Detailed Itinerary:
Day 01: Arrival day in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,264 ft)
Welcome to Nepal, a country in the Himalayas. Our representative will be waiting to greet you upon your arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport to help you with the transfer to your hotel in Kathmandu. After taking some time to re-energize, you will meet again in the evening. We will be transferred for a welcome dinner and short trip briefing at a traditional Nepalese restaurant in the Centre of Kathmandu. You will then spend the night at the hotel.
Day 02: Sightseeing tour in Kathmandu & trip preparation day
We will have a final gear check in the morning. We'll then head off on a sightseeing excursion. You will be taken to the major sights of Kathmandu, including the Hindu temple Pashupatinath, the largest stupa in the world, Bouddhanath, and the monkey temple Swyambhunath Stupa. We will also visit the famous Kathmandu Durbar Square to explore its surrounding temples, distinctive buildings, and Kumari after touring the neighborhood (living goddess). In the evening, we'll have a pre-trip conversation and staff introductions for your adventure excursion.
Day 03: Magical Flight to Lukla (2800m/9184ft) & commence trekking to Puiyan (2800m/9184ft)
We'll be driven to the airport for one of the magnificent Himalayan flights. We will get our first glimpses of Everest and the region we will be climbing if the sky is clear during our flight. The Twin Otter will fly us to Lukla, a hamlet perched on a slope, where our trip to Mera will begin. We will be able to meet our camp personnel and porters here before departing immediately for Puiyan, where we will set up our camp for the night.
Day 04: Trek to Pangkongma (2,850m/9348ft), 4-5 hrs walk
After eating breakfast, we will cross the Poyan Khola and take an ancient road that will ascend sharply to a ridgeline with a view of the Khare Khola. The older route will divert from the main trade route coming up from the south. Following a descent from the opposite slope, we will contour down a hillside before gently ascending to the charming agricultural and trading community of Pangkongma. The locals will welcome the expedition participants as they have been doing They have enjoyed several enjoyable hours warming up in front of an open fire in the engulfing and welcoming ambiance of the neighborhood's traditional Sherpa dwellings.
Day 05: Trek to Nashing Dingma (2600m/8528ft), 5-6 hrs walk
We will make the roughly 30-minute ascent to the Pangum La (3175m/10410ft), which will serve as our gateway to the Hinku Valley. From here, we will begin to go east before turning north. Depending on the route we will pick, the day will involve a substantial fall of at least 900 meters to the Hinku River, followed by an ascent to our camp, which is high and situated close to the Surke La. Once more, the terrain will combine unspoiled upper temperate zone forests, including maple, rhododendron, and fir, and terraced slopes with grain crops.
Day 06: Trek to Chalem Kharka (3600m/11808ft), 5-6 hrs walk
After breakfast, we will ascend to the Source La (3085m/10118ft) and then proceed to follow the Surkie Danda ridge northward towards Mera and the Hinku. We will set up camp along the way at a kharka. The following days will be spent away from teahouses and popular trekking routes, and they should be among the best Himalayan wilderness trekking of the entire journey.
Day 07: Trek to Chunbu Kharka (4200m/13776ft), 5-6 hrs walk
As we continue along the ridge, we will ascend steadily higher, passing over knolls (ridge lumps) that are 4000 meters to 4500 meters in height. The terrain will be grassy slopes, rocky outcrops, and cliffs that will lie well above the tree line, where raptors like eagles, lammergeiers, and griffon vultures may be seen soaring overhead. We will then make our way down to a tent located close to Panch Pokhari, a chain of five lakes next to the Chunbu Kharka River.
Day 08: Rest day at Chunbu Kharka
We will take a rest day at Chubu Kharka to acclimatize to the increasing altitude. You can spend the complete day in leisure. You can also choose to stroll around the places as there is a great natural location to discover more about the Chunbu Kharka.
