 is the final camp before the summit. Camp 4 is the most hazardous portion of the climb and is located on the south col. The distance to the summit is only 450 meters. Here, the winds are ferocious and forceful. The most direct path to the summit is along the curvy southeast ridge. This is the same pathway traveled by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay during their first Everest summit in 1953.
Beginning from Camp 4, the final segment of the southeast ridge is the ascent to the summit. The majority of it is rocky and steep. For the safety of climbers, the entire route is fixed with ropes. Almost every climber is influenced by altitude and suffers from poor judgment due to oxygen deprivation, more oxygen is provided. In the Himalayas, they call it summit fever. One should not make abrupt decisions at such a high altitude during the expedition.
It is always crucial that we have some sort of payment to the ecosystem for their services. Picking up the waste and taking it back is also considered to be a way to pay back the ecosystem service that Everest offers. We make sure that we take away all the waste that we may have produced during the expedition back with us to Lukla. This way, we help keep the Everest region clean and beautiful. This is also the day we start preparing ourselves to descend the trail and comprehend returning to the lower sections. We have an overnight stay at Gorakshep.
In the early hours of the day, you climb to Kala Patthar. Kala Patthar is a popular viewpoint in the Everest region. Kala Patthar offers panoramic views of the Himalayan Mountains as well as stunning dawn. Spend a while at the lookout before heading down to Pheriche for the evening.
From Periche to Tyangboche, we will be doing a fantastic descent. We will be primarily descending, making this hike of our journey easier. Altitude sickness will gradually subside as we descend since the oxygen levels rise, making it easier for us to breathe normally. We will pass through a number of famous sites, including the Tyangboche monastery. We have an overnight stay at Tyangboche.
We are now descending the same pathway we had ascended before our Everest Expedition. The trek to Namche Bazaar from Tyangboche is an easy walk and we pass by the familiar sites we had observed during the ascent. At Namche Bazaar, a hot shower awaits you. We have an overnight stay at Namche Bazaar.
We will go past the village of Phakding on our way back to Lukla. It might be a difficult fall from Namche to Dudh Koshi. Your core will be put to the test by the constant slopes. The path will flatten out somewhat once you’ve crossed the suspension bridge. For the last time, we stroll through rhododendron forests while admiring the snow-capped Himalayas. We have an overnight stay at Lukla.
After departing from Lukla, you will have an exhilarating flight back to Kathmandu while taking in one more view of the snow-capped Himalayas.
You are finally back in Kathmandu. You can utilize this day as a rest day after the long and hard Everest expedition or you can choose to roam around the beautiful city by yourself or with our group. You can purchase some souvenirs to take back home for your loved ones. Enjoy your last day by roaming around the buzzing Thamel and witnessing Nepal at its best on your last day.
We’ll drop you off at the airport so you can catch a trip home or to anywhere you’d like to go. We hope you had a great time with Friendship World Trek.