Here is an account of my trip to see Mount Everest up close on December 2005.

(The traveler is Ujwal Thapa - CEO, ExoticBuddha.com)

Day 1:

I got a ticket to “Lukla” from a local travel agent (referred by a friend) in Kathmandu. Cost me about $60 (It costs around $ 120 at the moment for the tourists).

Took one of the early flights out. (There are different rates for natives and for foreigners). As usual, had a bit of delay before the start, because of weather. They say, Lukla has one of the most dangerous looking airports in the world. They certainly weren’t wrong. The runway actually slopes down right into a cliff to a ravine possibly a thousand feet below

I was taking the hike alone (at least till Namche bazaar- the hub for all Everest trekkers) and then meeting my doctor friend who was stationed there.

aeroplane flying to Everest region

Everything started smoothly and by 10 in the morning I was in Lukla. It wasn’t as cold as I expected. This was in the beginning of December. I took my bag and the stopped by a bakery shop (yes, one in a line of many bakeries such as german, Italian, swiss along the way – it seems its quite a business over here). Had coffee and some fresh german bread (at least that’s what I was told it was).

At the end of the day, I reached up to Monjo (2800 meters or 9240 feet). Most people stay further back at Phakding. But I thought I should save the distance for the strong climb of the next day up to Naamche bazaar. The Food at the lodge was okay, nothing worth remembering. Accommodation is bare minimum but for a weary traveler its nothing to complain about.

Highlights:

• The sloping air strip in Lukla
• The walk along the boundary between hilly regions of Nepal and higher regions
• The superman porters carrying more than their body weight of supplies to the businesses near Everest.

Day 2:

Nothing could have prepared me for the steep climb up to Naamche Bazaar at 11,480 feet - excruciating climb indeed. Only the shame of being out of breath, shape and, the obvious fitness of some other trekkers, pushed me to go up and up. Indeed it took the wind out of me. I climbed from 9240 feet to 11,480 feet and basically this is the altitude around which you start getting very susceptible to AMS (Acute mountain sickness). Many good trekkers have died because they tried to walk too high in too short amount of time. Everest region is very unforgiving even for the fittest of you when it comes to AMS. Heed the warning: if you feel sudden dizziness, start heading down. That is the only treatment.

I actually was foolish enough to meet my friend up at Naamche and still climb further way up to the twin villages of Khumjung and Kunde (3800 meters -12, 500 feet) where the Hillary Hospital is located and where my friend was posted. I had to rest for a full 3 days here because of fatigue and also to acclimatize here for the tougher journey ahead.

Day 3, 4 and 5

Rested in Kunde hospital. (I wasn’t actually sick but waiting on my doctor friend to get off duty and trek together further up). It was also a good place to rest and acclimatize myself to the altitude and the harsh cold weather. Although I had spent past 5 winters in Vermont, the combination of altitude and cold was heavy on my mind/heart.

Nevertheless the breath taking scenery you see of the huge mountains all around you, keeps you soul light and in a poetic mood. You reflect back on your sense of place amongst such majesties of nature.

Highlights:

• The majestic mountains surrounding Naamche, Kunde and Khumjung Sherpa villages.
• Pool houses (they actually transported the pool tables from a helicopter to here –amazing!)
• Naamche is a contradiction. You can almost find “Ben and Jerries icecream” there.

Started wondering a lot about life while sitting and staring up close at a 20,000 feet mountain, Ama Dablam.

Most of my thoughts were specifically about relationships, environments.

“What would one look for to spend a life with?

a partner? a servant? What is it? Is life all about connections? just connections?

Are these feelings of longings to be longed for? Are these positive dreams or illusionary pains?

Places like this bring a lot of internal reflections, I suppose.

Day 6:

I started off with my friend, Bishwa off to view Mt Everest through the Gokyo region (alternate route to Everest base camp)

Bridge along the route

Wrote in my diary while resting along the way,

“Silence is the wonderful music of imagination. I wish for it, there in lies my salvation and an awakening of my soul beyond comprehension”.

This part of the trip was very quiet. Not a lot of people were traveling, probably we were trekking at the end of the trekking season. It typically stops in the beginning of December. There was just us and some hybrids of yak and cows moving to and fro.

We stayed at Dudh Kosi at 3700 meters. Since we were going to see Everest from Gokyo lake, we were going in a slightly off direction instead of going to Tengboche which most trekkers go on to go to Everest base camp and to climb Mount Everest. I would argue that we took the more scenic way to see the tallest mountain in the world.

