Island Imja Tse Peak Climbing - 17 days

Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day resting and preparing for the upcoming climb. In the evening, there will be a briefing session with your climbing guide who will provide you with essential information and conduct an equipment check.

Today, you will embark on a guided sightseeing tour of Kathmandu, exploring its UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as Pashupatinath Temple, Boudhanath Stupa, and Kathmandu Durbar Square. In the afternoon, you will have free time to make any last-minute preparations and purchase any necessary gear for the climb.

Take an early morning flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, a small town in the Everest region. After a scenic 30-minute flight, you will begin your trek to Phakding, a picturesque village situated at an elevation of 2,652 meters (8,700 feet). The trail offers stunning views of the Dudh Koshi River and lush green landscapes.

Today's trek takes you to Namche Bazaar, a bustling Sherpa town and the gateway to Everest. The trail passes through beautiful rhododendron forests, crosses suspension bridges, and offers magnificent views of Everest and other surrounding peaks. Namche Bazaar is located at an altitude of 3,440 meters (11,286 feet) and provides an excellent acclimatization opportunity.

To adjust to the increasing altitude, you will spend an extra day in Namche Bazaar. You can explore the local market, visit the Sherpa Museum, or take a short hike to the nearby Everest View Hotel, which offers panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam.

Leaving Namche Bazaar, the trail descends to the Dudh Koshi River and then ascends through forests filled with pine and juniper trees. You will reach Tengboche, home to the famous Tengboche Monastery, one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in the Everest region. The monastery offers stunning views of Everest, Nuptse, and other peaks.

The trail continues through rhododendron and birch forests, passing small villages and prayer wheels along the way. You will trek to Dingboche, a beautiful village located at an altitude of 4,410 meters (14,469 feet). Dingboche offers spectacular views of the surrounding peaks, including Lhotse and Island Peak.

Another acclimatization day is essential for a successful climb. You can take a short hike to Nagarjun Hill or Chhukung, both of which provide panoramic views of the Himalayas. Use this day to relax, acclimatize, and prepare for the challenging climb ahead.

The walk is pleasant as we leave Dingboche through stone walled fields and alpine landscape. We take the trial from Dingboche through Imja Khola valley to land raven by glacier moraines amidst towering formidable mountains. We walk leisurely as our schedule for today is only 2 to 3 hours. While walking through the valley, Lhotse towers on our left and Ama Dablam on our right. After walking about 3 km, we reach at yak herdsman’s place called Bibre. Straight ahead, beyond a terminal moraine wall, soars the Island peak (Imja Tse), a most popular trekking peak. The pyramidal Imja Tse looks awesome with its step rock and-icy south face. The trail ahead is intersected by icy streams. We reach Chukung in about half an hour from Bibre. There are glaciers and massive snowy mountains all around the place. We might choose to hike to the rocky knoll of Chukung Ri which offers stunning views of Lhotse, Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Makalu and several others including Barun Tse. Overnight at Chukung.

On The following day, we trek towards our destination for the trek, Island Peak. Leaving Chukung, we have steep ascend towards the south and then turn east to enter the main line of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside which lead us to the big rock. At this point, the route to the Amphu Lapcha Pass stretches on the southeast direction; however, we head the trail on the north. A crisscross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the South-West side of Island Peak. After this we finally reach the valley where we set our camp for the day. The base camp presents the magnificent view of the southwestern face of Island peak. The night is spent in a tented camp at the base camp.

Today after the breakfast, our Island Peak Climbing Adventure begins. It is possible to make the Island Peak summit with no prior climbing experience (assuming sufficient physical fitness), but having past climbs under your belt will make you a stronger and more confident climber. You’ll enjoy the summit more if you aren’t quite so anxious about the actual climbing! Staff will give you hands-on training on the use of implements like the ice axe and climbing boot, and demonstrate moving up and down on ropes.

To boost up your confidence, our guides will provide training on peak climbing techniques and the proper ways of using climbing gears such as the ice axe, climbing boots and crampons, harness, ascender, etc. The training will also include using ropes to go up and down. Usually we will be climbing on rock surface for up to around 5770 meter. After that, we climb on ice and use ropes when necessary. However, the use of the rope and the length depends upon the season and the crevasses. We can spend the rest of the day hiking to high camp and back or resting for the next day’s climb. Island peak High Camp is max 1 and half hours from Base camp.  Overnight camping at the base camp.

Today is the most challenging and rewarding day of the expedition. Start the summit push in the early hours of the morning, equipped with climbing gear and under the guidance of your experienced climbing guide. The final section involves traversing glaciers and negotiating steep slopes leading to the summit of Island Peak. From the summit, standing at 6,189 meters (20,305 feet), you will be rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and other surrounding peaks. Descend back to the base camp.

After such and adventurous climb on the previous day, you will find today’s trail very convenient. The trail descend down to the lower altitude and you will have a pleasant walk through out the route. We trek through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, passing through the beautiful Sherpa villages Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different trail to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region or take the regular trail to reach Pangboche. Pangboche is a scenic village surrounded by Everest to its north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtega to the east, the Kongde range to the south and the Imja Tse River flowing through the wide fertile valley. Overnight stay at Pangboche.

From Pangboche we retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sansa. We keep a lookout for wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while passing through the forest. After passing a chorten, we reach the army camp at Namche Bazaar.  Overnight in Namche Bazaar.

Today's trek takes you back to Lukla, where you will celebrate the successful completion of your Island Peak climbing expedition with your climbing team. Enjoy a farewell dinner and share stories and memories of your adventure in the Himalayas.

Take an early morning flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, enjoying the final views of the mountains before departing the Everest region. Upon reaching Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel, where you can rest and reflect on your remarkable journey.

After a wonderful adventure in Nepal, it's time to say goodbye. You will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight, carrying unforgettable memories of your Island Peak climbing expedition.