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Everest Base Camp Trek

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The trek to Everest base camp is a comprehensive and colourful journey through Nepal’s most famous valley, the Khumbu, the home of Everest (8848m) and Lhotse (8501m).

The trail offers glimpses of Everest and Lhotse as well as other 8000m giants, Cho Oyu (8201m), Makalu (8463m) and Shisapangma (8013m).

Sherpa People – The inhabitants of Khumbu Region

Inhabiting this harsh land are the Sherpa people, an ethnic group famous for their hardiness, spirit and mountaineering prowess.

This trek journeys into the heartland of the Sherpa people providing an insight into their rich Buddhist culture and traditional way of life.

Sir Edmund Hillary grew a passion for Sherpas from his early mountaineering years and following Everest, spent his remaining years dedicated to fundraising and bringing development to the region.

Everest Base Camp Trek Season

Spring also brings climbers from around the globe with Everest ambitions. You’ll share the trail with yaks and porters carrying supplies to Everest base camp.

During Spring, the valley is awash with flowering rhododendron trees of various colors and large white magnolia trees. The rolling landscape varies from lush low alpine vegetation to dry high altitude scrub land.

During this season, Himalayan Ascent can offer you accommodation at an Everest Expedition camp.

This unique opportunity gives a chance to mix with excited and anxious climbers, and gives close up views of the infamous Khumbu ice fall. Alternatively in autumn, you can visit Ama dablam base camp or rest an extra day soaking in the views.

Everest Base Camp Trek Route

Our Route begins from the gateway airport town of Lukla at 2840m. Following the Dudh kosi river on the valley floor, the trail first passes through farming villages of mixed Tamang, Rai and Sherpa communities.

We then make a sharp ascent up to Namche, the capital of the Khumbu and the traditional trading centre of Sherpa people.

We take a less traveled road to Phortse, a typical Sherpa farming village and the site of the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation’s Khumbu Climbing School.

Many Sherpa climbers come from Phortse and have been trained at the Khumbu Climbing School.

From here it’s a short trek to Pangboche, the highest permanent Sherpa settlement. We acclimatize in Dingboche first before trekking the last few kilometres of a high altitude trail to Everest base camp.

Kala Patthar – The highest point of Everest Base Camp Trekking

The view of Everest and Lhotse from Kala Pattar, our highest point, is a magnificent reward! The return route passes through Tengboche and the Tengboche monastery. This is the largest monastery in the region and is open to visitors to share prayer time with monks.

Best of Annapurna Trek

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The Annapurna region is Nepal’s original trekkers playground. This trek journeys through the best parts of the Annapurna range with stunning views of the Annapurnas and Dhaulagiri mountains.

We will follow old foot trails used by hardy Gurung and Magar hill tribes who live here in the temperate forests amongest rhododendron trees, farming on steep terraces growing staples of maize and millet.!

Best Of Annapurna Trek Trail

From Pokhara we’ll trek first towards Annapurna base camp in the heart of the Annapurna sanctuary to enjoy an arena view of the 4 Annapurnas (I, 8091m 10th highest mountain and II-IV) and other peaks all above 7000m. We will then return to Chimrong, and from here head west through alpine forests to Kopra ridge.

The camp on Kopra hill offers exceptional panoramic views of the entire Annapurna range including a fearsome close view of Dhaulagiri (8167m, 7th highest mountain) with a steep face that plunges into the Kali Gandakhi river creating the deepest gorge in the world.

A day hike north east of camp will bring us to Khayer lake (~4000m), a sacred lake worshiped by locals during the Badau Purnima festival. Our trail finally winds down to Ghorepani for sunrise views of the Annapurna range from Pun hill, before we trek back towards Pokhara.

Manaslu Trek

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Quietly tucked away in the centre of Nepal along the Tibetan border, between two of Nepal’s more popular national parks is the protected Manaslu Conservation Area. Despite being situated above Nepal’s most historic city, Gorkha (origins of Nepal’s first king) and being home to its namesake Himalayan giant, Manaslu, this region is only just beginning to gain trekking popularity.

