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Ian Taylor Trekking

Today we will continue up the banks of the Dudh Kosi River, towards Namche Bazaar. Just past Monjo, we will officially enter the Sagarmatha National Park before following the trail through small villages. We will take a tea break along the way. After tea, the trail then crosses the confluence of the Dudh Kosi and the Bhote Kosi, on a high suspension bridge. The trail then climbs steeply uphill for about two hours to reach Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,286 feet). This is a prosperous trading town and the capital of the Khumbu Region. Just across the valley to the east stand the peaks of Thamserku and Kangtega, both very impressive mountains. From Monjo, the trek today is approximately 4 hours and the total distance is 5 miles/ 8 km.

Day 3 - Namche Bazaar 3,440m/ 11,286 feet

Arrive in Kathmandu International Airport as early as possible on this day. We will provide your airport transfer to our hotel we include for the night. All accommodations on the trek are on a shared basis. If you want to arrive in early, that is not a problem, we are happy to book additional nights in the hotel for you. We will have a group briefing this evening to go over the schedule for the coming days and answer any additional questions you may have.

Day 1 - Arrive in Kathmandu – 1,400m/ 4,500 feet

Day 2 - Fly to Lukla – Trek to Monjo 2,850m/ 9,350 feetFly from Kathmandu to Lukla. We will make an early morning start for the Twin Otter flight to Lukla (2,840m/9,317ft), the gateway to the Khumbu Region. This is an exciting flight, which should give a glimpse of Everest in the distance. In Lukla, we will meet the rest of our trek staff and set off straight away for our first night in the mountain village of Monjo. Depending on what time the flight arrives in Lukla, we may have to stop in the town of Phakding (2,600m/ 8,530 feet) for the night. Hopefully, the team will make it all the way to Monjo. Both villages are situated on the banks of the Dudh Kosi, which drains the whole of the Khumbu Region, and is the main trade route for the entire region. This can be the busiest part of the trail. Today we will walk for 3 hours to Phakding and a total of 5 hours to Monjo. The total distance is 8.8 miles/ 13 km to Monjo from Lukla.

Day 2 - Fly to Lukla – Trek to Monjo 2,850m/ 9,350 feet

Today is an acclimatization day where we will walk to the Sherpa Museum at 3,600m/ 11,811. From here you will have stunning views of Mount Everest and the surrounding mountains. The key is to rest, relax and acclimatize at this height and will make all the difference as we go to high and extreme altitude. The afternoon will be at leisure in Namche Bazaar, resting, eating, and enjoying the sites! Remember that it is still important to continue to drink 4-5 liters of water every day on the trail. Today, the walk up to the Sherpa Museum is only approximately 30 minutes.

Day 4 - Namche Bazaar 3,600m/ 11,800 feet

This is where our itinerary is different. Instead of heading up to 3,900m/ 12,800 feet and sleeping in Tengboche, we will stay in Namche another night giving you the best possible acclimatization program. During this critical acclimatization phase, we will spend time resting and trekking to higher altitudes to aid in the process. We will wake early for our acclimatization hike today, up to Shangbouche Hill at 3,900m/ 12,800 feet, for beautiful vistas of the whole Everest Region. The goal is to spend some time acclimatizing at this elevation before returning to Namche for lunch. The afternoon can be spent sampling the delights of the Namche Bakeries and local stores! The hike to Shangbouche Hill will take approximately four hours round trip.

Day 5 - Hike up Shangbouche Hill 3,900m/ 12,800 feet

Today we will leave Namche and trek to Tengbouche at 3,900m/ 12,800 feet. From Namche, the well-worn Everest trail contours around the side of the valley high above the Dudh Kosi. As we follow the path, we will get excellent views of the great peaks of the Khumbu; Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Ama Dablam. Passing by several villages, we will descend approximately 300m/ 984 feet down to the Dudh Kosi River, where we stop for lunch. After lunch, we will make the steep 700m/ 2,296 feet uphill climb to Tengbouche. This is the home of the impressive and famous Tengbouche Monastery. You can visit the Monastery or the local bakery this afternoon. The hike will be approximately 5 to 6 hours today and covers 7.5 miles/ 12 km.

Day 6 - Tengbouche – 3,900m/ 12,800 feet

We will continue up the trail to Dingbouche today. Shaded by Rhododendron trees, the trail crosses an airy suspension bridge just beyond Debouche. From here, the trail continues approximately an hour before reaching the village of Pangbouche. From here, there are excellent views of Ama Dablam ('Mother's Charm Box') and where we stop for tea. If there is time, we may be able to visit the local Monastery, which was the first in the Everest Region. Contouring up the valley, we will re-cross the river and turn up the Imja Valley to reach the picturesque farming village of Dingbouche at 4,350m/ 14,271 feet above sea level. The hike will take approximately 5 – 6 hours today and cover 7.5 miles/ 12 km.

Day 7 - Dingbouche 4,350m/ 14,271 feet

Today is spent as another acclimatization day at this critical elevation. Just above the town, while on our acclimatization hike, we will have stunning views of three 8,000/ 26,200 feet peaks; Makalu, Cho Oyu and Lhotse. Our goal today is to ascend to 4,900m/ 16,000 feet for some of the most beautiful views on the trip. This is one of Ian’s favorite days of the trip! After enjoying the views and spending some time at this new elevation, we will descend back to Dingbouche for lunch. The afternoon will be free to enjoy the village of Dingbouche and relax before some more challenging days ahead. The trek today will be approximately 4 hours round trip and you will gain 550m/ 1,804 feet of elevation.

