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This classic expedition through the Sherpa homeland
of Solu-Khumbu is a challenging high-altitude trek. It has a clear cut
goal: to stand in the shadow of Everest, the highest mountain on
earth. Notwithstanding its grandeur, many trekkers
are surprised to find that the snout-like Everest is eclipsed in beauty
by lesser-known peaks such as Ama Dablam and by the Lhotse wall. This trip
provides a total immersion experience in the landscape, culture and history
of the Everest region. The base camp experience offers the opportunity to
mingle with Everest climbers (and aspirants) of all nations and backgrounds,
all in a setting that has witnessed some of humanity's greatest triumphs
and tragedies. This trip allows you to come as close to the mountain as
it is possible to get, short of actually climbing it.
The Khumbu region is home to
the finest mountain views in Nepal. And trekking in Nepal ranks
.jpg) |
| Trekker atop Chukkung Ri. (Solu Khumbu, Nepal) |
among the most delightful adventures the world has
to offer. A happy coincidence of circumstances combines to make this so.
The country itself, of course, is breathtakingly dramatic, with topography
ranging from the incredibly lush and deep river valleys to the rock and
ice giants of the Himalayas. The relative stability of Tibet's politics
and the historical British influence have led to more reliable logistics
and support services than those available in many third world mountain areas.
And the intermingling of Hindu and Buddhist traditions makes for a very
rich religious background.
Nepal's trekking tradition began with the mountaineering
expeditions that commenced shortly after Nepal opened its borders to climbers
in 1950. Climber after climber returned from Nepali expeditions with as
much enthusiasm for the "approach march" as for the peak itself.
The first advertised treks, in the early 1960's, were based on routes
and logistics developed by Sherpas for mountaineering expeditions and
were strongly influenced by the British ways. Today's trekker enjoys an
experience remarkably similar to that enjoyed by world class climbers,
at least as far as the base camp at the foot of the peak.
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As in any physical endeavor, fitness is the most
essential ingredient for success. That said, no
%20and%20Nuptse%20(center%20right),%20view%20from%20Gokyo%20Ri%20(Solu%20Khumbu%20Region,%20Nepal).jpg) |
| Mount Everest (center) and Nuptse (center right),
view from Gokyo Ri (Solu Khumbu Region, Nepal). |
previous Himalayan trekking experience is required
to take part in our non-technical Kala Pattar Everest Trek. In general,
a love of mountains and hiking is all that is required. The trek is suitable
for anyone in reasonably good shape who is capable of spending several challenging
days at high altitudes. While the trip has been designed to gradually acclimatize
our participants to the high altitudes, you should bear in mind that several
of our camps will be at elevations above 12,000 feet, and our highest camp
will be at an elevation of almost 16,200 feet. On some days, altitude gains
or losses of up to 3,000 feet can be expected. Even though two rest days,
and possibly more, are included in our itinerary, participants should be
prepared for several days of steep descents ranging up to 3,000 feet in
elevation change. Those who encounter altitude problems on this trek will
be able to descend to lower elevations with one of our guides, where accommodations
at one of the trekker hotels will be made available.
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We will arrive in Kathmandu and settle into our
accommodations at the Manaslu Hotel. The rest of the day will be free
for sightseeing or other leisure activities. In the evening, we will meet
for a welcome dinner, where participants will be briefed on our Kala Pattar
Everest Trek itinerary. Afterwards, we will enjoy a Nepali cultural program
and meet our trip guides.
We will enjoy a guided sightseeing tour of the
Kathmandu Valley. Once again, our home will be at the Manaslu Hotel.
The classic trek to the foot of Mt. Everest begins
with a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla (9,300 feet),
.jpg) |
| Buying last minute supplies before leaving
on trek (Kathmandu, Nepal). |
a landing strip hewn out of the rocky mountainside.
The flight path is parallel to the Nepal Himalaya. Weather permitting, we
will enjoy incredible views of the massifs of Gauri Shankar, Menlungtse
and Cho Oyu from the left side of our aircraft. In Lukla, we will be met
by our trekking crew, and, after assembling last minute supplies and organizing
the porter loads, we will begin our trek. We will start by descending to
Phakding (8,700 feet) on the Dudh Kosi ("Milk River") and then
hiking up the river gorge to Benkar (8,875 feet), Monjo (9,300 feet) and
Jorsale, where we enter the Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park. We
will camp for the evening either at Benkar (8,875 feet) or at Monjo (9,300
feet).
