SOLU-KHUMBU TO EVEREST BASE CAMP VIA PIKE HILL & CHO-LA PASS

On arrival at Kathmandu and Nepal International Airport, received by our guides and staff for short transfer to your hotels in the hub of Kathmandu city.

Checking your lovely room, and after a refreshing rest join with other members of Pike Hill Trekking. Our guide or group leader brief you about the treks, do’s and don’ts, local culture, as well camping, foods and of lodges on route trek.

A full good information which will help to enjoy your adventure with us, followed with welcome group dinner in a Nepalese restaurant with folk-culture program as entertainment while you enjoy the dinner.

Morning after breakfast at given time, our city guide will meet for interesting sightseeing of best world heritage sites around Kathmandu.

Tour includes old Durbar (royal palace and courtyard) square, with Temple of Kumari (Living young virgin Goddess). Visit famous Nepal landmark Swayambhunath Stupa a 2,500 years old, a Buddhist Stupa with all seeing eyes of Lord Buddha. Afternoon tour of holy Hindu Temple of Pashupatinath and visit Bouddhanath, Asia’s largest Stupa with four cardinals eyes of Buddha surrounded with prayer wheels and small market, this place is also known as Little Tibet due to strong Tibetan influence.

After an exciting day tour back to hotel for Solu-Khumbu to Everest Base Camp via Pike Hill & Cho-La Pass Trekking preparation and last minute briefing from our leader and guide.

Morning transfer to Kathmandu domestic airport and board in a small aircraft. The plane model either Twin-Otter, Dornier or similar, as flight takes off enjoy grand panorama of Himalayan range with beautiful landscapes.
On landing at small airstrip in Phaplu around the district of Solu, a short walk to a nice lodge for overnight stop at Phaplu.
Rest of the day free to explore around this lovely village and witness the local culture, the village populated by Sherpa people. The main tribe of Everest and
Eastern Himalaya with some mixed hill people the Kirat Rai, Magar, Tamang with few Hindu Bharamins and Chettries, as well Newar.

Enjoying a pleasant overnight stop in Phaplu with warm hospitality of the Sherpa community, after having good breakfast. First day trek begins on gradual winding path with short climb past farm areas and villages facing distant views of snow peak. As walk progress with short refreshing stops with time to observe rural farm life, where few group of trekkers seldom pass through this remote villages and on this off beaten trail. Walk heads further west to Jampre for overnight stop, a moderate size farm village with time to explore around this nice village.

From Jampre, our second day walk heads towards our main destination around Pike Hill. As walk continues on leaving farm villages and main human settlements, towards complete wilderness within lovely forest surroundings.
Beautiful woodland covered in rhododendron-magnolia-oaks-hemlocks-pines and fir trees. Slowly walk takes you at Pike Hill Base Camp, a summer pasture for local cattle with temporary huts and shades of cattle herders.
The base camp houses small simple lodge serving simple basic Nepalese or Sherpa meals for dinner. Due to its remote location and hardly gets visitors once in a while, but slowly getting popular as few lodges has been established to cater the needs of travelers.

Early morning before crack of dawn carrying pack lunch start walk with long climb of near two hours. As the trail winds up through lovely forest of tall rhododendron, oaks, pines and fir trees. Finally climb ends on top Pike Hill, the highest spot of the adventure at 4,302 m high.
Enjoy mind-blowing panorama of Himalayan peaks along with striking sunrise that glows on top highest Mt. Everest and other array of peaks.
From the top of Pike Hill views of Ganesh-Langtang with Jugal Himal range includes Mt. Gaurishankar-Melung Tse-Numbur and Makalu towards north and far-east. After a wonderful moment enjoying grand panorama of Himalayan range, then head downhill to base camp and continue walk towards Loding a nice farm village for overnight stop.

On completing our main highlight, climb to Pike Hill morning walk from Loding village on gradual trail with few short ups and down. As route leads to cool coniferous forest with last final climb of the day on reaching Junbesi, a large Sherpa village. An interesting village enriched with age-old culture of Buddhist heritage. At Junbesi the lodge is much better as this village located on the main trail of Jiri to Everest.

Morning enjoy view of Numbur peaks, as walk follows up past few farm areas to Syalang Danda, a nice spot with few shops and tea-house. From here catch first glimpse of Mt. Everest and Khumbu Himal in the north direction.

