Everest 3 Passes Trek in Nepal Himalayas

A uniquely experience filled with amazing views!

 

There is indeed another way to see Everest. It’s a trek where you’ll hardly see another tourist for much of the trek. Instead, you travel like a local Sherpa while enjoying primal views of Mt. Everest and the surrounding mountains.

 

The Everest 3 Passes Trek crosses three high passes: Renjo-La, Cho-La and Kongma-La. All passes are above 5000 meters (16,400 ft). From high on top of these passes, you will only have spectacular views of Mt. Everest; you will see four other of the world’s highest peaks! (There are only 14 mountains above 8,000 meters – this trip offers you the opportunity to see five of them!).  The Everest 3 passes trek allows you to roam around Kathmandu valley. Then you will start your trekking experience from Lukla.

 

While there are many different treks in the Everest/Khumbu region, the Everest 3 passes trek is the ultimate experience. If you’re up to the challenge, come and join us for 21 days of an amazing journey.

 

The ground appears to rise beneath you as your flight approaches the mystical city of Kathmandu. These are the foothills of the Himalayas, and the large Valley below is a well-watered, green oasis in the midst of the world’s highest mountains. The plane touches down at Tribhuvan International Airport where you deplane and meet your personal representative of Himalayan Planet Adventures. He’ll take you to your hotel to freshen up after the long journey. Soon, you’ll be traveling to the world headquarters of Himalayan Planet Adventures to meet your guide and to go over all last minute details of the Everest 3 Passes Trek. In the evening, you will all go out for a fantastic Nepali welcome dinner, complete with a cultural program.

 

Elevation: (4,592 ft / 1,400 m)

 

The Kathmandu Valley is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today you will have time to see three of them. In the morning, visit Pashupatinath, the most holy Hindu place in Nepal. Here along the banks of the Bagmati River are 490 temples. See colorfully dressed Hindu holy men teaching and performing puja (worship). Then it's off to Boudhanath, the largest Buddhist Stupa in Asia. It is a massive structure, surrounded by the largest Tibetan Buddhist refugee community in Nepal. In the afternoon, visit the ancient city of Bhaktapur, with its beautiful temples, large royal palace and amazing stone carvings. In the evening you will return to your hotel to prepare for tomorrow’s journey to the Khumbu region.

 

Distance: 37.4 km

Duration: Max. 7 hrs

Visiting places: 3 sites

 

DAY 3: Fly to Lukla, Trek to Phakding 

 

The best time to fly into the Khumbu region is early morning as weather conditions change rapidly in this region. The flight takes us across some of the most remarkable terrain as we fly eastward to reach the airport at Lukla. This is the backbone of the eastern Himalayas in Nepal. We fly over several mountain ranges until we reach Lukla. Once we land, we grab our backpacks and make our way down the trail to the Sherpa Village of Phakding. Its 3 – 4 hours of trekking to reach this colorful village. Because of the lower elevation, we find ourselves trekking through beautiful Himalayan forests of pine, birch and rhododendron. We cross the Bhota Koshi River as it winds its way southward. It’s a day of birds chirping and small wild animals scurrying about. We reach Phakding where we find our teahouse. There’ll be time to explore the village, drinking tea with the local people. 

 

Elevation: (Lukla: 9,184 ft / 2,800 m) / (Phakding: 8,528 ft / 2,600 m) 

Distance: (Kathmandu – Lukla 138 km) / (Lukla – Phakding 7.8 km)

Duration: (Kathmandu – Lukla 30 minutes) / (Lukla – Phakding 3 hrs)

 

 

We are following the traditional trail into the Khumbu region from Lukla. Yesterday, we found ourselves trekking in primeval forests with occasional outcroppings where visible are the snowcapped peaks. Today, the vegetation gets thinner as we climb higher in elevation. Sometimes the trail gets a bit steep, but we press onward. About halfway through the day, we finally enter Sagarmatha National Park. Our destination is the Sherpa capital of Namche Bazaar. This mountain village has grown into a small city over the years. Here we find tea house which is quite nice with a great menu. Trekking time is 5 hours.

Elevation: (11,283 ft / 3,440 m)

Distance: (10.4 km) 

Duration: (5 hrs)

 

Himalayan Planet Adventures builds into the schedule a number of acclimatization days as we gain elevation. This is necessary in the Himalayas because of the thinner mountain air which can cause Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). While it can be fatal if not attended to, the best way to avoid it is to allow the body to rest for 24 hours. Namche Bazaar is a wonderful place to take that rest. Today we will explore the city with its restaurants, bakeries, gift shops and even an ATM machine. We can climb to Syangboche for a really outstanding view of Mt. Everest. We’ll have free time today. Take the time to check out the Sherpa Museum. It will help you to understand further the culture of the Sherpa people.

