Lhotse Expedition - 51 days

Arrive in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. Meet your trekking guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Spend the day exploring the vibrant streets of Kathmandu and preparing for the trek. Overnight stay in Kathmandu.

We will organize a team meeting where you will meet fellow climbers and team leaders. Expert veteran climbers will brief you about the nature of the expedition, equipment, and team composition. You can purchase any personal items that you might need in your stay at the Himalayas. Experts will check the stuff you have brought along to see if they are feasible and in good working condition or not. If the equipment doesn’t match the standard, you might have to replace them with new ones.

We will fly to Lukla from Kathmandu on an adventurous flight. The Tenzing Hillary Airport is one of the smallest airports in the world with just 527m of a runaway. The thrilling start is the perfect start to the trip. From Lukla, we will start our trek to Pkhading. The well-marked trail moves above the Dudh Kosi valley until you reach the village of Phakding.

On this day, we will have our breakfast at Phakding and then gear up for the trek to Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar was once a small village but since grown in size to accommodate the influx of trekkers, and now is the unofficial capital of the Sherpas. It was once an important trading centre on the route from Tibet to Nepal but has now been largely given over to catering for the needs of trekkers.

Our trail takes us first over the Dudh Koshi River via a long suspension bridge, and then through a beautiful pine forest to Monjo, about two hours away. Soon thereafter, we will approach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park for a brief permit check and then descend to Dudh Koshi River (spotting Mani stones along the way!) en route to Jorsale. Lunch will be served here, and then it’s uphill to Namche. Our path along the riverbank is flanked by two crossings, one of which is the Hillary Suspension Bridge. It’s a tough climb up the hill to our resting place, but you’ll be rewarded in Namche Bazaar with your first glimpse of Everest in its majesty. For acclimatization, we suggest you to spend 2 nights in or around Namche.

On the following day, we will take a well-deserved rest to acclimatize, which gives the opportunity to explore some of the less developed and more traditional villages in the area. There’s an optional 2 hour hike to Everest View Point, an uphill walk that will help speed acclimatization. You can also check out the Sherpa museum for an overview of the Sherpa culture and history of mountaineering. On Saturdays, the Local Market is open for trading and an intimate look at the locals’ marketplace. It is part of the larger Namche Bazaar, a shopping hub filled with all manner of trekking and mountaineering clothing and equipment. Easier options for passing the acclimatization day can be found by visiting the twin Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Khunde, which are about a 2 hour walk above Namche. While in Khunde, visit the hospital, which was established and funded by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust. Khumjung monastery is interesting as being the store place of one of the alleged Yeti scalps that are to be found in the region. Having Tea/Coffee in Everest view hotel and enjoy with gorgeous view of Mt. Everest and Amadablam is other attractions having one day free in Namche Bazaar.

Moving on from Namche Bazaar the trail follows the valley of the Imja Khola with some spectacular views of the mountains including Thamserku, Kangtega, Nuptse, Lhotse, Kwangde and Ama Dablam and dominating the skyline ahead, Everest and Lhotse. The most common night stop after Namche is at the top of a steep climb from the Imja Khola, at Tengboche. Continuing our walk, a short drop takes us to the riverside, then it’s across the river upwards through the forest pass. Brace your legs for a continual uphill trek at this point, alternating between a gradual grade and some seriously steep ground. Tengboche is known as one of the most beautiful places in the Everest region. Its views, which include Ama Dablam, are legendary. We’ll stop in on the Tengboche monastery, which is one of the largest in Khumbu. Nourish your spirit with a guided tour of the monastery grounds, followed by chanting and prayer with the resident Buddhist monks. This is the site of one of the most significant Buddhist Monastery in Solukhumbu Region and a visit is well recommended.

After breakfast, we start our trek down to Dingboche village through the rhododendron forest and crossing the bridge over the raging Imja Khola. We’ll pass the valley wall and then traverse the plains to Pangboche village, the biggest settlement of Sherpas in the region. Enjoy a great opportunity to observe a typical Sherpa village and have lunch with the locals. The intrepid can brave a brief hike to the Pangboche monastery, one of the oldest in the area. Our afternoon trek will be a difficult one, as the landscape gives way to dry; deserted mountains and we hike towards Dingboche. Dingboche is also the gateway to Chukung Village and Island peak.