Unlike other popular trails in Nepal, this trail begins close to sea level in a subtropical climate at 530m! We follow the Budhi Gandaki river upstream into Upper Manaslu via a deep and narrow gorge trail with countless cascading waterfalls that feed into the river in summer and autumn.

The trail meanders through traditional Gurung farming villages and dense sal forests on both sides of the river by crossing suspension bridges. We steadily climb into low and high alpine climates, to lands inhabited by Bhotia people (Tibetan descendants).

In Sama gaon we take an extra day to acclimatize and explore Sama gaon monastery, or for those feeling energetic, a day hike to the base camp of the 8th highest mountain and a beautiful glacier lake.

We cross the long glacier traverse of Larkya La pass (5106m) from which you will enjoy a panoramic vista including Manaslu, Cheo and Himlung. Over the pass we walk out through the Marshandgi valley, following the Dudh river in now the Annapurna Conservation Area in Manang through Magar villages.

Everest Circuit Trek

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This trek takes you through the most beautiful and awe-inspiring regions of the Sagarmatha National Park.

From the world’s highest glacier lakes in the Gokyo valley to the base camp of Nepal’s most famous geographic wonder, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha, Mother Earth), this trail journeys into the heartland of the Sherpa people.

Sherpas live in this rolling landscape of lush low alpine vegetation and dry high altitude scrubland, alongside the highest mountains in the world.

This adventure will provide an insight into their rich Buddhist culture and their traditional way of life.

Sights of Amadablam (6856m), Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8501m) and Cho Oyu (8201m) will dominate the landscape, but you’ll also see glimpses of other 8000m giants, Makalu (8463m) and Shisapangma (8013m), from the trail.

In Spring, the valley is awash with flowering rhododendron trees of various colours and large white magnolia trees. Spring also brings climbers from around the globe with Everest ambitions.

Our Route begins from the gateway airport town of Lukla at 2840m. Following the Dudh Kosi River on the valley floor, the trail first passes through farming villages of mixed Tamang, Rai and Sherpa communities.

We then make a sharp ascent up to Namche, the capital of the Khumbu and the traditional trading centre of the Sherpas. We take a less travelled road to Phortse Tenga, which lies a short distance from the traditional Sherpa farming village of Phortse. From here it’s a gradual hike up passing through Dole and Machermo before reaching Goyko. With an early morning start, we climb up to Gokyo Ri to enjoy sunrise views of 4 of Nepal’s 8000m peaks. Another highlight in the Cho La pass (5330m) crossing follows next, before we descend back down the valley toward Lobuche. Then it’s a gentle rocky ascent besides the Khumbu glacier to Everest base camp, and to up close views of the infamous Khumbhu icefall. We return to Gorak Shep to prepare for another early morning summit of Kala Pattar (5550m). This magnificent viewpoint allows the closest and clearest view of Everest.

Our return route passes through Pheriche and Tengboche monastery. The Tengboche monastery is the largest monastery in the region and is open to visitors to share prayer time with monks.

Upper Dolpo Trek

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The Himalayas offer an endless variety of landscapes, cultures and people. This unbounded diversity means it is a destination you can visit over and over again.

Upper Dolpo is difficult to reach and is very arid. Few people live in the harsh climate. They are farmers, traders and shepherds, often all in one because this is the only way to survive. We pass through a great variation of scenery between Dolpo and Mustang, rice and wheat fields, incredible mountains and a high altitude desert, all in the rain shadow of the Himalaya.

This variation makes this trek very interesting. Foreigners have ‘discovered’ Dolpo only recently. Peter Matthiessen was one of the first to document the region in his book, “The Snow Leopard”, which describes his journey searching for the elusive snow leopard and rare Himalayan blue sheep.

Even after the opening for tourism 17 years ago it remains relatively untouched. It is still a restricted area and high permit fees keep away many tourists. The costs are increased further by the lack of infrastructure so the trail has to supported by serviced camps.

