Everest 3 High Passes Trek – Anticlockwise Route

After your arrival at Tribhuwan International Airport in medieval and modernized Kathmandu, you will be warmly greeted by our office representative and transferred to the hotel. After check-in and some refreshments, our senior Sherpa guide will come to meet you and give you a brief orientation about Three High Passes Trek. You can then go for a stroll down the street to get familiar with the neighborhood, have supper and go to bed. This is your first overnight in the valley of temples and cows, probably the most in the world.

A thrilling scenic flight to Lukla and a landing on a steep mountain runway bring us to the start of our trek at the village of Lukla [2850m]. After meeting the crew, we head up the Dudh Kosi Valley on a well-marked trail and then stay overnight in Phakding. We stay overnight at the height of 2652m. in the local lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After a good breakfast at Phakding, we set out for the mountain junction town of Namche; we cross and re-cross the river on high airy suspension bridges. Beyond Monjo is the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park which was set up to protect and preserve the fragile mountain environment. We then take a steep hike to Namche. If the weather is clear, we get our first glimpse of Mt Everest.

Namche is the main trading village in the Khumbu and has a busy Saturday market – a meeting place for the Hindu traders from the lowlands and the Tibetan yak caravans that have crossed the glaciated Nangpa La. Namche is the gateway to the Khumbu. This is where we crash out for the night with all meals included. We stay overnight at the height of 3440m. in the lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Namche is tucked away between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu and has an abundance of lodges, tea shops, and souvenir shops. It is an ideal place to spend a day, acclimatizing to the new altitude before heading off towards Syangboche. To acclimatize, you visit Khunde Hospital set up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or take a one-hour walk up to the Everest View Hotel above Namche for the sunset view of Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Everest.

We then go to Khumjung where we visit a school established by Hillary. We begin our hike after enjoying lunch; bypassing the route of Khimde. There are also good views from the National Park Centre and Museum just above the town. After going through our acclimatization drills, we head down to our lodge for some beers & good sleep.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After breakfast in Namche, we start our trek towards Tengboche enjoying a superb view of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and close up view of Thamserku. Our trek follows on the gradual trail with few ups and downs overlooking magnificent view of the great Himalaya.

Along the way, we can spot wild lives like pheasant, musk deer, or a herd of Himalayan Thar. The trail goes gradually down up to Kyangjuma. The path eventually reaches Sanasa which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp.

The track then follows through the pine forests and after we cross the prayer flags festooned bridge over Dudh Kosi River, we reach Phunki Tenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post amidst the alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Tenga we then have a little tough climb steep up through the pine forests while before we reach Tengboche.

Tengboche is a great place for close-up views of Ama-Dablam, Nuptse, and Everest and it has the biggest Buddhist Monastery all over in the Khumbu region. Overnight stay at the lodge in Tengboche.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

With the Mountains as a backdrop, the monastery in Tengboche looks spectacular more in the morning. We click pictures of the monastery and the sceneries around and as usual start the day journey on a merry note. We choose the upper trail for better views to visit Pangboche village and its ancient Monastery. We pass through several Chortens and Mani walls and small villages.

We enjoy lunch with fantastic close-up views of Ama-Dablam. In the afternoon, go north to Pheriche or take the eastward trail beneath the towering north face of Ama Dablam. From here onwards the walk is fairly moderate as we enter the Imja Valley.

The valley ahead will begin to open up as we approach the confluence of the Lobuche River, we descend into the river and begin the last and steepest climb of the day up to Dingboche On arrival in Dingboche, we enjoy the beautiful array of fields enclosed by stone walls to protect the barley, buckwheat, and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals. Overnight at a local lodge in Dingboche.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Today after breakfast, our walk takes off at a cool pace with only about a 3-4 hours hike to Chhukung. The trek goes through Imja Khola valley and sublime alpine landscapes, and some stone-walled fields. On the trail, we will also have spectacular mountain views of Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam, and Island Peak. Imja Tse has a splendid pyramid shape with its step rock and icy south face.

Chhukung is a great place to explore the glacier and massive snow-laden mountains all around the place. Overnight at an elevation of (4,750m) where the air gets thinner. We bunk out in a local lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

This extra day for acclimatization is good for our bodies to cope with the heights before doing the passes that begin with Kongma La (5,535m). Today we will do a day trip to Nagarjuna hillock. Nagarjuna is a hill located on the glands of the Chhukung valley directly above Dingboche. After breakfast, we will head to Nagarjuna. It may take about 5 hrs to reach Nagarjuna.

