Island Peak Climbing

You will be welcomed and greeted by our representative at the Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, upon your arrival at the capital. Our representative will then escort you to your hotel and help you with your check-in. You can take complete rest and let go of the jet lag as you will have one more day to prepare for the ultimate adventure.

Highlights

• Greetings and welcome from our representative at the airport.
• Transfer to the hotel for a much-needed rest.

The second day of your Island Peak Climbing is enjoyable and refreshing. You will have a whole day exploring the valley and enjoying the views of cultural and historical landmarks that the city offers.

Kathmandu, often known as the City of Temples, has a captivating blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Western cultures. The valley houses some of the major heritages listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You can also run through the busy city streets and explore the tourist hubs around Thamel and Asan.

While exploring the markets, you can buy some of the necessary trekking and climbing gear that play vital importance throughout your expedition. After returning to your hotel, you will get prepared for the important session coming up. We will conduct a short briefing that allows you to get all the valuable information and clear all of your doubts regarding the Island Peak Climbing.

The second day of the expedition ends with you resting in your hotel and gearing up for the long journey.

Highlights

• Adventure around Kathmandu Valley
• Visiting the cultural and natural heritage around the valley
• Buying some necessary climbing and trekking gear from the market
• Attending the expedition briefing

Special Information

We will brief you about all the details regarding the Island Peak Climbing in the meeting. Our team will walk you through all the trekking routes and accommodation facilities that you will come across throughout the journey. Additionally, we will let you through all the permit formalities required to carry out this expedition.

Today is the moving day of the expedition. After a quick breakfast in your hotel, you will drive to the Tribhuvan International Airport for a domestic flight to Tenzing–Hillary Airport, Lukla. You will enjoy the sight of splendid hills, rivers, and mountains during the 40 minutes-long flight to Lukla. The flight is filled with thrills and chills, as Lukla is one of the world’s most extreme airports.

Upon your arrival in Lukla, you will take a rest for a bit before commencing the trekking part of the Island Peak Climbing expedition. You will trek towards Phakding, which is a 4-hour-long walk from Lukla. Your trail will lead you through the Dudh Koshi River settlement and many beautiful waterfalls.

The journey takes you towards the north from the airstrip to Chheplung (2700m). You will cross the crystal clear Thado Koshi on a locally built suspension bridge. Past the bridge, you will witness the view of one of the toughest mountains to conquer— Kusum Kanguru (6367m). The trail then continues towards the Ghat (2590m), and you will cross a ridge marked with painted Mani stones.

The day ends with an overnight tea house accommodation in Phakding.

Highlights

• Scenic flight to Lukla
• 4-hours walk to reach Phakding
• Passing through Dudh Koshi River settlement and beautiful waterfalls.
• Traversing through Chepplung and Thado Koshi.
• A mesmerizing view of Kusum Kanguru.
• Walking towards Ghat and the ridge marked with Mani stones.

On the 4th day of the expedition, you will take a quick brunch and prepare for the trek to Namche Bazaar. The trail leads towards several villages and beautiful pine forests until you reach Jarsalee (2800m). Before that, you will cross the winding Dudh Koshi River 5 times on thrilling suspension bridges.

At Jarsalee, you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site). You will need to verify your permits to enter. You will be able to catch even more exotic flora and fauna as you enter the protected area.

After climbing slowly up a steep trail from Jarsalee, you will finally land your feet in Namche Bazaar. Namche is the administrative capital of the region and also called a gateway to Mount Everest (8848m). Namche Bazaar welcomes you with the splendid views of Mount Everest (8848m), Nuptse (7879m), and Lhotse (8383m). Overnight tea house accommodation in Namche Bazaar gives you enough time to rest your tired feet.

Highlights

• Walk past several villages and beautiful pine forests to reach Namche Bazaar
• Crossing the Dudh Koshi River 5 times on the trail
• Entering the Sagarmatha National Park at Jarsalee
• Breathtaking views of Mount Everest, Nuptse, and Lhotse from Namche Bazaar

Special Information

Historically, Namche Bazaar was the staging point for trading expeditions to Tibet. The Saturday market here remains an important event bringing traders from villages that are a week’s walk away.