Our Route starts at Juphal in Lower Dolpo. After walking some days in dense forests we will reach Ringmo. The village lies amidst lush fields near the beautiful Phoksumdo lake.

From there we continue northwards along the lake, after crossing the first high pass the scenery changes all of a sudden, and we are in Inner Dolpo.

A horseshoe of high mountains encloses the area, endless barren hills and ranges dominate the landscape.We make a special stop at Shey Gompa which dates from the 11th century, making it one of Nepal’s oldest monastries.

We then keep going north towards Nishal and Mushi Gaun, these village lies just 3 kilometers away from the Tibetan border. Once we cross Musi La we start our decent towards Chhraka Bhot. Where we will find wide golden barley fields instead of desolate deserts.

From here we trek to reach Jomsom, possibly the most difficult part of the journey. Apart from two villages, the area is uninhabited and wild, often trails are non-existent, bridges may be absent and campsites not easy to find.

Everest Expedition

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In 2024 Himalayan Ascent will be undertaking our 13th expedition to Mount Everest, following the successes of past expeditions since 2010. The ultimate dream of most mountaineers is to one day take on the biggest mountaineering challenge possible – climbing Mount Everest – and Himalayan Ascent is here to help you make that dream a reality!

Of course, turning the dream into reality requires a lot of hard work, and Himalayan Ascent will only accept climbers who have the requisite skills and level of experience.

The aim of Himalayan Ascent’s Mount Everest Expedition is to provide the necessary framework for expedition members to have a safe, enjoyable trip, with the best possible chance of summiting. The key components of this framework include:

  • Employing an experienced, strong, caring and professionally trained team of Sherpa guides on the mountain, all with previous Everest experience/summits.
  • Creating a small, cohesive team of climbers and Sherpas
  • Strictly vetting the calibre of expedition members
  • Providing a comfortable base camp
  • Staying healthy

We will tackle Mount Everest via the South Col and South East ridge route. You’ll feel like you’re climbing through history as you pass through and across such infamous features as the Khumbhu Icefall, the Western Cwm, the Yellow Band and the Geneva Spur. Once you’re on the summit push, you’ll look back in awe towards Makalu, Lhotse, and when you’re standing on the South Summit you’ll stare across towards the Hillary Step and the true summit, and know that your dream is within reach.

 

Lhotse Expedition

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Lhotse Expedition, for those seeking the ultimate challenge, will summit the main peak of Lhotse, the 4th highest point in the world. Beaten back severely at the first attempt in 1955, Lhotse was conquered for the very first time in 1956 by the Swiss expedition team.

Lhotse (8516m), sitting quietly alongside Everest and connected by the South Col, was previously thought by Sherpas to be a minor peak of Everest, hence its name, Lhotse, meaning “South Peak”. Lhotse however, is by no means a lesser peak or challenge for that matter. In fact, some even consider Lhotse to be more of a climber’s mountain than Everest.

Lhotse expedition initially shares the same route as Everest to Camp 3, passing through the Khumbu Icefall, the Western Cwn, and crossing the Yellow Band. Above the Yellow Band, the route ventures to the right towards rock shelves to Camp 4.

The final summit route to Lhotse climbs steeply through the upper Lhotse Face to a couloir that provides fast access to the summit. From the top of the couloir it’s a short but exposed ridge climb to the summit.

Lhotse expedition has taken away many by the dangerous icy fangs and was not submitted for the entire period from 2014 to 2016 due to series of incidents, but was finally again conquered in May 2017. And though like any other extreme high altitude climb, where dangers are lurking at every height, there is no dearth for enthusiasm, passion and courage of the ultimate alpinists to triumph over the mighty giant of a Lhotse time and again!

Manaslu Expedition

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Standing as a relatively isolated 8000m peak in Nepal’s central mountain region, Manaslu is the world’s 8th highest mountain (8156m). Like Cho Oyu, it’s a good mountain to test extreme high altitude climbing in Nepal, before taking on the Everest challenge.