The trek's first challenging segment will come
this morning as we hike up a steep, switch-backed and forested hillside
to the fascinating market town of Namche Bazaar (11,270 feet). If the
weather is clear, we will enjoy our first views of the high Khumbu peaks,
including Everest, on this segment of the climb. Namche Bazaar, the largest
Sherpa village, is famous for its Saturday market. It also serves as the
trading center for the entire Khumbu region. We will camp in the yard
of a local hotel.
We will take a rest day at this point to allow
time for proper acclimatization. There will be many
.jpg) |
| Nepali woman spinning yarn (Annapurna Region,
Nepal). |
exploration opportunities in the area surrounding
the village of Namche Bazaar. If you choose, you may visit the National
Park Headquarters and its interesting museum. Or you may choose to explore
the many shops populating the village. Another available option will be
a rather relaxed day hike up a side valley towards the villages of Thamo
and Thame.
Before our departure from Namche Bazaar, we will
visit the Saturday market. In the afternoon, we will climb up to the twin
villages of Khumjung (12,128 feet) (site of the Hillary school) and Khunde
(home of the Hillary hospital), where we will camp for the night.
We will begin the next day with a descent to Pungo
Tenga on the Dudh Kosi river (10,650 feet). Along the way, we will almost
certainly enjoy sightings of Nepal's national bird, the danphe (pheasant).
The male's iridescent feathers shine with every color of the rainbow.
From Pungo Tenga, the trail climbs past water-driven prayer wheels through
a pleasant conifer and rhododendron forest, with occasional glimpses of
Kangtega peak and the Tengpoche Monastery (12,900 feet). Situated on a
ridge and surrounded by spectacular mountains affording some of the best
views in the entire Khumbu region, Tengpoche is a serene religious retreat.
The alpenglow on the summit of Mt. Everest and the views of the obelisk
of Ama Dablam (22,494 feet), rising regally above the valley, are stunning.
There are good views of Everest and Lhotse as well.
We will enjoy a rest day in and around the Tengpoche
Monastery. It will also afford us an opportunity for further acclimatization.
The day's trekking will bring us to Pangboche
(12,800 feet), where we will camp for the evening near the Imja Khola.
Pangboche is the site of Khumbu's oldest gompa.
Climbing steadily, we will hike up the Khumbu
Valley past chortens and walls of mani stones, first to the settlement
of Pheriche (13,950 feet) and then to Dughla (15,100 feet). A trekker's
aid post,
.jpg) |
| Hiking up to a village (Annapurna Region,
Nepal). |
supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association, operates
at Pheriche. A western-trained doctor is in attendance here during the trekking
season.
We have built an extra day into our itinerary
at this point to allow time for any necessary acclimatization. For those
who are fully adjusted to the high elevation of our surroundings, the
day can be used to climb the neighboring Chhukung ridge (15,250 feet)
from Dingboche. The ridge offers great views of Ama Dablam and the Lhotse/Nuptse
wall.
We will hike along the Khumbu Glacier's lateral
moraine to Lobuche (16,200 feet). Lobuche will be the highest campsite
that we will utilize on our expedition. Lobuche, the site of Everest's
base camp, is situated at the highest point on Everest that trekkers --
as opposed to technical climbers -- can access.
We will begin the morning with our much-anticipated ascent of Kala Pattar
- the Black Rock (18,192
.jpg) |
| Nepali children along the trail (Annapurna
Region, Nepal). |
feet). From Kala Pattar, we will enjoy spectacular
views of Everest's South Col and of the mountain's immense south and west
faces. This breathtaking spot is certainly one of the greatest mountain
viewpoints in the world. From this glacier wilderness, we will set out on
the most direct route back to Lukla (via Tengpoche and Namche Bazaar), a
journey that will consume the next couple of days.
We will likely descend as far as Pheriche (13,950
feet), site of the trekker's aid post that we passed earlier, or Pangboche
(12,800 feet) on the Imja Khola, the site of Khumbu's oldest gompa.
We will continue on to the Tengpoche Monastery
(12,900 feet), the serene religious retreat amidst spectacular mountains
that we passed earlier in our trek.
We will continue on to the fascinating market
town of Namche Bazaar (11,270 feet), before continuing our descent to
Monjo (9,300 feet).
Our trek continues on to Lukla (9,300 feet), the
home of the mountainside landing strip where we first arrived almost two
weeks before.
We will fly from Lukla to Kathmandu, returning
to our old home at the Manaslu Hotel.
We will enjoy an extra day of sightseeing in Kathmandu.
We have built this extra day into our itinerary as the flight from Lukla
to Kathmandu is occasionally subject to delays and/or cancellations.
We will be picked up at our hotel and driven to
the airport for our return trip home.
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