FAM EBC Trek

After breakfast sightseeing tour begins which include all the religious, cultural & historical sites within the Kathmandu valley. Overnight in hotel.

Pashupatinath (World Heritage Site):

One of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world, the temple of Pashupatinath is the focus of pilgrims from all over from Nepal and India. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and built in the familiar pagoda Style. Chronicles indicate the temple’s existence prior to 400 A.D. It lies 5 kms east of the city centre. This holy place is picturesque collection of temples and shrines. All the dying persons are brought to Pashupatinath for cremation. Only the Hindus are allowed to go inside the temple.

Bouddhanath (World Heritage Site):

It is the world’s biggest stupa located about two km to the north of Pashupatinath temple. This colossal stupa is known by the name of Bouddhanath, the god of wisdom. It is difficult to assign a period to it as some believe that it was built during the reign of either Shiva Deva or Anshu Verma in the 17th century A.D. The design is much like the Swoyambhu stupa, except that the final consists of receding squares instead of circles. Bouddhanath attracts Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world.

Swoyambhunath, Monkey Temple (World heritage Site):

The Swoyambhunath Stupa crowns a hillock to the west of Kathmandu. A massive white dome surrounded by a 13 stage spire, is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Nepal. It is said to be 2000 years old. Its origins are linked to the founding of the Kathmandu Valley by draining the water of the lake by Bouddhisattva Manjushree. Swoyambhunath manifested in the lake as a brilliant light emanating from a lotus, Manjushree let the water out of the valley paying homage to Swoyambhu, thus making the valley inhabitable.

Kathmandu Durbar Square (World Heritage Site):

It is the nine-storied palace structure built around 1770 AD. This palace square was a residence to Nepal’s royal family. The house of the living goddess (Kumari), the ferocious Kal Bhairav, the red Monkey God and hundreds of erotic carvings are a few examples of the sights at the square. All woodcarvings, statues and architectures in this area are exceptionally fine. Most parts of the palace premises are open for tourist throughout the week during office hours.

A very early morning wake up and transfer to the domestic airport to board a flight to Lukla. We take off to our destination on a 35 min scenic mountain flight to Lukla. If the weather is good, the views of the Himalayas from the plane can be enjoyed.
After a cup of tea at local Lodge in Lukla our guide briefs on safety and introduction to our porters and begin the trek on the legendary “Everest Highway” which heads downwards through the alpine valley following the “Dudh Koshi” or milk river (named after its milky color from glacial silt). We reach Phakding after an approximately 3hrs walk and end our first-day trek there. Overnight at Phakding

Today you will walk for almost 7 hours mostly uphill through the alpine valleys. You will be crossing Dudh Koshi River a few times before you reach Namche Bazaar, the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu region. The walk starts to get a bit strenuous with an uphill ascent to Namche Bazaar. On a clear day, you get views of Everest, Lhotse, Thamserku, Kusum Kangru, Kwangde and Tawache on the way to Namche. Overnight at Namche Bazaar.

Acclimatization is important before proceeding to higher altitudes. So, you will stay one more night at Namche bazaar so that you can properly acclimatize to the altitude. This is the first acclimatization day in Namche bazaar that everyone should have into their trekking itinerary. You can explore around and relax. Namche tucked away between two ridges amidst the giant peaks of the Khumbu has an abundance of lodges, tea shops, and souvenir shops as well as a magnificent outlook. For the acclimatization, you walk up to Khunde Hospital which was set up by Sir Edmund Hillary, or above the Bhote Koshi river valley towards Thame ( 3810m) or Everest View Hotel which is situated above Namche for the outstanding view of Everest, Nuptse, and Khumbu peaks. Overnight at Namche Bazaar

The trail goes ahead leaving a steep cliff that drops down to the Dudh Koshi. In this section too, you will have a panoramic view of the Himalayas such as Ama Dablam (6812m), Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse (7855m) and Tawache (6501m). En – route you will visit Trashinga, Phunki Tenga and reach Tengboche. You will be greeted at the Tengboche Monastery. Visitors to Tengboche are permitted to walk freely about the monastery ground. This place offers a good view of sunrise and sunset over Everest and Ama Dablam. Overnight at Tengboche.

