Day 1 Arrive in Kathmandu (1,300m/4,428ft) On arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu and formal completion of your custom and immigration processes, one of our representatives from Himalayan Glacier will be there to greet you at the arrival exit and escort you to your pre-determined hotel. You may relax in your hotel room for the rest of the time or you may stroll around the streets of Thamel. In the evening, there will be a welcome dinner hosted at an excellent Nepali restaurant where you can enjoy the authentic Nepalese cuisine along with a cultural program. Overnight in Kathmandu. Included meals:Dinner
Day 2 Trip preparation day After breakfast in our hotel, we may wander around nearby areas and do some shopping for our adventurous trip the following day. In the afternoon, we will visit HGT office for a pre-trip discussion and meet our trekking guide as well as other participants. You will also be briefed on the nature of the expedition, equipment and team composition. Later, we will go back to our hotel and have a peaceful sleep. Overnight in Kathmandu. Included meals: Breakfast
Day 3 Fly to Lukla (2,800m/9,184ft) then trek to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft) After breakfast, we will be taken to the domestic terminal of TIA for an early morning flight to Lukla. After flying above the breathtaking green and white mountains, we reach Tenzing-Hillary Airport at Lukla. This is one of the most beautiful air routes in the world culminating in a landing on a hillside surrounded by high mountains. Upon our arrival at Lukla, we meet our other crew members and after some packing and arrangements, we start our trek through the prosperous village of Lukla until we reach Phakding. To assist in acclimatization, we only have a short hike today. However, if interested in additional activities, we can take a side trip to a nearby monastery. Overnight in Phakding. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 4 Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3,440m/11,283ft) After breakfast, we walk through beautiful pine forests and then along Dudh Koshi River ending our nature-filled journey at Namche Bazaar. After walking for almost over an hour, we come across the glistening Mt. Thamserku (6,608m) on our right and also experience the serenity of pine, fir and juniper forests throughout our journey. 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 center of this region. This day we cross five 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. Overnight in Namche Bazaar. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 5 Namche Bazaar (3,440 m/11,283 ft) Acclimatisation Day This is the day set aside for acclimatization. Health experts recommend that we stay active and move around even during the rest day instead of being idle. There are a few options set aside for this day. We can either stroll around Namche
Day 6 Namche Bazaar to Mende (3736 m/12,255 ft) The walk to Thame from Namche is relatively easy. The trail follows an almost steady level until we reach the settlement of Thame, a beautiful village with amazing views of the Himalayas. From here the trail makes a short ascent to Mende. Overnight in Mende. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 7 Mende to Kyajo Ri Base Camp (4550m/14925 ft) From Mende, we leave the main trails and follow a faint yak trail up over a couple of passes to enter the Kyajo Drangka; the isolated broad valley south of Kyajo Ri. On our way, we enjoy great views of the Himalayas including Thamserku, Khumbila, Kusum Kangaru, Kwangde and Pachharmo. Kyajo Ri Base Camp is set up on a flat surface between the rocky mountain on one side and a small river on the other. Overnight in Kyajo Ri Base Camp. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 8 Rest day at Kyajo Ri Base Camp This day is set aside for proper acclimatization before summiting the Kyajo Ri peak. However, since it is always wise to stay a little busy during acclimatization, we will be hiking to Camp I and back. Furthermore, we also check our climbing equipment today. Overnight at the Kyajo Ri Base Camp. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 9 Kyajo Ri Base Camp to Camp I (5200m/17056 ft) The ascent to Camp I begins with hiking over a grassy spur and boulders. Next, our trail follows the upward rocky section with a lot of boulders and skid pebbles. We walk for another few hours on a steep trail before reaching Camp I. Our camp will be set on level ground, with good views and within easy reach of water flowing out from the frozen lake at the foot of the Glacier. Overnight camping at Camp I. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 10 Acclimatisation and rest at Camp I This is another day set aside for acclimatization and rest before summiting the Kyajo Ri peak. We trek to Camp II and come back to Camp I to spend the night. This will also help us prepare for the next day
Day 11 Camp I to Camp II (5700m/18,700ft) Today involves some technical climbing over mixed face slopes up to 55 degrees along with negotiating through a glacier. Camp II lies near the glacier and has sufficient place for camping. From the camp, we can see the climbing route we will be attempting the next day. We pitch our camp near a big glacier lake. If the weather is favorable, we get plenty of sunlight during the day. Overnight at Camp 2. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 12 Summit Day and Back to Camp II Our summit day begins in the early morning, at about 3:00 am. After light breakfast, we start to climb through the rocky part with big boulders. Next, we reach a part of the glacier from where it is a fairly hard climb. Here the ground steepens, and we climb snow and ice on the Southwest Ridge. There is one short rock section but primarily the climbing is on snow and ice. The sharp summit is a narrow wedge of snow. After spending some time celebrating our success and taking pictures on the summit, we return back to Camp I. Overnight in Camp II. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Day 13 Trek back to Base Camp Today we return back to Kyajo Ri Base Camp and celebrate the successful completion of our trip. The return trip will be relatively easier than the summit day as you will have already known what to expect on your journey back. Upon reaching Base Camp, we relax for some time and if interested, we may even explore the surrounding area. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner.
Day 14 Base Camp to Namche Bazaar Understand that Himalayan Glacier strictly follows the 'leave no trace principles' whenever it can. We are a team deeply committed to maintaining ecosystems at home and around the world. Therefore, before leaving the base camp, we clean the area. The mountains are our home and we believe that it is unwise to disregard its value by not preserving it. After cleaning the base camp we return back to Namche Bazaar via Mende and Thame. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner.
Day 15 Namche Bazaar to Lukla The trail descends steeply downward so we need to walk cautiously as our shaky legs continuously battle the rocky terrain. After crossing the suspension bridges over the fast flowing Dudh Koshi and its tributaries, the trail becomes more level and natural. After our arrival in Lukla, we stretch those sore legs and recall the experiences of the last couple of weeks. Overnight in Lukla. Included meals: Breakfast Lunch Dinner.
Day 16 Fly to Kathmandu We catch an early morning flight to Kathmandu after our long mountain journey. After reaching Kathmandu, we can take a rest or do some souvenir shopping. If we want to explore any other areas of Kathmandu, we may do that today. Our guides can help you with both souvenirs shopping or sightseeing. There will be a farewell dinner in the evening to celebrate the climbers successful summit of the Island peak. Overnight in Kathmandu. Included meals: Breakfast Dinner.
Day 17 Final Departure Your adventure in Nepal comes to an end today! There is nothing to do but trade emails with your travel companions and organize your photos. A representative from Himalayan Glacier will take you to the airport, approximately 3 hours before your scheduled flight. On your way home you
