Everest Gokyo Cho La Pass Trekking

The thrill of flying from Kathmandu to Lukla airport starts off our trek. We will take an early flight from Kathmandu because we also have to trek during the latter half of the day. Early morning flight is also more suitable for watching the mountains. Lukla airport is situated between steep mountains hence making the descent into the strip one of the most adventurous in the world.

We will trek to the beautiful village of Phakding after landing at Lukla. The path is full of prayer flags, mani walls, chortens and monasteries. The Sherpas are the main settlers of the region and they are mostly Buddhists. Smaller far flung settlements are also located between Lukla and Phakding. Between them are green forests of Rhododendron, pine and fir. We will reach Phakding in the evening and stay at a guest house there.

We will head towards Namche Bazaar after having breakfast at our guest house. Namche Bazaar was once a town that welcomed traders of salt between Nepal and Tibet. Today it has been transformed into  a tourist town welcoming thousands of visitors who come for trekking and climbing in the Khumbu Region.

We will cross the Dudh Koshi river after walking for a short while from Phakding. You will meet a checkpost after walking a bit further ahead. This is the entrance of the Sagarmatha National Park. We have to submit our permits and identity card here. We will enter the Dudh Koshi River Valley after walking from here. The valley is full of rare species of wild animals and birds. Danphe, the national bird of Nepal is also spotted frequently in the forest.

We will reach Namche Bazaar in the evening. We will spend our night at a guest house here.

We will head for the village of Tengboche. Tengboche is the home of the largest monastery in the Khumbu Region, the Tengboche Monastery.

We will cross the Monga La Pass (3,975 m) first. This place provides a beautiful view of the mountains like Amadablam, Thamserku, Tabuchi and Khumbila. We will walk through dense forests but the vegetation is slightly different compared to the lower part with pine being the dominant species.

It is ideal to reach Tengboche village at exactly 3 pm. The Tengboche monastery does not open before this time. Once the monastery opens a sacred ritual is observed here. You might miss this worship if you are late. The head Lamas of the monastery also chant special prayers in your name wishing you all the best for the trip to the mountains ahead. We will stay for the night at a guest house in Tengboche.

We will head towards the beautiful Dingboche village from Tengboche. Dingboche is also known as the ‘summer valley’. The Amadablam mountain will be in full view during the entire days trek. Amadablam is regarded as one of the most beautiful mountains in the world by trekkers and travelers.

We will cross the Imja River valley today. It is the second river valley in the Everest Region. Beautiful villages like Orsho and Pangboche lie in the path between Tengboche and Dingboche. The path is often full of prayer flags and mani walls. You will get a stunning view of Everest upon reaching Dingboche. Other mountain peaks that are in a close distance from Dingboche include  Lhotse and Island Peak. The setting sun makes the mountain look even more beautiful in the evening than during the night. We will stay at a guest house in Dingboche for the night.

We will stay at Dingboche today and acclimatize ourselves for the further trek. It is advisable that you take rest days like these for acclimatization during long treks. The early morning view of the surrounding mountains from Dingboche is mesmerizing.

There is a beautiful monastery of the same name in Dingboche. You can visit the monastery and take part in the rituals conducted by the Lama of the monastery. If you have ample experience of trekking then you can also spend the day by climbing the nearby Nangkartshang Peak.

We will trek towards the Lobuche village today. There are many yak grazing pastures in the lower belt of our trail. The vegetation is thin and the land is covered in snow in the upper stretches. Lobuche village is situated nearby Lobuche peak. The peak stand out like a tower from Lobuche village.

Other mountains like Lingtren, Pumori and Khumbutse are also very near from Lobuche. The lower part of the Khumbu Glacier starts from Lobuche. The last part of the trek to Lobuche via the Lobuche Pass is slightly difficult compared to other parts of the trek.

Today is one of the most anticipated part of the trek in the Everest Region. We will walk along the Khumbu Glacier and head towards the small village of Gorakshep. Gorakshep is one of the last settlements in the Everest Region. It is a thinly populated village. Gorakshep was the original spot where the Everest Base Camp was located. The base camp was later moved to the current spot.

