KE Adventure travel

Day 1. In Kathmandu Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. The hotel we use in Kathmandu is located in a quiet area close to the Royal Palace and set in gardens and with its own outdoor swimming pool. The bustling tourist centre of Thamel is only a ten minute walk from the hotel. Depending on your flight schedule the rest of the day is free for relaxing or independent sightseeing. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal. Included meals: Dinner (D)

Day 2. Fly to Lukla, Trek to Phakding We return to Kathmandu Airport for the 35 minute flight to Lukla. Landing on the narrow, sloping runway in the heart of the mountains is a very spectacular way to arrive. To assist with acclimatisation, we allow 2 days for the walk up to Namche Bazaar. We start our trek with an easy downhill leg, from Lukla to Phakding (2610m. / 8563ft.) beside the river. Just around 2 hours walking to our first camping place. Ascent / Descent: 335m. / 545m. (1099ft. / 1788ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 3. Phakding to Namche Bazaar A very pleasant walk by the river through pine forest leads to a short climb to escape a narrow gorge section. We pass the entrance to the Khumbu National Park where details of our permits are recorded and then drop down again to the river which we cross on a suspension bridge. We continue up the wooded valley on a good trail and cross the river again before reaching a confluence of rivers, one coming down from Thame and the other from the Khumbu. We make a final crossing here on a spectacular high suspension bridge and then begin an hour and half long ascent to Namche on a wide switch-back trail. This is the sting in the tail of today's otherwise quite gentle ascent, and one of the steepest of the trek. Just over halfway up this last hill to Namche, we gain our first views of Everest. On arrival in the Sherpa capital, we check into one of the town's many lodges. Namche has changed tremendously since trekking first became popular in Nepal. The Sherpa people are very adept at working out what visitors need. Many of the Sherpas that own lodges, cafes and shops in the town have visited cities in the USA and Europe and have brought back all sorts of concepts. Today you can find in Namche, German bakeries, Italian coffee, British pubs, pool halls, and hot tubs. 5 hours of trekking. Altitude: 3400m. / 11,155ft. (B, L, D) Day 4. Rest day in Namche Bazaar Namche Bazaar is tucked away between 2 ridges amongst the giant peaks of the Khumbu. An ancient market place where goods from as far away as Tibet were and still are traded, Namche today boasts an abundance of lodges, cafes, bars and souvenir shops. It is an ideal place to spend a rest day, acclimatising to the new altitude before heading off towards Thame. Options for acclimatisation walks include the one-hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above the village for the spectacular view of Ama Dablam, Nupste, Lhotse and Everest itself. (B, L, D)

Day 5. Trek to Thame We first climb up to the gompa above the town and here we pick up a trail which contours the bounding ridge of Namche and then follows the Bhote Khosi river through the villages of Phunte, Thamo, Thomde and Somde. The walk takes us through woods of oak, birch and juniper and we pass several impressive mani walls built from tablets of stone intricately carved with prayers in Tibetan script. What will be very noticeable today after the trek from Lukla is the lack of other trekkers in this quiet valley. After approximately 3 or 4 hours walking we reach a suspension bridge slung high across the river and on the other side the trail climbs to Thame at a strategic location at the junction of routes from Rolwalling via the Tesi Labcha and from Tibet via the Nangpa La. There are tremendous views of Teng Kangpoche and the north side of Kwangde Ri. We make camp here at 3820m. / 12,533ft. Ascent / Descent: 915m. / 555m. (3000ft. / 1820ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 6. Acclimatisation hike The key to good acclimatisation is careful staging. The old adage of climb high, sleep low holds as true today as for those expeditioners of the nineteen fifties. Today we have a spectacular walk up the valley leading to the Tesi Labcha on a high trail above the Thame Khola, as far as the summer yak grazing settlement at approximately 4250m. / 14,000ft. On our return we will make a visit to the Gompa located high above the town. Second night's camp in Thame. (B, L, D) Day 7. Trek to Marlung The trail becomes even quieter today as we leave even the more adventurous Everest trekkers behind and head north beside the Bhote Khosi which means ‘River from Tibet'. We pass through the village of Tangmote and follow a wide trail which ascends gradually above the river. After approximately 2½ hours we pass through the village of Tharngga and a further hour of gentle ascent brings us to Marlung (4210m / 13,812ft), our overnight halt. This is a relatively short day but it is vital at this stage of our acclimatisation that we do not make too great a jump in our camping altitude. Ascent / Descent: 480m. / 145m. (1575ft. / 476ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 8. Trek to Arye Another short trek of around 2½ hours brings us to the teahouses of Arye at 4400m. / 14,435ft. where we set up camp. After lunch we will take a walk up-valley heading towards the glacier which comes down from the Nangpa La, a major trading pass used by the semi-nomadic Tibetans who live in the shadow of Cho Oyu. The views on this walk are superb and we should be able to get up around 4800m. / 15,748ft. - the height of our next campsite. One of the excellent aspects of this itinerary is the opportunity to spend time in this beautiful unspoilt valley. Returning to camp we will get a good night's sleep ready for the two day crossing of our first pass. Total Ascent / Descent including acclimatisation walk: 530m. / 285m. (1739ft. / 935ft.) (B,L,D)