Day 7:

Here on the way, you start seeing Yaks, the real ones, not the ones who are cross bed with cows. Yaks carry all the items for business in this region. Very little grows here and the way was dusty because of unusual lack of snow at this time of the year. It still was cold with the Himalayan cold breeze sweeping through us.

The cold starts hitting you full frontal at this altitude where its all rocks and more rocks everywhere around. Unluckily for us, the dust too was not helping at all. I would have preferred snow to dust here. On the way, there was a small hospital but it seemed it only opened during the tourist seasons in the autumn and spring. Some generous tourist had donated money to build that. These hospitals in such inhospitable region sure save quite a few travelers’ lives every year.

Near the evening, we reached at a resort in Machermo. My heart was beating like a wild horse even while trying to sleep. I suppose at this altitude, my heart was pumping harder for that needed oxygen. We talked and talked and talked more, in the hopes that we would sleep but couldn’t really in spite of our tired bodies.

Note to readers: at higher altitudes, it becomes harder to sleep, even though you might be dead tired.

Highlights: One Yak got bloody mad at me and nearly came after me. I wonder why?

Day 8: The day I was waiting for. As we walked along a gentle slope, we started coming into abundant streams and soon found out that we were at the tip of a huge glacier. A glacier sure doesn’t look like a river of ice, basically more like a huge solid mass of rocks and more rocks. But the highlight of the day was the majestic “Gokyo lakes”, a series of lakes along the way. At the end was the biggest of them all. Here is a picture to illustrate the breathtaking beauty of the place.

Gokyo Lake

There are quite a few lodges at the Shore of Gokyo Lake. All of them we inquired were virtually owned by the local Sherpas. We made plans to scale the Gokyo ridge (mountain) the next morning. We still were over stretching ourselves so made a quick trip up a gentle slope and back just so that we could acclimatize ourselves to this altitude.

Note:

“bonds, love, permanence, these are issues that the sherpas discuss around the fire place. Furthermore, what joy and irony in a place not far from the violence that engulfs rest of the country” ((at that time civil war was going on, which stopped in early 2006))

Day 9: We scaled Gokyo ridge. It took us quite a while to scale up this ridge of 5400 meters - 18000 feet) and desperate gasps for oxygen surely made this an arduous memorable three hour climb amongst bloody cold, cold wind howling at us. But this is a personal triumph for my ego, to have broken my personal record for climbing to the highest altitude. From the ridge, you can get a panoramic view of all the major mountains nearby, Everest, Nuptse, Hiuchuli, Rolwaling, and different glaciers underneath them. The view is breath taking and is rewarding for any traveler who has come this far. It gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Notes:

“Climbing up to 18,000 feet has a certain sense of achievement, acknowledging that life is full of firsts and treasured moments.”

Day 10, 11

We backtracked our way back to Kunde / Khumjung from Gokyo. We stayed at the hospital for a few more days and I had a chance to meet the locals there and see how the villagers worked around.

Some notes:

“Home is not a physical place is it. It truly lies in where the heart is. Where the heart is, is where despite the heart beats faster and faster, the mind remains serene”.

Day 12

We walked back to Lukla and the next day were back in Kathmandu after a sweet 20 minutes flight from Lukla. I quickly download all the pictures, selected a few of them and sent it around the world.

“When you go on journeys like this, you wonder about such variety and uniqueness in each object that you see, feel, and hear here. And then think of the civilization I have left behind, where most try to confirm, to be uniform, to strip oneself from their uniqueness.”

Helambu Trek starts from Sundarijal and ends at the same place. Or you could end the trek in Melamchi Pul Bazaar if you take an alternative route from Tarke Gyang. You need to ride on a bus or taxi to Sundarijal from Kathmandu which takes about half an hour. The route takes 8 days to complete reaching the maximum elevation of 3640 meters. The best season to trek is from October to April although trekking is done in other seasons as well.

There are a lot of tea houses accommodation along the route. The speciality of this trekking route is the rich cultural heritage and the hospitality of the Sherpa people who inhabit in the Helambu region.

Day 1: Sundarijal to Chisapani
The trail leading to Chisopani starts with the concrete steps beside the pipeline that brings drinking water to Kathmandu. The trail leaves the pipeline near the dam and reaches Mulkharka, which is 600 meters above Sundarijal. The trial climbs further to Chisopani, at an altitude of 2300 meters, from Mulkharka.

