Lobuche Peak

Day 1

Arrival in Kathmandu

The first day of the Lobuche Peak Climb. Our team will be at the airport to receive you when you land in Kathmandu. Look out for beaming faces, frantic hands waving at you, and of course, signboards bearing our logo. We will personally escort you to your hotel, located in Thamel, which we dare-say is Kathmandu’s most exciting district! Lined (in every conceivable direction) with pubs, restaurants and shops offering everything from expedition gear to local souvenirs. Thamel’s musical, aromatic and bustling streets will keep you entertained, leaving you wanting to come back for more, every single time! Of all the times we’ve visited Nepal we still can’t quite get enough of Thamel! Once the entire group arrives and checks into their rooms, a short but comprehensive briefing is done in order to prepare everyone for the journey to come and to resolve any queries that you might have before the Lobuche Climb begins. Our team will check your equipment to ensure that you are sufficiently prepared for the trek and will assist you with any last-minute shopping that needs to be done before we set off. After that, the day is entirely yours. The flight to Lukla is usually an early morning affair and while it’s important to get an adequate amount of rest on your first night, it’s also true that a little party never hurt anyone.

Day 2

Fly to Lukla and trek to Phakding

The 30-minute flight to Lukla will definitely occupy a prominent place on your list of top ten experiences during the course of this trek. The Tenzing-Hillary Airport here is one of the most challenging airstrips in the world. Built on a cliff-top 9334 ft in the air, this little runway is just 30 meters wide and 527 meters long (less than a tenth of the usual dimensions for a regular runway) with an 11.7 Degree gradient which is significant enough to make it one of the steepest approach landings in the world! There is no prospect of a successful go-around on-short final due to the terrain which is high (a jagged, unforgiving mountain face) immediately beyond the northern end of the runway and a steeply angled drop at the southern end of the runway into the valley below! Are you scared yet? Well, don’t be! Only the most skilled and experienced pilots operate the flights that go to and from this area and they’ve practised it to perfection. The planes that land here aren’t the regular Airbus and Boeings that we’re used to either. The airport’s paved asphalt runway is accessible only to helicopters and small, fixed-wing, short-take-off-and-landing aircraft such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter, Dornier 228 and Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter. The views of the Solo Khumbu’s forested valleys and its panoramic snow-capped mountain ranges are absolutely surreal. What’s more, for a plane that seats only 20 people, there’s still an incredibly charming air-hostess and everyone gets a window seat!!! Once you land, we stop for breakfast during which time you will be introduced to the real muscle behind this climb – our team of intrepid Sherpas and their Yaks who will be entrusted with your luggage for the duration of the trek. We then start our journey to Lobuche peak by trekking to the quaint riverside village of Phakding.

Day 3

Trek to Namche Bazaar

Arguably the longest day of the climb during the course of the first part of our trek, our ascent to Namche Bazaar will see us intimately acquainted with the beautiful Dudh Kosi River. As she meanders through the Everest Valley, we enjoy her clever little game of hide-and-seek, at times appearing as a raging torrent under the many suspension bridges that we cross in our attempt to catch up with her, and, at others, a delightfully effervescent companion as we hop over rocks and through pretty tree-lined mountain trails inching closer and closer to the true heart of the Khumbu Valley – Namche Bazaar. Huge, beautifully carved Mani stones adorn the trail that cuts through the Sagarmatha National Park, accentuated by the colourful Buddhist prayer flags that flutter in the breeze seeking blessings from the clear-skied heavens above. As for the village itself, Namche Bazaar is teeming with life! The terraced approach with its quaint potato-kale-and-spinach farms, antiquated little shops (that sell everything you could possibly need), purposeful yak caravans, playfully curious local children, and its warm, welcoming people will leave your delighted heart, spoilt for choice.

Day 4

Rest and Acclimatisation in Namche Bazaar – Hike to Khumjung

At 3340m above mean sea level, after our first official night at high altitude, our fourth day sees us waking up to a well-deserved and much-needed rest day a.k.a ‘Acclimatization day’. The lofty snow-capped peaks of Thamserku and Kongde Ri stand guard right outside your window. With dreamy scenery now merging into everyday reality, even the most persistent dreamers find it impossible to delay their excitement at seeing these amazing peaks in favour for a few extra winks of sleep. Grumbling stomachs (and calf muscles alike) are in for a treat today too. A relatively relaxed start with a hot, wholesome breakfast – simple pleasures truly are the order of acclimatization days, which come along every time we gain roughly one vertical kilometre in height during this particular trail. The purpose of the Acclimatization day is to allow your body to get used to the lower levels of oxygen in the air. The universally accepted way of doing this is to “Climb high and sleep low“. Once everyone has had their fill of the various manifestations of gourmet menus that Namche’s tea houses are known to produce, we visit the Sherpa Cultural Museum which has many artefacts of historical significance and some detailed information on the local flora, fauna, topography and prevailing conditions of the region. The plateau that the museum sits on offers some great panoramic views of the Himalayas and marks the beginning of the trail for our hike to the Syangboche airstrip (you have to see this one to believe it) and the Everest View Hotel. It’s a day full of exciting firsts for the Adventure Pulse teams including, but not limited to, your very first view of Mount Everest (weather permitting)!

