Island Peak Climber
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Kathmandu. Complimentary airport transfers are provided. KE Land Only package services begin with the evening meal.
Day 2: An early start for the dramatic flight through the mountains to Lukla. After lunch we have a short trek to our first night's halt at Phakding (2610m. / 8563ft.). Camp.
Day 3: Following the Dudh Kosi valley upstream we cross and re-cross the river before making a final steep climb to the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar (340m. / 11,155ft.). Lodge.
Day 4: A rest day at Namche for acclimatisation. There is the option of a day hike to the Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Kunde for views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Lodge.
Day 5: Our trail now follows the Imja Khola (river) to reach Thyangboche (3860m. /12,665ft.), located on a ridge below the impressive north ridge of Kang Taiga . Camp.
Day 6: We trek via the last permanent habitation of Pangboche to the seasonal settlement of Dingboche (4410m. / 14,470ft.) at the entrance to the Khumbu Valley. Camp.
Day 7: A short day today. Continuing on the main trail we trek up to Dugla (4620m. / 15,157ft.). There are various options for acclimatisation walks from Dugla. Camp.
Day 8: The main Everest trail climbs beside the Khumbu Glacier to Lobuche (4910m. / 16,110ft.). Camp.
Day 9: We follow the Khumbu glacier to Gorak Shep. (5140m. / 16,865ft.). An ascent of Kala Patar (5500m. / 18,000ft) provides valuable acclimatisation and stunning views of Everest. Return to Lobuche.
Day 10: We cross the Kongma La (5400m) between the Khumbu and Imja Valleys. Our camp tonight is a magnificent location beside a tarn just beyond the pass. Camp (5300m).
Day 11: The ascent of Pokalde (5800m) by either its North or NE ridge is normally a straightforward scramble to a rocky summit. We descend to Chukkung (4730m). Camp.
Day 12: We continue eastwards below the 3,000 metre Lhotse Face to the base camp for our final objective, Island Peak. Camp (5040m).
Day 13: A rest day or we may choose to move to a high camp at 5760m./ 18,898ft. (1.5 hours trekking). Camp
Day 14: From the area of high camp, a short boulder scramble leads to the glacier which is crossed to a steep headwall and a final superb curved snow ridge to the summit (6189m). We return to base camp. Camp.
Day 15: Descending the Imja Khola Valley via Chukung and Dingboche we reach the main Khumbu Valley and pass through the village of Pangboche to our halt at Deboche. Camp (3710m).
Day 16: Trekking via Thyangboche where we stop for a visit to the Monastery, and via the settlements of Phunki and Tenga, we pass through Namche to reach Monjo. Camp.
Day 17: A contingency day in case of bad weather or delay. We may use this day to split the final two days of trekking into three shorter days. Camp.
Day 18: Our final days trekking following the Dudh Khosi mostly downhill but with a last climb up to Lukla. We say goodbye to our support crew in traditional style. Lodge.
Day 19: Taking a morning flight to Kathmandu, we will have plenty of time after lunch for sightseeing or shopping. Hotel.
Day 20: Free day in Kathmandu. A complimentary guided sightseeing tour of the city's most important sites is provided. Hotel.
Day 21: KE Land Only package services end after breakfast. Complimentary airport transfers are provided.
Altitude
This holiday involves going to very high altitude. During the course of your trip you will be spending at least one night above 4000 metres and/or trekking to 5000 metres or above. This is not something that you should worry about; the human body is quite capable of adapting to a very wide range of altitudes, but it is important that we follow some simple rules in order to acclimatise successfully. Before coming on this holiday you should read the advice on trekking at high altitude.