 

 

Our initial trek began following the route most everyone follows to see Mt. Everest. Today we turn to the trail less traveled as we make our way to the quaint little village of Thame. This village hangs on the side of a cliff overlooking the fertile valley below. It’s referred to as “the hidden Sherpa village” and when you get there, you’ll see why. It features a very picturesque Buddhist monastery which makes this place popular to visitors. We trek for four hours today to reach Thame, finding a small teahouse to spend the night.

 

Elevation: (12,464 ft / 3,800 m)

Distance: (9.7 km) 

Duration: (4 hrs)

 

 

You will discover that when you trek the Everest region, you are indeed on the “roof of the world”. We keep climbing today. We’ve passed the tree-line. The trees have been replaced by low-lying juniper bushes. Some grasses grow up here. Surprisingly, we do see some terraced farms. The Sherpa people are a determined people and have found a way to grow some vegetables at this high elevation. Here we see domestic yaks who thrive at the higher elevations and cooler weather. Our destination is the village of Lungden, which is small and has a few basic teahouses. Trekking time is 3 – 4 hour.

 

Elevation: (14,104 ft / 4,300 m)

Distance: (8.7 km) 

Duration: (7 hrs)

 

Today is our first high pass. It will be snowy and cold. The winds always blow at this elevation. But what a view from on top! We can see Mt. Everest and four other of the world’s highest peaks. Also in view are many more “smaller” peaks. We spend some time on the top of Renjo-La Pass before our descent into the beautiful, green Gokyo Valley. From on top of Renjo-La Pass, we can see the sacred lakes of Gokyo. Trekking time is around 8 – 9 hours. Gokyo has some really nice tea houses where we can get a nice, hot meal after the cold of Renjo-La Pass.

 

Elevation: (Renjo Pass: 17,509 ft / 5,338 m), (Gokyo: 15,477 ft / 4,800 m)

Distance: (10.5 km) 

Duration: (8-9 hrs)

 

DAY 9: Hike to Gokyo RI and Acclimatization Day (elev. 5,330 m/17,483 ft.) 

 

It’s our second acclimatization day as we’ve reached new heights with much thinner air. We’re going to take our time and explore around the sacred Gokyo lakes that shimmer in a deep blue brilliance. We will take a trail to Mt. Gokyo RI which is a trekking peak. We can climb it for more magnificent views of the mountains. We will also pass by the fifth Gokyo Lake, which is along the way. We spend about 3 – 4 hours of our trek walking today. It’s a good day to rest, because tomorrow we make our way to the second high pass.

 

Elevation: (Gokyo RI: 16,372 ft / 17,575 ft) 

Distance: (1.5 km one way) 

Duration: (Gokyo RI: 2 hrs one way)

 

 

Most people feel kind of sad when they leave Gokyo because the village and lakes are so picturesque. The people are very friendly here, always happy to see visitors. Not that many come this way because of the high passes but those that do discover a pristine version of the Khumbu region. We make our way past one of the sacred lakes to reach the village of Dragnag. Trekking time is 2 – 3 hours.

 

Elevation: (15,580 ft / 4750 m)

Distance: (2.9 km)

Duration: (2 hrs)

 

DAY 11: Trek to Dzongla via Cho-La Pass 

 

It’s an even higher pass, and you’ll be glad you brought your crampons to help navigate the snowy trail. We cross a glacier today, and it will be steep at times. It’s a long day of trekking, taking between 8 and 9 hours. You’ll be tired, but the memories of the amazing views of the jewels of the Himalayas will be wonderful.

 

Elevation: (Cho La Pass: 17,783 ft / 5,420 m) / (Dzongla: 15,847 ft / 4,830 m)

Distance: (9.38 km) 

Duration: (8 hrs)

 

 

Today we join up with the main trail to Everest, following along the path Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay walked on their historical climb of the world’s highest mountain. Today’s journey will offer us an awesome vision of Mt. Nuptse. The trail here is rocky and like we’ve experienced over the last few days, the wind never quits blowing. Gorak Shep has a great tea house with a nice, hot meal. Trekking time is around six hours. We will stay here two nights, as this is the closest tea house to Everest Base Camp. 