Day 5

Trek to Tengboche / Dibuche

The sheer beauty of this part of the trek to Everest Base Camp en route to climb Lobuche cannot be overstated, and is personally, our favourite day on the trail. The wildly fun descent to our lunch stop at the riverside village of Phukithanga takes you through expansive rhododendron forests which are a verdant delight after the monsoon season and are rivalled only by their pre-monsoon avatar which captivates all your senses with Its pink, white, and scarlet flowers that dance merrily above you and line the path all the way to the little village of Tengboche. Calories are never an issue in this part of the world, with lunch invariably being followed by immediate uphill stretches. Mount Everest stays visible and resolute all through the day’s trek with her tell-tale plume of snowy clouds softly beckoning you closer. The route after our lunch stop is a steady, shaded climb whose forested slopes will have you shaking your head in utter-and-complete disbelief, at the fact that the Himalayas were, (in the not-so-distant past), entirely underwater, even as you walk through irrefutable proof of it! A beautifully carved gateway marks the end of the climb and welcomes you to Tengboche, home to the largest Gompa in the Khumbu region, the ancient and sacred Tengboche Monastery. Teams from Adventure Pulse bound for Lobuche Peak enjoy the rare privilege of attending the prayer ceremonies at this monastery where the monks and Lama bless our expedition and request the Gods to grant us safe passage to and from the mountain. Today will also be the day where you have your first view of Lobuche Peak.

Day 6

Trek to Dingboche

There are certain treks, or sometimes, just specific trails that have the ability to turn your entire world upside down. The walk from Tengboche to Dingboche occupies a prime position amongst these. We start by descending to the settlement of Deboche which sits placidly sheltered in the shadow of Tengboche alongside the ImjaKohla River. If the trail itself doesn’t immediately summon images of the scenery that one can usually only witness in epic fantasy movies like the Lord of the Rings, one look at the almost-elven-looking Rivendell Lodge here definitely will! The hike from Debouche to Dingboche is filled with stream and river crossings along wooden bridges, climbing up large steps, going through impressive colourful Tibetan gates, and the ever-present, never-tiring views of the Himalayas. Disguised as one of the infamous “Nepali flats“, a term that you will doubtless hear from the locals at some stage during the course of your trek, there’s only one way to find out what this trail is truly about! Cliché as it sounds, you will find that you discover more about yourself and who you really want to be with every passing step, as you gradually follow the river, crossing above the tree line into this improbably-beautiful, almost-lunar segment of our expedition. It’s amazing to see just how much life there is up here despite the fact that you are at an altitude of more than 4000m and over 50 kilometres (not to mention a whole aeroplane ride) away from the nearest roads! The huge metal bridges that span the riverine valley will soon take you to the village of Dingboche where our groups invariably experience that magical, mesmerizing phenomenon we’ve all come to recognize as the first snowfall on the trail!

Day 7

Dingboche – acclimatization – Hike to Nangakarshang (5010m)

The acclimatization day at Dingboche is quite like the one at Namche Bazaar and involves a short day-hike uphill to a point called Nangakarshang which is ringed by some of the most technical and difficult peaks to climb. The viewpoint showcases the peaks of Lhotse (4th highest mountain in the world), Manaslu (the 5th highest mountain in the world), a new face of Ama Dablam (our constant travelling companion, initially deemed unclimbable by Everest’s famous summiteer, Sir Edmund Hilary), Island Peak, Baruntse, Lobuche East and the ever steadfast Thamserku amongst others. From here we can see the route that we’ll take to make our way up to Lobuche. We get back to our tea house in time for a scrumptious lunch and spend the rest of the day enjoying Dingboche, exploring the area (basically following our noses as we chase the delicious smells that waft toward us from its little bakery) and playing various board/card games; or just reading a novel in a cosy corner in front of the Bukhara( fire stove) in the wooden dining hall.

