LOBUCHE PEAK CLIMBING

After arriving at Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport you will be warm welcomed by Sherpa Expedition and Trekking staff and taken to your hotel for a briefing of your journey to Lobuche peak Climbing, including the route taken and accommodation. We will clearly explain several do’s and don’ts with your safety a priority.

In the early morning, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the domestic terminal at Kathmandu airport before heading to Lukla, a 40-minute flight. During the flight, you will see some of the most spectacular views of the Himalayas. After arrival at Tenzing-Hilary airport, you will be met by your porter who will carry your luggage. Then your trekking begins. Today you trek is around 3 hours and is relatively easy going  The trail passes a Kani (ceremonial gatehouse) before a steep descent before leveling off and passing through Kyangma village which has a large gompa (monastery) and school. After leaving Kyangma village we reach Cheplung village and then descends through a community forest within sight of the Dudh Koshi River. After crossing a suspension bridge there is a short climb across the ridge to Ghat. After leaving Ghat the trail passes a school and a complex of mani walls, Chortens and prayer wheels. We then climb to the hamlet of Chhuthawa and then a short walk to Phakding.
Overnight stay at a mountain lodge. 

In the morning our trek passes over a bridge spanning the Dudh Kosi River,  passing several delightful villages of Toktok, Bhenkar, and Monjo before arriving at the entrance gate to Sagarmatha National Park, and then trek along the river bed for a few hours and cross our last bridge before a steep uphill trek to Namche Bazaar.  Namche has many good restaurants, pubs, a cyber café, post office, and banks.
 

This is the scheduled 'acclimatization' day for this trek. Health experts always recommend us to stay active and moving during the rest day and suggest we remain active and avoid being idle. We can choose to spend the day taking a day hike to Thame or visiting Khunde or relaxing and exploring Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazaar is the main center of the Everest (Khumbu) region and has government offices, ATMs, Internet cafes, shops, restaurants, a bakery, and a colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. If we trek a few hundred vertical feet during the day, it will help us to properly acclimatize. Our guides will take us to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of the Sagarmatha National Park where we can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. We also take an interesting side trip up to Khumjung. We climb up to the famous airstrip at Syangboche. Just above the airstrip is the Everest View Hotel, a Japanese scheme to build a deluxe hotel with great views of the highest mountains on Earth. The Khumjung valley is surrounded by the snowy peaks of Kongde and Thamserku and the sacred peak Khumbila, hosts a well-known monastery that houses a yeti scalp. We also visit Hillary School which is at the same site. After having lunch and spending some time in Khumjung, we walk back down to Namche Bazaar. 

After breakfast in Namche, we commence our trek to Tengboche with dazzling views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and a close-up view of Thamserku. Our trek to Tengboche has a few ups and downs with spectacular views of Himalaya. On the trek, we may be lucky to spot some native wildlife, such as pheasant, musk deer, and maybe a herd of Himalayan Thar. The trail gradually descends to Kayangjuma before reaching Sansa,  which is a major junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. The track then follows through pine forests and passes prayer flags festooned on the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. We then reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement with a couple of teahouses and a small army post in the midst of alpine woods. After having a relaxed lunch at Phunki Thenga we then have a little tough steep climb through pine forests before arriving at Tengboche. Tengboche where there are some glorious in-your-face of Ama-Dablam, Nuptse, and Everest.  Tengboche boasts of having the biggest Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu region. A visit to the monastery at around 3 p.m to see a ceremony performed by the monks. 

A clear morning is the best time to see the exquisite monastery in Tengboche. This is a perfect time to unleash the camera!  We then continue our trek taking the upper trail taking advantage of the views to witness the view of this ancient monastery before passing through several Chortens and Mani walls and several small villages. While enjoying our lunch break we can take in the fantastic close-up views of Ama-Dablam. The afternoon takes us north to Pheriche,  or alternatively, we can take the trail heading east beneath the towering north face of Ama Dablam. From this point, the trek is fairly easy-going before we enter the Imja Valley. The valley gradually opens up as we approach the confluence of the Lobuche River. We then descend into the river and begin the last and steepest climb of the day up to Dingboche On arrival in Dingboche, we see a spectacular array of fields enclosed by stone walls to protect the barley, buckwheat, and potatoes from the cold winds and grazing animals.

It is sensible to spend another day acclimatizing before heading to higher altitudes. One way of doing this is to hike up to Chukkung Valley (4730m) and on to Island Peak (Imja Tes). Above Dingboche is Nagkartshang Gompa (a strenuous trek takes around 2 to 3 hours), or alternatively head to Pheriche for an afternoon lecture on altitude sickness. The trail to Chhukung leaves Dingboche heading to Bibr (4570m) and is surrounded by fabulous mountain Peaks: Taboche, Nuptse, Lhotse, the enormous flute-shaped pass of Amphu Laptsa Pass, Ama Dablam. Chukkung has several lodges and is the most popular spot for those climbing Island Peak. If trekkers feel better acclimatized they can head up a grassy slope towards the peak of Chukkung Ri (5550m) for a magnificent view of Makalu.

