Everest Cho La Pass Trek

After an early morning departure to the domestic airport, we will approach the flight to the Lukla town of Everest region. This will be an utterly stunning mountain flight of your life when you can gaze at Kanchenjunga, Manaslu, and Everest literally pass by beneath your feet.

And, the landing will be equally exciting as you wait for the plane to stop at the shortest runway of the airstrip. 6187 m high Kongde Ri will wave you as soon as you exit the small aircraft.

Now, you will have a small meeting with our Sherpa guide and porters then you will depart to take the first walk which will gradually lead you to the amazing Gokyo and Cho La Pass.

Our walk today will not be that long and we will also lose some altitude which is good for our acclimatization. We will take the path that gracefully follows the mesmerizing milky waters of Dudh Koshi River.

Following the river, we will navigate through the amazing little Sherpa settlements of Chheplung, Chaurikharka, and Thadokoshi. From here on, 6367 m Mount Kusum Kanguru will join us on our adventure.

We will keep on walking downward and pass through Ghat before we arrive at Phakding. The magical profile of 5761 m Khumbila Peak will be clearly visible from the town.

After we leave Phakding, we will once again walk enjoying the cascading waters of Dudh Koshi River that runs north. The route will go straight up the hill and pass through the beautiful oasis of rhododendrons and pines.

At Toktok, we will meet an enticing waterfall and not far away, we can see the striking image of Thamserku (6609 m). Soon, we will arrive at Benkar where our trail will guide us across the river of Dudh Koshi along the highly suspended metal bridge.

Now, the trail will climb towards Chomoa till we reach Monjo. Here, our pathway will enter into the Everest (Sagarmatha) National Park. At the park entrance, the rangers will check our permits to ensure we have paid the entrance fee and register our arrival.

We will again resume upward walking through the stunningly adorned path along the dense thickets of rhododendrons, magnolias, and firs as we reach Jorsalle.

After around half an hour of gentle upward hike, we will arrive at the iconic and very long and high suspended bridge of Hilary that arches over the meeting point of three rivers: the Bhote Koshi, the Dudh Koshi, and the Imja Khola River.

We can see the sacred Sherpa peak of Tarboche (6495 m) as we walk across the bridge. Then after an hour, we will arrive at yet another dazzlingly beautiful spot of Top Danda (3140 m) from where we can see the exquisite figures of Nuptse, Everest, and Lhotse.

Now, this final stretch can be pretty challenging so it is important not to tire, so walk slowly till we make it to Namche Bazaar.

Namche Bazaar is positioned at a significant elevation, therefore, here we can feel the first signs of altitude sickness. To ensure that we have a successful journey on our Cho La Pas trek, it is important that we spend another night at Namche to allow our bodies to adjust to the new environment.

Today, we will go to the village of Khumjung, home to a mountaineering museum and the intriguing Yeti scalp. Additionally, we will also make a stop at the Everest View Hotel, a luxurious Japanese establishment particularly designed for those who like to observe Everest and its sister companions without trekking to the base.

After all the necessary exploration in Khumjung, we will make our descent back to Namche Bazaar.

We are about to reach new heights today as we ascend to the heights of more than 4000 m at Dole. Taking our time, we will slowly approach Kyangjuma observing the striking profiles of Thamserku, Nuptse (7861 m), and the breathtaking Ama Dablam (6812 m).

Now, hugging the slope of rhododendrons, we will travel to Sanasa. Here, the trail splits: the right one goes up to Everest Base Camp while the left one will be our trail.

Get ready to climb the trail that rises sharply along the steep staircase that has been carved into the cliff. We will be atop the 3973 m Mongla Danda which bestows the remarkable view of the Tengboche Monastery.

Now, moving downward through the densely rich forest, we will reach Phortse Thanga. Giving way to the fat yaks, we will slowly approach Dole, our resting place for the night.

Today promises to be a very short, simple, and beautiful day for the EBC Gokyo Cho La Pass trek as we will walk only 6 km gaining almost 300 m. As we advance with our hike, we will wander through the green grasslands that have taken the place of the once-thick forest.

We will first traverse the pasture of the Lhabarma Kharka and then of Luza Kharka. Macchermo is not that far now and the route is more enjoyable as we glimpse at the white silhouettes of Thamserku, Cho Latse, Cho Oyu, and Tawache.

Here we are at Macchermo on time to eat our lunch. Then we will go out for a small acclimatization walk around the small village.

Today, we are set to reach one of Nepal’s most enchanting treasures: the high alpine glacial lake of Gokyo. Located beneath the feet of the Himalayas, there are five lakes in total that make up the Gokyo Lake.

Today, we will traverse only three and the remaining two will be left for tomorrow. After leaving Macchermo, we will ascend the ridge and advance towards 4390 m high Pangka.

Prepare as you will have to trek upward along the more rugged trail towards the rocky terrain of Nilibuk. The new pathway has been formed here for ease and then one by one we will approach the first Gokyo Lake: Longponga Lake at 4,560 m, Taujung at 4,720 m, and Dudh Pokhari at 4,790 m.

This third lake is the enthralling Gokyo Village that will treat us with the outstanding visuals of Cho Oyu (8188 m), Kangtega (6782 m), and Ngozumpa glacier, which nourishes these lakes with its melted water.

Today is a big day for many of us as we will be heading to the summit of Gokyo Ri which rises to 5360 m. Its altitude is more than some of the peaks that are found in the world so it will be the major milestone in your trekking career.

The climb to this summit is not technically complicated, but it will be a true test of your resolve and determination. We will commence our climb before dawn and cross the small stream en route.

