18 Days Island Peak Climbing for the Year 2021
Everest Base Camp Trek with Island peak takes you not only to the renowned Base Camp of the highest mountain in the world but also to an exciting adventure of mountain climbing. Island Peak, at the height of 6,189m, is popular among the novice climbers and is used as a preparation for higher mountains like Everest. Though physically demanding, it is less technical and can be climbed by anyone reasonably fit.
The trek will begin after a short flight to Lukla. The trails will take you to Phakding, a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Sagarmatha National park) in the green valley of Dudh Koshi, and then to the famous Namche Bazzar where we will spend two nights for acclimatization. Trekking will continue from Tengboche to Pheriche to Lobuche; these culturally rich Sherpa villages are full of Chortens, Mani Walls, museum and amazing views of the Himalayas. Before the awaited Island Peak, we will visit the Everest Base Camp and climb up Kalapathar. The Kalapathar is popular among the trekkers as one can get a full base to top view of Mount Everest on sunrise or sunset view. Finally, we will trek to the base camp of Island Peak and summit it on the 15th day. Island Peak was named so due to its position at the center of the Valley, like an Island in a sea of ice. Its local name is Imja Tse. The hard work is well awarded by a 360 degree panorama view with mountains like Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Makalu. From there, we will trek back up and down until the exciting experience of Everest Base Camp Trek with Island peak comes to an end back in Kathmandu.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu
On your arrival at Kathmandu Valley, one of our staff members will be there to pick you up and transfer you to the Hotel. Overnight at a 3-star Hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla 2840m and trek to Phakding 2610m/3-4 hours,
On this day we will drive back to the airport and catch a scenic flight to Lukla. Enjoying the scenic flight for around 45 minutes with views of high mountains of this esteemed region, we will reach Lukla. We will have our breakfast there and then we will start our trek along the descending trail passing many Buddhists monuments to Phakding. Overnight at a Lodge at Phakding.
Day 3: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar 3440m/5-6 hours,
Today, we will initially walk for around three hours crossing many suspension bridges and villages to Monjo. At Monjo, we will enter the Sagarmatha National Park and make way up the trail enjoying glorious views of mountains and naturally thriving flora and fauna. From there, we will climb to Jorsalle. The trail steeply ascends until we cross the large suspension bridge to reach Namche Bazaar. Overnight at a Lodge at Namche Bazaar.
Day 4: Acclimatization Day,
This day will for acclimatization and rest. We will utilize this day by taking a short hike around Namche Bazaar. We will climb to Everest View hotel to enjoy the stunning views of Mt. Everest (8848m) and other high mountains peaks in the region. From there we will descend to Khumjung village, where we will visit the famous old monastery and see the Yeti skulls hanging in the monastery. We will also visit Khumjung Hillary School and then return back to Namche. Overnight at the Lodge at Namche Bazaar.
Day 5: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche 3860m/4-5 hours,
We will leave our lodge in the early morning and follow the trail leading to Kyangjuma village. From here, the trail follows the Dudh Koshi River to the suspension bridge leading us to the Phunki Tenga. We continue along the narrow steep trail to Tengboche. On reaching Tengboche we will visit the Tengboche monastery and enjoy the panoramic views of the mountains in the Everest region. Overnight at a Lodge at Tengboche.
Day 6: Trek from Tengboche to Dingboche 4410m/5-6 hours,
Today, our trail passes through dense forests of rhododendron to the suspension bridge near Pangboche village. On crossing the suspension bridge the trail ascends to the Pangboche village. We will visit the Pangboche Monastery and continue to Shomare village. The trail mostly passes through the open field of Orsho and then to Dingboche. Overnight at a Lodge at Dingboche
Day 7: Trek from Dingboche to Lobuche 4910m/5-6 hours,
Initially, our trail starts along the ridge lines to Khumbu Khola Valley and then to Thokla. We can enjoy the majestic Himalayan views of Pumori (7165m), Nuptse (7861m), Lobuche (6367m), Ama Dablam (6856m) and numerous other peaks. From here we will climb along the lateral moraines of Khumbu glacier and continue to ascend to Lobuche after passing Thokla pass (4830m). Overnight at in a tented camp at Lobuche.
Day 8: Trek from Lobuche to Gorakshep 5140m/3 hours and Exploring the Everest Base Camp 5364m.
The trail passes along the left bank of Khumbu glacier and climbs steeply to Changri glacier. The trail gently ascends to Gorakshep where we will enjoy the magnificent views of Pumori (7165m), Lingtren (6749m), Khumbutse (6608), Nuptse (7861m) and many others. Enjoying the beautiful mountain views we will head toward the Everest Base Camp. Initially, we will pass a glacier lake and continue along the side of moraine to the central part of Khumbu Glacier. From here, we will steeply climb to the Everest Base Camp. Reaching the Everest Base Camp, we will get to observe the majestic Mt Everest and its neighboring peaks. Overnight at Everest Base Camp.