Any easy trek after breakfast takes us to Dugla before traversing the steep moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. After crossing the glazier we then pass through the boulder-strewn slopes as we ascend Chupki Lhara passing an array of stones with prayer flags used as memorials to Scott Fischer (American mountaineer) and 10-time Everest summiteer Babu Chiri Sherpa (Nepalese mountain guide) who perished on a mission to climb Everest. The trail then continues to the Khumbu Glacier moraine where before us are some of the great Himalayan peaks - Khumbutse, Lingtren, Pumori and Mahalangur Himal. Overnight stay in Lobuche. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

The trail to Gorak Shep passes through the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier passing the pyramid signpost. Soon after we get views of the crest of the north ridge of Everest along with Mt. Pumori, Mahalangur, Lingtern, Khumbutse &Nuptse. A short climb takes us to Thangma Riju from where we have a jaw-dropping 360-degree vista of snow-covered mountains. A steep climb leads us to the top crossing the Changri Glacier and our first glimpse of Kala Patthar, a grey-green mound beneath Mt. Pumori. As we reach Gorak Shep, we are once again surrounded by snow-capped mountains in every direction including the highest mountain in the world - Mount Everest. After a brief lunch break and time to relax we head along the trail to Everest Base Camp through the Gorak Shep Lake. After reaching Everest Base Camp we will appreciate those Everest climbers whose accent follows the hazardous route through the Khumbu Icefall. From Base Camp, we can see the magnificent peaks of Nuptse, Khumbuste, and Pumori. Everest is not within view from Base Camp. We then head back to Gorak Shep for a well-deserved night's rest. Most trekkers agree that the sunset view from Kala Patthar is better than the view at sunrise. The setting sun strikes the snow-capped mountains with mesmerizing beauty. Some trekkers may choose to continue with our guides and Sherpas and arrange a hike to Kala Patthar to witness the awesome sunset view rather than waiting until tomorrow. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Today is special and is the highlight of our journey. An early morning start allows us to catch the dramatic views from Kala Patthar seeing the new day and the light shining on Mount Everest. We need to be prepared for the dark and cold temperatures (-10 to -14 C) before departing on our trek. It is not uncommon to experience some very chilling winds. In the east are many peaks, such as Lingtren, Khumbutse, Changtse with Everest gradually exposing itself reveal itself between the west shoulder crest and Nuptse. During the ascent to Kala Patthar, we can pause to catch our breath at several outstanding viewpoints to snap pictures. After several hours of climbing, we reach Kala Patthar before scrambling over a rocky outcrop close to the summit and its cairns and prayer flags. After reaching the summit we can sit on the Kala Patthar rocks absorbing the spectacular views of the Himalayas. From one rock massif to another we are rewarded with numerous opportunities to use our cameras and photo opportunities that will remind you of these enormous mountains. We then head back to Gorak Shep where we have breakfast before a gradual descent to Lobuche for a well deserved night's rest. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

After breakfast, we make our way from Lobuche  to Lobuche High Camp. The climb takes about 4 hours. The High camp is located at an altitude of 5,600m/18,368 ft. From Base Camp, we follow a path across a rocky moraine before reaching High Camp. Once we reach High Camp we prepare our camp for the overnight stay, have lunch and relax. If you walk around, rather than sit around, this will help you to acclimatize to this high altitude. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

Today is the day we have been anxiously awaiting. We start our day in the early hours in order to reach the summit. Lobuche East offers more panoramic views of the mountains than other peaks - such as Island Peak. Arriving at Lobuche summit you can take in spectacular, panoramic and exhilarating views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Cholatse, Pumori, and other nearby peaks. Our time at the summit is spent taking photos and taking a short rest before descending back to Thukla. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

It might happen that we may not reach the summit as we planned due to bad or unfavorable weather conditions. Our main target is to successfully lead you to the summit of Lobuche Peak. Thus, we will spare a reserve day in case of bad weather or other unwanted situations. However, if everything goes smoothly, we can use this day to trek back on leisure.

After crossing the bridge, adorned with prayer flags, over the Dudh Koshi River the trail then traverses the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests. The path eventually reaches Sansa which is the major trail junction in the region. We can then appreciate the ravening splendor of Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Nuptse with every footstep. After a break for lunch, the trail hugs the mountainside before reaching Namche Bazaar and Kyangjuma, winding our way around several bends. We should keep a watchful eye for wild-life, such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants and other animals while passing through the forest. Once we pass a Chorten (Buddhist shrine), we reach the army camp at of Namche Bazaar. From here we can look back and absorb the beauty of Lhotse, the tip of Everest and Tengboche. After reaching our lodge we can take a nice hot shower and enjoy a relaxing night’s rest at Namche Bazaar. Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

The trail begins with a steep descent requiring we are careful with each step over this rocky landscape. We cross several suspension bridges over the rapid flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries. The trail then levels off and gets easier. The fresh mountain air fills your lungs and prepares you for what lies ahead.. Despite following the same route down we see things from another perspective. We pass through open plains, rhododendron and pine forests, and in the distance glimpse snow-covered peaks. As we walk through Sherpa villages we witness their devotion to their Buddhist faith and culture, prayer stones and prayer flags while we stroll through the villages. On arrival in Lukla, we stretch our aching legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. As we conclude our trek, filled with unforgettable memories, beaming with joy, with everyone back safe and sound and smiles on their face! Breakfast, lunch & dinner included.

We fly back to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. The early morning flight drops us at Kathmandu. You can rest and relax throughout the day in your hotel. If get interested to take some gifts home from Nepal for friends and relatives, visit some nearby shops or venture out in Thamel for typical Nepalese goods which can be assisted by our guides or you can do it yourself too. If you want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu take the time to do that today! Remember, we will be hosting a fantastic celebration dinner together for successfully completing a really adventurous and magnificent journey into the mountains. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Included.

Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. A representative from Sherpa Expedition and Trekking will take you to the airport approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home you'll have plenty of time to plan your next adventure in this wonderful mountainous country of Nepal. Breakfast included.