Day 09: Trek to Hinku valley camp (3600m/11808ft), 5-6 hrs walk
On the eastern side of the Hinku, our path will follow the contours of numerous ridges before descending into rhododendron forests. We will come across the destruction left behind by the 1998 bust of a natural dam at the top of the valley, close to the valley level. The valley has been decimated, leaving stones, dead trees, and silt in their place where once there were old-growth forests and meadows. On the now much higher bank of the rocky riverbed, our campsite will be located in a beautiful grassy area.
Day 10 & 11: Trek to Tagnag (4400m/14432ft), 5-7 hrs walk
We will enter the actual Hinku Valley, cross over on a yak herder's bridge, and merge with the main route. The bustling village of Kote, which mostly caters to the trekking parties passing through for Mera, will be our first home. The trail will primarily follow the riverbank, which makes for a good trail among rounded stones and silt, due to the massive washout of boulders and other debris. We will get our first glimpses of the valley's majestic peaks, including Kusum Kanguru, which will be just in front of us to the left. The path will then ascends onto the fields on the left and wind through Tagnag on nice and simple pathways. We also get to see Mera for the first time on this day, first at the Sanu Drangka's confluence above Kote, where, with clear skies. We will also see the impressive south face, and then we will move to on our final approach into Tagnag. We will be getting ready to ascend each day.
Day 12: Trek to Khare (4,940m/16203ft), 3-4 hrs walk
We will have a beautiful valley with views of the Hinku Nup glacier and the peaks beyond to the north. The towering spire of the unromantically named "Peak 35," which has yet to be scaled, can be seen behind us. We will have the final ascent to our base camp at Khare which might be quite difficult. It will serve as a reminder that we will be ascending in elevation. We will ascend quickly and then arrive in plenty of time for lunch.
Day 13: Trek to Mera Base Camp (5000m/16400ft), 3-4 hrs walk
A steady ascent will lead us to our last camp below the snowline after ascending through lateral moraine and grassy culverts out of the valley. Although the route itself will be quite simple, there are some real hazards, so everyone must use strong fundamental techniques and be cautious of changing weather conditions.
Day 14,15 & 16: Summit attempt on Mera (6,476m/21,247ft), 5-9 hrs walk
If everything went according to plan over the next three days and the weather cooperated, we will ascend to rock and glaciate camp at approximately 5,400m/17712ft, just off the Mera La saddle. Mountaineering boots made of plastic are typically worn from the beginning to the ascent and descent of the top. Despite their awkward appearance, they will be ideal for the job because they offer stability, warmth, and protection against unpredictable environment, which may include loose rocks, snow, and ice. A second camp will be located halfway up the mountain's steep north slope, at a height of roughly 5,700 meters, next to a granite knob. Although the distance will be shorter here, the path can be challenging in bad weather because you are at a higher altitude. The journey will be much tougher and further than it first appears. From this high camp, a summit bid will be made early in the morning (between 2 and 5 am), which will take us about 4 to 6 hours to reach the top. Although it may not seem like a long way, we can promise you that it will require a lot of effort. All your preparations and a good, sensible approach will pay off in this situation. Due to the risk of a crevasse along the route, it is typically essential to tie up for the majority of the summit approach. The path will change depending on the weather and time of year, but it often goes around a large shoulder in front of us to the mountain's backside before making a very simple approach to the summit peak.
As the sun rises, we will be treated to the stunning vistas of Makalu (8,481m), Chamlang (7,319m), and Baruntse (7,129m) across Nau Lekh (6,360m). We get to witness a number of unidentified peaks of the Hinku with Mt. Everest to our left. We can see miles down to the ground to the south. We will plan to reach the summit in the early to mid-morning and descend back to base camp. The weather, the state of the route, and the members' health are a few of the variables that will affect the precise schedule. We will have a reasonable amount of flexibility to accomplish success for everyone who has worked hard and regularly since the expedition's start. We must thank our backup equipment, skilled crew, and time buffer for this. The day will be long, and at this point, all of your preparation, your approach to the journey, and your positive outlook will come together to give you the strength and confidence, you will need to work effectively in a team. We will have the best odds of reaching the peak.