An extra day in Namche Bazaar turns out beneficial for both acclimatization and exploration. You will get the chance to discover the Sherpa culture and explore the busy market streets. You can enjoy the hike to the famous Everest View Hotel (3800m), which is about a 3 hour-long trek from the town.

While exploring around Namche, you can catch a breathtaking glimpse of Mount Everest (8848m). Later in the evening, you will explore the Hilary and Sherpa museum at Namche and enjoy the slideshow program. Furthermore, you can also visit the 900-year-old monastery in Namche Bazaar.

Moreover, you will take part in the Khumjung Valley Excursion. The excursion begins leaving the marketplace and following a steep climb for about one hour to Syangboche. From the top of Syangboche, you can enjoy the exhilarating views of  Mount Everest (8848m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Thamserku (6608m), Nuptse (7879m), and Lhotse (8383m).

The trail goes downwards to Khumjung, where you can visit the Sir Edmund Hillary School and hospital. The busy day finally ends with tea house accommodation in Namche Bazaar.

Highlights

• Discovering the Sherpa culture and traditions
• Hike to Everest View Hotel
• Visiting the Hilary and Sherpa museum and enjoying the slide show program
• Sightseeing of  Mount Everest (8848m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Thamserku (6608m), Nuptse (7879m), and Lhotse (8383m) from Syangboche
• Visiting the Sir Edmund Hillary School and hospital in Khumjung

Acclimatization

For acclimatization, you can explore several good hike options with the best views of surrounding mountains in the Khumbu region.

After spending a quality acclimatization and exploration day at Namche Bazaar, you will move ahead on the 6th day of your expedition. Today’s trek is to Tengboche, which is around 6 hours walk from Namche Bazaar. While trekking uphill over the ridge where the National Park Museum is, you can enjoy some of the breathtaking sceneries. There on, you will follow a slightly rising trail to Khyangjuma.

The trail takes you to the Mong La Pass at 3975 meters. The pass offers you great views of the mountains like Mount Everest (8848m), Ama Dablam (6856m), and Lhotse (8383m).

You will then descend the stone-paved trail along with a beautiful pine forest that takes you to Phunke Tenga. After that, you will climb a switchback through a beautiful pine forest before reaching Tengboche. The village is well-known for its important Buddhist monastery, Tengboche Monastery, which is the largest gompa in the Khumbu region. The day comes to an end with overnight tea house accommodation in Tengboche.

Highlights

• 6-hour-long trek to reach Tengboche village.
• Passing through the National Park Museum and Khyangjuma.
• Crossing the Mong La Pass.
• Astonishing views of the mountains like Mount Everest (8848m), Ama Dablam (6856m), and Lhotse (8383m)
• Walking down the stone-paved trail towards Phunke Tenga.
• Visiting the infamous Tengboche Monastery

Special Information

Located at 3867m (12687ft), the Tengboche Monastery is also known as Dawa Choling Gompa. It was built around 1916 by Lama Gulu with a strong link to its mother monastery called the Rongbuk Monastery in Tibet. The monastery is the central place for the Mani Rimdu festival, one of the Sherpa people’s most prestigious festivals, conducted during the tenth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar.

After having brunch in Tengboche, you will gear up for the 5-hour-long trek to Pherichhe. From Tengboche, the trail will take you through a suspension bridge. There on, you will ascend towards the Pherichhe and reach the night’s destination in about 5 hours.

While walking, you will pass small villages like Diboche through birches, confiners, and rhododendron forests. In the meantime, you will traverse through Pangboche village before lending your feet to Pherichhe. Before reaching Pangboche, you will cross the Imja Khola. At Pangboche, you can offer your prayers at the Pangboche Monastery. The adventurous day ends with tea house accommodation in Pherichhe.

Highlights

• 5-hours walk to Pherichhe
• Passing through Diboche and Pangboche villages
• Crossing the Imja Khola
• Prayers at Pangboche Monastery

As the sun rises on the 8th day of the adventure, you will prepare for the 4 hours trek to Lobuche. You will pass an easy trail to Dugla that stands at 4620 meters. From there, you will ascend for about 2 hours and then finally reach Lobuche. You will let go of your fatigue with a warm tea house accommodation.