Elevation: (16,942 ft / 5,164 m)

Distance: (10 km) 

Duration: (6 hrs)

 

DAY 13: Hike to Everest Base Camp 

 

We leave our backpacks behind, taking just cameras and day packs to Everest Base Camp. This is where all climbers begin their journey to the top of the world’s highest mountain. Depending upon the season, you’ll see colorful tents at Base Camp with climbers either celebrating their successful climb or those who are just starting. You can’t see Mt. Everest from Base Camp; it’s a destination that you can proudly proclaim to anyone in the future. We return to Gorak Shep to rest and relax.

 

Elevation: (17,598 ft / 5,364 m)

Distance: (3.4 km one way) 

Duration: (5 hrs in total)

 

 

We will begin our return trip today, but not until we climb Mt. Kalapathar (elev. 5,550 m/18,204 ft). Mt. Kalapathar is a trekking mountain and from the top, you get a close-up view of Mt. Everest. This is the prime spot to gaze upon this massif. We climb, take our pictures and descend. We stop at our tea house, pick up our backpacks and start our return trip.  Lobuche is a very tiny village and there is not a tea house here. We will camp under the stars for the night, eating dinner around a campfire while listening for cries of the yeti. 

 

Elevation: (Kala Patthar: 18,209 ft / 5,550 m) / (Lobuche: 14,465 ft / 4,410 m)

Distance: (Kala Patthar: 1.4 km one way) / (Gorakshep to Lobuche: 4.3 km)

Duration: (2+1 hrs) / (Gorakshep to Lobuche: 3 hrs)

 

This is our third high pass and is considered the most difficult. The pass is 5,550 m (18,209 ft.). We cross the famed Khumbu glacier to reach the pass. It’s not considered a technical pass, so crampons are not required, although they can be helpful. The pass is often free of snow and ice, and the trail is quite easy to follow. The effort to reach the top of the pass is rewarded because the scenery is superb! We drop down the other side and make our way to Dingboche. Here there is an internet café as well as the world’s highest pool hall. It will take us 6 – 7 hours to reach Dingboche, spending the night in a nice tea house.

 

Elevation: (Kongma-la: 18,209 ft / 5,550 m) / (Dingboche: 14,465 ft / 4,410 m)

Distance: (7.5 km)

Duration: (8-9 hrs)

 

 

We are continuing to descend today with our goal to reach the picturesque village of Tengboche. The village is known for its beautiful monastery which has Mt. Everest as its backdrop (imagine meditating on that view all day!). We spend 4 – 5 hours trekking. Once we reach the tea house, we drop our backpacks and explore the monastery along with the surrounding village.

 

Elevation: (12,661 ft / 3,860 m)

Distance: (10.8 km) 

Duration: (5 hrs)

 

 

We are returning to the capital of the Khumbu today. It’s exciting to get back. We can enjoy a local restaurant, pick up some Sherpa handicrafts as well as rest in a really nice tea house. Namche Bazaar has many amenities that the smaller places don’t have. No doubt we’ll enjoy them. Trekking time is around six hours.

 

Elevation: (11,283 ft / 3,440 m)

Distance: (5.9 km) 

Duration: (5 hrs)

 

 

The scenery definitely changes as we drop down into the dense Himalayan forests. We retrace our steps through Phakding and finally reach Lukla. This is our final day of trekking and we’re ready for some rest and relaxation in Kathmandu. We spend our final night in the Khumbu at a tea house in Lukla. Trekking time is 7 – 8 hours.

 

Elevation: (Lukla height: 9,184 ft / 2,800 m)

Distance: (18.2 km) 

Duration: (7 hrs)

 

We board our plane early in the morning and return to Kathmandu by a 30 minute plane ride. We check into our hotel and the rest of the day is ours to do as we please. We can rest or explore – it's our choice.

 

We always build in an extra day because the weather is so unpredictable in the Khumbu Region. Sometimes the planes can’t fly, so we have to spend an extra day in Lukla. If all goes according to plan, you will have the opportunity to relax and enjoy another day in the Kathmandu Valley. There’s so much to explore, and Himalayan Planet Adventures can help you plan out your day. Of course, if you want to rest, no problem. Read a book in the roof garden or explore. It’s your day. In the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your friends at Himalayan Planet Adventures.

 

It’s definitely been the greatest adventure of your lifetime! You’ve seen not only Mt. Everest, but five of the 14 of the world’s highest peaks. You’ve walked by sacred lakes, sipped tea with the Sherpas, maybe even drank a little of their roxy (homemade wine). The scenery was fabulous. Before you depart, why not plan your next visit to Nepal. There’s so much more to see and explore. Himalayan Planet Adventures can help to put together your next journey into the wonderland lands of the Himalayas.