The trail from Tengboche ascends the Imja Khola valley, then crosses the Khumbu Khola on a wooded ridge and climbs to rejoin the upward trail. Following the trail uphill, it is easy to make a detour and then continue trekking to Dingboche enjoying a spectacular view of Mt. Lhotse/Nuptse and Mt. Ama Dablam. While ascending at high altitude, you must walk slowly. You will see large valleys and winding streams far below the trails and even more spectacular view around each corner. Overnight at Dingboche

Today is another acclimatization day. The drop in oxygen content in the air is noticeable now and breathing gets becoming slightly more difficult at this altitude. If you wish, you will take a day hike following the path with stone walls through the farm fields, the kharka and reach on the bank of the Imja Khola. There are many mani stones scattered around. You will cross the Imja Khola and continue to walk through big boulders. After crossing two small streams, you will come across a bigger stream of 4-5 meter wide. Cross it, climb up on the moraine hill, and you will see a kharka. From Dingboche, you can make a side excursion to Chhukung (7430m). Chhukung is the remotest kharka on the Imja Khola. To the west, you will see the soaring Mt. Numbur (6973m), one of the holy mountains of the Sherpas and to the south, Mt. Kang Leyamu with its glistening ice flutings. To the north, the imposing rock faces are towering between Lhotse (8516m) and Nuptse (7855m). For an overnight stay at lodge, we return to Dingboche

The trail ascends the broad, gently sloping valley from Dingboche. In many places, the trail crosses small streams on boulders. The views of Tawache and Cholatse (6440m) are particularly good from this part of the trail. We walk uphill onto the terminal moraine of the Khumbu Glacier then contour up to a stream, crossing it on a bridge. Overnight at Lobuche

Today you will trek from Lobuche to Everest Base Camp. The trail follows the Khumbu glacier on the moraine and glacier depending on the season. The trip to Everest base camp is not that fascinating because we don’t see the view of Mount Everest except the astonishing views of the Himalayas. After spending some time at Everest Base Camp, you get back to Gorakshep for an overnight stay at the lodge.

Wake up early morning and hike to Kalapathar to enjoy the best views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, and other Himalayan peaks. The ascent becomes steeper as you cross several side moraines, although the trail is well defined. You will follow the lower slope of a ridge extending to the south terminating in a small peak known as Kala Pattar. You can easily make the ascent of Kala Pattar in the afternoon. After spending the day at Kala Pattar you will continue trek to Pheriche for an overnight stay at a lodge.

Today it will be a downhill walk and take lesser hours and effort. You do not worry about Altitude Mountain Sickness as the trail is much easier to descend. It will be the most scenic trail of Khumbu area as you will cross the passes and forest on the way back to Namche Bazaar. Along the way, if you are lucky enough you may see a bright blue Himalayan pheasant, which is Nepal’s national bird and a very rare sight. Overnight stay at Namche Bazaar

Today it will be a downhill walk and take lesser hours and effort. You do not worry about Altitude Mountain Sickness as the trail is much easier to descend. It will be the most scenic trail of Khumbu area as you will cross the passes and forest on the way back to Namche Bazaar. Along the way, if you are lucky enough you may see a bright blue Himalayan pheasant, which is Nepal’s national bird and a very rare sight. Overnight stay at Namche Bazaar

Today we head for Lukla. In the end, we spend more time ascending this day since the elevation of Lukla is at least 1000 feet higher than Phakding. During this day we see many new groups on the trail heading out to Namche. At a teahouse at Lukla we will toast over beers for the incredible trip we have just finished and spent some time reflecting on our experiences. Overnight at Lukla

We pack up early and head for the airstrip to catch a flight back to Kathmandu. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, the rest of your day is free to do your own things. You could do some last minute shopping and packing, or send a few postcards home or even go for a stroll to Thamel.

Final good byes…