Everest Base Camp & Island Peak Trek

Arrive in Kathmandu and complimentary transfer to your comfortable hotel just outside Thamel, the bustling hub of Kathmandu. Meet up with the rest of your team and your leader for a full briefing and equipment check.

Early morning flight to Lukla (2850m). This 40 minute flight deposits you in the very foothills of Everest at the jaw dropping Lukla airport perched on the very side of a cliff. Here you will the meet the rest of our team of porters who will load up your kit bags and head off up the Everest trail. An easy descent through the terraced fields leads in 3-4 hours to Phakding (2640m) overlooking the Dubh Kosi river.

Trek to Namche Bazaar (3450m) via the Sagamartha Park Gate at Joresale. From Phakding the trail follows the Dubh Kosi with a number of spectacular suspension bridges, none more so than the final bridge at the bottom of Namche hill. This two hour climb can be a struggle as your body adapts to the thin air but in good weather will offer your first views of Everest. Nestled in a natural bowl the village of Namche Bazaar is the Sherpa capital and our home for the next 3 nights as our bodies acclimatise.

Acclimatisation day in Namche Bazaar. This thriving village offers a Tibetan market, plenty of shops, internet cafes, Sherpa & Everest museums and a German bakery which does a mean apple pie. If you are feeling good then a steep climb leads to the infamous Everest View Hotel at Syangboche (3900m). This spectacularly situated hotel offers oxygen to those guests who have flown in by helicopter to prevent altitude sickness!

Day hike to Thame (3800m). Unlike many expedition providers we spend three nights in Namche Bazaar to aid our acclimatisation, which greatly increases our chances of success later in the trip. The age old maxim of climb high, sleep low still holds true today so we take a hike up to 3800m and the village of Thame to stretch our lungs and legs. This is the ideal space to spot Himalayan Tahr, the Danphe Pheasant and the elusive musk deer.

Trek to Tengboche (3860m). The views today towards Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest are stunning. The path initially traverses a steep hillside far above the Dubh Kosi river before descending steeply to Phunki Tenga, the lowest point on the trek north of Namche. The trail to Tengboche now climbs steeply for a couple of hours until you reach one of the spiritual and cultural centres of the Khumba region. The stunning Gompa has had a chequered history which is explained in the visitors centre but is a site of international importance in Buddhism.

Trek to Dingboche (4350m). The trek now leaves the tree line and heads up in to the summer pastures of the Shepra passing below the awe inspiring Ama Dablam. From Dingboche we will have our first views of Island Peak a days walk to the east. Just over the hill is Pheriche, the home of the Everest Memorial and the Himalayan Rescue Association hospital staffed by volunteer western doctors. The HRA usually run a series of evening lectures about problems at altitude which are very informative.

Acclimatisation day in Dingboche. After the significant jump in altitude yesterday we spend two nights in Dingboche to ensure everybody is acclimatising. There are plenty of short walks including an ascent of Nangkartshang Peak or a half day walk to the Ama Dablam Lakes.

Trek to Lobuche (4940m). Suitably refreshed after our acclimatisation day we head west up the wide valley to Thuklha at the foot of the Khumba glacier. A steep climb follows which will feel hard work at these altitudes but it eventually leads to the village of Lobuche set in a small ablation valley.

Trek to Gorak Shap (5170m). A rugged walk of 2-3 hours across the moraine leads to Gorak Shap, the final village before Everest Base Camp. You will undoubtedly meet a number of Tibetan Snowcocks, a comic pheasant like bird which thrives at these altitudes. Sitting to the north, beneath the bulk of Pumori, is the black rock of Kala Pattar, the famous Everest viewpoint. If the weather is good we make an evening ascent to watch the sunset over Everest, Nuptse and Lhotse.

Trek to Everest Base Camp. We make an early start to climb Kala Pattar in 1-2 hours. The sun rises behind the bulk of Everest giving an unforgettable panorama followed by a quick descent back to Gorak Shap for a late breakfast. The trek to Everest Base camp, situated at the foot of the Khumba icefall, is tough going over the moraine but the surroundings will take your mind off it. In the spring base camp is a hive of activity with hundreds of climbers and Sherpas working hard to make their dreams of climbing Everest a reality.

Trek to Chukung (4750m). We retrace our steps to the village of Dingboche where we again get the classic view of Island Peak, dominating the end of the valley out of all proportion to its size. The trail climbs gently until Chukung appears suddenly in front of you.

Trek to Island Peak Base Camp (5150m) A winding and dusty track leads to the narrow base camp situated on the moraine. Your tents will be erected by the porters along with a dining and toilet tent. Inquisitive Himalayan Snowcocks are usually spotted wandering between the tents.

Climb to Island Peak Advanced Base Camp (5400m). The morning is allocated to learning and perfecting the techniques for travelling across glaciated terrain and climbing & descending fixed lines. After lunch and a final kit check we make the short climb up to our Advanced Base Camp by way of a good path which zig zags its way up the hill side.

Summit day on Island Peak (6189m). We leave our high camp before sunrise while everything is still frozen in place. The route finds a devious way up a gully and a rocky shoulder via Grade 1 scrambling. Sunrise is stunning as the first rays hit the pyramid of Ama Dablam and should find us crossing the short narrow ridge to the glacier. Here we will rope up and fix crampons as there are a number of large crevasses to cross. As we approach the summit ridge the headwall rears up, offering 200m of steep snow which is climbed on fixed lines. The final ridge is exposed and delicate (fixed lines) leading to a perfectly formed summit and stupendous views of Lhotse, Baruntse and Ama Dablam. We descend all the way to Base Camp by the same route to a welcome evening meal.

Descend to Pangboche (4000m). Fully acclimatised the walk back down the Khumba valley will fly by. We descend to the village of Pangboche which nestles below Ama Dablam and used to be the highest permanently occupied village before the development of tea house trekking created a demand for year round accommodation higher up the valley.

Trek to Monjo via Namche Bazaar (2815m). After a couple of weeks in the mountains the smells of the forests are particularly vivid as you continue to descend. We have a late lunch in Namche Bazaar before continuing down to the small village of Monjo just outside the National Park boundary.

Trek to Lukla (2850m). Our final days walking, alongside the Dubh Kosi, is a feast of colours, prayer wheels, chortens and mani stones. We eventually leave the river and make the climb back up to Lukla perched on the side of the valley.

Flight to Kathmandu. If the weather is fine we make the short flight back to the hustle and bustle of Kathmandu with its showers, restaurants and bars for a well deserved celebration!

Day enjoying the delights of Thamel and Kathmandu. Tours can be arranged to visit Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple), Pashupatinath and the World Heritage Site of Durbar Square This is also a spare day in case of bad weather or delayed Lukla flights.

Departure. Transfer to Kathmandu airport for your return flight.