Day 9: Hike to Kala Patthar and trek from Gorakshep to Dingboche 4240m (5/6 hours)
In the early morning, we will leave for Kala Patthar. The trail steeply ascends to Kala Patthar which remains the greatest viewpoint to behold magnificent views of the Everest and other mountains in the Everest massif. We can treat our eyes with the stunning views of Mt. Everest (8848m), Nuptse (7861m), Lhotse (8414m), Khumbutse (6608m), Pumori (71665m), Ama Dablam (6856m) among many others. After spending some time there, we will descend back to our hotel, have some breakfast and head towards Lobuche. We will cross Changri glacier and continues to Thokla. From here, the trail gently descends to Dingboche. Overnight at a Lodge at Dingboche.
Day 10: Trek from Dingboche to Chhukung 4730m/4 hours,
Today, we first pass the Mani walls at the skirts of Dingboche. Then, we follow a trail that climbs along the rocky ridgelines to reach Chhukung village. Our trail initially continues along the open field used for Yak grazing by locals until Bibre. Leaving Bibre, we trek ahead to reach our destination for the day, Chhukung. Overnight at a Lodge at Chhukung.
Day 11: Hike to Chhukung-Ri 5550m and to Island Peak Base Camp 4970m
A short 2 hours of the walk along the rocky ridges will take us to Chhukung Ri. We can see the close view of Lhotse (8414m), Makalu (8463m), Island peak (6189m) and Cho Oyu (8188m) as well. After enjoying the great view atop the Chhukung Ri, we descend and head towards Island Peak Base Camp. We can see Imja Tsho Lake on the latter part of the trek before we reach Island Peak Base Camp. Overnight at Base Camp.
Day 12: Climb from Base Camp to Island Peak Summit 6189m and back to Chhukung 4730m/7-8hrs,
We will begin the ascent early in the morning. We begin the day by following the trail along the slippery and ascending trail. After some time, we can see the Lhotse Shar Glacier as we make way towards the High Camp. We will be continually accompanied by the mountains in the Everest ranges all the way to High Camp. As the winds in the mountains tend to get strong during the middle of the day, we begin our climb as early as possible and walk along steep ridgelines and rocky channels to reach the summit. Upon conquering the peak, we are treated with mesmerizing panoramic views of the mountains such as Mt Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8414m), Cho Oyu (8188m) and many others. Enjoying the delightful views and capturing them in the cameras, we descend back to Chhukung.
Day 13: Extra Day for climbing due to Bad Weather
This day is kept as a backup so as to make sure that we can have an alternative day for the climb if we are not able to make the climb on the summit day due to any unforeseen reason. We will move to base camp after the climb. Overnight at a lodge in Chhukung.
Day 14: Trek from Chhukung to Pangboche 3930m/4-5 hours,
Retracing our steps, we head to Bibre from Chhukung. Moving ahead Dingboche welcomes us again and continuing further on ahead, we follow Imja Khola to reach Orsho. We walk on a short flat trail to cross a suspension bridge and make multiple ascends and descends to reach a suspension bridge before arriving at Pangboche. Overnight at a Lodge at Pangboche.
Day 15: Trek from Pangboche to Namche 3440m/5-6 hours,
We will begin our trek along the Imja Khola through the deep forests to reach Tengboche. From here, the trail descends along the Dudh Koshi River. Crossing prayer wheels on our way, we will reach Kyangjuma village. From there the trail descends along the forested path to Namche Bazaar. Namche Bazaar offers modern luxuries to some extent and we can enjoy them on our stay for the night. Overnight at a Lodge at Namche Bazaar.
Day 16: Trek from Namche to Lukla 2840m/6-7 hours,
In the early morning, we will Leave Namche Bazaar. We will descend along the forests of rhododendron and pine along the Dudh Koshi River to Jorsalle and then to Monjo. Crossing several bridges and settlement area we will descend back to Phakding. We move ahead passing by prayer wheels and Mani walls to reach Lukla. Overnight at a Lodge at Lukla.
Day 17: Fly from Lukla to Kathmandu,
On this day we will fly back to Kathmandu from Lukla. A scenic flight with the beautiful views of mountains will take us to Kathmandu. On reaching Kathmandu, we will drive you back to the hotel. You can spend the rest of the day by just relaxing or shopping at the local marketplaces. Overnight at a 3-star Hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 18: Final Departure from Kathmandu
On this day, we will drive you back to Tribhuvan International airport for your scheduled flight to your destination.