Highlights

• 4-hours trek to reach Lobuche
• Passing through Dugla

All meals included

Overnight in Lobuche at Tea House

Today, you will have an adventurous journey ahead. After having breakfast, you will follow the trail that is relatively flat with some small ascends and descend to Gorakshep. Gorakshep sits below Mount Pumori (7161m) and the sheer west face of Nuptse (7879m).

You will follow the rocky mountain path with spectacular views of glacial ponds and icebergs below the Khumbu glacier. After climbing the last of the rocky moraine dunes, you will move downhill until you arrive at Gorakshep. It takes around 2 hours to reach Gorakshep from Lobuche.

In the afternoon, you will gear up to visit the Everest Base Camp. You will follow the trail that passes through a rocky path and a Khumbu glacier towards EBC. From EBC, you can observe the blue ice and the Khumbu icefall. After spending some time in the Base Camp viewing some of the spectacular landscape around the area, you will retrace your steps back to Gorakshep. Overnight tea house accommodation in Gorakshep will give you enough time to rest and prepare for the journey ahead.

Highlights

• Mesmerizing views of glacial ponds and icebergs down the Khumbu region.
• Trek to Gorakshep.
• Trek to Everest Base Camp and back to Gorakshep for the night.

Today is another exciting and adventurous day of the entire expedition. In the early morning, you will gear up for the hike to Kala Patthar. You can enjoy the mouthwatering sunrise view over Mount Everest (8848m), Mount Lhotse (8516m), Mount Makalu (8481m), Mount Cho Oyu (8201m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Mount Pumori (7161m), and other surrounding peaks.

After that, you will walk towards Dingboche, where you will be spending the night. As you reach Dingboche, the sight of green pasture with animals grazing and the rest of the farmland with potato and barley will please your eyes. Overnight tea house accommodation in Dingboche, and you are inching closer to the all-important summit.

Highlights

• Morning hike to Kalapatthar.
• Splendid sunrise view over Mount Everest (8848m), Mount Lhotse (8516m), Mount Makalu (8481m), Mount Cho Oyu (8201m), Ama Dablam (6856m), Mount Pumori (7161m), and other surrounding peaks.
• Trek to Dingboche.

After breakfast on the 11th day, you will tie your trekking boots for an uphill trek to Chukkung. You will take part in an uphill climb for about 3 hours to reach Chhukung. Chukkunbg welcomes you with 360-degree views of beautiful Himalayas. From Chhukung, you can also carry out the trip to Glacier and Imjatse Valley. Overnight stay in Chhukung, and you will be inching closer to the exciting part of the expedition.

Highlights

• 3-hours walk to reach Chhukung.
• 360-degree views of beautiful Himalayas.

From Chhukung, the trail leads a fairly steep way climbing south and then shifting east to the main line of the valley. From there, it winds along or below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. You will continue your walk along a streamside leading to what we call Big-rock. You can also catch the route to the Amphu Lapcha that lies to the southeast.

A crisis cross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines points to a wide valley flanking the South West side of Island Peak. Finally, you will land your feet in Island Peak Base Camp, where you will rest for the day.

Our Sherpa crew will set up a camp near the Base Camp for your overnight stay.

Highlights

• Crossing the Lhotse Glacier.
• Traversing through Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines.
• Camping in Island Peak Base Camp.

After making necessary preparations for the climbing, you climb to the High Camp from where you will start your climb. At first, the path is helpful, but from there, the trail turns green and then boulder-strewn. Along the 3-hour-long way, you can catch the beautiful views of Imja Glacier and the lake. Overnight camping on High Camp and you are now ready to conquer the summit of Island Peak.

Highlights

• Climb towards the High Camp.
• Beautiful views of Imja Glacier and the lake.

You will begin your climb between 1 am to 3 am. This early climb is not that difficult, but there are some short rock steps to climb before you emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then moves towards a ridgeline, which leads to an exciting and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier.