From Nagarjuna we great views of Lobuche East, Lobuche West, Lobuche peak, Thamserku, Kangtega and Amadablam. We could even see Makalu, the world’s fifth highest mountain. We then descend back to Chhukung. Overnight at a cozy teahouse lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

We start at the break of day from Chhukung as we have to capture the highest pass of the trip today. We carry plenty of water and some snacks and a packed lunch as there are no tea shops on the way.

We enjoy the remoteness of the area and absolute nature!! We can select to go via any of the possible trails- either taking a climb over the hill northwest of Chhukung over the moraine of the Nuptse Glacier or we might walk back down the valley to Bibre and follow a high trail above the Niyang Khola.

Just after some walk, there are great views of Island peak-valley and the jagged ridge of Amphu Lapcha. Ascending along the east side of Niyang Khola valley, we turn west and walk through the sloppy stony trial. We enter a wide basin dotted with small frozen lakes. The trail rises over loose screed gaining the Kongma La after about five hours we leave Chhukung.

Upon reaching the top, we can see cairn wrapped in prayer flags,-marks of the pass. Behind us is the landscape of icy lakes ahead down of which is the Khumbu Glacier. The final descent is the toughest stage of the trek today, upon climbing the moraine on the far side, the trail turns north through Khumbu Glacier which culminates at Lobuche. We do an overnight in Lobuche.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Today after a steamy breakfast at our lodge, we climb through meadows and moraine stones steps to reach Gorakshep, by either climbing to Kalapathar or continuing heading to Everest base camp.

We suggest that you make a beeline for the Everest base camp. By the way, from Everest base camp we do not see Mount Everest. However, from Kalapathar, we get to see the entire south face of Mt. Everest and well-known peaks nearby; this also includes great sights of the skyline of the Tibet plateau. Overnight at the height of (5,364) in our lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Today early in the morning we begin our trek to get remarkable views of the sunshine gleaming on the face of Everest from Kalapathar. We are surrounded by darkness and cold temperatures of approximately 10 to15 degrees Celsius in the morning. It is a testing hike to Kalapather because of the high altitude and shivering cold.

On reaching the peak of Kalapather, we will have unbelievable views of the mountains that you will see only once in your lifetime. We snap as many beautiful pictures from the top of Kalapathar to take home with us the memory of king Everest. We return to the Lobuche for an overnight stay.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After breakfast, we will be heading towards Dzongla. The trek is about 3 to 4 hours. The route goes beside the river bed off the stream. The trail heads in the southeastern side which provides us a lovely view of the towering heights of Ama Dablam and Kangtega-Thamserku. Similarly, Taboche looms is just a few steps ahead.

The ancient village, Pheriche village is also clearly visible during our trek. We will go through a mound in Chukpi Lhara which will bid goodbye with fresh memories. Chola Lake spread below Mt Cholaste is a view to observe on our route.

The lakes will give us a fresh view until we descend a basin. Then we have to climb up a spur and then have to descend a steeply way down to another broad basin. Then after an hour’s walk, we reach Dzongla. Meanwhile, we will have to cross a bridge in this an hour walk. We will stay overnight in Dzongla at local guest houses.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Dzongla-Gokyo is our next trek route which is about a 7-8 hours walk. After breakfast, we will start our trek from Dzongla. Just after we step out of the hotel we can have a splendid view of Cholatse. We have to head towards the western side of Dzongla. The trip today is a little harder than earlier. The path descends; we will go beside the stream coated with ices in some places.

About after an hour, we will reach the top of the basin. From there we can have the enchanting view of Chola Lake and the Ama Dablam which appears over a range of mountains in the south and Cholaste soars on the west. The journey from here seems to be a little difficult as climbing the incline which is steeply made more difficult by boulders and may we have to scramble.

We may have to bear a little risk as the rocks can be glazed by ice. After we reach the top we can see prayer flags, strung across cairns, flapping in the strong wind. The exciting view will take your breath out. The path from here is a little easy as we just have to descend but it can be found dangerous if rocks are gazed by the ice. So we need to be careful.

Then we reach Thangnak, and as we pass the village we will be welcomed by shiny Mountain View. After a short walk, we will be at the edge of the Ngozumpa glacier. Then after the other side of the glacier, we can have a view of beautiful Gokyo Lake. On the edge of Gokyo Lake, Gokyo village is situated. It is our final destination where we stay for a night.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

On the day, we will take a rest in the Gokyo village and have a view of the enchanting sites of Gokyo village. If the day is favorable then we can climb Gokyo Ri and enjoy the view of the clear Everest Region. The Gokyo region not only provides you a view of the Gokyo peak but also adds an opportunity to view a series of six lakes. You can also see Thonak Thso Lake (fourth lake) and Ngozuma Thso lake (fifth lake).

