Island Peak Climbing with Everest Base Camp Trek

Good morning Kathmandu. You will have a sightseeing tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites tour which are located in the Kathmandu Valley. You will be visiting Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swyambhunath, Pashupatinath, and Boudhanath today.

In the very beginning, you will be taken to Swyamhunath Stupa a gem for the Buddhists around the world. Located on the top of the hill, it offers spectacular views of the entire Kathmandu valley. The main stupa, several monuments, and other antiques are the attractions of this place. Observing them, you will get back to the car and move towards Kathmandu Durbar Square.

Kathmandu Durbar Square, one of the World Heritage Sites of Nepal, is the ancient palace which is in the center of Kathmandu valley with plenty of temples and other historical monuments around. The Durbar Square complex comprises a royal palace and many temples within its premises that flaunt imposing fine arts through sculptures as well as carvings in wood and stone.

Then, you will be headed to Pashupatinath Temple, one of the Hindu temples of Nepal popular throughout the world with numerous things. The main temple periphery, cremation place, and other monuments are worth seeing here.

Ultimately, you will be headed to the Boudhanath Stupa. It is one of the Buddhist monuments that attracts thousands of tourists from the entire planet. By exploring them all, you will be back to the hotel and get rest and will have final preparation for the trekking/climbing journey.

Awaking early, we shall head towards the airport to fly Lukla today which will be the beginning and the ending point of our trek. A private car will come to our hotel to shift us to the domestic terminal of the airport. Arranging everything there, we will fly for 40 minutes which takes us to the Tenzing Hillary airport Lukla.

The window pane of the plane will show us the scenic hills, high mountain massifs, and lush vegetation. Getting off the plane, we will be greeted by other crew members (porters and other helpers) who will join us. You will hand over your large duffle bags keeping your daypack only with you.

We shall rest for a while having some breakfast or tea/coffee before starting our epic journey to Island Peak with Everest Base Camp Trek. Beginning our journey, we shall pass some of the Sherpa lands including Chaurikharka and others, and will descend to Dudh Koshi Ghat (2,530m/8,300ft) to reach Phakding, the day destination of our journey.

It is a short and scenic walk with acclimatization. In the lodge, rest for a few hours before your dinner or ramble around the village including local monasteries (Rimishung Monastery), and brace yourself for the long trek the next day. 

We will be walking to Namche Bazaar, the largest Sherpa village in the Khumbu region. The entire day will be filled with the magnificent views. You will be greeted by Mt. Everest, the tallest peak in the world, and a host of other mountains for the first time. Walking alongside the Dudh Koshi River, you will witness dozens of decorated mane walls as well as prayer flags.

They are placed in several places by the Buddhist monks believing that they will safeguard and protect travelers from negative forces. The trail passes through the forest of pine, rhododendrons, and junipers. Throughout the journey, we shall cross five high-suspension bridges including the Hillary Bridge over the Imja River before climbing up to the Namche Bazaar.

Moreover, you will enter the Sagarmatha National Park, one of the World Heritage Sites today. Ultimately, we will reach Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital with numerous trekking shops, local lodges, cafes, bakeries, and so forth.

We are already at the height of 3440 meters above sea level, 2000 m above Kathmandu Valley within just two days. Thus, our bodies need to be adjusted in the surroundings; thin air, freezing temperature, chill atmosphere, and so on. So, we will spend a spare day in Namche Bazaar exploring this village and its periphery.

We shall move around throbbing with numerous Wi-Fi-linked cafes and restaurants, souvenir and gear shops, and so forth. Moreover, we can walk to Sagarmatha National Park Visitor Centre and the village of Khumjung nearby.

Not only that, we will hike to Everest View Hotel, the highest elevated standard hotel in this planet which sits around 3790m above sea level and has a picturesque view of Mt. Ama Dablam and Everest and several others. It is the best acclimatization hiking option of all.

Otherwise, we have another destination as well; Syangboche Airport, one of the highest-elevated airports in the world. (However, it is not in use these days) After doing the proper acclimatization walk and exploration, we head back to Namche Bazaar to spend overnight.

After having the first meal of the day, we begin our walk towards Tengboche, one of the most popular trekking points for the overnight stay with the astonishing views of high mountain massifs including Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Thamserku, and Ama Dablam. The first mountain climber; Tenzing Norgay Sherpa was born near the village of Thani and was sent to Tengboche Monastery, one of the most popular monasteries of the world to be a monk. This area is popular for this giant monastery as well.

On the way there, you will be welcomed by the panoramic views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Island Peak although there are some challenges on the way there. Along with the mountain sceneries, you can obtain the occasional views of the wildlife on the way including musk deer, pheasant and Himalayan Thar.

