Everest Three Passes Trek

Early in the morning, at 1:00 AM, we will take a 4 to 5 hour drive from Kathmandu to Ramechhap, followed by a short flight to Lukla. Lukla Airport is one of the most treacherous airports in the world, serving as the gateway to Everest Base Camp. The short trip to Lukla will take you to the land of the highest peak in the world, “Mt Everest”. Reaching the vicinity known as The Land of Sherpa, you will be amazed by the nature around you. There are several hotels in Lukla offering a variety of breakfast and lunch options. We will eat and rest for a while and then head towards Phakding, a charming town, for around 2 to 3 hours. Stay overnight in Phakding.

After having breakfast in the morning at Phakding, we will head towards Namche (3,440m). Namche Bazaar is frequently referred to as the capital of Khumbu and a market for the entire Everest region trek. We can discover hotels, lodges, resorts, bars, snooker halls, bakeries, trekking stores, and retail establishments, as well as essential items in Namche. It takes around 5 hours to reach Namche from Phakding, with the last part of the trek featuring a steep path. However, it is said that hard work pays off, so after that precarious walk, you will arrive at the Everest View Point in the middle of the uphill towards Namche. From this perspective, the scene of Everest can be seen. Decrease your pace, drink enough water, and proceed gradually to Namche, because, as the saying goes, “slow and steady always wins the race.”

Usually, this day is referred to as a rest day by many individuals in the trekking organization. Be that as it may, it ought to be called acclimatization day, as one will trek the whole of Khumjung and Khunde towns on this day. Strolling for around 4 to 5 hours, we will complete a total visit or circuit of Namche today. The adventure of Namche includes the Sherpa Museum, Khumjung Airport, Everest View Hotel, Khumjung Village, Khunde Village, Hillary School, and Government Development Yak Farm. The walk will be delicate until you arrive at the head of Namche, as it becomes steep from there, with an elevation gain of about 400m before dropping back. It will help a ton with acclimatization for the further rise in the coming days.

Tengboche Monastery is probably the oldest and largest monastery in the Everest Region, which is the focal point of fascination for the majority of Everest Base Camp Trekkers. It was constructed by pulverizing it with flame. Due to reconstruction, it appears new and bright. Likewise, the monastery held a prayer ceremony every morning. Additionally, Mt. Everest is visible from the entire area of Tengboche, alongside Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Lhotse, and numerous other peaks. The individuals on the Everest View Trek have the ultimate goal of retracing their entire route back up to Lukla. However, as a base camp trekker, we will also make a beeline for and, if possible, attend prayers at the monastery in the evening.

Probably, Dingboche is the last village on the trail to Everest Base Camp, as there is no such local settlement in Pheriche, Lobuche, Chhukung, and so on. It is an old historical village located very near Mt. Ama Dablam Base Camp and serves as a support camp for both Island Peak and Lobuche Peak Climbing. Since Dingboche is at a higher elevation, we allocated one extra acclimatization day here as well.

Today is our rest day, so we will hike to Nagrjun Hill or Chhukung. Chhukung is the Support Camp for the Island Peak Expedition. It is a small village that generally offers lodging, a guide, a porter, and equipment rental for Island Peak climbing. Aside from that, it also provides space for acclimatization, as it is located at a higher elevation than Dingboche. Island Peak Base Camp is another four-hour stroll from Chhukung. So, for a fantastic view and better acclimatization, it is smarter to climb up to Nagarjun Hill. Nagarjun Hill is the whole distance soaked up to the top. It offers perhaps the best perspective on Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Makalu, with a view of the floating mass of snow, i.e., Island Peak. The Lhotse Massif completely hinders the view of Mt. Everest; nonetheless, the spot is astounding, offering picturesque views of the Himalayan Ranges.

Today is our short hike to Chhukung, which is about 3 to 4 hours. Chhukung is the final settlement of Khumbu Valley, where the Island Peak (Imja Tse) Climbing starts from there. After arriving in Chhukung, we will rest or hike to Chhukung Ri (5,550m) and prepare for the Kongma La Pass the next morning.

Today is a more complicated and longer day compared to other days. We will start our trek early in the morning from Chhukung and cross the Kongma La Pass (5,535m) through steep hills, the high camp of Pokalde (5,806m), and blue lakes. From Kongma La Pass, we will have a magnificent view of the surrounding mountains. After crossing down the Khumbu Valley, we finally arrive in Lobuche. Lobuche is a remote area where housing is fundamental. The house appears extremely basic from the outside, even though the dining and the other regions are comparatively similar to each other on the Everest Base Camp Trekking Trail. 

