Island Peak Climbing

You meet our airport representative at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on your arrival day. He will help load your luggage and take you to the designated hotel. You can take your time to unpack and relax. In the evening, you join a group meeting organized by the company with other team members.

Today, we make a climbing permit from NMA for climbing Island Peak and introduce you to your team leader/climbing guide. There will be a small briefing session, check the equipment and prepare for the journey.

Your trekking guide meet you at the hotel lobby to drive to Kathmandu airport for a short flight to the Lukla airstrip. It is a lifetime flight experience for you. The flight is very scenic. You can see the villages and forests from the plain window.

At Lukla, our porters join you for the journey. We load all the leagues and begin descending towards Phakding village. The views of Kusum Kangaru and Kongde Ri from this village are stunning

Today's trail ascends to the Sherpa town of Namche Bazaar. From Phakding, you walk on forested paths to Monjo village, passing other villages, such as Tok Tok and Banker. In Manjo, we register your trekking permits at Sagarmath National Park's office.

You trek through dense forests, crossing suspension bridges numerous times and waterfalls to reach Jorsalle. You have your lunch at Jorsalle before steeply ascending to Namche Bazaar. A glimpse of Mount Everest is offered while ascending. 

Today, you spend your day exploring and resting in Namche Bazaar. You then do an acclimatised hike to the Hotel Everest View. This luxurious hotel offers breathtaking views of mountains like Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Nuptse, Tawache, etc.

From Namche Bazaar, the trail goes almost flat to Sanasa village, with spectacular views of Mount Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. Then, you descend to Phungki Thanka for lunch. After lunch, you cross the Dudh Koshi River by suspension bridge and ascend to Tengboche village through lush forests of rhododendrons. 

Tengoche is on a hilltop with the famous Tengboche Monastery, one of the biggest monasteries in the Khumbu region. The village offers incredible mountain views with sunrise and sunset.

You descend through deep rhododendron forests. You pass a nunnery and long mani walls and cross the Imja River before reaching Pangboche Village, which offers a tremendous view of Mount Ama Dablam. The trail ascends through farming areas and remote villages to Somare for a lunch break. You come across yak herders and alpine meadows to reach Pheriche village. 

Today is the second acclimatization day of the trip. You will hike to a nearby hill and explore the village. These acclimatization days are crucial before the summit to avoid altitude sickness.

From Pheriche, the trail gets rugged and steep. You leave the tree line behind and walk in a dry, barren area. Mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, Pumori, etc, are seen along the way. The climate begins to get colder and more exposed to the sun.

Our last stop is Everest base camp before returning to Gorak Shep to spend the night. From Lobuche, you walk on a flat moraine to the bottom of Lobuche Pass. It is a short, steep climb to reach the ridge, then the trail, and passing by the lateral moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. The trail passes by Gorak Shep and leads to EBC, which has several uphills and downhills. The thin air makes this part of the trek more exhausting than it is. 

After reaching Everest Base Camp, you will be congratulated on your significant achievement. You take photos and videos before returning to Gorak Shep. 

You hike to Kala Pathar early in the morning. The top offers a gorgeous sunrise with 360-degree views of the Himalayan mountains. The views from Kala Patthar are unbelievable.

Then you back to Gorak Shep for a hot breakfast and descend to Dingboche to spend the night. It's a long downhill walk.

Today, you join the more exciting part of the trip, the Island Peak climbing. From Dingboche, you gradually make your way through moraines to Pareshaya Gyab. Mt. Ama Dablam dominates the sky with its giant presence. You reach Chhukung and have lunch before you ascend towards the base camp of Island Peak (6,189 m). The team leader will give you pre-climbing training that will boost your confidence at Island Peak Base Camp.

After a hot breakfast at the Island Peak Base Camp, you ascend to the Island Peak High Camp. The views along the way are phenomenal. It's a short walk up to the High Camp, so you'll have time to rest.

You wake up before the light breaks for the final push and follow a steep uphill scree. The route then passes a narrow gully and scrambles over the rock to reach the crampon point at the edge of a glacier. From here onwards, you use climbing gears and cross a few deep crevasses using ladders and fixed ropes.

Further crossing the summit ice wall, you reach the top of Island Peak. After spending some time at the top, you descend back to Chhukung via Island Peak base camp to spend the night. Before leaving the base camp, you clean it and take all of your waste down to a lower elevation for proper decomposition.

It's an extra day if you have to take a break between the climbing period because of bad weather or other unseen circumstances. You'll have an extra day in Kathmandu to spend if not used.

From Chhukung, the trail passes through beautiful villages like Dingboche, Pangboche, and Debuche. Today, you walk back on the same trail to Tengboche. You walk through alpine meadows, reach treelines, and ascend through rhododendron forests.

After breakfast, you begin trekking down to Punki Thagna through lush forests and small villages. The trail ascends to Kenjuma village, where it joins a flat path to reach Namche Bazaar. 

After taking a short flight, you reach Kathmandu. The flight offers long views of the snow-clustered mountains. 

Our airport team will escort you to the international airport. They will pick you up from your hotel lobby and drop you off at the airport's terminal gate.