Leaving Namche, we will reach to the Dudh Koshi River bank and cross it and trek past the thick alpine forests to reach a small settlement of Phunki Tenga.  Trekking further passing some ups and downs, we eventually reach the village of Tengboche. After some rest on our trekking lodge, and freshening up, we walk to explore Tengboche Monastery. Established in 1923, this monastery is popular worldwide.  

Leaving the beautiful village of Tengboche, we begin our trek towards Dingboche. Initially, we descend passing the forested trail and walk passing a couple of suspension bridges, we reach the village of Pangboche.

Continuing the trek, we gradually witness the tree line vanishing and enter rocky and barren lands. Gaining elevations, we may feel some oddness in breathing.

Ultimately, we reach the village of Dingboche, a place for acclimatization and hiking options. We gradually feel the effects of high elevations now. Once we reach there, we check in a teahouse and rest, keeping ourselves hydrated by including plenty of fluids in our diet. Dehydration may lead to AMS (acute mountain sickness), HAPE, and HACE. Thus we must be careful enough.

It is the second acclimatization day. Dinboche also offers plenty of hiking options for acclimatizing practices including; Chhukung, and Nagarjun Hill. It is a small farming village with few houses/trekking lodges and farms with stone walls.

The mountain nomads who wish to climb Island Peak directly move towards Chhukung leaving the main trail to Everest Base Camp Trek. However, we have scheduled an itinerary for Everest Base Camp as well. Thus it is a trail junction for Island Peak and Everest Base Camp Trek.

For the acclimatization hike, we will ascend a hill that sits directly above the village of Dingboche. Popularly known as Nangkartshang Peak, Nagarjun Hill is a popular destination that sits at 5,100m above sea level. This hike is important as this ascent will acclimatize your body for the tough high-altitude ascents in the days to come. It is a forthright climb with no technical exercises.

It is also one of the most popular viewpoints in the Khumbu section. We can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views of the mountain pinnacles including Cholatse, Kantega, Ama Dablam, Makalu, and Lhotse.  Along with them, we can have a close-up view of Island Peak, Imja Tse, Imja Glacier, and Cholatse. After capturing the sceneries in our devices and enjoying the summit push, we trekked back to Dingboche and spent overnight.

Spending a couple of nights at Dingboche, we move towards Lobuche. As we reach higher, we get closer to the mountains. Following the wide valley, we walk up hills near a ridge of a top shrine. Now, we will be crossing a glacial moraine and a small collection of lodges.

As the journey elevates, we will obtain better scenes of the mountains throughout our way to Thukla, On the way, we can see the memorial statues of the climbers who lost their lives in the mountains.

In all, the hike to Lobuche is stunning.

It is one of the most popular days for the entire trip as we are stepping at the base of Mt. Everest (8848.86m), the tallest peak. It is also a long as well as demanding day. Therefore, after the first meal, we begin our journey at around 7 AM. We will continuously walk in the glacial moraines following the Khumbu glacier. Keeping the glacier in sight and amazing mountains, we will trek gradually on terminal moraines.

Walking further, we will reach the village of Gorekshep, the ultimate village or teahouse stop for the Everest Base Camp Trek. We will have our lunch here store our backpacks and move upwards to the Everest Base Camp. It is almost a three-hour round hike from Gorekshep.

Walking via rugged terrain, glacial lands, etc., we will reach our spot, the Everest Base Camp. We will click amazing pictures of the view and enjoy the feeling as we are surrounded by the giant massifs and are at the base of the highest massif. Afterward, we will retrace Gorakhshep for the overnight stay.

Waking early in the morning, we will hike to Kala Patthar to catch the mesmerizing sunrise view over the giant Himalayan peaks. Kala Patthar (5545m) offers an enchanting sunrise panorama of Mt. Everest and a dozen other peaks. The hike uphill and we need to walk in the freezing temperature.

Upon reaching there, we will wait for the first rays of the sun over Mt. Everest and other peaks. The 360 panorama is just astonishing. Capturing all the moments in our electronic devices, we hike back to Gorekshep. Having breakfast, we will hike back to Dingboche for an overnight stay. It will be our beginning point for the Island Peak Expedition.

Our team will leave Dingboche for Chhukung. The trek allows us to pass via the magnificent Himalayan settlements. It takes us about three hours to reach Chhukung. Upon reaching Chhukung, you will be greeted with the mesmerizing sceneries of several high mountain massifs including Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, Imja Tse (Island Peak), and several others.
It also will also give astonishing views of the Imja Khola and Imja Glacier along with the glacier of Lhotse Shar. Chhukung is a small village that offers facilities for lodging through lodges and tea houses. We will choose one of the teahouses here and spend overnight there. As we will be a bit more exhausted the next day, thus we will rest well for today.  
In one of the teahouses, we will dine and will sleep. In this way, we will complete the 12th day of our adventure.