The trail from Lobuche to Gorakshep is one of the shortest and most straightforward routes to cross, taking 2 to 2.5 hours with a flat route to the Lobuche Pass. The little yet steep path is available, with minor ups and downs ahead, until Gorakshep. Last but not least, our next trail is centered on the exploration of Everest Base Camp and Kalapatthar Trekking. After checking in at the hotel and eating, we will begin trekking to Everest Base Camp, leaving our backpacks there. Although the trek is gentle and flat, the elevation makes it challenging. At last, a few strolls to the ice sheet are expected to arrive at base camp. It is approximately a 4-hour walk from Gorakshep to reach our destination, Everest Base Camp. Getting a charge out of some time in Everest, we will go to Gorakshep.

Early dawn over the highest point of the world from Kala Patthar is one of the fundamental features of the Everest Base Camp Trek. To outline this minute, we will begin our climb up to Kala Patthar promptly at the start of the day. It will take approximately 2 to 2.5 hours to reach the summit of Kala Patthar. Contingent on the general time of sunrise, we will set ourselves up. After taking in the phenomenal sunrise view from the summit of Mount Everest, we will descend to Gorakshep for breakfast and continue our journey further to Lobuche, from where we will divert to the right-hand side, heading towards Dzongla. Dzongla is a small area with few hotels before crossing Cho La Pass.

Today, we will head towards Cho La Pass (5,420m) and then descend to Thangnak. It is the second pass of the Everest Three Passes trek. In comparison to Kongma La Pass (5535m), it is straightforward, with a clear trail and a lower chance of rockfall and steep sections. After descending from the top of Cho La Pass, we will encounter a tall, erect Buddhist Flag near a high camp, where the trail steeply descends through the valley of Gokyo, offering a straightforward and challenging route.

Gokyo Lake, a series of high-altitude lakes, is another fascination of Gokyo Valley, which is also religiously significant for Hindu Pilgrims. The trail from Thagnak to Gokyo passes through ice sheets, as all routes to Gokyo do, and we will walk over icy masses. After lunch, we will climb to the fourth lake, located approximately forty-five minutes from the lodge, another delightful and expansive lake in the Gokyo Lake series.

Today is our rest day in Gokyo Lake. After crossing two high passes, we need to take a rest and prepare for another pass. We will hike to Gokyo Village and the Gokyo Ri (5,357m) viewpoint for a magnificent view of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Cholatse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, and other peaks. After visiting Gokyo Ri, we will descend to Gokyo Lake and take a rest there.

The last pass out of the Everest Three Pass Trek, Renjo La Pass, is probably the easiest to experience. It is also the most picturesque in terms of view as compared to the other two passes. From the summit of Renjo La Pass, we can see Mount Everest, Mount Makalu, Mount Lhotse, and the settlement around the third Lake of the Gokyo Lakes Series. The trail is wide open, should the need arise; even Yak can cross Renjo La Pass, which indicates the state of the path. After the last plunge, we will move ourselves to Marlung.

Today we will trek down to Namche Bazaar via Thame. A village in Climber’s Thame is acclaimed for its delightful housing and significant monasteries, just as it brims proudly with record-holding Everest Summiteers. We will join prayers in monasteries and explore the school in Thame. 

The gentle downhill trail from Thame will take us up to Namche, offering an ideal circuit around the Khumbu Valley that crosses all the Everest High Passes and explores the Base Camp of Mount Everest. It’s a chilling evening in Namche, with the added convenience of a massage. Enjoy a free afternoon and buy some souvenirs from the marketplace in Namche. Beer is cheap here in comparison with Gokyo Lakes, Gorakshep, and it.

Today, we first trek down to Phakding Village—a simple yet delightful trek to Phakding, all on a downhill route with some minor upslopes. We will exit from Sagarmatha National Park and descend to Lukla. 

Our last day of the trek, heading toward Lukla, with no rush and no stress, as it’s a short trekking day, as seen in the previous snapshot of the Everest Three Passes Trek. The delicate push will effortlessly prompt Lukla, some pastry shop, bistro, and bar will greet with the word “The last night Party in Thin Air” might be sticking around with a group party cause it’s the last night with them as porters are remaining in Lukla caring for another Everest Three Passes Trek.

After enjoying, celebrating, and praising the goodbye at EBC with the porter, we will fly back to Kathmandu and return to the hotel in Thamel. Refreshing ourselves, we will give our bodies a chance to unwind. At night, we will have a farewell dinner, accompanied by feedback from the entire NEST Adventure group and a cultural show during dinner.