Everest Three High Pass Trekking

A representative from Sherpa Expedition Teams will meet you at Kathmandu airport and drive you to your hotel in Thamel. After check-in, there will be a briefing regarding your Everest Three Passes trek. Our representative will provide you with a route map and other useful information and answer any questions you may have regarding the trek.

This morning we head to the domestic terminal of Kathmandu Airport for the 35-minute flight to Lukla landing on an airstrip that overlooks the Dudh Koshi River. Today we have an easy trek descending to Phakding. We will pass many Mani stones - which are stones carved in Tibetan script, and you will see many strings of Tibetan prayer flags along the trail. We then arrive at our overnight accommodation situated on the banks of the Dudh Koshi River.

Today we cross and then re-cross several bridges straddling the Dudh Kosi River and will pass several gorgeous villages, such as Toc-Toc, Benkar and Monjo before coming to the Sagarmatha National Park entrance. As we continue along the river bed we come to the final bridge and then have a steep ascent to Namche Bazaar, a town with all modern facilities, such as pubs, internet cafes, post office and banks.

Namche Bazaar is where we will acclimatize before heading to higher elevations. We have several options to stay active (recommended by health experts) with a short morning hike up Everest View Hotel or to the top of the hills above Namche for views of Everest, Amadablam and other snow covereded peaks. In Namche we can also visit the museum.

From Namche we have an easy trek down to the Imjatse River and then up through rhododendron, pines, and fir forests with views of many snow covered peaks along the trail. At Tengboche we will visit the famous Buddhist monastery. From here we also have great views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Khangtega, Thamserku, Kwangde and Amadablam.

This morning we follow the trail alongside the Imjatse River and then uphill until we reach Pangboche Village (3,900m), the last permanent village before coming to Dingboche. We will stop for lunch at Samara Village before climbing to Dingboche Village in the Imjatse Valley. It also a place from where we have some great panoramic mountain views.

We have a short trek to the village of Chhukung, the last settlement in the Khumbu region in the Imjatse Valley. From here we have some great views of the snow-covered Mt. Makalu in the east. We should get to Chhukung in the afternoon which will give us free time to trek up to Chhukung Ri for more extraordinary views of the mountains and of course it will also help you acclimatize.

Before dawn we will head out along an icy and possibly slippery path and then along a rocky trail beneath Kongma La Pass and Kongma Peak – also known as Mera Peak. We will cross Kongma La Pass (5,535m) that is wedged between Mt Nuptse, Mohare and Pokalde peaks. After a tough climb to the Khumbu Glacier and moraine (rocky ground), we follow a steep trail to the base of the Khumbu Glacier to arrive at Lobuche where we will stay overnight. 

Today we take the trail that crosses the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. Further along the trail, we can see the crest of the north ridge of Mt. Everest, and Mt. Pumori, Mt. Mahalangur, Mt. Lingtren, Mt. Khumbutse & Mt. Nuptse. A short climb takes us up to Thangma Riju from where we have 360-degree panoramic views of the nearby snow-capped mountains. Another steep ascent takes us across the Changri Glacier where we get our first views of Kala Patthar sitting just below Mt. Pumori. Upon arriving at Gorakshep we have further panoramic views of snow-covered peaks - including Mt. Everest. 

Again we need to arise in the early pre-dawn hours to trek to Kala Patthar, a black rocky ridge (5,545m) that offers probably the finest views of many peaks, especially a close-up view of Mt.Everest. We then head return to Gorakshep via the base of Cho La Pass at Dzongla. We will stay overnight at Dzongla. 

We have another early start to the day and follow the trail to Thangnak where we have a brilliant view of Mt Cholatse (6440m). Today is definitely the hardest day of our trek as we head to cross Cho La Pass (5420m). After coming to the highest point of the valley we begin our trek through Cho La Pass where we have some spectacular views of Chola Lake and Mt. Amadablam. The climbing can be difficult due to it being rocky ground and with the rocks often covered in ice. After reaching the top of the pass we then head downhill to Thangnak – a lot easier trek!

Up bright and early today we trek to the small village of Gokyo at the base of Mt Gokyo. After leaving Longponga (4720m) we continue uphill on a trail that heads to Gokyo with a superb view of Tanjung Tsho Lake (4710m). After a short walk along the edge of the Ngozumpa Glacier (36 km & the longest glacier in Nepal), we arrive at Gokyo Lake where we will stay overnight.

Today we follow the trail to Mt. Gokyo Ri and get a panoramic view of some of the world’s highest peaks, including Mt. Cho Oyo, Gychung Kang, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Cholatse, Tawache and Mt. Makalu in the east. This is definitely one of the highlights of this trek. We then head down to Gokyo. Option two is a trek to Gokyo’s 5th lake, about a 5 hour trek that takes us to the foot of Mt. Cho-Oyu - the world’s 6th highest mountain that is locate on the Tibetan border. From here we will also have some unbelievable views of Mt. Everest, Changtse and the massive glacier of Cho-Oyu.

Again we are up before dawn as we head out on the trail to our final high pass. We follow the trail at the head of Gokyo Lake and along the trail we again have some awesome views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Cholatse and Taboche, before we cross Renjo La Pass. This is also one of the most physically challenging legs of our trek, but once we reach the top we will be satisfied and have magnificent 360 degree views of Mt. Cho-Oyu and other towering snow-covered peaks. After a short rest break we head to the frozen lakes below Renjo La Pass before heading on a long trek downhill to the tiny village of Lungdang – close to Nangpa La Pass. The trail then leads to Marlung village where we stay for the night on the banks of the Bhote Koshi River. 

After leaving Marlung we follow the trail uphill until we reach Thame Village that has its own hydropower station. On the trail we come to a number of Khumbu villages and pass through pine and rhododendron forests before coming to Namche Bazaar. We will continue and head back to Monjo near the Sagarmatha National Park check point where we will stay overnight.

This morning we head out on the trail to Phakding and then on to Lukla where we will stay overnight. This is also a night to celebrate the successful completion of this great mountain adventure. Tonight a few drinks may be in order.

This morning we fly back to Kathmandu and have a birds-eye view over the mountains. After arriving in Kathmandu we can choose to rest or stroll around Thamel doing some last-minute shopping. 

Today your journey ends and you will take home many snapshots of some of the world’s highest peaks. On this journey, you will have made friends and can share memories of this unbelievable Everest High Three Pass Trek and of course the smiling Sherpa faces who live in these remote wilderness regions. A representative from Sherpa Expedition Teams will take you to the airport at least three hours prior to your final departure.