After about 2 to 4 hours, we will be already atop the summit meeting the beautiful dawn over Mount Everest, Gyachung Kang, Nuptse, Cho Oyu, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Latse, and Taboche.

The ancient Ngozumpa Glacier, the longest icy glacier in Nepal, along with the Renjo La and Cho La Passes will also be visible from here. After spending 30 to 40 minutes at the summit to capture the moment in photographs, we will begin our downward journey.

If you think you have some energy left, then you can venture out to explore the remaining two lakes of Gokyo: Thonak Cho (4,840 m) and Ngozumpa Cho (4,980 m).

Our evening will be again in the warm humble lodge of the stunning Gokyo Village.

From Gokyo, we will take the snow-covered track that will lead us to Tanjung Pokhari. Here, the trail diverges: one path will go to the Macchermo and the other one will take us to our intended destination.

Tracing the edge of the moraine, we will climb the ridge and cross the vast expanse of the Ngozumpa Glacier that lies at the foot of Cho Oyu. We will navigate carefully the crevasses for about 45 minutes and finally scramble back up the moraine wall on the glacier’s western flank.

The route will now take us down into the lower Valley where Thagnag awaits our arrival.

We will start out very early today following the rule of alpine start. We will be crossing the mighty Cho La pass today which is also lovingly known as Chhugyuma La in the Sherpa language.

The Pass is not technically challenging, but we must be prepared for the strenuous hike, with steep inclines and biting cold. We will traverse the narrow valley of Phedi and come along the rugged terrain.

A three to four hour long journey will advance us towards the the high alpine frozen lake. After crossing the lake, we will undertake the last inclined section that will lead us to the ultimate height of the Pass.

Here they are, the majestic kingdom of the real Himalayas that include Lobuche, Everest, Makalu, Nuptse, Lhotse, and the mountains of Rolwaling stretching out to the horizon.

After this memorable moment, we will now make our gradual descent into the Khumbu Valley, arriving at the stunning Dzongla for the night.

From Dzongla, we will start to walk down for around two hours to reach Dughla. From here, we will face a challenging climb up to the Dughla Pass, a solemn place filled with countless symbolic graves of deceased Sherpas and mountaineers on Mount Everest.

Here, we can also see one of the most beautiful profiles of Pumori (7161 m) that rises majestically along with Lobuche, and Ama Dablam. The terrain is high alpine and delicate that now goes easily along the small river taking us to Lobuche.

The next phase of our Everest Cho La Pass trek will now take us to EBC today. After Lobuche, we will follow the trail on the western side of the wide Khumbu Valley.

We will then gently climb through meadows beside a glacial moraine. The conical summit of Pumori, Lingtren, Mahalangur, and Khumbutse can be seen as we move on along the steeper and uneven terrain.

We will reach the Thangma Riju Pass commonly called the Lobuche Pass and then move to cross the lateral moraine of Changri Glacier. After a bend, we will see the ridge of Kala Patthar just below the Pumori.

We will now move down to the sandy expanse of Gorakshep where we will deposit our belongings and lift our spirits with a hot hearty meal. Now, it is time that we follow the route that moves through the upper part of Khumbu moraine and its glacier.

Finally, here we are at the EBC lying in front of the enormous Khumbu Icefall. Although we may not see Everest, but Nuptse and Lhotse will be there to dazzle us with their beauty.

Let’s retrace back to Goraskhep as we have yet another climb to deal with tomorrow morning.

Yet another day for the very early alpine start as we are set to head straight for Kala Patthar, the stunning sugar peak of Pumori at its tail. The path leading us to the top of this Black Rock is not that challenging but the hike can be strenuous particularly due to high elevation and frigid cold.

At first, the track will go steeply up and then easy until the final boulder. Now, the very last meters to the summit will be quite battle but at last, we will be at the tip where we can see the first sun ray touching the black tip of Everest.

We will also be able to see the walls of Pumori, Nuptse, Khumbutse, Changtse, Lobuche, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, and Lingtren. We will now go down to Gorakshep, pack our belongings, and go down the familiar road towards Pangboche.

Lobuche, Dughla, and Pheriche will be traversed first which will take us to the familiar beautiful sighting of Imja Khola River. Here we are at Pangboche known for the prehistoric monastery with the relic of its stolen Yeti scalp.

After we leave Pangboche, w make our way down to Imja Khola, cross it, and then enter the vast green zone of the Khumbu Valley. Our route will now be relatively easy and flat running through pine, birch, juniper, and rhododendron trees taking us to the lovely village of Deboche.

The trail will now ascend sharply to the monastic grounds of Tengboche, which is undoubtedly the most significant monastery for the Sherpa community.

We will have the opportunity to visit the monastery after which we will take on another sharp descent of about 600 m to reach Phunki Thenga (3250 m).

We will again walk across another hanging metal bridge and walk through Tashinga, Sanasa, and Kyangjuma. Giving a final glance to Ama Dablam, we will now travel to Namche where we will be back again in the comfort of warm accommodation.

We say goodbye to the highest snowy giants and continue along the familiar path of Top Danda, Jorsalle, and Monjo. We will leave the National Park of Everest and hike along the young tracks running through Benkar, Phakding, Thadokoshi, Chheplung, and Chaurikharka to step once more at the land of Lukla.

The moment has come for us to once again fly in the small aircraft that will return us either to Ramechhap or Kathmandu. After a breathtaking take-off, in about 40 minutes, we will be back again in the noise and frenzy of the city.

Let’s celebrate our evening with an eye and tongue-pleasing dinner with our team and revel in the moments that we spend together in Everest.