Day 2: Chisapani to Gul Bhanjyang
Take the trail that runs down to Pati Bhanjyang (1770 meters). You will notice that the trail undulates through Chipling (2170 meters). It then climbs again to a pass at an altitude of 2470 meters before descending to Thodang Betini (2250 meters). After continuing along the forested ridge, the trail descends to a Tamang village of Gul Bhanjyang, a hill village at an altitude of 2140 meters.

Day 3: Gul Bhanjyang to Tharepati
From Gul Bhanjyang, the trail climbs to a pass at 2620 meters and descends to Khutumsang, at an altitude of 2470 meters. You will have to show your national park permit or get one for Rs. 1,000 (US$ 15). Keep the permit safe as you have to show it in other checkpoints as well.

The trail follows to Magen Goth, which has an army checkpoint, and reaches Tharepati (3640 meters). The trail to Gosainkunda and the Langtang trek branches off northwest from Tharepati. There are several lodges at Tharepati and also the Himaliya lodge on the Khutumsang side.

Day 4: Tharepati to Malemchi Gaon
From Tharepati, the trail turns east and descends rapidly down a narrow valley to the Sherpa village of Malemchi gaon.

Day 5: Malemchi Gaon to Tarke Gyang
The trail descends from Malemchi Gaon, along a bridge crossing the Malemchi Khola at an altitude of 1920 meters and then climbs up the other side of the valley to Tarke Gyang (2590 meters). This is largest village of the Helambu trail and is inhabited by the Sherpas. There are several lodges in Tarke Gyang and it is the end of the route from the Ganja La.

Day 6: Tarke Gyang to Kiul
The trail from Tarke Gyang continues past the guesthouses and mani wall (walk to the left) then drops off the west side of the ridge in a rhododendron forest, along a broad, well traveled path. The trail passes through Kakani (2070 meters), Thimbu (1580 meters) to the Malemchi and Indrawati valleys. It then descends down to Kiul (1280 meters).

There is a two day alternative route from Tarke Gyang to Malemchi Pul Bazaar (880 meters), stopping overnight in Sermathnag (2620 meters). From Malemchi, you can ride on a bus departing frequently to Kathmandu.

Day 7: Kiul to Pati Bhanjyang
The trail descends along the Malemchi Khola (river), after crossing it on the second suspension bridge at an altitude of 1190 meters. Then the trail joins Mahenkal and reaches Talmarang, at an altitude of 940 meters. The trail follows Talmarang Khola (river) for some time and climbs to Batachea and then Thakani (1890 meters). The trail descends to Pati Bhanjyang, at an altitude of 1770 meters. The Helambu circuit completes here.

Day 8: Pati Bhanjyang to Sundarijal
On the last day, you trace back the route you walked on the first day, from Pati Bhanjyang to Sundarijal.

Find more about other popular trekking routes in Nepal and also the competent travel agencies listed in our website to help you organize your trip.

*Please print out the itinerary for a better read since this is a long article.*

Annapurna Circuit Trek starts from Besisahar in Lamjung. There are direct buses going from Kathmandu (6 hours), Narayanghat and Pokhara (five hours). It takes around 16 to 18 days to complete the trekking in this route. The Thorung La pass at an elevation of 5416 meters is the highest point during the trekking. October to November is the best season for the trekking. The route is very inhospitable between mid December to mid March due to snow in the Thorung La pass. The trek ends in either Naya Pul, where the Jomsom trekking starts, or in Beni. Good precautions need to be taken doing this trek as bad weather during any time of the year can put the trekkers and porters at risk.

annapurna-trek-on the way to mustang

There are tea houses along the route for food and accommodation. But during the peak season they are generally overcrowded. You need to pay Rs. 2,000 (around US$ 20) as the entry fee to the Annapurna Conservation Area.

Day 1: Besisahar to Bahundanda
From Besisahar the trail descends and follows the gentle slope of the Marsyangdi Khola and reaches Khudi. Khudi is at an altitude of 830 meters. The trail then reaches to Bhulbhule (840 meters) from where Himalchuli and Ngadi Chuli (also known as Manaslu 2) mountains are seen. The trail passes through Ngadi and climbs to Lampata (1135 meters). Then the trail reaches Bahundanda, which is at an altitude of 1310 meters. Bahundanda has several hotels and shops and a public telephone booth.