It is the beginning of our journey to the Island Peak summit. After breakfast at our teahouse, we will leave this place and hike towards Island Peak Base Camp. The trek will take us climbing uphill to the south and then toward the main valley in the east.

The journey treks past serene waterfalls and glacial streams on the trail. We will once again be able to have the astonishing sceneries of the Imja Khola Glacier area. On the way there, you will also cross the glacial moraine of Lhotse.

Once we reach the base camp, we can get amazing views of Island Peak (popularly known for Imja Tse) in its astonishing glory. From here, we shall have the perfect southwestern view of the mountain. The climbing leader will have a briefing of what our journey will comprise of the next day.

The guides and other staff will help us settle the tents in the base camp. We will be accommodating in the tented camps as there won’t be other means of lodging. After lunch, pre-climbing training will begin. We sort our gear for our climb, and the climbing guides will train special tips on climbing techniques, using the climbing gear and equipment. This session can be used to brush up on our climbing skills. The proper use of a harness, carabiner, rappel device, ice axe, ascender, and so forth. This pre-climbing training is crucial, especially for first-time climbers, as it boosts our confidence level.

After the practice, we get back to our camp have our dinner, and sleep early awaiting the big adventure – summit push for Island Peak Climbing.  

It is the 14th day of our journey and is the most important day of the entire adventure. We wake up at around midnight and make an early start by 3 a.m. or earlier for the summit. It is crucial to begin early as the wind starts to pick up speed in the mountains as the day progresses.  We have to make it to the summit before the air gathers force and disturbs our ascent to the peak.

From the base camp, we carry a packed lunch and some energy bars and take the trail away from the High Camp. From this point, it takes almost three hours to touch the Crampon Point. It is called crampon point as we start using man rope for safety. We track a tapered ridge that leads to the base of the Imja glacier. Standing here, we can enjoy the stunning sunlit views of Ama Dablam, Makalu, Baruntse, Mera Peak, Chamlang, Cho Polu, Peak 38, including dozens of other peaks. Following our guide, with the help of rope and others, we cross the glacier and ascend above.

The climbing route is not too technical as the path tilts to an angle of about 45 to 50 degrees. Based on the weather and season, there will be crevasses or no crevasses en route. In case there are crevasses en route, we will make use of ladders to cross them. Upon reaching the summit ridge, we will be welcomed by the frozen wall of Lhotse’s south face. Pushing a bit further with the help of ropes, we will reach the top of the Island Peak – our ultimate dream destination.

Standing at the summit point, we realize why it is called the Island Peak, as the peak stands alone like an Island surrounded by jagged mountains and glacial lands. And this is the moment of conquest, and we capture this momentous occasion with our cameras. Capturing the moments, we head back to High Camp and further back to Base Camp, and further back to Chhukung. It is a big day and we will achieve what we actually wanted to have. Evening we celebrate our success with our teammates and crew.

It is scheduled as a spare day that can be used in bad weather conditions or any other obstacles led by altitude sickness or others. In case we could not summit the day before, we will enjoy today. And if everything goes as scheduled, we will use this day in case of flight delays or cancellations as well.

If everything goes as planned, you can use this auxiliary day to explore a settlement en route on the trajectory. You can also walk at an unhurried pace on your return journey.

Leaving the giant mountains back, we descend to the Namche Bazaar today. On our descend hike, we shall pass various Sherpa settlements including Orsho, Somare, Pangboche, Tengboche, and Phungki Thanka. After that, we will steep to Kyangjuma and catch the easier trail to Namche.

This is the last trekking day. After the first meal, we leave Namche Bazaar and trek descent to Lukla. The trek continues along the Dudh Koshi River to the small foothill airstrip at Lukla, where we shall catch our return flight to Kathmandu the next day.

After the early breakfast, we will to the airport and await our flight to Kathmandu / Manthali.  We will be delighted by the mountain views for the last time while flying from Lukla to Kathmandu on your 30-minute flight. In case our flight is diverted to Ramechhap, we will drive back to Kathmandu from there. As you reach Kathmandu, you will be transferred to your hotel.

Carrying the beautiful memory of Island Peak climbing, you are returning to your next destination today. One of the representatives of the Outward Adventure Treks and Expedition will leave you for the Tribhuvan International Airport at least three hours before your scheduled flight time.

Have a safe journey.