Lobuje Peak Climbing

After breakfast, we take the short flight from Kathmandu to Lukla at 2827m. Flight time is about 35 minutes to the airstrip Sir Edmund Hillary and the Sherpas built in the mid-1960s. After landing, we will have time to explore the village while the Sherpa crew sorts out and loads the trekking equipment.

In the afternoon, we begin the trek by descending towards the Dudh Kosi River, where we join the main trail to Namche Bazaar, just above Chaurikharka at 2713m. The walk is easy, and after passing through the small village of Ghat at 2550m, it’s a short walk to Phakding, where we’ll stay overnight.

From Phakding, we cross the river and head up the valley, where we’ll see porters from the south ferrying supplies to Namche. The trail is close to the river valley, and beautiful blue pine and rhododendron forests adorn the route. The scenery of the blooming trail is quite spectacular in the spring when the flowers are in full bloom.

We cross the Dudh Kosi at Benkar, where there are tantalizing glimpses of the snow peaks Kusum Kanguru (6369m) and Thamserku (6623m). From here, it is only a short walk to Monjo (2835m), where we arrive in time for lunch. We spend the night in Monjo and are free to explore the village in the afternoon. The day has been deliberately kept short to aid acclimatization, a critical process.

Today’s walking is a little more challenging and includes the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar. From Monjo, it is a short walk to the entrance of the National Park before we cross the Dudh Koshi to Jorsale at 2805m. The trek continues upstream on generally flat terrain, crossing back to the right bank to the confluence of the Bhote Kosi and Dudh Kosi rivers. It is here that we start the steep ascent to Namche Bazaar.

After crossing a large, stable suspension bridge high above the river, we slowly and steadily climb uphill towards Namche. There are some fantastic photographic opportunities as the peaks of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and Taweche (6542m) come into view for the first time. After arriving in Namche, we’ll have lunch, and in the afternoon, we are free to bargain in the shops for Tibetan handicrafts or relax and marvel at the beautiful scenery.

We will stay at Namche for a second night to allow for proper acclimatization to the altitude. Namche is a prosperous village situated in a large protected hollow. It gained its importance during the period when Tibetan salt was traded for the lowland grains of Nepal. Today, a limited amount of trade exists at Namche, and Tibetans are often seen trading rugs and Chinese-made goods, clothing, salt, and dried meat in the village.

It would help if you took the opportunity to see the sunrise and sunset views from the National Park Headquarters above the village. The stunning view offers a superb panorama of the Khumbu peaks and great views of Everest. After breakfast, there are several options: perhaps a walk towards Thami (3810m) above the beautiful Bhote Khola river valley or a visit to the National Park Headquarters to see the interesting displays of Sherpa lifestyle and culture. There is also a mountaineering display and details of the park’s flora and fauna. Your guides will be on hand to offer advice and escort you on your walks.

We will leave Namche after breakfast and head towards Phortse. The trail contours around Khumbilya’s lower slopes, passing through beautiful birch forest and onto treeless, grassy slopes to a stupa-3992m on top of a rocky ridge at Mongla. Once again, the views of the mountains are magnificent. Phortse can be seen across the valley, a picturesque village set in a patchwork of stone-walled fields. From the stupa, you descend on a series of switchback trails to the Dudh Kosi River, 300 meters below, at Phortse Bridge & cross the Dudh Kosi, and ascend to the village of Phortse. We will stay at Phortse overnight.

From Phortse, we ascend through the high ridge of Imja Khola. Along the way, keep an eye open for Blood and Danphe Pheasant, Musk Deer, and, high on the steep slopes of the valley, the Himalayan Thar. Gradually ascend & descend to the village of Pangboche, where the peak of Ama Dablam dominates the skyline.

We will have lunch here, and if we have some time to spare, we will take a detour to the beautiful monastery that once housed the legendary Yeti scalp. Our route ascends gradually in the afternoon, high above the Imja Khola. We will pass the tea houses at Orsho before crossing the Imja Khola and old glacial moraines to our lodge in the settlement of Dingboche.

From Dingboche, we head up through the village, following the Imja Khola valley. The ascent is gradual, crossing small streams through open alpine pastures with fine views of Island Peak at the head of the valley. We will reach the Chukhung Lodge in time for lunch, with the afternoon free to rest and acclimatize. If you feel energetic enough, you can head up the valley towards the old moraines that flow down from Lhotse. The views of the massive Lhotse Wall and Ama Dablam are awe-inspiring.

In the morning, we ascend the small ridge behind the village above the Pheriche valley. From the chorten at the top, the Taweche and Cholatse (6440m) peaks make for a striking scene as they seem to lean forward from across the valley in the west. To the north, Lobuje Peak (6119m) and the snowfields of the Cho La dominate the skyline. The walking is now reasonably flat on wide-open fields, but take your time and ensure you are well-hydrated. Late in the morning, we cross the Khumbu Khola at Dughla (4620m) and have a light lunch at the foot of the vast moraines of the Khumbu Glacier flowing off Everest.

In the afternoon, we will take a solid and quite steep climb on a rocky trail to the top of the moraines. On the crest of the ridge, we pass a line of memorial cairns built in memory of the Sherpas and climbers who have died on various Everest expeditions over the last 50 years. From here, spectacular views of Pumori 7145m, Lingtren 6697m, Khumbutse 6623m, and, across the border in Tibet, Changtse 7550m, can be seen at the head of the valley. Everest is still hidden behind the towering walls of Nuptse and Lhotse.

We then follow the valley stream to our lodge at Lobuje. Today will be tiring, but the fantastic scenery makes it all worthwhile. We arrive in the early afternoon, so if you still have some energy and conditions are clear, walking up onto the prominent ridge at the rear of the lodge can reward you with even more spectacular views.

