Island Peak Climbing - 14 Days

After your arrival at the airport in Kathmandu you will be greeted by one of our representatives who will later escort you to the hotel. After hotel check in you can decide whether you would like to have a relaxing rest at the hotel or hang around city depending upon the availability of time O/N you stay at the hotel.

After breakfast you will be escorted to the domestic terminal of the Kathmandu airport to board a flight to Lukla, a gateway for our trekking expedition. The scenic flight to Lukla is surely going to be a once in a lifetime experience for you. The air route to Lukla is one the most beautiful air route in the world. The 40 minutes flight above the majestic mountains will land you at Tenzing-Hillary airport in Lukla. Upon arrival at Lukla we start our trek until we reach Phakding. The trail to Phakding lets you discover the green landscape with a scenic view of Kusum Kangraru. 0/N we stay in a guest house.

Today we take a stiff walk through a beautiful pine forest that leads us along the Dudh Koshi River and Hillary Suspension bridge to reach the check post and the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park. The trail follows the confluence of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi rivers. Walking further we reach chautra where we have the first glimpse of Mt. Everest peering over the Lhotse-Nuptse ridge. Two hours of more walk eventually lands us in Namche Bazaar(3440m) which is a gateway to Mt. Everest and trading point for many Sherpa people and Tibetan merchants. Namche Bazaar is an ideal market for visitors to purchase traditional crafts and other mementos. We will spend two days in Namche for acclimatization and visit local markets and traditions of the people living in the Himalayas. O/N we stay in a guest house.

We have set this day for acclimatization. We have all the options today whether go for hiking to Thame or visit Khunde or relax and explore Namche Bazaar itself. Namche Bazaar is the center of the Khumbu region and it has government offices, internet cafes, Shops, restaurants and colorful market each Friday evening and Saturday. A few hundred vertical feet of trekking will really us to properly acclimatize. Our guide will take you to the Tourist Visitor Center near the headquarter of Sagarmatha National Park (UNESCO world natural heritage site) where you can observe an assortment of things related to the first Everest ascenders, Sherpa culture and learn about the various plant and animal life of the Everest region. A day full of hangout at the Namche Bazaar lets you discover the Himalayan beauty of the Khumbu region. O/N we stay in a guest house.

We set out towards the trail that leads us to magnificent village of Tengboche enjoying the awe-inspiring views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Nuptse, Mt. Lhotse, Mt. Ama Dablam and close-up view of Mt. Thamserku. Our journey today would rather be an exciting one for it offers magnificent view of the Himalayas and the Himalayan range throughout our expedition. On the way, we can spot wildlife musk deer, a herd of Himalayan Thar and multicolored pheasants. The trail via Kayangjuma eventually reaches Sansa, which is the major trail junction to Gokyo valley and Everest Base Camp. We walk further through the beautiful pine forest crossing prayer flags festooned bridge over the Dudh Koshi river to reach Phunki Thenga. After few minutes of halt for lunch we climb through the forests for few more hours to reach Tengboche where we spend our night. Tengboche is a great place for close up views of Mt. Everest, Mt. Ama Dablam and Mt. Nuptse. The biggest Buddhist Monastery of the Khumbu region “Tengboche Monastery or Gompa” is the central attraction of Tengboche. We pay our visit to the monastery and witness some ceremonies out there. We will also spend plenty of time capturing the scenic beauty of the Himalayan range in our cameras. Overnight, we stay at a guest house in Tengboche.

Early morning view of the towering peaks and Himalayan range from Tengboche is something that leaves your eyes wide open. After spending couple of hours snapping the scenic view, we gear up for our expedition to reach Dingboche, also known as Summer Valley. We choose the upper trail and pass through several chortens and Mani walls and small villages. We cross Imja Khola and trek through the village of Pangboche (3900m). The majestic views of Mt. Ama Dablam and the Himalayan range is still keeping our expedition energetic. We enter the Imja Valley and descend into the Lobuche River and a continuous climb from there will eventually take us to Dingboche. We will see beautiful green fields protected by stone walls to them safe from cold wind and animals. O/N we stay at the guest house.