Day 8

Trek to Lobuche

The trek from Dingboche to Lobuche is where things suddenly start to get very real! There’s a good chance you’ll be walking through snow as you cross into the glacial moraine by this time which adds to the excitement. The fact that you are now only one short day away from Everest Base Camp adds to the excitement. Our route takes us to Lobuche over the Thukla-Dukla pass — a tough climb given the high altitude and steep terrain, both of which make for slow progress. However, perseverance is generously rewarded here and as you reach the top of the pass, you find yourself amidst memorials of some of the most famous climbers in the world who attempted Everest and died in the process! Lobuche village will also serve as our base camp once we come back from Everest Base Camp.

Day 9

Trek to Everest Base Camp and stay at Gorakhshep

We start early in the morning from Lobuche and set off for Gorakshep in order to make our way to Everest Base Camp! The walk to Gorakshep takes us above 5000 mtrs, where even the most resilient climbers start slowing down due to the altitude. We stop at Gorakshep to catch our breath where we wait for our Sherpas to arrive with our bags so we can settle them into our rooms and in the meantime, fortify ourselves with brunch. Once everyone is well-rested, we set off on the glacier for Everest Base Camp. We head back to the shelter of Gorakshep’s Tea house before night and turn in early to a welcoming soft bed and thick warm sleeping bags. The next day, after all, is the attempt at the summit of Kalapatthar.

Day 10

Trek to Kalapatthar and back to Lobuche Village

Early next morning we will head off to Kalapathar. Following a grassy trail above Gorakshep. From here you can witness a beautiful sunrise over Mt. Everest. A 2-hour trek up. Once daylight breaks we head back down to Gorakshep to have a sumptuous breakfast before making our way to the village Lobuche which will serve as our base camp for our climb up to Lobuche. This will be the last night in tea houses before the summit of Lobuche. This is probably the most anticipated day of the journey as we finally get a chance to size up our challenge.

Day 11

Trek to Lobuche Peak High Camp

After breakfast, we’ll slowly start to trek towards Lobuche Peak Base Camp. The route starts off by heading towards Thukla before turning right and towards the base of Lobuche. Within 2 hours you will reach Base Camp and we then will continue to trek up to High Camp. The trail up to Base Camp is pretty much flat. From the base, the route Zigzags up through moraine and to high camp. All the training for Lobuche peak is finally paying off. Our climbing guide will re-check your gear and give you basic training about climbing, how to use your climbing gear such as crampons, using ice axes and walking on ice. The night will be spent in tents.

Day 12

Summit Lobuche Peak and back to High Camp

Today is the day we head to the summit of Lobuche Peak. We start the journey at midnight. Your climbing guide will give you a wakeup call, serve tea and some food. Once everyone is geared up we’ll start. Your guide will let you know when you need to use your climbing gear. Closer to the summit there is a ridge covered with snow from where you might have to use fixed ropes already placed. Within 6-7 hours you will be in Summit. The summit of Lobuche is a beautiful place from where you’ll have clear views of Mt. Everest, Ama Dablam and many fable peaks. After spending half an hour on the summit we’ll start descending to High Camp. It takes around 5 hours to come down.

Day 13

Extra Day for Summit

This day is reserved in case of bad weather, in case of bad weather the previous day we will make our attempt to reach the summit of Lobuche Peak.

Day 14

Trek down to Pheriche

After we head down from Lobuche high camp, we start our journey back to civilization by and descend to the prettiest stopover on the trail, the evergreen, yak-breeding village of Pheriche. Here you will stay in the comfort of the tea house. This beautiful village is the sister village of Dingboche.

Day 15

Trek down to Namche

The next day we start our journey to Namche. Crossing Tengboche Monastery and thanking the gods for our successful summit. From Tengboche, we head to Phukitanga where we’ll have lunch and reach Namche by evening. Just in time for some celebratory drinks to our Lobuche Peak summit at the Namche Irish Pub.

Day 16

Trek to Lukla

Our last day in the valley, we trek to Lukla through the pine and fir forests and exit the Sagarmatha National Park at Monjo. We’ll have lunch at Phukding and reach Lukla by evening. Preparing ourselves for our flight out of the valley the next day.

Day 17

Fly back to Kathmandu

Today we head back to the comfort of civilization, bidding adieu to Lobuche peak and the Khumbu valley. After we arrive in Kathmandu, we’ll drop you in Thamel and you can spend the rest of the day roaming the streets and exploring Kathmandu.

Day 18

Kathmandu Rest Day / Buffer for Bad Weather

Day 19

Departure from Kathmandu

Our last day of the Lobuche Peak Climb. Adventure-Pulse representatives will drop you to the international airport.