Day 8 - Dingbouche 4,900m/ 16,000 feet

Today we will trek to Lobuche, continuing along the upper trail towards Thukla at 4,620m/ 15,157 feet. Ahead of us is the Lobuje East Peak at 6,119m/ 20,075 feet, and to our left is the formidable north face of Taweche. After approximately three hours walking slowly, we reach the small collection of lodges at Thukla where we will stop for an early lunch. After lunch, we continue the walk up for approximately one hour uphill to the Everest Memorial. From the Memorial, there are outstanding views of Ama Dablam, Cholatse and Taweche. After leaving the Memorial, the trail continues gradually parallel to the famous Khumbu Glacier, that runs off Mount Everest. After approximately another hour, the trail will eventually lead to a small cluster of tea houses pleasantly situated at Lobuche at 4,940m/ 16,207 feet. The total trekking time will be approximately 5 – 6 hours today and you will cover 7.5 miles/ 12 km in distance.

Day 9 - Lobuche 4,940m/ 16,207 feet

Today is the day we trek to Everest Base Camp! We will be up early to start our trek to Gorak Shep, which takes approximately 3 hours to reach 5,180m/ 17,126 feet. Today is a very challenging day on the trail, as we cross glacial moraine on mixed rocky terrain with a lot of up and down hill to cover. Gorak Shep was the site of the 1953 Everest Expedition's Base Camp and where we will stop for an early lunch before continuing to Everest Base Camp. From Gorak Shep, we will traverse more glacial moraine, with landslide potential, for another two hours before reaching Everest Base Camp! Everest Base Camp sits on the Khumbu Glacier and weather depending, we will have time to explore this once and a lifetime chance to be at the base of the World’s Highest Mountain! After approximately one hour here, we will retrace our steps back to Gorak Shep, where we spend the night. Total trekking time today is approximately 7 hours and covers 6.2 miles/ 10 km in distance.

Day 10 - Gorak Shep 5,180m/ 17,126 feet to Base Camp 5,364m/ 17,600 feet

Today is another big day, but one to remember forever! Normally, the plan is to start hiking at around 4 am, because you want to arrive at the top of Kala Patthar just before sunrise. The trail from Gorak Shep leads steeply uphill all the way to the top of Kala Patthar at 5,645m/ 18,520 feet. This takes approximately 2 hours to reach the top and the views off Kala Patthar are spectacular and you will be rewarded with the famous view of Mount Everest! After enjoying the mountain views at the top, we will return to Gorak Shep, which takes about one hour. There, we will pack bags and have breakfast before continuing back down the trail. We will then retrace our steps through the Lobuche, the Everest Memorial and usually stop in Thukla for lunch. From here, we will take the lower trail to the village of Pheriche at 4,300m/ 14,107 feet, for the night. The total distance today is 11.2 miles/ 18 km and will take approximately 7 – 8 hours.

Day 11 - Kala Patthar 5,645m/ 18,520 feet to Pheriche 4,300m/ 14,107 feet

The trek today will be another long and challenging day. From Pheriche we head back through Pangbouche, then uphill into Tengbouche where we stop for tea. From Tengbouche, the trail continues downhill for one hour to our lunch spot, beside the river. After lunch, there is a one hour and thirty minute ascent, back up to the Ama Dablam View Guesthouse, where we will have a final short break. There is another approximately hour and thirty minutes before we reach Namche Bazaar. This is a long day as we will only arrive in Namche in the late afternoon. It is now time to take a shower, relax and get some rest! The hike today is approximately 8 hours and will cover 13.7 miles/ 22 km.

Day 12 - Pheriche to Namche 3,440m/ 11,286 feet

Today is the final day of trekking!! It will be another long day as we must get all the way back to Lukla for the night. The day starts with a one hour descent from Namche, back to the high suspension bridge. Following the river from here, you will have to trek up and down stairs and trails, retracing our steps back to Phakding, where we will stop for lunch. After lunch, it will be a gradual two-and-a-half-hour ascent back into Lukla at 2,850m/ 9,350 feet. The hike today will take approximately 8 hours and we will not reach Lukla until late afternoon. The distance covered today is 13 miles/ 21 km and you will enjoy your final night spent in the Everest Region tonight.

Day 13 - Lukla 2,850m/ 9,350 feet

We will wake early today and have breakfast before returning to the Lukla Airport for the flight back to Kathmandu. If the weather is cooperating, then you would be back in the hotel in Kathmandu by early morning! You can spend the day at Leisure in Kathmandu, enjoying the sites, including Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath and the districts of Bhaktapur and Patan. Durbar Square is also on the essential list, as is the shopping area of Thamel or get a treatment at one of the many spas in Kathmandu. We include a celebration team dinner in a nearby restaurant and the night in the hotel is also included on a shared basis.

Day 14 - Fly to Kathmandu 1,400m/ 4,500 feet

Today is the final day of our itinerary. We recommend that you do not book your return flight until no earlier than the evening on this day. That will be critical if there are any delays getting out of the mountains on the day before. We include your return transfer back to the international airport for your onward journey. If you want to spend any extra time in Kathmandu, we are happy to book additional nights for you in the hotel.