Day 2: Bahundanda to Chamje
From Bahundanda, the trail descends to Lili Bhir and follows an exposed trail. The trail leads to Ghernu, which has a high waterfall. The trail crosses the Marsyangdi River on a suspension Bridge in Syange which is at an altitude of 1080 meters. The trail continues to follow the Marsyangdi River. The trail then reaches the stone village of Jagat. After that the trail descends and then ascends through forest and reaches Chamje, which is at an altitude of 1400 meters.

on the annapurna circuit

Day 3: Chamje to Bagarchhap
From Chamje the trail is rocky and follows the Marsyandi Khola. The trail ascends steadily uphill and reaches Tal, which is at an altitude of 1700 meters. Tal is the first village of Manang district. The trail reaches another crossing of the Marsyangdi River after climbing a stone stairway and descending down. The trail continues to ascend and reaches Dharapani. Dharapani (1920 meters) is marked by a stone-entrance chorten. From Dharapani the trail climbs to Bagarchhap, which is at an altitude of 2160 meters. Flat-roofed stone houses characterize Baggarchap.

Day 4: Bagarchhap to Chame
From Bagarchhap the trail ascends to Temang and continues to rise through forest of pine and fir to Kotho (2640 meters). The trail moves upward to Chame (2710 meters), the headquarter of Manang district. Annapurna II can be seen while ascending to Chame. Chame has many hotels, a health post and a bank.

Day 5: Chame to Pisang
From Chame, the trail runs through deep forest in a steep and narrow valley. The trail crosses the Marsyangdi Khola at an altitude of 3080 meters. Along the trail the view of the Paungda Danda rock face is awesome. The trail continues to rise and reaches Pisang, which is between 3240 meters and 3340 meters. There are many many lodges in Pisang.

Day 6: Pisang to Manang
From Pisang there are two trails, north and south of the Marsyangdi Khola. The two trails meet again at Mungji. The southern trail passes through Hongde (3420 meters) and has an airstrip at an altitude of 3325 meters. You have to climb less if you take the southern route. You can enjoy better scenery if you follow the route along the northern bank of the river that passes through Ghyaru.

From Mungji, which is at an altitude of 3480 meters, the trail continues to Bryaga (3500 meters). Then the trail reaches Manang which is at an altitude of 3570 meters. The view of the Gangapurna glacier from Manang is awesome. At Manang there are number of lodges and a Himalayan Rescue Association’s post. At Manang, trekkers can buy goods like photo films, batteries, sunscreens and even sniker bars.

Day 7: Acclimatization in Manang
Walk around the villages in Manang before attempting towards Thorung La pass.

Day 8: Manang to Letdar
From Manang, the trail ascends through Tengi, leaving the Marshyangdi valley. Then it head towards Jarsang Kholar (river) valley and reaches Letdar, which is at an altitude of 4250 meters. The vegetation becomes sparser as you climb up. Spending a night in Letdar is very important for acclimatization before attempting Thorung Phedi.

Day 9: Letdar to Thorung Phedi
The trail crosses the Jarsang Khola which is at an altitude of 4310 meters. The trail then climbs up to Thorung Phedi, which is at an altitude of 4420 meters.

view from the annapurna circuit trek

Day 10 Thorung Phedi to Muktinath
The trail ascends steeply and reaches Thorung La, which is at an altitude of 5416 meters. The trail is easy to follow as it is used regularly. The snow and the altitude may often cause problems. It takes about four to six hours to climb the trail. The pass is marked by chortens and prayer flags. The view of the Annapurna, along the great Barrier to the barren Kali Gandaki Valley is seen from Thorung La. From Thorung La, the trail descends and reaches Muktinath, which is at an altitude of 3710 meters.

The remaining six or seven days is the the reverse of the Jomsom Trek. You can also fly out of Jomsom but we suggest you continue the walk down to tatopani and further down to ghore pani and then to Pokhara to enjoy the full breath of adventure along the circuit.

Find more about other popular trekking routes in Nepal and also the competent travel agencies listed in our website to help you organize your trip.

The Everest Base Camp Trek starts in Jiri or Lukla. Buses leave Kathmandu for Jiri (cost about 4 dollars) between 5.30 am to 8 am and take around 10 hours. There is an ‘express’ bus that leaves the Kathmandu Bus Station for Jiri at 6 am (cost about 4.5 dollars). Make sure you guard your luggage well on such bus trips.

To start the trek from Lukla (shorter trip), either fly from Kathmandu in domestic airlines, like Yeti air to Lukla airport or walk from Jiri to Chablung, the nearest place on the trail from Lukla. The trail from Jiri to Chablung requires 7 days to complete. If you are flying in to Lukla, walk past Chablung to Phakding for the overnight accommodation.

on the way to view everest

Day 1: Jiri to Shivalya (If you start the trek from Jiri)
The trekking starts from Jiri with a climb to the ridge at an altitude of 2370 meters and a descent to Shivalaya at 1750 meters.

