Day 1: Arrival in Kathmandu (1400m) and Transfer to the hotel
As you arrive at the airport in Kathmandu, our Himalayan Windhorse staff will pick you from the airport and then transfer you to the hotel. You can rest in the hotel and then prepare for the long-duration trip.
Our team will organize a welcome dinner where you can have your meal and get briefed about the tour by the team members. You will rest overnight at the hotel in Kathmandu.
Day 2: Kathmandu to Lukla flight and trek to Phakding (2800m)
You will continue your journey to the central point of the Khumbu region, Lukla. The Lukla village settlement provides you with the best views of the entire region. You will fly to Lukla’s Tenzing Hillary airport early in the morning.
The short runway with a cliff on one side makes this airport quite thrilling. After this thrilling adventure, you will land at Lukla after 35 minutes. You will rest for a while and then continue your journey to our day’s destination, Phakding.
Our guide will navigate you along the trail, where the porter will go ahead carrying your luggage. After trekking for 3 hours, you will arrive at the destination of Phadking, passing through various uphill and downhill terrains with lush vegetation. There you can rest overnight and then prepare for the trek the next day.
Day 3: Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3440m)
The trail of the trek on this day takes you to the beautiful destination of Namche Bazaar. It is a lovely regional destination with many hotels, lodges, guest houses, shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. This tourist place is the resting spot of many travelers and trekkers hiking along the EBC trail.
You will trek through some of the beautiful settlements of Sagarmatha National park. There are many suspension bridges that you need to cross to arrive at Namche. Moreover, you will also cross the local village settlements of the region of Monjo and Jorsale. After trekking for 4-5 hours, you will finally arrive at the destination of Namche, where you will rest overnight.
Day 4: Acclimatization at Namche Bazaar, Hike to Khumjung Valley
On the 4th day of the Cholatse Peak expedition, you will continue your acclimatization journey in the region. This process is essential to tackle altitude sickness. You will trek the beautiful terrains of the area to arrive at Khumjung.
The trail will lead you through the fantastic region with many diverse natural landscapes. There are incredible hikes that you can take to the Khumjung viewpoint. The gorgeous courses to the hiking point are enchanting, and you can observe the sweeping Himalayan vista from the top. There are other natural vistas that you can observe as well.
After exploring the area and taking incredible pictures, you will return to Namche. There is also the Sherpa museum, where you can get the extraordinary cultural heritage of the mountaineering community. After acclimatizing the whole day, you can return to the teahouse to rest.
Day 5: Trek from Namche Bazaar to Dole (4200m)
We will continue our trek from Namche’s village settlement to Dole on this day. You will pass through the scenic trails of the Himalayan foothills to arrive at Dole. The uphill climb will take you through the numerous forests of rhododendron, juniper, and conifers trees. You will get the best scenic views of the entire region.
You will then trek through the Yak Kharkas and summer settlements to finally arrive at Dole. The view of the snow-clad mountains, including Khumbu La and Lobuche, is quite spectacular. After arriving at the Dole village settlement, you will rest overnight at the teahouse.
Day 6: Trek from Dole to Machhermo (4450m)
We will start our trek early on this day, passing through the beautiful terrains of the region when you arrive at Machhermo. The beautiful trail will lead you through the scenic landscapes to arrive at the beautiful settlement of Dole. We will provide you with the best services along the route with a guide.
You will ascend uphill on steep terrain to arrive at the various village settlements with greenery. The trail climbs uphill along the path to reach the valley to Kangtega as you observe Mt Cho Oyu. The trail then leads you to the terminal moraine of the Ngozumpa glacier. After arriving at the Maachermo village settlement, you will rest at the teahouse.
Day 7: Trek from Machhermo to Gokyo (4750m)
On this day, you will continue trekking through the numerous challenging terrains to arrive at the scenic destination of Gokyo. You will take a rough slope climb to arrive at the destination of the serene lake.
There you can find many turquoise lakes. You will get the best adventure in the region while trekking through the majestic foothills of the region. After traveling for 4-5 hours, you will reach Gokyo, where you will spend the night in a teahouse in the Gokyo region.
Day 8: Trek from Gokyo to Thagnak (Drangnak) (4750m)
The trail will start as you pass through, observing the scenic vista of the snow-clad mountains. You will hike down the Ngozumpa glacier through the hills and then cross the edge to arrive at Thagnak. The short walk will allow you to acclimatize to the high-altitude region. After arriving at the Thagnak, you will rest at the teahouse of the region.