Day 9. Trek to Kharka below the pass In contrast to yesterday we have a steeper climb today and we will certainly feel the altitude as we climb up away from the Bhote Khosi towards Renjo Lake. Also known as the ‘twin lakes' there are two lying at different altitudes. We make our high camp beside the first of these after approximately 4 hours walking. Altitude at this camp is approximately 4800m. / 15,748ft. Ascent / Descent: 635m. / 95m. (2083ft. / 312ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 10. Cross the Renjo La to Gokyo Lakes Setting off from camp the climbing continues and after approximately 2 hours we reach another even larger lake and above this a col where we have our first view of the Renjo La. The trail is very good with well engineered stone steps leading almost all the way to the top. We reach the summit prayer flags (5340m. / 17,520ft.) in around 2 - 3 hours further ascent from the col. The views across the range to Everest are breathtaking. After an initial steep descent which may be snow covered the trail becomes well managed once more with stone steps which descend towards the lakes of Gokyo. The third lake is known as Dudh Pokhari and on its east shore is the summer settlement of Gokyo (4790m. / 15,715ft.). We walk around the northern end of the lake below Gokyo Ri to reach our campsite among the lodges and tea houses. Ascent / Descent:: 615m. / 720m. (2017ft. / 2362ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 11. Optional ascent of Gokyo Ri or trek to ‘fifth' lak,e and then trek to Dragnag There are two hiking options for this morning. ‘‘Gokyo Ri'' lies at the northern edge of Dudh Pokhari and is a classic viewpoint for Everest and Cho Oyu as well as for the magnificent panorama encompassing the lakes and the across the Ngozumba Glacier towards the Cho La. The ascent is quite strenuous and takes approximately 3 - 4 hours for the round trip. The walk to the fifth lake for the ‘Scoundrel's' view of Everest is the longer of the two options and will be a five hour round trip. However, this second option involves a much more gradual ascent than is required for Gokyo Ri and is a very pleasant walk. Individual group members can decide on either route and will be guided by the trip leader or one of the Sherpa staff. Whichever option is chosen, we set off just after first light and return to our camp for lunch before setting off on the next leg of our journey. Descending to the ‘second' lake, we then climb to the crest of the moraine overlooking the Ngozumba Glacier. The route across the glacier is well marked by cairns and takes around 45 minutes. We climb off the glacier at the place known as Dragnag (4700m / 15,420ft.) and set up camp near the teahouses there. Total Ascent / Descent including optional walk: 515m. / 555m. (1690ft. / 1821ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 12. Across the Cho La to Dzongla An early start for the long day across the Cho La (5420m. / 17,783ft.). Approaching the pass, we cross a large boulder field. Beyond this ancient moraine, the climb to the pass is steep in places, involving some easy scrambling. The upper part of the route can be snow-covered, particularly after November. From the pass, there are excellent views including a completely different aspect of Ama Dablam, now seen from the north west. The descent from the pass involves the crossing of a small glacier (often snow-covered) which is fairly straightforward. We descend to the grazing pastures below, the trail becoming more and more defined as we approach our overnight halt at Dzongla (4830m. / 15,847ft.). Ascent / Descent: 850m. / 770m. (2789ft. / 2526ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 13. Dzongla to Gorak Shep Leaving Dzongla we follow a trail which first drops to cross the stream and then contours grassy slopes to join up with the main Everest trail just 20 minutes below the seasonal settlement of Lobuche. From here, a trail climbs steadily up the ablation valley by the side of the Khumbu Glacier. After crossing the rubble of a side glacier we arrive at Gorak Shep (5140m. / 16,864ft.), a summer yak herding settlement at the foot of Kala Patar, which now boasts two of the highest tea houses in Nepal. We set up camp here after a longish day of around 6 - 7 hours. Ascent / Descent: 670m. / 270m. (2198ft. / 886ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 14. Option to visit Everest Basecamp Today can be taken as a rest day. However, we should now be quite fit and acclimatised and for those who wish, there is the opportunity to visit the site of Everest basecamp. We follow a good trail at first on the moraine crest, and finally on the glacier itself. In 3 to 4 hours we reach the traditional base camp for Everest below the stupendous Khumbu Icefall. In the spring season this area will be a tent city housing the hundreds of climbers who come to scale the World's highest peak. Very few climbers tackle the world's highest mountain in the Autumn season and at this time base camp is a truly wild place although there is always much evidence of the expeditions in the form of ‘furniture' built from the stone blocks transported down from the Western Cwm by the power of the imperceptibly moving ice. After spending some time in this fascinating place, we return to our camp at Gorak Shep for a second night. Ascent / Descent: 395m. (1296ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 15. Optional ascent of Kala Patar, trek to camp below the Kongma La This morning there is an option to climb Kala Patar, one of the finest viewpoints for Everest and the Khumbu Valley. Aiming to make the most of the