Gokyo Valley Trek via Chola Pass

Kathmandu looks amazing from the window of the airplane: dotted settlements amidst green hills. As your flight descends to the airport, you will be overwhelmed by the scenic glimpse of the myriad of houses scattered randomly over a plateau.

Outside the airport, one of our airport representatives will be waiting to greet you with a warm smile and Namaste. Subsequently, he will escort you towards your hotel, where you may ease up your jet-lagged body. In case you feel good to ramble around, Basantapur Durbar Square lies within walking distance. If required, you may shop some trekking gear in the markets of Thamel.

Visiting the sites in Kathmandu Valley is like wandering in the medieval period.” Thousands admire. Over 10 architectural marvels (7 of which are listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites) within the valley speak how true the statement is in itself.

On this day, although we won’t be able to enfold your visit to all these sites, we will take you to the best sites among the best. Pashupatinath Temple (Golden Temple) is religiously popular; Swayambhunath (believed to have emerged from the ground) is a vantage point of Kathmandu valley; Boudhanath stupa (massive mandala) is famous for its spherical architecture; Patan Durbar Square (royal palace of Malla Kings) is built in Newari Style architecture. These historical splendors are simply incredible to gaze on.

The adventure kicks off as soon as you step onto the flight destined for Lukla. The airplane takes you above the beautiful mountainous panorama parallel to pleasantly intoxicating clouds. Nothing looks so beautiful, so to speak. As you land in one of the most dangerous airports (shortest runway) in the world, the bustling trekkers crowd the arena. Soon after getting your backpack ready, you hit the road to Phakding.

After a short walk, your eye first strikes the ridge of mountains dominated by the Nupla Peak. It is a beautiful view, but nothing in front of the glaciers and mountains around Everest. For good luck, roll the prayer wheels. Walking for a while, you will cross a suspension bridge hanging over a mighty Dudhkoshi (Milky) river and subsequently follow the woods without any view. Lumding danda and waterfalls come to light on the way until you arrive at bustling Phakding, where you make a stay for the night.

Soon after leaving Phakding, you will come face to face with the invincible glacier walls of Thamserku (6618 m asl). Perhaps, this is the first Himalayan view of this trek. You will cross several suspension bridges dangling with the chilly winds and ascend towards Monjo. This trek is the least preferable among trekkers. After arriving at Monjo, you will descend toward Jorsalle, which is the entrance point to Sagarmatha National Park. The trail is squeezed between the dense woods, which makes this walk less interesting. As you come out of the forest, Namche comes into sight. After walking for a while, you will arrive at Namche, where you spend your night.

Namche is a perfect place to acclimatize. Offering several lodges, this region is famous for its markets. It is the major trading center of the Khumbu region and has a long trading history. This region is relatively warmer and equipped with all those modern amenities that a Himalaya could offer: Wifi, Banks, markets, etc.

On this day, you may hike to Khunde Hillary Hospital, named after one of the first Everest summiteers Sir Edmund Hillary. Later, as you head on towards Khumjung, you will pay a visit to the Khumjung Gompa and subsequently follow the trail that leads to a beautiful Mani wall (Longest in the Khumbu region). Then after having the first glimpse of Mt. Everest from Hotel Everest View, you will descend to Namche for an overnight stay.

Leaving early is always a good idea because, at the end of the day, you will have enough time to call on some of the staggering sites in Tengboche. After a short walk from Namche, you get to encounter Tenzing Norgay Memorial Stupa, which is located in a beautiful setting. Soon after that follows the viewpoint of some of the snowy giants namely Ama Dablam, Lhotse Shar, Taboche, Kangtega, and Thamserku. The view is spectacular.

Somewhere in the middle of the trek, you arrive at a fork, which splits the way towards different Himalayan villages including Tengboche. Some of those villages are popular among tourists, but you don’t go that way. Following the trail to Tengboche, as you come 2/3 of the way, you will see the first water-driven prayer wheels. Finally, you will arrive at Tengboche after a short ascent.

Make sure you pay a visit to Tengboche Monastery (aka Dawa Choling Gompa), which is the largest monastery in the Khumbu region and probably the best one to photograph.

Tengboche to Dingboche is also considered as one of the best hikes around the Everest region. The sight of the sun rising above the mountains is simply incredible, especially from the hill of Tengboche. Following several river crossings along wooden bridges and climbing large steps through colorful gateways, you will arrive at your lunch place. Take a rest for a while and then, continue your journey.

Along the way, you will come across several chortens and mani walls, probably all the time on your left. Your trail is constantly parallel to the Imja Khola. As you cross Orsho, you will turn right to arrive at Dingboche, where you spend your night.

On arriving at Dingboche, many trekkers begin to feel the effect of altitude. so, may you. Without acclimatizing if you continue your trek, the altitude sickness can be severe (even fatal). So, you will acclimatize in Dingboche.