Day 2: Shivalya to Bhandar
To go to Shivalaya from Bhandar, you should trek to Sangbadanda (2150 meters), Kosaribas (2500 meters) and then to Deorali (a pass at an altitude of 2705 meters). You could either stop over at one of the hotels on the pass or descend to Bhandar (2150 meters).

Day 3: Bhandar to Sete
The trek passes to Likhu Khola and crosses the river at 1490 meters and passes to Kenja (1570 meters) from where the long ascent to Lamjura Bhanjyang (3530 meters) begins. The initial part of the climb is steep and then it passes over Sete (an abandoned gompa) at an altitude of 2575 meters.

Day 4: Sete to Junbesi
From Sete you will pass Goyom (3300 meters) and reach the Lamjura Bhanjyang (pass) at an altitude of 3530 meters. Then from the top of the pass you can descend to Tragdobuk (2860 meters), which has a monastery and some hotels. Then you reach the sherpa village of Junbesi.

Day 5: Junbesi to Nuntala
The trail climbs to Khartung and then to Salung, at an altitude of 2980 meters. The trail descends to the Ringmo Khola from Salung. A short climb from Ringmo will take you to Trakshindo La at 3071 meters. The trail then drops down to Nuntala, where there are numerous hotels offering a variety of facilities and standards.

Day 6: Nuntala to Bupsa
The trail first descends to Dudh Koshi River and crosses to follow the eastern bank of the river. Then the route climbs gradually to Jubing (1680 meters), Khari Khola (2070 meters). If you are early, then you could reach Bupsa, at an altitude of 2300 meters. There are several hotels on top of the ridge and a few other hotels at Kharte, 20 minutes walk beyond Bupsa up the trail to the north.

Day 7: Bupsa to Chablung
The trail climbs gradually from Bupsa until it reaches a ridge at 2840 meters overlooking Puiyan (Chitok). The trail is very narrow as it makes its way down to Puiyan, in a side canyon of the Dudh Koshi river. Climb to a ridge at an altitude of 2750 meters and from the ridge descend to Surkhe (Buwa) at an altitude of 2290. Just below the Surkhe is the turnoff to Lukla with the airstrip. If you are flying in to Lukla, you will walk along this turnoff and will be making overnight stay at Pkakding which is away from Chablung on the trail.

The trail continues to climb through Mushe (Nangbug), Chaunrikharka (Dungde), at an altitude of 2630 meters and to Chablung (Lomdza).

Day 8: Chablung to Namche Bazaar
From Chablung, the trail passes along the side of the Dudh Koshi Valley and then descends to Ghat (Lhawa), at an altitude of 2530 meters. The trail then climbs up to Phakding (2800 meters), where there are around 30 lodges. From here, the trail crosses the Dudh Koshi River on a bridge and leads you along to Benkar (2700 meters). The trail climbs to Chomoa after crossing Dudh Koshi River on a suspension bridge. From here, Monjo (2800 meters) is a short climb. From Monjo, Jorsale is a short distance away and then the trail crosses back to the east side of the river before climbing to the high suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River. Namche Bazzar, at an altitude of 3480 meters is a steady climb from here.

Namche Bazaar is the center of activity in the Solukhumbu region. It has shops, police station, restaurants, hotels, bakeries, money changers, a bank and internet services.

Day 9: Acclimatization at Namche Bazaar
In order to acclimatize, you could complete a day walk to a higher altitude from Namche Bazaar. You could also consider the day long walk to Thimi.

Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche
There is a direct route from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche. However, the slightly longer route from Namche Bazaar via Khumjung and Khunde is more interesting. You could start the route via the Khumjung and Khunde by climbing up to Shyangboche airstrip. You then continue to Khumjung (3790 meters) and then rejoin the direct trail to Tengboche. The trail descends to the Dudh Koshi (3250 meters). From Dudhkoshi, a steep ascent brings you to Tengboche (3870 meters).

Day 11: Tengboche to Pheriche
From Tengboche, descend to Devuche, cross the Imja Khola and climb the stones depicting the Tibetan Buddhist chants to Pangboche, at an altitude of 3860 meters. The monastery at Pangboche is worth visiting and you can stop at the village for the lunch.

