PLAN: Nepal - Gokyo Lakes

Leg 0 - Getting there

All travel in Nepal starts from Kathmandu. I will be travelling there via Hong Kong, arriving in Kathmandu on April 27th. Having made the trip recently I know the tricks that are needed. Visa at the airport on arival is no problem. Treking permit on the trail at Monjo is no problem. Pre-book flight and transport to Lukla - so pretty easy preparation really!

The overall plan for this trip is to travel to Lukla via plane. Then heading North out of Lukla to Namche Bazaar. Shortly past Namche the trail turns North of the main EBC trail up to Gokyo and Renjo La.

Leg 1 - Kathmandu, Lukla, Namche

After a couple of days in Kathmandu, it will be an early start to get to Lukla and beyond.

Kathmandu - Lukla - Bengkar (flight, 4 hours walking)

Transport from Kathmandu to Rammechamp airport is done in the wee hours of the morning on a little mini-bus! It's not the greatest of drives in the dark but everyone has to do it. Arrival at Rammechamp is at about 6:00am in prepartion for the first flights.

Check in for a boarding pass is somewhat chaotic, but just follow the lines and push your way to the front. After that, and closer to flight time, move to the bag checkin area for a bag search.

Once in Lukla, the trail will head out to the West. Shortly after Lukla there will be a check point available to purchase the TREK card which is required for hiking in the Everest region. Checkpoints are at Lukla and at Monjo.

Continue walking as far as possible today - probably up to Bengkar which I stayed at last time. It's not one of the popular stops, so it is quiet and with amazing views. Actually views here are far better than Phakding!

Bengkar - Namche Bazaar (3-4 hours) 3440m

After breakfast we walk through beautiful pine forests and along the Dudh Koshi River. If the weather is clear, we may even catch a glimpse of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. We continue walking until we reach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park, Namche Bazaar, the gateway to Mt. Everest and main trading centre of this region. There is another checkpoint here to purchase the national parks permits required for the trek.

This day we cross several suspension bridges, the last one also known as the Hillary Bridge being the highest. It is an uphill walk from Hillary Bridge to Namche Bazaar.

The following day is a simple acclimatization day, so a hike up over the hill to the Everest View hotel, followed by lunch at the village of Khumjung.

Namche Bazaar - Dhole (6 hours) 4200m

Shortly after following the main trail out of Namche Bazaar to the north, we take a less traveled path towards Gokyo. Look out for it forking to the left and sign posted for Gokyo.

The trail starts to head uphill from here and is mostly well marked. The trail is less used than the main EBC trail, but there will still be trekkers here heading to/from the Gokyo Lakes region. By lunch time we should reach the town of Phortse Tenga for a long break. After lunch, continue heading up the valley to the town of Dhole for the night.

Dhole - Machhermo (3 hours) 4470m

Heading out from Dhole we continue up the valley to the North. Today is likely to be a short one if we stopped at Dhole, so we dont need to start too early.

There will only be a couple of small villages along the trail today, but will end up in Machhermo for the night which is known for its scary storries about the Yeti!

Machhermo - Gokyo (6 hours) 4750m

Today is the big day! Heading out of Machhermo we continue north through some small villages but then slowly start to descend into the Gokyo valley. We should get views of Cho Oyu from here as well as some of the awaiting glacier and its glacial lakes.

Apparently there are some caves to explore around the village of Pangka - so look out for those.

Eventually descending down to the glacial trail and the beautiful lakes of Gokyo.

Leg 2 - Gokyo

The plan is to spend three or four days here in Gokyo depending on how much time we have taken so far. There are 19 lakes in the entire lakes system, probably wont see them all but lets see how many! There is also Gokyo Ri which is a good spot to watch the sunrise from!

Gokyo 4750m

We have plenty of time in the plan to enjoy Gokyo to its fullest. However it may be getting cold here overnight so make sure we get lodgings! Also worth trying to get a room with a lake view if possible - even if its more expensive because this is a once in a lifetime right!

Leg 3 - Gokyo, Renjo La, Lukla

After enjoying the amazing region of Gokyo Lakes it is time to complete the most challenging part of this trek - up and over Renjo La! This will be a challenge, but the reward of the best views in the Khumbu will be amazing! Once over the pass, a few days of downhill and rest in Lukla is ahead of us.

Gokyo - Renjo La - Lumde (8 hours) 4340m/4368m

Heading out early again, which is common on big days, the trail heads to the west along the northern bank of Gokyo Lake. Once past the lake, the trail starts to increase in steepness, and the thin air will force us to move very slowly. This is the lowest of the three passes in this region, but once at the peak, the views back to the east should be amazing!

Knowing the rest of the day will be downhill, and not too far, take your time at this point as we are nearing the end of this amazing trip - soak in the views.

Once we start to descend, you will notice some amazing track building, with large smooth steps all the way down the pass and on to the town of Lumde which will be our stop for the night.

Lumde - Thame (3 hours) 3820m

Today is an easy day. It will be all downhill to the village of Thame. A late start is most welcome at this point! The trail is well marked, but probably less people today than in previous days. The trail sticks to the eastern side of the river which will be our companion most of the morning.

There should be plenty of lodges here in Thame to pick for the night.

Thame - Namche Bazaar (3 hours) 3440m

Our final morning on this section of trail can be another late one as we dont have far to go today, we are continuing to head towards Namche Bazaar. Make sure we take the correct trail here, which should be sign posted, otherwise we will end up heading towards Lukla instead! Once in Namche Bazaar, look for a lodge which has the services that the end of a trek needs! We are likely to spend a few days here so select the lodge wisely.

Namche Bazaar - Phakding - Lukla - Kathmandu (4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours) 2610m/2830m/1400m

The final days of this amazing journey will find us retracing our tracks along the well worn trail back to Lukla, we will likely stop off at Phakding for a night before getting to Lukla and finally a flight back to Rammechamp and the bus to Kathmandu.