Everest
Base Camp Trek
Itinerary
# 1
Day
01:
Drive
to Zhangmu (2,500 m) 123 Km and continue to
Nyalam (m).
Early morning scenic drive
to Kodari Nepal/Tibet Border) through the beautiful Nepalese
countryside and start a short walk across the Chinese border.
Meet the waiting vehicle and transfer to Zhangmu Immigration. Zhangmu: Known to Nepalese as Khasa, hangs on
a cliff face, its boomtown architecture having a temporary
look: even the monastery roofs are sheathed in corrugated
iron sheets. After registering our Tibet permits, continue
uphill for about 2 hours to Nyalam, which is yet another
busy town.
Day
02: Nyalam to Xegar (4,350m) 244 Km.
Days drive uphill to the
highest plateau of the world with typical view of the Tibetan
landscape offering sheer feeling of standing on the roof of
the world crossing over Nyalam Pass (3,800m) and Lalung
La (5,050m), weather permitting breathtaking panorama
of beautiful Himalayan ranges including Mt. Everest (8,848m)
but dwarfed by the vastness of the Tibetan plateau.
Xegar: Also called New Tingri, surrounded by Mountains,
is another town that lies in the shadow of a great fortress.
Even in ruins it is majestic. Seeming to grow out of the craggy
brown rock, its sinuous wall bristles with watchtowers like
stegosaurus spines. Isolated in 1855 by the Nepalese Gurkhas
who cut off the dzong's water supply and settled in for a
long siege. Shegar property has little to recommend it except
the highest post office in China. Overnight at Hotel.
Day
03: Trek day 1
Early breakfast and start
trek along Ra Chhu stream and continue on beyond Chholling
and Lungjhang villages (14,900 ft). Overnight camp.
Day
04: Trek day 2
Continue trek to Drokpa encampment
just below Lamna La pass (15,600 ft). Overnight Camp.
Day
05: Trek day 3
Cross over Lamna La (16,900
ft) to Drakaa Chuu River (15,700ft). Overnight Camp.
Day
06: Trek day 4
Trek up Drakaa Chhu river
to Rongbuk Monastery (16,350 ft). Overnight Guesthouse.
Day
07: Day hike to Everest Base Camp
Day-hike to Everest Base
Camp and Rongbuk Glacier. Overnight Guesthouse.
Further two hours trek from Rongbuk Monastery leads us to
the base of the northern face of the highest peak on earth,
Mt. Everest (8848 m) or Mt. Qumolongma in Tibetan language.
Follow the dirt road south; the Dzakar Chu, now much reduced
in volume, is on your right. Soon the valley broadens and
the road leaves the river to continue its ascent on the other
side, swerving to avoid a rockslide. At the base of the slide
is chorten; at its top are the ruins of the Samdrupo Nunnery
(a small chapel has been rebuilt). The Everest Base Camp is
just beyond some moraine hills.
The rest of the afternoon is free to explore this area. If
you are sufficiently acclimatized, it is possible to take
a couple of short excursions beyond the Base Camp. One is
to climb the moraines of the Central Rongbuk Glacier, immediately
south of the camp, to some small glacier pools. The other
is to trek to the Qianjing glacier. Head up a small canyon
east of the Base Camp to a rough track that crosses a vast
lateral moraine 200 meters above camp. Follow this south on
a relatively level platform high above the Central Rongphuk
Glacier. At the end of the moraine is the Qianjing Glacier,
about 4 hours from the Base Camp. To the south are the fine
views of the Everest North Face. Explore base camp and trek
back to Rongbuk Monastery. Overnight at Rongbuk Lodge.
Day
08: Lhatse
Drive towards Thang La Pass
and take a short break at Xegar. After the rest continue drive
to Lhatse from Rongbuk Monastery. Continue scenic drive crossing
over Gyatchu La pass (5,220m), the highest pass en-route to
Lhasa from where a road to Mt. Kailash bifurcates to the west.
The city of Lhatse has become a busy place with many shops
and market places. Check in at the guesthouse.
Day
09: Xigatse.
Xigatse is the second largest
town in Tibet and the capital of Tsang, lying 354 km west
of Lhasa at an altitude of 3810 m. On the enroute drive visit
the famous Sakya Monastery: Sakya lies 143 km to the southwest
of Xigatse. Konchok Gyalpo founded Sakya Monastery; the centre
of the sakya order of Tibetan Buddhism, in 1073 during the
rule of Sakyapas the priest patron relationship between Tibet
and China was established. Sakyapa rulers reigned over Tibet
for nearly a hundred years from 13-14th century. Many of its
priceless images, fresco statues, holy scriptures remaining
today date back to the time of its founding. Overnight at the Hotel.
Day
10: Lhasa
Drive to Lhasa. Check in
at the hotel. Afternoon tour of Lhasa.
Day 11:
Lhasa
Sightseeing tour of Potala
Palace : This legendary palace built atop a single hill
is synonymous with Tibet. First foremost king, Songtsen Gompo,
it was expanded to its present structure during the 17th century
by the 5th Dalai Lama. This 13 storey, 1000 room citadel served
as the headquarters of the former "church-state"
of Tibet and was home to successive Dalai Lama who, from the
latter half of the 18th century, used it as their Winter Palace.
Also visit the Jokhang Temple : Situated in the heart
of old Lhasa, it houses Tibet's most precious religious relic,
a golden Shankyamuni Buddha which was brought as a gift by
the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng on the occasion of her wedding
to the Tibetan King, Songtsen Gompo. Surrounding the Jokhang
Temple is the bustling Barkhor market place, which is the
religious and social focus of Lhasa. This is the spiritual
centre of Tibet, is also the heart of Lhasa. Overnight at
the Hotel in Lhasa.
Day
12: Lhasa
Full day sightseeing tour
of Lhasa.
(NOTE: This is an extra day and can be omitted if need
be).
Day
13: Kathmandu
Fly back to Kathmandu.
Itinerary
# 2 (Fly in and Drive out tour)
Day
01:
Drive from Kathmandu to
Zhangmu and continue to Nylamu. O/N Guest House
Day
02:
Drive from Nylamu to Xegar.
O/N hotel.
Day 03:
Start trek along Ra Chhu
stream to beyond Chholling and Lungjhang villages
(14,900 ft). Overnight Camp.
Day
04:
Continue trek to Drokpa
encampment below Lamna La (15,600 ft). Overnight Camp.
Day
05:
Cross over Lamna La (16,900
ft) to Drakaa Chuu river (15,700ft). Overnight Camp.
Day
06:
Trek up Drakaa Chhu River
to Rongbuk Monastery (16,350 ft). Overnight Guesthouse
Day
07:
EVEREST BASE CAMP
Day-hike to Everest Base Camp and Rongbuk Glacier. Overnight
Guesthouse
Day
09:
Drive over the Pang La pass
back to Old Tingri. Overnight Guesthouse
Day
10:
Drive to Zhangmu. Overnight
Zhangmu Hotel
Day
11:
Exit to Kathmandu
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