Dominating Everest Base Camp, Kala Pattar, 18,192 feet, is the most famous wiewpoint on Everest and Khumbu summits: Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, Ama Dablam. It is as well the high point of the most beautiful trekking Nepal can offer you if you just can spare two weeks holidays. This route, opened by one of our groups in 1997, allows a smooth discovery of the holy mountains and monasteries of Sherpa country, respecting the cclimatization stages which are required for the success of a altitude trekking.
Tour Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu. You will be met, greeted and transported to the hotel. Day 2: Kathmandu. During the afternoon, visit of Swayambhunath sanctuary. Overnight in the hotel. Day 3: Free day to visit Kathmandu (Bodnath, Pashupatinath, Durbar Square), and bargain souvenirs. Overnight in the hotel. Day 4: Kathmandu - Lukla (9,350 feet) - Phakding (8,760 feet). Early transfer in private minibus or taxi from hotel to airport. Flight in twin-engine aircraft to Lukla, with a superb view on Himalaya range. In Lukla, we meet the local team. We begin our trekking with a descent to Chutrawa (8,200 feet), facing the famous peak of Karyalang (21,920 feet), and the Khumbila (18,900 feet), the Holy mountain of the protective God of Khumbu valleys. The footpath then follows the valley till Phakding. Overnight in the hotel. Day 5: Phakding - Namche Bazar (11,280 feet). The footpath will first pass through the small villages of Chumoa and Jorsale. Jorsale is the Entry Gate of Sagarmatha National Park. Through pine forests, with nice water-falls, the footpath leads us to the impressive suspension bridge of Namche Bazar, built over the wild river Dudh Khosi. A steep ascent, offering a first glimpse on Mount Everest, brings us to Namche Bazar, main village of High Khumbu. Namche Bazar has a famous open-air market each Saturday, with merchants coming from Tibet with their yaks carrying loads through the high pass of Nangpa La. Overnight in the lodge. Day 6: Namche Bazar - Tengpoche (12,687 feet). Afternoon rest in Tengpoche. After a short but steep ascent in Namche Bazar, we follow the hillside till Thashingo. The footpath then goes down till Dudh Kosi river, which will be crossed at Phunki, where you will admire prayer wheels driven by a small stream. We then go up through a forest of Himalayan pine-trees and rhododendrons till Tengpoche monastery. The famous Buddhist monastery was entirely destroyed by fire in January 1989, and then rebuilt thanks to donations from the whole world Buddhist community. The wild mountains surrounding these so worshiped Holy places enlarge the exceptional nature of this site: Thamserku and Kangtega, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and Everest (29,029 feet). Visit of the monastery. Overnight in the lodge. Day 7: Tengpoche - Dingpoche (14,295 feet). From Tengpoche, the "mountain pastures footpath" is following the hillside of Ama Dablam's slopes, dominating the canyon of Imja Khola. Travel agencies are unaware of this narrow footpath, snaking through nice forests and pastures, which was rediscovered by one of our groups in 1997. You will just meet there a few Sherpanis looking for firewood, and one sheperd watching over his yaks. In Pangpoche, we join the Sherpas route of Everest valley, which leads us to the peaceful village of Dingpoche, where we will spend two nights for a better acclimatization. Overnight in the lodge. Day 8: Dingpoche (14,295 feet). A rest and acclimatization day in Dingpoche, with a optional short walk to Nangkartshang Gonda (15 144 feet), a crest capped with stupas and prayers' flags, with a superb wiew on Ama Dablam pyramid. Overnight in the lodge. Day 9: Dingpoche - Lobuche (16,175 feet). Afternoon rest in Lobuche. The footpath goes up in the Everest valley, till Khumbu glacier and moraines. Wiew on Nuptse, Pumori, Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam. Overnight in the lodge. Day 10: Lobuche - Everest Base Camp or Kala Pattar peak - Pheriche. We leave the lodge just before dawn. In a mineral scenery, a stony path leads to Gorak Shep, the highest mountain pasture of the valley, with its famous "sand-beach", just underneath Kala Pattar. From Gorak Shep, we can either ascend Kala Pattar, the classic wiewpoint on Everest from which is taken the famous photo showing Everest, South pass, Lhotse and Nuptse, or hike to Everest Base Camp, near the Ice-Fall. After this ascent of Kala Pattar or this trekking to Base Camp, we come back to Lobuche, and then go down Everest valley till the beautiful village of Pheriche. Overnight in the lodge. Day 11: Pheriche - Pangboche monastery - Phortse. Afternoon rest in Phortse. Boosted by all our new red blood cells, we rush down the footpath leading to Pangboche. In Pangboche monastery, where was kept for a long time the "Yeti's scalp", we will thank Gods to have allowed us to climb closer to their Altitude Kingdom. From Pangboche, a quiet footpath, where we may meet Nepal ibexes, leads us to the sunny village of Phortse. Overnight in the lodge. Day 12: Phortse - Namche Bazar (11,280 feet). A short and steep descent to Phortse Drangka, and we then climb up till Mon La pass, 13,035 feet. Facing us, Ama Dablam, 22 493 feet, one of the most beautiful peaks of the world, with Matterhorn and Alpamayo (South America). The footpath goes down and up smoothly till Kumjung. Khumjung is a very old Sherpa village, with two monasteries, where Sir Edmund Hillary, first climber of Mount Everest in 1953 with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, created a school and a hospital (Kunde). Descent to Namche Bazar, with a optional visit to the "Sherpa culture + Everest conquest" museum. Overnight in the lodge. Day 13: Namche Bazar - Lukla (9,350 feet). We go down on the footpath going to Sagarmatha National Park gate, in Jorsale. Later, Lukla's footpath leads us through the first villages we saw 9 days ago: Gumila, Phakding, Choplung. The high peaks disappear behind the hills. In Lukla, we will pass our last night in lodge. Fiesta with all our Nepalese friends will be organized. Day 14: Flight Lukla - Kathmandu. With a strong emotion, we leave our friends of the Nepalese team who took care of us during this tour. Flight in twin-engine aircraft to Kathmandu, with a superb wiew on Himalaya range. Transfer to hotel in private bus or taxi. Installation in hotel. Free afternoon to visit Kathmandu, and bargain souvenirs. Overnight in the hotel. Day 15: Departure. Free morning in Kathmandu. In the beginning of the afternoon, we prepare our luggage. By mid-afternoon, transfer in private bus or taxi to Airport. Take-off by the end of the afternoon. Notes: Price Includes:
Also see tour packages in: Asia Nepal Outdoor: Land Rambler Hiking & Trekking National Parks Email it to a friend: Click here to email this vacation to a friend |
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