Gokyo Renjo La Pass Trek 12 days

Fly to Lukla with a 40 minutes scenic mountainous flight, then trek for 4 hours to Phakding on almost down and flat easy trail passing dotted scattered Sherpa village and inscriptive Mani stones has mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” means Hail to the jewel in the Lotus.

Trek small ascends and descends to the entry point of Everest National Park headquarters and then to Jorsale for lunch break. After lunch, we trek all steep uphill to Namche bazzar, the gateway to Everest. In the middle of the hill there is a vantage point that provides our first view of Mt Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse.

There are different options acclimatize day hiking in Namche bazzar. One option you can walk to National park head quarter above Namche where there is a mini museum of flora and fauna, the view from there is very wonderful includes Mt. Everest, AmaDablam and Thamserku. Next option is trekked to Everest view hotel, then back to Namche bazzar via Khumjung village visiting Hillary school.

Breakfast and walk on the mail trail to Everest Base Camp for short time, and then leaving the main trail we have seen progressively fewer trekkers and locals and the relative isolation of the trail is a pleasure. Sections of red birch, fir and dwarf rhododendron forest are interspersed with areas of yak pasture as we gradually gain altitude to Dole. We pass pleasant waterfalls and sit to gaze at the glaciers that flow from Taweche and Cholatse on the opposite side of the valley.

Trek to Gokyo village following the valley high above the river. There are excellent views of Cholatse at the village of Pangka and we stop to enjoy them. Then trek onto the moraine and rock that extends down from it, enjoying the excellent views of Kantega to the south and Cho Oyu to the north. Once we have ascended the snout of the glacier the path levels. We pass the first of the lakes, Longpongo, before reaching the second, Taoche Lake, a larger body of water and a place where ducks are often seen swimming in the freezing waters. As we walk up the valley our path parallels the Ngozumpa Glacier and separating us from the glacier is the massive lateral moraine where the Gokyo is existed.

Wake up early in the morning to climb Gokyo peak for the panoramic Himalayas views of Everest and Cho Oyu and overlooks Ngozuma glacier and Gokyo Lake.

Today crossing the Renjo La Pass will be exciting and challenging. We descend into a remote northern valley where the landscape is progressively that of the Tibetan Valleys beyond the border. There is a chance we will meet Tibetan traders descending from the Nangpa La pass. This is an ancient trading route that leads through the Himalayas from Tibet. Traders still use this route today with their caravans of woolly yaks laden with goods.

We turn south and down valley towards Lukla for our return to Kathmandu. But there are Sherpa villages to be explored as we descend the gorge. We will spend the night at the village of Thame with its spectacular monastery.

We return to civilization and no doubt there will be earnest celebration of a challenging but satisfying expedition, the likes of which has been enjoyed by very few people, lunch at Namche and continue trek to Manjo.

The trail takes us down the Dudh Kosi valley to Lukla airstrip for the flight back to Kathmandu. This is a time to reflect on the past days and an unforgettable journey we have undertaken into the high Himalaya. Our last evening of the trek is a good time to have a small party for all the team, especially the porters who will return to their villages from here. There is usually lots of music, dancing and singing

This morning we fly to Kathmandu, a thrilling flight over forests, fields and villages, with the Himalaya in the background. On arrival, we transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure, a good time for last minute shopping or sightseeing.