Climbing Manaslu is a largely non-technical climb when compared to other 8000m peaks. However, its avalanche-prone slopes mean that careful climbing is required throughout the expedition.

The Manaslu expedition can be done as a true sea to summit adventure by starting from the village of Arughat, which at an altitude of only 530m is subtropical! It closely follows a trail along the Budhi Gandaki river, weaving through Gurung farming villages, bamboo forests and countless waterfalls during summer, before climbing steeply into high alpine Bhotia villages, inhabited by Tibetan descendents.

The Manaslu Expedition will summit Manaslu via the North-West ridge by placing four high camps above base camp. The expedition’s most technical section is the icefall between Camps 1 and 2, with some potential for serac fall in certain conditions. The remainder of the route is relatively straight forward, with increasing steep sections from Camp 3 to the summit.

Amadablam Expedition

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Towering over Tengboche monastery and the Sherpa village of Pangboche at a height of 6856m, Amadablam is one of the most iconic mountains in Nepal. The much-coveted South West ridge is one of the more popular routes in the Himalayas today, with climbers often using it as preparation for an expedition to one of the greater 8000m peaks (of course the mountain is by its own right a fantastic objective!). Comprising of steep ice and rock with exposed ridges, the technical nature of the route is somewhat lessened by the presence of fixed lines along the majority of the route.

Our Route: We start our acclimatization when we land in Lukla, the thriving Sherpa village known as the ‘Gateway to the Khumbu’. We trek through numerous Sherpa villages before arriving in the grassy surrounds of Amadablam Base Camp, which is undoubtedly one of the more scenic base camps in the Himalayas.

Above base camp we place three camps on the mountain, each precariously positioned on the ridge, which means you’ll need to have a good head for heights. Our summit push will begin early in the morning from Camp 3 and hopefully you’ll top out in great weather, as the summit affords spectacular views of numerous Himalayan giants, including Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse.

This month-long expedition is suited to strong rock climbers and technically-orientated mountaineers who have previous experience in the Himalayas or other lower technical peaks in Europe, North and South America or New Zealand.

Mera and Island Peaks

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Himalayan Ascent will again be undertaking an expedition to climb two of Nepal’s most popular trekking peaks. Standing at 6,460 m, Mera Peak is the classic Himalayan trekking peak. Never steep enough to get too scary, but at a seriously high altitude, Mera Peak is a great introductory climb for those looking to test the waters at high altitude.  Island Peak, whilst being a bit lower at 6,189 m, is a little bit more exposed, allowing you to consolidate the skills you have learnt on Mera.

Our expedition starts in Kathmandu, and after a few days of sightseeing and preparation we fly to Lukla, the beginning of our mountain journey. From Lukla we immediately head off the beaten track and away from the busy Khumbu Valley by crossing the Zatrwa La to the quiet Hinku Valley. A pleasant few days are spent hiking up the Hinku until we reach Mera Peak base camp, and Mera La. Above Mera La we place our high camp, from where we launch our summit push in the early morning hours. From the summit of Mera Peak you will be amazed at the stunning view. Lying a little to the south of the main Himalayan Range, you will be offered the full Himalayan panorama, from the Langtang region and Cho Oyu in the west, taking in Nuptse, Lhotse, Everest, Baruntse, and Makalu, to Kangchenjunga in the far east.

From Mera Peak we heard into an even quieter valley, the Honku, where we experience true Himalayan wilderness. We spend a day crossing the high and tricky Amphu Laptsa before re-entering the Khumbu and the crowds of trekkers and climbers that go with it. We tackle Island Peak via the normal route, directly underneath the imposing south west face of Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain in the world. After this we head back down the Khumbu, passing through numerous Sherpa settlements, including Dingboche, Tengboche and of course Namche. Before you know it you’ll be back to the hustle and bustle of busy Kathmandu, were a nice warm shower and your onward flight awaits!

We expect our participants to be competent in the outdoors, with previous hiking and overnight camping experience. Prior experience in mountaineering and altitude is recommended, but not mandatory.