Today is another rest day for the acclimatization. Savor a full day of exploring Dingboche and the surrounding valleys of Chukung and Imja, the latter of which links with Island Peak, the high passes of Amphu Laptsa, and Makalu Barun National Park. The view is awesome as the mountain like Thamserku, Khangtega, Taboche, Cholache as well as Mt. Amadablam are shinning in front of our eyes. Taking an optional trek to the valleys will pay off in rewarding views, but taking it easy is the most important thing today. You’ll need your rest for the penultimate day of ascent tomorrow

After the breakfast, we start our walk. Trek will gradually becomes challenging from here due to higher altitude. We’ll pass Dungla, but not before a tough, steep walk to the top of a high hill. Here are the memorial stupas dedicated to the climbers and trekkers who lost their lives to Everest over the years. The next part of our adventure brings over craggy mountain terrain to Lobuche, a small settlement with amazing views of Mt. Lobuche, Mt. Pumari and the Nuptse. Prepare to snuggle up for a cold night, as we are now almost three miles above sea level and the evenings can be downright chilly.

We start our trek early from Lobuche to Everest Base Camp via Gorak Shep and Kalapathar. After breakfast, we will trek up the rocky moraine path above the valley. We can view the frozen pond and icebergs of the Khumbu Glacier. A short downhill trek will lead you to Gorak Shep. Gorak Shep is the original location where Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set up their Camps. A gradual walk in a rocky path and an uphill climb for half an hour will bring you to Kalapathar. A panoramic view of the Himalayan range awaits you in Kalapathar. We will take a break and snap as many pictures as we can. The view Mt Everest in a stunning closeup along with Mt Nuptse and Mt Lho-la will captivate you. The breathtaking view of the snow capped mountains is a memory that you will cherish for a lifetime.

We will resume our trek after a break to Everest Base Camp. The trail passes through ice pinnacles and crevasses of the Khumbu Glacier. The Everest Base Camp will be bustling with fellow climbers from various other expedition teams. The colorful tents on a backdrop of white snow mountains are a thing of beauty. We will set up our tents and accommodate ourselves. This place is going to be our home for the next couple of months.

The second phase of the acclimatization phase begins with the rotation of higher camps. After completing the acclimatization, retrace back to base camp and wait for the perfect weather window.

For the acclimatization, please note that the acclimatization program may differ during the expedition period as each climber adapts differently to an altitude. Your expedition leader will suggest you the best as per your conditions.

In general, our acclimatization program includes overnight at Camp 2 and tag the Lhotse Face/Camp 3. When this is done, we rest and recover at the base camp while waiting for the weather window for the summit attempt. 

We will descend to the village of Pheriche. The trek will be naturally faster as we will be trekking downhill. We will have an elevation change of almost 1000m. Such a considerable elevation change would not have been possible if we were acceding. We will rest and spend the night at Periche.

We will be descending an incredible 20 km on the trek from Periche to Namche Bazaar. The most extended trek of our journey is effortless because we will be descending mostly. As we go downhill, the oxygen levels increase, and we will be able to breathe more naturally, and altitude sickness will gradually disappear. We will pass through many landmarks like the Tengboche monastery and others to reach Namche Bazaar. A hot shower and wifi await you at Namche. You will stay at Namche Bazaar for the night.

We descend from Namche Bazaar and will have lunch in Monjo, where we finally leave Sagarmatha National Park again. If the weather is clear, take plenty of photos of your final views of the great peaks we’ve enjoyed so much along the way, including Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. After trekking down from Monjo, we reach to Phakding.

Today you will take an easy and beautiful walk through the blue pine and Rhododendron forests with the views of Kusum Kanguru and Mt. Kwangde. After taking lunch in Lukla, it is advisable to take a look at the small village of Lukla. You can explore the city visiting the local “School of Thangka Painting” and see the beautiful religious paintings as well. Overnight stay at hotel.

In the morning, you’ll hop a brief flight from Lukla to Kathmandu, where your journey both began and ends. The flight to Kathmandu from Lukla usually takes 30minutes. You’ll transfer to your hotel upon landing for some much-needed solo rest and reflection after your trek conquering the Himalayas. In Kathmandu the day is yours. Enjoy strolling or ambling round the tourist hub. Or you can go for Sightseeing with your guide. Overnight stay in the hotel.

You will have a free day in Kathmandu. You can go last minute shopping or relax in Thamel, which is a tourist hub in Kathmandu. A celebratory dinner in the evening will mark the successful end of the expedition.

We will drop you at the international airport well on time (3 hours before departure) to catch your flight. If you wish to explore more of the Himalayas expedition do get in touch with us. We will be more than happy to organize a trip for you.