Then the trail climbs to Pheriche, at an altitude of 4240 meters. At Pheriche, there is Himalayan Rescue Association (HRA) trekkers’ aid post where you can receive medical assistance. There are number of hotels and restaurants for accommodation and food.

Day 12: Acclimatization at Pheriche
Spend the day in Pheriche for acclimatization. We advise you to walk to higher grounds and return to Pheriche for the night. Dingboche and Chhukung (4730 meters) are probable destinations.

Day 13: Pheriche to Duglha
The trail from Pheriche climbs to Phalang Karpo (4340 meters) and then to Duglha (4620 meters). The HRA doctors advise you to make an overnight stop in Duglha to acclimatize yourself.

the highest mountain and surroundings upclose

Day 14: Duglha to Lobuje
The trail then goes directly up the Khumbu Glacier which takes an hour to reach from Duglha. Once in the Khumbu Glacier, turn left into the memorial area after which you will reach the village of Lobuje (4930 meters).

Day 15: Lobuje to Gorak Shep
The trek climbs to Gorak Shep, at an altitude of 5160 meters, from Lobuje. You can arrive in Gorak Shep in a couple of hours which leaves enough time to visit Kala Patthar (5545 meters) on the same day or you could visit that on the next morning. Kala Patthar provides the best views of the Mt. Everest without climbing the mountain.

Day 16 - 21: Gorak Shep to Lukla to Kathmandu
From Gorak Shep, you can trek to the Everest Base Camp which takes around six hours for the round trip. There are not much exciting views to be seen from the base camp. If you want to have best views of the mountains, you might want to go to Kala Patthar (5545 meters). Then you could climb down to Lobuje after trekking to either the Base Camp or the Kala Patthar.

From Lobuje, you could make an overnight stay in Dingboche, instead of Pheriche where you stayed earlier. There are several lodges in the summer village of Dingboche, at an altitude of 4410 meters. From Dingboche, you could reach Lukla in three days by stopping over Tengboche, and Namche Bazaar.

Reconfirm your tickets on the airlines’ offices, if you had already booked the flights else get a ticket to Kathmandu. Then you could fly out to Kathmandu from Lukla.

Find more about other popular trekking routes in Nepal and also the competent travel agencies listed in our website to help you organize your trip.

The trail passes Khobang, a village at an altitude of 2580 meters with gompa above it and offers good views of the mountains. Then the trail reaches Tukuche (2590 meters) which was once a meeting point for traders from Tibet. Then the village of Marpha (2680 meters) is reached. The landscape from here is behind the Himalayan watershed.

Read Jomsom Trekking for comprehensive itinerary.

The trail descends along the Malemchi Khola (river), after crossing it on the second suspension bridge at an altitude of 1190 meters. Then the trail joins Mahenkal and reaches Talmarang, at an altitude of 940 meters. The trail follows Talmarang Khola (river) for some time and climbs to Batachea and then Thakani (1890 meters). The trail descends to Pati Bhanjyang, at an altitude of 1770 meters. The Helambu circuit completes here.

Then on the next day, you trace back the route you walked on the first day, from Pati Bhanjyang to Sundarijal.

Please read Helambu Trek for more comprehensive itinerary.

From Gul Bhanjyang, the trail climbs to a pass at 2620 meters and descends to Khutumsang, at an altitude of 2470 meters. You will have to show your national park permit or get one for Rs. 1,000 (US$ 15). Keep the permit safe as you have to show it in other checkpoints as well.

The trail follows to Magen Goth, which has an army checkpoint, reaches Tharepati (3640 meters). The trail to Gosainkunda and the Langtang trek branches off northwest from Tharepati, where you will find several lodges.

Please read Helambu Trek for more comprehensive itinerary.

From Gorak Shep, you can trek to the Everest Base Camp which takes around six hours for the round trip. There are not much exciting views to be seen from the base camp. If you want to have best views of the mountains, you might want to go to Kala Patthar (5545 meters). Then you could climb down to Lobuje after trekking to either the Everest Base Camp or the Kala Patthar.

Please read  Everest Base Camp Trek for comprehensive itinerary.

The trail first descends to Dudh Koshi River and crosses to follow the eastern bank of the river. Then the route climbs gradually to Jubing (1680 meters), Khari Khola (2070 meters). If you are early, then you could reach Bupsa, at an altitude of 2300 meters. There are several hotels on top of the ridge and a few other hotels at Kharte, 20 minutes walk beyond Bupsa up the trail to the north.

Please read  Everest Base Camp Trekking for comprehensive itinerary.