The Khumbu or Everest region is the most popular trekking area in Nepal . It would probably be the most popular destination, but it is more difficult to get to Solu Khumbu than to the Annapurna area. Solu Khumbu is justifiably famous, not only for its proximity to the world's highest mountain (8848 metres), but also for its Sherpa villages and monasteries. The primary goal of an Everest trek is the Everest Base Camp at an elevation of about 5545 meters or Kalapattar at 5360 meters or both.
One of the classic treks in Nepal , Everest Base Camp is most commonly visited as a two week trek starting and end at Lukla, the airport just to the south of Everest National Park .
During the trekking seasons there are numerous daily flights into and out of Lukla, weather permitting. The flight from Kathmandu , which takes around forty five minutes, passes over the fertile middle hills, with their scattered villages and terraced fields, with an amazing panorama of high Himalaya as a backdrop. Before long the mountains close in and you are sweeping down to land at the gateway to Everest-Lukla. Situated high above the banks of the Dudh Koshi River , which carries the melt water from Everest, Lukla provides a range of services, including accommodation but we will choose to start trekking as soon as we arrive and use Lukla as a final destination on our return.
From Likla we must take a gentle two days trek upto Dudh Koshi valley to reach Namche Bazzar in order to avoid altitude problems. There are plenty of tea houses along the way for the first night stop, Phakding (three hour walking from Lukla) and Monjo ( 5 hour from Lukla) are the most popular. Just beyond Monjo, we enter the Everest National Park at the Jorsalle check post. Here entry permits will be checked and the visitor's passport details recorded. The trail, which has been following the Dudh Koshi since Lukla, starts the ascent to Namchebazzar about one hour past jorsale.
Namche Bazzar, once a small village but since grown in size to accommodate the influx of trekkers, is the unofficial capital of the Sherpas. It was once an important trading center on the route from Tibet to Nepal but has now been largely given over to catering for the needs of trekkers. There is a multiple of tea houses, equipments shops , curio sellers, restaurants and even cyber cafes that make just about anything the trekker could need, available albeit at a higher price than in Kathmandu. For acclimatization reasons, trekker must spend two nights in or around Namche. Which gives the opportunity to explore some of the less developed and more traditional villages in the area.
One of the nicest destinations for the acclimatization day is to walk to Thame, home of many famous mountaineering Sherpas, including Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of Everest fame. Often Danfe( Impeyan Pheasant) and Himalayan Tahr can be seen along this trail. The round trip is quite a hard day's walk taking a minimum of eight hours. An option would be to stay the night at one of the teahouses at Thame and retrace your steps the next day. While at Thame, be sure to visit the Buddhist monastery , which is located on the hill side about a thirty minute walk above the village. The valley to the north of Thame leads to Tibet via the Nangpa La, the pass traditionally used by Sherpa and Tibetan traders. The valley top the west of Thame leads to the Trashi Laptsa pass and the Rolwaling Valley .
Easier options for passing the acclimatization day can be found by visiting the twin Sherpa villages of Khumjung and Khunde , which are about a two 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.
Moving on from Namche Bazar the trail follows the valley of the Imja Khola with some spectacular views of the mountains including Thamserku. Kangtega and Ama Dablam and dominating the skyline ahead, Everest and Lhotse . The most common night stop after Namche is at the top of the steep climb from the Imja Khola, at Tengboche . This is the site of one of the most significant Buddhist monasteries in Solukhumbu a visit is well recommended. Tours of the monastery are conducted each afternoon. If the teahouse and campsites at Tyangboche are full, a common occurrence in the main season, then more lodging can be found a further thirty minutes along the trail at Dingboche . The ramshackle nunnery, at Dingboche makes an interesting side trip.
Following the Imja Khola from Tyangboche the trekking routes climbs gradually through Pangboche and emerges above the tree line. Eventually, after a long day's trek, you reach the next night's stop at either Pheriche or Dingboche . Here another rest/acclimatization day should be taken with an attractive day trip being the Chhukung, around three hour walk above Dingboche. The mountain panorama around Chhukung is nothing short of amazing with the massive south face of Lhotse rearing above it to the north and ring of lesser peaks surrounding it.
From Dingboche or Pheriche it takes another six hour of trekking to reach the cluster of teahouses at Lobuche sited on the lateral moraine of the Khumbu glacier . Above Lobuche it is another three hours walk to the settlement on the trail at Gorak shep . Here a few basic teahouses provide shelter for the night before undertaking the final leg of the trek up the glacier to Everest Base Camp. Above Gorak Shep rises the well-known land mark of Kalapattar . A climb of two to three hours will reward the trekker with marvelous vista. Barely eight kilometers to the east is the summit of Everest and just to the north is Pumori, arguably one of the most beautiful mountains to be found anywhere.
The trek along the glacier to base camp can take up to five hours depending on the trail conditions. Care should be taken while traveling here, as route finding can be a problem and there is always the risk of falls on the ice. There are no facilities at base camp (expeditions are generally reluctant to entertain visiting trekkers) so it is important to make sure that you have food and drinks for the return trip. Descending from base camp, most trekkers will reach at least Lobuche, if not further, by Night fall.
The return trek to Lukla basically follows the upward route but rest days are obviously not necessary. The route can be varied, to make the return more interesting, by diverting through upper Pangboche and returning to Namche via Phortse, Mongla and Khumjung . Pangboche, which has a few teahouses and campsites, is an interesting place to spend a night. The monastery here is one of the oldest in Solukhumbu and also has Yeti relics. Khumjung would make an interesting alternative stopping place to Namche Bazar. If trekker wished to avoid the hustle and bustle of the bazaar.If you haven't arranged for somebody to reconfirm your flight out of Lukla for you, be sure to reach there as early as possible on the day before departure in order to make sure that your seat doesn't disappear. Arriving in Lukla on the day of departure is inviting a lost seat.
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Nepal