Today we would be taking a pleasant walk leaving Dingboche behind following the trail via Imja Khola valley with magnificent views of the Himalayas en route. We will be having a relaxed walk of just 3-4 hours today. As we walk through the trail we can see towering peaks of Mt. Lhotse on our left and Mt. Ama Dablam on our right. Walking further we reach at yak herdman’s place called Bibre. As we take further steps we can see the Island Peak (Imja Tse) which is one of the most popular trekking peak of the region. We will cross some icy streams en route before we reach Chhukung. Approximately, thirty minutes of walk from Bibre takes us to Chhukung. We can behold scenic view of glaciers and massive mountains all around us. You have all the choice today whether you want to have a relaxing time resting in Chhukung or hike to the rocky knoll of Chhukung Ri wthat offers stunning views of Mt. Lhotse, Island peak, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Makalu and other Himalayas. Overnight we stay at Chhukung.

We will follow the trail climbing steadily towards south of the valley and later continue turning east. The trail then continues along the southern edge of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. We will be having a relaxed walk via Imja and Lhotse glacier moraine to the Base camp of Island peak. Upon reaching the base camp our guides will conduct the training session on peak climbing skills and using climbing gears like ice axe, climbing boot and crampons, harness, ascender, rope handling etc. Although it is not mandatory to take any training for Island peak climbing, it provides with basic techniques on gears handling and techniques that helps in successfully climbing the peak. Overnight, we stay at Island Peak Base Camp.

Today we move to island Peak High Camp from its base camp. The path to high camp leads up beyond the base camp. We then ascend few meters towards the hillside. The path is quite sandy initially and later goes through the grassy path. We ascend the hill and reach the high camp of Island peak.

Today is the climax of our trip. We will be summiting the Island peak. We begin our climb early in the morning few hours after the midnight. We begin by climbing a rocky ditch. This is not difficult but still the short rocky steps may create some problem. We will then follow a ridgeline which leads to an exciting traverse through the snout of the summit glacier. We need the rope support to go up through the glacier as it contains several crevasses. Our guide will help you in fixing the ropes where ever necessary. A vertical snow hill leads us to the summit ridge. After summiting the peak we take pictures of scenic beauty from the peak and descend down to Chhukung for the overnight stay. We have all the reasons to celebrate the night today.

We gear up for a long day trekking today. We trek through Imja Khola to reach Pangboche village. We will also visit the famous monastery in Pangboche which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region. We then descend down the trail via green landscape filled with pine forest. The trail further leads to an uphill climb to reach the village of Tengboche. We pay our visit to the Monastery and descend down to Dudh Koshi River. We climb the hillside and enter the Namche Bazaar. Overnight, we stay in Namche.

We will be wrapping up our trekking expedition today. Leaving Namche Bazaar behind we descend down the rocky trail crossing suspension bridges over the Dudh Koshi river. As we walk the trail becomes more smooth and easy. We find the environment really warm and cozy compared to previous days of our expedition. We can feel the fresh air blowing from Himalayas that makes our expedition more energetic and vibrant. We pass through beautiful forest filled with Rhododendron, pine trees and different natural vegetations. We get to snap beautiful mountains and the panoramic views on our way. We will be pleased passing through Sherpa villages that offer a unique blend of Sherpa culture and tradition. Upon arrival at Lukla we conclude our long expedition and have a relaxing time with our friends and crew members. Overnight, we stay in Lukla.

We will wave our final goodbye to the beautiful mountains today. The flights from Lukla to Kathmandu are usually scheduled for the morning because the windy afternoon may cause difficulties flying the aircraft. The early morning scenic flight over the Himalayas drops us at the domestic terminal of Kathmandu airport from where you will be escorted to the hotel. Today we have the whole day to relax at the hotel or hang around in the city for buying gifts to your near and dear ones. You will be joining a special farewell dinner in a cozy traditional Nepali restaurant hosted by Breakfree Adventures and its team. O/N at the Hotel.

Your trip to the majestic country of Nepal comes to an end today! You will be escorted by one of the representatives of Breakfree Adventures to the international terminal of Kathmandu airport approximately three hours before your flight schedule. We exchange our last good-byes and now you will be leaving Nepal with all the good memories you had during the wonderful trekking adventure. We hope you had a lovely time with us. Breakfree Adventures would be obliged to be your travel partner during your next adventure in Nepal. Have a safe flight back home!