Island Peak Climbing

The beautiful skies of Kathmandu will be wonderful as you arrive at this place on such a bright day. The snow-covered peaks of towering mountains will greet you through the windows of your plane. Once you go through visa formalities at the airport, pick up your luggage and leave the terminal building. Upon exiting the airport, our representative will greet you. They will take you there in a private car directly to where you’re staying. The remaining part of the day is free.

Therefore, in the late afternoon or evening of that day, a guide will introduce you to an overview of what you will encounter during the adventurous tour.

One can do sightseeing in and around Kathmandu and then visit places like Boudhanath Stupa, Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu Durbar Square, Swayambhunath Stupa, etc. All these places in Kathmandu are historical, cultural, and religious. You can also see the funeral rites at the Pashupatini temple, which is well-known worldwide. Bouddhanath Stupa, the tallest Buddhist shrine in Nepal, and Swayambhunath temple are other renowned places. Afterward, the trek leader will brief us on the program and what to do tomorrow. However, if you do not have all the trek and climb equipment by this time, you can get it before the hike or the climb begins.

Trek Distance: 6.2km (3.8miles)
Flight Duration: 40 Minutes

Leave for Lukla early in the morning. The view from the flight to Lukla and landing at the Tenzing Hillary Airport is amazing. A small airport is situated on a plateau between high mountains. In fact, it is considered one of the most dangerous airports.

Say hello to porters and introduce yourself to your team upon landing. Ensure you’ve sorted your luggage and are packing it for the final time as you prepare for the trail. Exit the colorful Lukla bazaar onto the downward path to Phakding. On the first day of trekking, head towards the riverside Village of Phakding, where you will pass through a metal suspension bridge. Go directly to the teahouses since we have already reserved your rooms. For relaxation, you can visit the village or hike to the Dudh Khosi Khola (Milky River), taking pictures of the fascinating valley afterward.

Trek Distance: 7.4km (4.6miles)

We take a six-hour walk along the banks of the Dudh Kosi and will cross numerous tributaries of this river in swinging suspension bridges draped with prayer flags. Once you enter Sagamartha National Park, the trail will get steeper as you ascend the mountains. You can take e a tour around luxurious hotels, internet cafes, restaurants, inns, lodges, shops, and bakeries at Namche Bazaar, commonly called the “Gateway to Everest.” Namche is also one of the big towns on the way to Everest.

We will Spend a day in Namche acclimatizing. Namch serves as the economic core of the Khumbu region and features a busy town with expensive shops, budget lodges, bakeries, restaurants, a spa, and only an ATM above 3000 meters. Namche Bazaar, a trade point for diverse dealers in Khumbu, is well known for buying all sorts of foodstuff and provisions.

One unmissable attraction here is the 'Sherpa Museum, which celebrates Sherpa ethnic traditions. We will briefly hike to the Syangboche airport and the Everest View Hotel. Everest View Hotel rewards visitors with breathtaking views of Mount Everest’s tallest mountain, including sunsets and sunrises above the Khumbu region.

Trek Distance: 9.2km (5.7miles)

We shall set off early in the morning to start our hike up Tengboche after the breakfast meal. We can admire Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Island Peak, and Nuptse during our hike. The trails take us up and down, making it difficult, but we see magnificent panoramas of the Himalayan range. You can also see some wildlife along the way, like the pheasant, musk deer, and the Himalayan tahr.

We shall continue our trek across the Dudh Koshi River. After traveling through heavily forested alpine, you will reach Phunki Thenga, a small settlement. While on your way to Phunki Thenga, you will climb steeply through a pine forest and reach Tengboche. The biggest Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu region, Tengboche Monastery, can be seen in Tengboche.

You will see the sunrise over mountain ranges like Everest Taboche Peak and early in the morning. Have your breakfast in the teahouse and then hike towards Periche.

Heading towards Periche, you will trek closely to Island Peak, past Tengboche. While on the Periche trek, expect to walk in the rhododendron forest and cross Imja Khola. During the trek, you will also see Musk, Blue Sheep, Deer and Monal.

Before reaching Pheriche, you’ll pass through charming Sherpa villages: Deboche, Pangboche, and Somare. Go to Somare for your lunch before proceeding to Periche.

We shall take another day in Periche to properly acclimate for our next move to EBC. It is a good place to go and hike in the nearby area for today. Your guide will probably advise you to hike to Tshola Tsho Lake and Dingboche (4,360) to view the south face of Lhotse and Island Peak.

After breakfast, you hike through the Khumbu Valley steadily and slowly until you arrive at Thughla.

There are monuments at Thugu La, remembering mountaineers who perished while walking up Mt. Everest. Some of these memorials are dedicated to Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, and the late Babu Chhiri Sherpa.

These memorial markers are decorated with prayer flags and scarves called "katas" in Tibetan. Babu Chhiri Sherpa was a brave Sherpa who climbed Mount Everest's peak without using any Oxygen supplements. The trail is even, and we proceed a rocky moraine towards Lobuche. In fact, you have a few teashops to visit in Lobuche. You follow your guide, who makes reservations for your rooms in the teahouse.

