Everest Base Camp Trek through 3 high Passes of Renjo La, Chola and Kongma La; a once-in-a-lifetime journey begins in Lukla (2804m), where you’ll fly from Kathmandu. The flight itself is incredibly short and rarely takes more than 35 minutes; this gives you time to take in the glorious green, peaked terrain and promises to be an exhilarating flight that you won’t forget.
Once you reach Lukla Airport, the trek begins, and you will trek to Phading (2610m), a nice local settlement. On the second day, you will trek to Namche Bazar (3400m), a unique hillside village. It is a perfect place to become acclimatized to the altitude, as it stands at just over 3400m above sea level, making it higher than most people are used to without reaching the dizzying heights of the trek. The trek then heads towards Thame and then Nangpa Valley.
Three Passes Trek of Everest Base Camp
After this, you’ll encounter Renjo La (5340m) – the first of the three high passes – particularly challenging. Therefore, a good level of fitness is vital while crossing the passes. From the Renjo La, you will enjoy the breathtaking view of Mt. Everest and Crystal Gokyo Lake.
In Gokyo lake, you will spend 2 nights exploring the hidden valley, including a visit to 4th lake and a half day hiking to Gokyo Peak (5483m). You will then cross the 2nd Pass – Cho La (5420m) in a 2–day trek, rejoin the main Everest trail and head towards Everest Base Camp and Kala Pathar. You’ll then trek downwards to Lobujue before making your way to Kongma La (5400m), the last of the high passes, followed by the summit of Chukhung, the final peak. Here, the views of the North Ridge, the surrounding area and Cho Oyu are unrivalled.
Return to Lukla after successful completion of the Three Passes Trek
Coming around in a full circle, it brings you back to Lukla through many villages rich in culture and tradition, such as Dingboche, Pangboche, Thyangboche, Namche Bazar, Manjo and Phakding. Once back in Kathmandu, you’ll have a chance to discover the city properly, get a hotel to rest in or allow yourself to take in what you’ve just achieved.