Day 17 & 18: Commence trek into the Hunku Valley, a 5-7 hrs walk
We'll need to get going quite early as the day will be quite long. We will start the expedition's most remote parts once our porters will be organized. The Honku Valley opens up before us, surrounded by five sizable glacier lakes. They go by the name Panch Pokhari (five lakes). The Hunku and Imja valleys are separated from one another by the Amphu Laptsa pass, which is located directly at the head of the valley to our right. We are in the Hunku appropriately on this day. The camp will be situated near the rocky ascent to the pass. We will also ask members to be cooperative and flexible during these times. We will set up the camps where the weather will permit us. Your leader will keep you updated on the daily schedule.
Day 19: Rest day at Amphu Laptsa base camp
We have reserved a day for recuperation. We will take a rest day for the day which can be either a total leisure day or exploring the valley. You can also go for the last-minute gear inspections and preparations for our pass crossing of Amphu Laptsa.
Day 20 & 21: Cross Amphu Laptsa (5845m/19171ft) to Island Peak Base Camp (5100m/16728ft), 8-9 hrs walk
We will have an early breakfast followed by an ascent to our pass crossing. Again, it will take us extra time to ferry across all of our stuff with the help of the entire party, crew, porters, and members. The Hunku's approach to the pass will be deceiving. There is significantly more sun and less snow on the east and south sides, with only a group of rocks gradually escalating to the gap we walk through. In order to reach the snow basins below, the succeeding moraine, and the alpine valley beyond, we must carefully descend the steep snow slopes on the north-facing side using fixed ropes. The unmatched vistas of the peaks of Khumbu will be clearly seen from this pass crossing. One may have some free time to take in the spectacular view of the surrounding peaks while we will be ascending or descend the trails.
Day 22: Summit Island Peak (6,189m/20,305ft), 8-9 hrs walk
We will begin the trek in the mountains and climb rapidly up the southeast face's lower sides. This is a well-known summit, hence the tune will be frequently used. The rocky spur will lead us to a snow ramp that will climb to the upper snowfields after a little amount of occasionally required rock scrambling. As we will ascend higher, the peaks of Makalu and Lhotse will become visible. Fixing ropes will be required to climb a short yet steep ice face that will climb to the summit ridge after crossing the upper nave. We will set ropes here as well. We will climb up the summit ridge, a traditional alpine ridge that will be rather exposed. We will get a great view of all the peaks south of the majestic Lhotse face, although being dwarfed by the seven and eight-thousanders that surround it. After some thrilling moments on the summit, we will return to our starting point by taking the same way down.
Day 23, 24 & 25: Trek to Lukla, 4-7 hrs walk
We will start our return trip by descending past Namche Bazaar and Tangboche Monastery in the renowned Khumbu Valley. Namche, often known as the Sherpa capital, is a wonderful destination to explore, stop by the Tibetan vendors, or take pleasure in the Swiss bakeries. We will leave Namche's mountains and descend to the Dudh-Kosi, where we will also join the main trail that will lead us through many villages along the river to Phakding. We will walk a short distance up and around the large, flat spur on which Lukla is located after crossing the bridge. The final night is usually special because the crew and porters will join together for a farewell celebration.
Day 26: Fly to Kathmandu
Our guide will transport you to your accommodation in Kathmandu after your early-morning flight there. After a lengthy journey, you might need some time to unwind, catch your breath, and recover at your hotel. You can spend the rest of the day at leisure sleeping, relaxing, or exploring and shopping in the town.
Day 27: Departure from Kathmandu
You will have some time for any last-minute souvenir or gift purchasing for family, friends, or relatives before your departure flight or drive. You can also plan to start any further adventures or activities you may have planned with us. You will be transferred to the international airport if you are departing in order to catch a flight to another location.
We wish you a wonderful Himalayan adventure with us!
20 Minutes
Hotel
Kathmandu
Welcome Dinner