The fourth lake of this series has high cliffs and peaks rising above the lake just about 3 km north. We can have a view of the turquoise-colored water of the lake. Moreover, we can climb on the hill and get an amazing view of Mt. Cho-Oyu, Mt. Gyachung Kang, Mt. Everest, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Nuptse, and Mt. Makalu. Cho-Oyu base camp is situated beyond the fifth lake, from where we can have a closer view of Mt. Cho Oyu and Gyachung Kang.

Cho-Oyu base camp and the biggest glacier of the world- the Ngazumpa Glacier is the view to observe from the northern part of the fifth lake. If possible we may even head to the sixth lake too. Then we return to Gokyo village and spend overnight at the lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After having one day’s rest and some sightseeing in Gokyo, our next trek will be to Marlung via Renjo-La pass. We need to be in a little hurry to head towards Marlung as there is no place to stay at Renjo-La. After we leave Gokyo valley, we will turn to the Renjo-La trail by Dudh Pokhari. After a walk of about 3 hours, we can reach Renjo-La where we can see the highest peak in the world Mt.Everest (8,848m), Mt Lhotse (8,516m), Mt. Cholaste (6,440m), and Mt. Tabuchi (6,542m) smiling at us.

We can have a similar view here in Renjo-La as we had from Gokyo Ri where third Gokyo Lake and Gokyo village can be seen beneath Ngozumpa glacier. Continuing our journey, the trail steps down a stone staircase and then needs to scramble to reach the south bank of a small dazzling lake named Angladumba Tsho.

There might be a presence of ice on the way while moving down the trek. We can see Relama Tsho and Renjo Lake during our walk. Then we walk down the narrow valley to Lunde where we may find a hotel but it is often found closed. After we reach Lumde, we can reach Marlung almost after an hour on the east of the Bhote Koshi. We will stay overnight at Marlung.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

After staying a night at Marlung, we will be descending to Namche Bazar. We will start our journey in the early morning from Marlung. We will be following the route used to be used by the Tibetan traders. We cross Bhote Koshi and step downwards Taranga. The path goes through the valley of Langmuche Khola. This Khola (stream) drains from the glacial lake named Dig Tsho.

This lake was once burst in 1985 causing floods affecting Dudh Khosi valley and Thame. Thame is a beautiful village. We can get dew hotels in this village. Moreover, we can see some eye-catching views of some mountains namely Thamserku, Katanga, Kusum Kanguru, etc. There situates a famous Gompa situated some fields farther on the west hill. This gompa is believed to be established some 325 years ago.

This gompa features three big images of Chenresig (Avalokiteswara), Guru Rimpoche, Buddha Sakyamuni. if you visit in may then you can experience the fun of the Colorful Mani Rimdu festival featuring colorful mask dances as this festival is held only in May. Moving forward we cross a bridge and reach Samde. Again we descend downwards to Thamo village.

We can see a monastery called Khari Goma which is a nunnery being home to some nuns and monks. Leaving this village behind we come to the world’s highest hydroelectric power station built on Austrian help. Then after we come to Purthe after a short walk where you can find is Laudo monastery which is run by the Kopan monastery of Bouddhanath in Kathmandu and is popular among the westerners for Buddhist study and meditation centers.

Then after we ultimately reach Namche Bazar. We can see some Gompas on the way to Namche Bazar colorful prayer flags, and Mani stones. Overnight at Namche Bazar.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Following the morning breakfast, we continue our trek to Lukla along the Dudh Koshi River. The trail goes steeply downward with rocky terrain. Even though we are walking the same route, we feel completely different than before. We pass through the rhododendron, pine, and oaks forest and several snow-covered peaks. Overnight at local lodge.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner.

Usually, a flight from Lukla to Kathmandu is scheduled in the early morning. We take a scenic flight from Lukla to Kathmandu for about forty-five minutes. And then transfer to your hotel for refreshment. But sometimes the flight can be delayed or canceled in the mountain regions due to bad weather and other unprecedented reasons that are beyond our control.

Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner.

Today, we drop you to the international airport three hours before our scheduled flight to catch to fly back to your home and pray for your Safe journey.

Meals included: Breakfast