Day 9: Trek from Thagnak to Dzongkha (4830m) via Cho La Pass (5370m)
This trail section is quite challenging as you will take a long walk through the region’s diverse terrain. You will pass through the steep and difficult trail to arrive at the Cho la pass. You must cross a glacial path on smooth ice rocks and slippery trails.
The trail will lead you to a gorge and a rocky path to arrive at the side of a frozen lake. There you can find many prayer flags on top of the pass. We can observe numerous snow-clad mountains from the top. The trails will lead you to Dzongkha village, where you will spend the night.
Day 10: Trek from Dzongkha to Cholatse Basecamp (5000m)
We will have breakfast early and then continue our journey to the Cholatse Base Camp. The trail will lead you through the challenging terrain and forested trails providing you with scenic views of the Himalayas. The trail will take you to the base camp, where we will set up tents with the help of Sherpa guides. There is the base camp, and we will spend the night and then stay overnight.
Day 11: Climbing Training at Cholatse Base Camp (5000m)
On this day, you will spend the time at the Cholatse Base Camp and then train there. You will get the best training facilities for the summit climb of Cholatse peak. There you can also acclimatize at the high altitude. On the other hand, the Sherpa team will help fix ropes along the camps for a successful climb.
Day 12: Cholatse Base Camp to Camp I (5400m) and Back to Base Camp
The trail will lead you from the Base Camp to Camp I on this day. You will pass through the fixed course with the guidance of the Sherpa guides. The trail will lead you with the help of gear and equipment like jumar and sling. You will pass through the fourth and fifth class rock, which can get quite tiring. You will return to the base camp as a part of the acclimatization process.
Day 13: Trek from Cholatse Base Camp to Camp I (5400m)
On this day, you will then climb back to Camp I. This incredible section of the trek will lead you through the challenging landscapes. After arriving at Camp I, you will spend the night.
Day 14: Trek from Cholatse Camp I (5400m) to Camp II (5825m) and return to Base Camp.
On this day, you will climb from Camp I to Camp II. The trail will lead you through the beautiful terrains to reach Camp II, the highest altitude point. You will return from Camp II to Camp I and the base camp in the process of acclimatization.
Day 15-16: Weather Check and Plan for the Summit Climb at the Base Camp
On this day, you will check the weather at the base camp. You will also prepare for the summit plan of Cholatse peak. Our Sherpa guides will help you with the preparation and training required for the summit climb.
Day 17: Trek from Base Camp to Camp I
On this day, you will climb from base camp to Camp I. We will pass through the challenging route to Camp 1. The course is tiring and will test you to the core. But patience and perseverance are necessary to climb the summit of Cholatse. After arriving at Camp I, we will set up our tents with the help of our Sherpa guides and rest.
Day 18: Camp I to Camp II
On this day, you will climb from Camp I to Camp II. The trail of the route will challenge you to the core. You will climb through the beautiful trail to the next point of our Cholatse peak climbing expedition. The Sherpa guides will help fix the trail’s ropes for a safe and comfortable adventure.
Day 19: Cholatse Summit climb (6440m) and return to Camp II
This is the essential part of the expedition, as you will climb the summit of the Cholatse. You will pass through the rough, rugged terrain from Camp II to arrive at the top. You will pass through the precipices and 40–60 degree snow rib.
The trail will then lead you through the uncovered snow edge before arriving at the summit. You can take incredible pictures at the summit while observing the majestic snow-clad vista. After exploring the summit area, you will return to Camp II and rest.
Day 20: Camp II to Base Camp
The trail will descend further from Camp II to base camp on this day. You will pass through the beautiful trails you took earlier to arrive at the base camp. You will set up camps in the region where you will rest.
Day 21: Rest at Base Camp
You will rest for another day at the base camp, where you will explore around and take incredible pictures.
Day 22: Helicopter Ride Back to Kathmandu
Finally, after 22 days in the Khumbu region, you will take a helicopter flight back to Kathmandu. It takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes to arrive at Kathmandu Airport.
Day 23: Free day in Kathmandu
On this free day in Kathmandu, you can explore the city’s beautiful landmarks or rest at the hotel. In the evening, you can celebrate the completion of the tour in Kathmandu.
Day 24: Departure from Kathmandu
You will finally fly back to your home country after a successful Cholatse expedition.