After a refreshing stop, a long descend to a river and then climb to Ringmo village a lovely place for lunch stop. Afternoon climb lead through nice forest of rhododendron and pine trees then on top of Takshindo-La Pass.

From the Takshindo-La Pass enjoy the views of Khumbu Himal, and then short walk down through Takshindo village with an impressive monastery. As walks continues downhill to Nunthala a large village with many good lodges for overnight stop.

From Nunthala, the village also called Manidingma of mixed tribes of hill people with Sherpa, Magar, Kirat Rai with some Hindu Bharamins and Chettries.
Morning after a nice breakfast start the day with downhill past small patch of forest and farm village to the bottom close to Dudh Kosi River.

Crossing the bridge with slow climb past Jubing a small farm settlement, as walk continues up to a large village of Khare-Khola. From here cross over a bridge with few hour steep climb to Bupsa, a small settlement located on top of a ridge with few simple lodges facing grand views of surrounding beautiful landscapes.

From Bupsa a slow and steady walk reaches high Khumbu area where the temperature gets cooler as the walk continues through mixed alpine forest.
Walk leads over Kharte Dande pass at 3,880 m high, way above Dudh Kosi River and then reaching at Puiyan (Paya) village at 2,800 m high a nice place in the midst of forest.
From Puiyan after having lunch leading on a winding trail with views of Lukla town and its airstrip, then descends to Surkhe village for overnight stop in Khumbu area.

Morning walk leads close to Lukla on reaching at Choplung village, where trail from Lukla and Jiri joins, from here to Phakding for overnight stop after walking past villages and farm lands then reaching Phakding village near to Dudh Kosi River.

Today walk to famous Namche Bazaar following Dudh Kosi River and crossing over
a bridge to Monjo village then enter Sagarmatha National Park, a name for
Everest in Nepal, Sherpa knows as Chomolungma, from here into river valley
within forested area. From the river bed climb starts to cross a last high bridge,
and then on winding and scenic trail to Namche Bazaar a place with nice hotels,
lodges with many shops and stores as well banks and ATM facilities with views of
snow peaks.

Enjoy rest day on this lovely place at Namche, the free day for acclimatization
before heading towards higher altitude. Various places and view-points for short
as well visit the museum, situated on a hill top above Namche Bazaar offers grand
views of Everest, Amadablam, Kwangde, with Thermasarkhu and range of peaks.

After a wonderful time and rest days at Namche Bazaar, morning starts with short climb above Namche Bazaar, then on gradual winding path towards Thame.
As walk continues with short steep climb to a large village of Thamo, a place with hydro power that supplies electricity around major villages of Khumbu area.

Having a refreshing stop at Thamo, few hours of good walk reaches you at sleepy quant village in Thame for overnight stop in a nice small lodge. At Thame visit the old monastery of great cultural and religious interest, one of the oldest Gompa or monastery around Khumbu region.

From Thame our route leads towards north east within arid and barren windswept country, as walk proceeds to cross Bhote Kosi River that flows downstream from Tibet. A slow gradual climb brings you to a small wind-blown small village at Marlung for overnight stop either in small simple lodge or tented camps.

Morning walk towards Lungden on route Gokyo and Renjo-La pass, as climb starts on steep slope past few temporary shelters of Yak herder camps, facing grand views of Kwangde peak towards south with Pachermo peak in the west.
After a long hours of steady climb brings you at a small settlement in Lungden, a place with few small lodges for overnight stops. Lungden situated close on route to Tibet border and towards Gokyo and Renjo-La Pass

Start early morning carrying pack lunch, as walk follows uphill on grassy slopes after few hours of good climb reaching near a rocky area with few small icy ponds.
Having short rest, continue last hour climb to the top of Renjo-La.

From the top enjoy breathtaking panorama of mountain range that surrounds you overlooking views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse and Cho-Oyu with Mt. Makalu.
After a glorious moments enjoying the super views, a steep descend reaches you at the southern bank of Gokyo 3rd lake. Walk continues for short while reaching at Gokyo close to its simmering lake, the main lakes of Gokyo valley, also called Dudh Pokhari like the river Dudh Kosi, which means milky due to chalk white color fed from nearby Ngozumpa glacier. Walk up to the lodge located above the lake, with excellent views of Mt. Cho Oyo world 6th highest with Gyachung Kang a tall peak at above 7,000 m. The Snow Mountains reflects on the surface of calm lake, which makes a beautiful and attractive picture.