From Lobuche, we follow the broad valley parallel to the Khumbu glacier. A gradual ascent enables you to build the slow, steady rhythm required when walking at high altitude, making it easy on the knees. Once we reach the moraines of the Changri Nup Glacier, we make a series of small ascents and descents over a rocky trail lined with cairns that leads eventually to the surprising glacial sands of Gorak Shep, where we will stay overnight.

We’ll arrive in time for lunch and a quick rest before the trek to Everest Base Camp. The trail can sometimes be challenging to follow, so keep an eye on your guides and fellow trekkers in this section. The trek to base camp can take around three hours. If you are trekking in the popular climbing period of March to May, we’ll almost certainly encounter yaks and porters supplying food and equipment to Everest expeditions.

From base camp, we do not get views of Everest, but we will be able to see the notorious Everest Ice Fall, which flows from the Western Khumbu. This is the technically hardest and most dangerous mountain section.

We will make a steep ascent to Kala Patar early in the morning. You will need to start very slowly and ascend at a steady rhythmic pace. Our goal, Kala Patar, is the rocky hilltop below Pumori. It is a challenging walk due to the altitude, but only dreams speak of the view from the top. However, this is for real. It will likely take an hour and a half to reach the summit from Gorak Shep, although lower viewpoints will provide views as good. Pumori, Nuptse, Changtse, Taweche, Kantega and Everest surround us.

About 3 km away in the distance and some 200m below, the area of Everest Base Camp can be seen in a bowl at the bottom of the Khumbu Ice Fall. For many trekkers, reaching Kala Patar is a very emotional experience, and spending as long as you can savor this special moment is worthwhile. The descent back down to Gorak Shep is easy. From Gorakshep, we head down to Lobuche. Then, after leaving Lobuje, the trail leads about four hours to Lobuje Base Camp. Trekking halfway on flat land, you follow a steep ascending trail to reach Lobuje Base Camp. The trail is quite rocky and moves along the bank of Lobuje Glacier. On your way, spectacular views of Cholatse, Tawache, Pokhalde, Thanserku, and Kantega are something to view and enjoy, and yes, take pictures.

Today is an acclimatization day at the Base Camp to prepare the necessary equipment checklists and ensure we are ready for the expedition to Lobuche Peak with an early start tomorrow.

Today is crucial for us as we will climb the Lobuche peak. The climb starts with a smooth slab following stone markers on the hard snow. We will then make a steep ascension through a thin and narrow 60-degree cliff-edged ridge. Listening to your climbing guide or Sherpas as you ascent of Lobuche peak summit is essential. Finally, we will reach the 5760m peak. It takes around 4 hours to climb from Lobuche Peak High Camp to the summit.

You can get amazing views of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Tawache, Cholatse, Pumori, and Changri from the top of the peak. After summiting Lobuche, we will head down to Lobuche Peak Base Camp, where you will spend overnight.

Leaving Lobuche Base camp, the trail leads towards Pheruche. We will descend to Duglha and further. We will finally reach Pheruche after trekking for about six hours. The spellbinding views of Cholatse, Tawache, Pokhalde, Thamserku, & Kangtega leave you gasping for breath with the incredible views on display. We will stay at Pheruche overnight in a lodge.

From Lobuche, we will retrace our steps to Dughla. It seems much quicker and easier going down! We take a different route from here to our ascent, following the wide alpine valley covered in scrub juniper through to the temporary settlement of Phulung Karpo (4343m) and then to Pheriche for the evening. There is also a Trekkers’ Aid Post here, supported by the Himalayan Rescue Association, which, although not manned year-round, is well worth a visit if it is open.

From Pheriche, we will cross the Khumbu Khola and ascend a short, steep trail to the top of a small ridge, where we can enjoy great views of the Imja Valley, Ama Dablam, and Kantega. We then descend to the small settlements at Orsho and Shomare, where we will have lunch. Later, we pass through Lower Pangboche to reach the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River and retrace our steps to Debuche and Thyangboche.

After breakfast, we descend steeply through beautiful juniper, rhododendron, and fir forests to Phunkitenga. After a welcome break and perhaps a cup of tea, we cross the Dudh Kosi and ascend to Trashinga. From here, the trail contours high above the valley through Shanasa. It is a gradual walk to Namche Bazaar, where we have lunch and descend to Monjo for an overnight stay.

Today is our last day of trekking. It’s only a short walk along the valley before we make the final climb up to the airstrip at Lukla.

We’ll have lunch at our lodge, and the afternoon is free for you to wander around, relax, or perhaps have a hot shower! We’ll have a farewell celebrity dinner in the evening and a few celebratory drinks. We taste ‘Chhang’ (famous mountain beer brewed from fermented rice} and do some Sherpa dance steps to a jig by following the local crew. We are now really close to these guys who’ve been with us all these weeks on the great and punishing mountains that have been sweet home to us all these days. We will have some delicious food and snacks and talk about it before we crash out for the night and sleep blissfully under starry skies.

We get up early in the morning, enjoy breakfast, and prepare for our aircraft’s arrival for the flight back to Katmandu. A company representative will pick us up at the airport and take us to our hotel. Tonight, you will sleep on a soft, warm bed in Kathmandu.

Today is free to relax until your departure or to commence any additional trips or activities you may have booked. If you depart, our representative will help transfer you to the international airport in time for your return flight home.

Meeting you has been a pleasure. At Nepal Base Camp Treks, we value the relationship we built over the weeks and look forward to meeting you again someday. Adios, friends, and take care!!!