As said ‘Climb high and sleep low’ is the best way to acclimatize, you will hike to the Nangkar Tshang during the day and descend to Dingboche for an overnight stay. However, the hike isn’t just for acclimatization; you will be able to observe a picturesque view of the Himalayas from there. Within a couple of distance from Dingboche, there lies a Nangkartshang gompa. This monastery is the heart of Dingboche. While you follow the trail that seems like a never-ending one, you will finally arrive at a point, from where Makalu, Chhopulu, Lhotse Shar, and Island Peak are visible.

Kicking off from the Dingboche, the curiosity to be on the base of Everest begins to pinch you throughout the trek. During the slog to Lobuche, the mountain scenarios startle your eye all the time. But soon after you cross the Dughla (Thukla) pass, you will arrive at a highland, where there is a memorial park for thousands of those who lost their lives while trying towards the pinnacle of Everest. The haze will make the far view quite transparent. You will push on until you arrive at Loboche for an overnight stay.

Lobuche to Gorakshep is a steep climb on a roughly straight trail. As you move, snowy mountains and glaciers are at a constant pace. Khumbu Glacier follows you up to Lobuche Pass (5110) while Lobuche Glacier just gives a peeking look on the way. As you come half the track to Gorakshep, you will witness a beautiful edgy rock pyramid (4970 m). Every step feels like running in a marathon. The air gets thinner and chilly as you soar higher and higher. At the end of the day, you will arrive at a junction where you turn left to make an appearance at Gorakshep.

When you make up to Gorakshep, the sun is yet to set. So, you make a head start towards Everest Base Camp to be under the shade of the world’s highest mountain. The sight at sunset is simply more phenomenal than that at sunrise. After spending quality time there, you descend towards Gorakshep for an overnight stay.

Today, you are going on one of the World’s most picturesque site (Kalapatthar). It is nothing but a large black rock. However, the view you see from this vantage point can’t be seen from anywhere in the world. This is the point from where gorgeous Everest rises above all else from the middle of giant Nuptse and Everest’s west shoulder. Pumori looks mind-blowing from the lower part of Kalapatthar. Make sure your camera battery is well charged. You can’t stop your arms from clicking random pictures around.

Then, you will head on towards Dzongla via the same track till Lobuche and then diverge to the other trail that leads to Gokyo. The walk is fairly easy as you are descending, but the icy atmosphere makes it quite harsh. For the night, you stay at Dzongla.

On this day, the trail first ascends towards Cho La Pass and then descends to Dragnag. The trail is windy and the heaps of snow all over the track make it difficult for you to climb. On coming close to the Cho La Pass, the danger of crevasses increases, and the trail becomes more slippery. Boots with crampons are highly recommended during this trek. When you make up to the top of Cho La, Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Cholatse give a breathtaking outlook.

Cho La to Dragnag is a risky trail because of the icy crossing. On the way, you will come across Cho La Phedi and finally make an appearance at Dragnag via Thangnak Kharka. This is not too long, but certainly a difficult one.

Today is an easy day trek because Gokyo is not too far from Dragnag. You will go past the Ngozumba glacier, which is the longest one in the Himalayas to make an appearance at Gokyo. Gokyo Lake is simply amazing there. Its turquoise and pristine outlook gives any wanderer a sense of contentment. It is so fresh and sublime that no eyes can reject its glamour. For the night, you will stay in one of the lodges in Gokyo.

Today, you will climb up to Gokyo Ri. Standing on the peak of Gokyo Ri, you can observe great Himalayan vistas including the snowy giants Mt. Everest and Manaslu. In addition to this, the beautiful turquoise water in Gokyo Lake seems amazing from this peak. The sight from this peak is admired by thousands and those who cannot make it up to the base camp but still want to make their Everest dream come true hike up to Gokyo Ri. By this, you can imagine how fascinating the glimpse is from the top of Gokyo Ri. At the end of the day, you will descend to Gokyo for an overnight stay.

Finally, it is time to return. There are three alternative routes to Namche, but we will follow the easiest and fastest route. For the first day, we stayed at Dole, which features few settlements and lodges for tourists. Most of the locals are into Buddhism. Chortens, prayer flags, and mani walls speak everything. On arriving at Dole, you may stroll around the Himalayan village of Dole. For the night, you a stay here.

On the 16th day, you finally get back to The heartland of Sherpas. Several stone steps and mani walls by the side feature this trail. Remember, descending along the stone steps puts more pressure on the knees than climbing up. As you descend lower and lower, you begin to feel the change in temperature as well as vegetation. You will go through Phortse Thanga to make an appearance at Namche. Namche comes visible within a short walk. For the night, you will stay there in one of the hotels.

Namche to Lukla is the same trail that we followed in our early trekking days. You will pass via Rhododendron Woods via Phakding to make an appearance at Lukla. Lukla is amazingly beautiful to spend your time in. Get your backpack ready for the next day’s flight to the capital.

The time has come to say goodbye to all the mountains and the amazing people you met throughout the trek. After 35 min flight, you will arrive at the bustling city of Kathmandu. Don’t miss the amazing souvenirs and handicrafts of Nepal. They are praised all over the world. Some of those most common among foreigners are Thangka Paintings, Singing Bowl, and Pashmina.

One beautiful song speaks everything about the last day. “Country roads take me home, to the place I belong”. Have a wonderful time ahead. We are waiting to see you again.