Rest and free day on this beautiful spot with option for early morning steep climb of few hours to Gokyo-Ri. Offers magnificent panorama of world’s four highest peaks. Namely Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Cho-Oyu and Mt. Makalu with array of high towering peaks, includes grand vista of Gokyo valley and the lakes with Ngozumpa the longest glacier around Nepal Himalaya.

A slow morning as today is a short walk to Thagnak, after breakfast walk to the base of Cho-la pass at Thagnak for overnight halt. Route leads past Gokyo 2nd and 1st Lakes towards a small settlement at Na. From here another hour of good walk takes you at Thagnak. Rest of the afternoon at leisure and preparation for the last high Cho-La Pass.

Start the climb having early breakfast and carrying simple pack lunch, as walk heads uphill on rocky path in between boulders of rocks. As climb continues then reach on top Cho-La, the pass festooned with many prayer flags and stone cairn as a marker of the pass. Sometime the top is covered with deep snow, having rest to enjoy the surrounding close views of nearby peaks of Cholatse, Nirekha and Taboche. Enjoy the picnic pack.

On leaving Dzongla, morning a short climb to a ridge top, and then walk on nice gradual up, where trail from Pheriche and Dingboche joins. As walk proceeds
to Lobuche for overnight stop. Located on a corner of a wide valley with number of good lodges, facing view of Nuptse and Lobuche peaks.

From Lobuche morning starts on pleasant path within a wide valley, then short climb to reach in the mid-way to interesting metrological station and Everest base camp. For interested people can take a tour of Glass Pyramid which is a metrological station, a joint venture of Italian and Nepalese scientists, here to record weather and movement of ice and glaciers.
After an interesting visit continue walk above moraine and ice with view of Khumbu glacier below from the trail, a short descend to wide open field of Gorakshep, a place with few lodges. Gorakshep at one time an original Everest base camp. From here with short rest adventure lead towards highlight as route menders over moraine and rocks to Everest base camp and close within massive Khumbu Ice Falls and glaciers.
Enjoy wonderful time at Everest base camp, then return back to Gorakshep for overnight stop in one of its nice lodge.

Early morning options for climb of few hours to the Kalapathar hill top, offers closest views of Mt. Pumori and Mt. Everest. A steep climb to the highest spot of the adventure at 5,644 m / 18, 517 feet.
After a scenic moment descend to Gorakshep and continue walk back to Lobuche, as walk reach a small place at Thugla, where our route diverts down to Pheriche windy valley towards a nice settlement of Pheriche with many good lodges quite similar location to Dingboche. Enjoy lunch stop and then head down to Pangboche village for overnight stop.

Another long day walk to Namche Bazaar but much easier as altitude drops every hour and then. From Pangboche descend to a bridge and then a climb for an hour or more to Tengboche Monastery. A beautiful spot one of the highlight of Khumbu surrounded by array of snow peaks with view of Everest and majestic Ama Dablam. At Tengboche short tour of the monastery and carry on trekking downhill to Namche Bazaar for overnight stop.

Enjoy last day walk of the adventure, as morning leads to long descend and cross a long suspension bridge over Dudh Kosi River and then follow the river past Monjo to Phakding village. As walk continues past Ghat and Tade-Kosi small villages. From a small village where Solu trail joins, last final climb for an hour to Lukla town, and then check into a nice lodge at Lukla for last final stop around high Khumbu and Everest region with afternoon free for short walks and browse around Lukla town.

Morning short walk to Lukla Tenzing & Hillary airport with a short airstrip suitable for STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) aircraft. As plane arrives from Kathmandu or Lukla, then board on the airplane for exciting flight of less than 30 minutes.
During air-borne enjoy grand panorama of Himalayan range, as plane lands at Kathmandu airport. On reaching Kathmandu airport transfer back to your hotels with afternoon free at leisure for shopping souvenirs and handicrafts.

A free day as contingency, in case of unfavorable bad weather that might lead to delay or flight cancellation in Lukla. As Himalayan weather can be unpredictable sometimes even in best time of the year. If all goes well as per our standard itinerary, one can relax or join or join in for another tour around Kathmandu-Patan or Bhaktapur or enjoy individual activities.

Last day in Nepal as per your international flight time, our staff and guide transfer you to the airport for homeward bound. After a great time and adventure on Solu-Khumbu to Everest base camp via Cho-La Pass Trekking.