Your walk today is very long, and it will be exhausting. However, the journey up to the Mount Everest base camp is exhilarating. From Lobuche, we climb along the side of the Khumbu glacier. There may be difficulty breathing while hiking, mainly due to the increased air pressure and climb. Gorak Shep lies In the shadow of Kala patthar. We go to our tea house in Gorakhsep, briefly relaxing and moving forward to Everest Base Camp.

From Gorakhsep, we walk along the crest of Moraine and pass through loose rubble and stones.

The Khumbu Icefall is among the most awesome sights surrounding the Everest Base Camp. Colorful tents of expedition groups dot the white and frozen landscape. Take pictures while admiring the scenery, then retrace steps back to Gorak Shep. Your night will be spent at Gorak Shep, which allows for acclimatization and prepares you for an Island Peak climb.

In the morning, we trek to Kala Patthar, one of the most famous spots in the Everest Region. If you did not see Mount Everest from Everest Base Camp, worry not, as trekkers can look at the Stoney peak of the highest mountain on earth from Kala Patthar. The Kala Patthar viewpoint is surrounded by beautiful peaks measuring about 7,000 and 8,000 meters in height. Appreciate panoramic views of Pumori, Lhotse, and Pumori.

Then, you will retrace your steps to Gorak Shep after taking photos and enjoying the view. Grab a bite, put down your luggage, and move towards Chukung.

We head off to Island Peak base camp today. A few more steps and we would reach our destination. We climb up through the zigzag track running in the southwest slope of the Lhotse glacier. It goes through a stream and a beautiful glacial valley. This is when we cross the magnificent Imja and Lhotse Glacier moraines and set foot on the Island base camp. The base camp is on a long grass hill bordering the Imja glacier. Once we reach the base camp, our crew members have pitched their tents, and we head to ours.

The rest day is arranged to assist in acclimatization and proper preparation to reach the summit of Island Peak. This is where you would go to prepare for tomorrow’s morning climb, checking on your necessary gear.

The pre-climb training will start immediately after breakfast. At this point, we will organize our equipment, and our guide will give us special information about climbing techniques. This session will be the perfect opportunity for you to polish up your climbing skills. The tutors will showcase the application of a harness, ascender, carabiner, rappel device, ice axe, etc. You will learn to rope yourself up and down during this pre-climbing training. This pre-climb training is important to new climbers. Such experience will increase your confidence during the actual climb.

Get up at midnight, then prepare to climb around 3 AM or earlier. Climbers must begin their climb early before the wind begins to kick and obstruct them from going to the last altitude. We climb the narrow ridge towards the Imja glacier. We also get superb sunny vistas of Makalu, Ama Dablam, Mera Peak, Baruntse, Chamlang, Cho Polu, and other massive Himalayan peaks from the glacier.

Following the rope line, we crossed the glacier with fixing ropes by our guides. The trail slopes to an inclination of around 45 to 50 degrees, which is not very challenging. The route will either feature crevasses depending on the weather and season. We will use ladders (the longest one is 8 meters, and the shortest one is 2 meters) if we encounter crevasses. The summit of Island Peak provides an excellent outlook of Lhotse (27,890 feet), Makalu, and many more. You will spend a few of the best hours on the top and then return to the base camp, where you will descend to Chhukung afterward.

Today, you would follow the same old trail and return to Dingboche and Pangboche. We will rest at Pangboche.

We will wake up early the following day after a night's rest at Pangboche.

After packing our belongings, we proceed to Namche Bazaar, ready to return home.

As we pass through, we will admire the towering presence of peaks, including Thamserku, Everest, and Ama Dablam, amidst pine and juniper woods. When we arrive at Namche, we take a hot shower and eat a delicious dinner.

This last stretch of your hike is from Namche Bazar to Lukla. Be careful, as the hike might be steep. We trek to Lukla and then have a break at one of the teahouses as the knees are sore from walking. We celebrate with our crew because it’s the last day spent in the mountains. We have a local brew (Chhyang) and Sherpa music to put us in the mood.

It is advisable to take an early flight to Kathmandu. After returning to the city, you can nap at your hotel, visit a spa, spoil yourself, or shop. The best thing is that the hotel is near business areas and shopping centers where you can buy stuff like locally made souvenirs. Join our farewell dinner in the late evening.

An extra day has been included on the itinerary to act as a contingency day in case of any delays in flight arrangements from Kathmandu. This extra day is required as the weather conditions normally may flights to Lukla or at the beginning of the trip. This offers an opportunity for the participants to ensure that they enjoy personal activities as need be, and this ensures that there is no stress or strain.

This is your final day in Nepal. Bid farewell to friends that you have made. The driver will be at the airport no later than 3 hours before your departure flight. Please contact us if you wish to visit Nepal or go to other Himalayan destinations from here.