You will need to rope up for the glacier as it comprises several crevasses, but it leads without a struggle to a 100m (330ft) snow and ice slope (40-45°) on which your Sherpa guides will fix a rope.

After a long time pushing and pulling, you will finally conquer the Island Peak and enjoy the beautiful views of Lhotse (8516m), Amadablam, and other surrounding peaks. As you admire and enjoy the breathtaking views, you will spend some time on the summit and gear up for the return ahead. You will retrace your steps back to Island Peak Base Camp and then return to Chhukung for an overnight stay.

Highlights

• Summit of Island Peak 6189 meters (20305ft)
• Mesmerizing views of Mount Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Mount Pumori (7161m), and other surrounding peaks
• Descend back to Island Peak Base Camp
• Walk back to Chhukung

Special Information

Before leaving the Island Peak Base Camp, you will take part in the short cleaning session. It is very crucial to keep our mountains free from pollutants. You will collect all the wastes and put them on your garbage bag for the proper disposal.

The next day, you will continue your returning part of the expedition with the 4 hours walk back to Tengboche. The trail makes a gradual descent through scrub juniper trees and around Mani stones as it follows the hillside. Throughout the journey, you will pass many Mani walls in deep rhododendron forests. You will then cross the Imja Khola and walk past Pangboche.

Before leaving Pangboche, you can visit the Pangboche Gompa, the oldest in the Khumbu Region. The day finally comes to a close with you resting your feet in Tengboche with tea house accommodation.

Highlights

• 4-hour walk back to Tengboche
• Passing through scrub juniper trees, Mani stones, and rhododendron forests
• Crossing Imja Khola and a chance to visit Pangboche Gompa in Pangboche

After the sun rises on the 16th day of the expedition, you will start your trek on a leveled path to head back to Namche Bazaar. It takes around 5 hours to reach Namche Bazaar from Tengboche. You will move towards Phunke Tenga and take an uphill trek to reach Kyangjuma. From there, you will enjoy a pleasant walk to the Sherpa capital — Namche Bazaar. You can visit local stores and souvenir shops at Namche in the evening before ending your day with tea house accommodation.

Highlights

• 4-hour walk from Tengboche to Namche Bazaar.
• Passing through Phunke Tenga and Kyangjuma.
• Visiting the local stores at Namche.

Today, you will walk for around 6 hours to reach back to Lukla. This day is the last day of the trek, and it is an exciting one. The trail passes through dense forest filled with rhododendron, oak, and pine trees. Except for a few short uphill climbs, your trek is mostly a pleasant one. You will cross the Bhote Koshi River three times before a final uphill climb to step your feet back in Lukla. Overnight stay in Lukla, and you are ready to fly back to the capital city.

Highlights

• 6-hour walk back to reach Lukla.
• Passing through the dense forests of rhododendron, oak, and pine trees.
• Crossing the Bhote Koshi River.

After waking up amidst the scenic beauty of Lukla, you will enjoy your breakfast and glance at the bone-chilling landscapes for one last time. After that, you will get ready for a scenic flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. While you prepare for take-off in between the high hills, you will have your heart filled with fear and excitement.

During the 40 minutes-long flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, you can peek from a window and catch a glimpse of high mountains and scenic landscapes. After you arrive at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu, our staff will take you to the hotel. You can then have a short rest and stroll around the city for a while.

The day ends with a little surprise from our side. We will organize a farewell celebration dinner to thank you for choosing us and coordinating perfectly throughout the expedition. At the end of the pleasant night, we thank you for your time in the country.

Highlights

• Thrilling and enticing flight from Lukla to Kathmandu
• Strolling around the busy streets of Kathmandu
• Enjoying a farewell dinner from our side

Special Information

The farewell dinner from our side will contain some of the mouthwatering dishes that stay in your memory for a long time. You will get a taste of some local and traditional cuisines of Kathmandu. Plus, you will get to enjoy the cultural performance that we will have at your disposal.

This day is your last day in the country’s capital. After breakfast, you will be dropped to the Tribhuvan International Airport for your return flight home by our representative. On your way back home, you will have enough time to relive the memories of the Island Peak Climbing. 

Highlights

• Drive back to Tribhuvan International Airport for the final departure.