We will first go past Gorakshep and head towards the Everest Base Camp. Everest Base camp provides a panoramic view of the mountains like Everest Nuptse, Pumori and Khumbutse. You will also get a stunning view of the Khumbu Icefall and Khumbu Glacier. We will return back to Gorakshep for the overnight’s stay.

We will walk towards Kala Patthar today. Kala Patthar is the highest altitude location during our trek. The literal meaning of Kala Patthar is Black Stone. There are many large black boulders in the place. Kala Patthar offers the best view of the mountains in the Everest Region. The Khumbu Glacier is also visible from Kala Patthar.

We will head towards the Cho La Pass from Kala Patthar. We cannot reach Cho La Pass in one days trek hence we will rest in Zongla overnight. Chilling cold wind blows in Zongla while the ground is covered in thick snow all year round. We will head to our bed early and get rest for tomorrow’s trek towards Cho La Pass.

We will cross the Cho La Pass today. It is one of the famed three passes of the Everest Region. The other two being Renjo La Pass (5,360 m) and Kongma La Pass (5,528). The path is slightly difficult near the Cho La Pass. The weather can also suddenly change while crossing the pass making the trek even more challenging.

We will stay for some time in Cho La Pass and head towards the village of Thagna. We will get a picturesque view of the Gokyo Valley beneath from Thagna. The walk today is one of the longest during any days of trek in our current schedule. We will enjoy local soup and meal and rest at a guesthouse in Thagna. You can also enjoy dried Yak meat if you are willing.

We will trek towards the foot of the Gokyo Valley today. The beautiful Gokyo village and a series of picturesque lakes are located in the base of Gokyo Valley. The Gokyo Village is located at the foot of the nearby Gokyo Ri (5,483 m) mountain. The peak is located on the west side of the Ngozumpa glacier which is the largest glacier in Nepal.

The Gokyo Lakes are the world’s highest freshwater system of lakes. There are a total of six lakes with the Tonak Cho being the largest lake. The Gokyo Cho lake is the namesake lake of the region and has special religious significance among locals. Gokyo Cho is also known as Dudh Pokhari. We will walk along the shores of these lakes and enjoy a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. We will stay at a guest house for the night.

We have two parts of the trek today. The first part is a grueling hike up to the top of Gokyo Ri mountain from the base of the Gokyo valley. Gokyo Ri is a mid level peak with altitude lower than that of Kala Patthar. Hence you can easily climb the mountain with trekking grade gears and preparation. However, since we will start our climb from the base of a valley, the journey can be very tiring. The view from the top of Gokyo Ri is one to behold for the ages.

Once we get to the top of Gokyo Ri, it’s a downhill walk all the way to Machhermo. This part of the trek is very easy. The landscape also starts to change slightly and we will start to see some greenery on our way. We will reach the little village of Machhermo for the night’s stay and stay at a guest house there for the night.

We will go full circuit today and return back to Namche Bazaar. This part of the trek takes us to the lower stretches of the Sagarmatha National Park. We will walk through forests of pine, fir, birch and junipers during most of today’s trek. Many streams and waterfalls from the nearby glaciers and mountains flow in the region.

The forest of the region is full of endangered species of animals and plants. Animals like Himalayan Black Bear, Himalayan Tahr, Deer, Langur, Monkey, Foxes and Himalayan Wolves are found in the region. We will reach the bustling Namche Bazaar during the latter part of the day. This is the time of the day when trekkers from all around the region converge in Namche Bazaar. We will share our tales with each other and rest at a guest house for the night.

We will head towards Lukla today. The vegetation starts to change to a more temperate and subtropical like as we move towards Lukla from Namche Bazaar. There are beautiful villages and monasteries on our way. Phakding is the largest village in the region. This is the place where we had stayed overnight on our way up towards the Everest Region.

Since we are going mostly downhill, we can easily reach Lukla in a single day without staying at Phakding. We will follow the trail of the thundering Dudh Koshi river for most part of our trek. Dudh Koshi river is one of the tributaries of the largest river in Nepal – Sapta Koshi.

We will take an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. We will take the early flight because the reddish early morning sun shining over the full range of the Himalayas is visible during early flights.

You will be transferred to you hotel upon reaching Kathmandu. If you are interested you can visit the nearby Basantapur Durbar Square and adjacent landmarks in the evening.