usually fine morning weather, we have another early start at first light to make the short (1½ - 2 hour) ascent of Kala Patar (c.5500m. ./ 18,000ft.). Returning to Gorak Shep, we have breakfast before retracing our steps to Lobuche. From here we make a crossing of the Khumbu Glacier. The glacier at this point is very slow moving, covered with rubble and moraine debris, and usually has a good trail across. On the east side of the glacier we set up our next camp below the Kongma La at approximately 5200m. / 17,000ft. Ascent / Descent (does not include Kala Patar): 270m. / 435m. (886ft. / 1427ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 16. Cross the Kongma La to Chukung The climb to the pass is steep, at first following a trail on a grassy hillside and then on a good path which zig-zags its way to the top of a scree slope. From the top of the scree the summit comes into view but we have another 45 minutes more level now, over boulders and scree to reach the prayer flags which stretch across from cairn to cairn. It will take 3 - 4 hours to reach the summit of the pass but the views more than compensate for the expended effort. As well as the tip of Everest and the fantastic 8 mile-long Lhotse-Nuptse wall, the panorama includes Gauri Shankar, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Pumori and the distant peaks of Tibet. This relatively accessible Khumbu pass is not often crossed and is something of a hidden gem. A short distance below the summit we pass a usually frozen lake and follow an improving trail across yak pastures and down into the Imja Valley - one of the most beautiful walks of the trip. After a final scramble down and across a gulley of stones we cross the Imja Khola on a plank bridge and make camp among the tea houses of Chukung. (4730m. / 15,519ft.). This is a spectacular location beneath the awesome south face of Lhotse. A longish day of 7 or 8 hours. Ascent / Descent: 725m. / 830m. (2379ft. / 2723ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 17. Trek to Deboche We now begin our walk out from the Everest region. This is definitely no anti-climax as we have some beautiful country to travel through still. However, it is nice to be going down and into the land of warmth and abundant oxygen. From Chukung, we have a relatively gentle descent down the valley through Dingboche where we join the main Everest trail and follow the Imja Khola on an undulating trail to Pangboche (3930m. / 12,894ft.). The oldest monastery in the region is located here and we may opt to pay a visit if the Lama is in. From Pangboche we descend to cross the river on a suspension bridge at a narrow gorge. Beyond, we enter a forest of birch and Juniper - the first real forest we have seen since leaving Namche and walking through the trees we come to the small settlement of Deboche, where we make our penultimate camp. Today's walk should take around 5 hours. Ascent / Descent: 205m. / 1130m. (672ft. / 3707ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 18. Deboche via Namche to Jorsale After an early breakfast we set off and make a short climb through the woods to Tyangboche Gompa spectacularly located on a ridge-top. The ridge affords a good view of the Everest/Lhotse massif and is also the classic viewpoint for Ama Dablam. Depending on what is happening at the monastery we can arrange a tour of this most impressive building. There is also an interesting and informative visitor centre here. Leaving Tyangboche we descend a steep path to the village of Phunki, where there is a bridge crossing the Dudh Kosi which flows down from the Gokyo Valley. We now have a steep climb to the lodges of Kangjuma from where we pick up a contouring trail which leads around the hillside bringing us to the top of the bowl in which Namche Bazaar nestles. A final steep descent on stone steps leads to the main bazaar. We will take our lunch here and there will be some time for shopping before setting off again. We have now completed our grand circuit of the Khumbu and all that remains is to walk back down the Dudh Khosi valley. This afternoon we go as far as Jorsale - the entrance to the National Park. A longish day of around 7 or 8 hours. Ascent / Descent: 770m. / 1610m. (2526ft. / 5282ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 19. Final day of trekking to Lukla We continue the descent of the Dudh Khosi Valley passing through our first night's camping place at Phakding. Though we are still going downhill, the day does have a sting in the tail and so remember to reserve some energy for the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla. For our last night on trek we stay in a lodge at the airstrip while the crew get the tents ready for another trip. No doubt we will have a party to say goodbye to our trek crew after what is surely the best trek in Khumbu. Ascent / Descent: 655m. / 635m. (2149ft. / 2083ft.) (B, L, D)

Day 20. Flight to Kathmandu We take the early morning flight to Kathmandu, check in to our hotel, and have the afternoon free for sightseeing. This evening we will visit one of Kathmandu's excellent restaurants for a celebration dinner. (B, L, D)

Day 21. In Kathmandu This is an important contingency day in case of delays to the flights from Lukla. If we have experienced no delays this is an opportunity to explore the fascinating city of Kathmandu. There is an optional complimentary half-day guided tour of some of the city's most important sites. The afternoon is free for further independent sightseeing or shopping in the colourful bazaars, (B,L,D)

Day 22. Depart Kathmandu KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. (B)