Tashi Laptsa Pass Trek

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in the morning to begin your city tour of Kathmandu. You will visit the Boudhanath temple, the largest Buddhist Stupa in Nepal, Pashupatinath, a Hindu pilgrimage site, and possibly view cremation ceremonies along the banks of the Bagmati River. Continue drive to Patan Durbar Square to take in ancient Nepalese architecture and end your tour after lunch. Then you will visit the Patan museum. Overnight in Kathmandu

After breakfast we drive early morning to Barabise (6 to 7 hrs) through Araniko Highway nearby the China border and the road crosses the Sun Koshi river near to Khadichour then it goes many ups and down through the beautiful Nepalese countryside. You will explore the surrounding area of Dolakha, a hill town and finally our trek begins with a long descent to the river through scattered villages and terraces. The trail is a pleasant as we gently gain height, following the Tama Koshi river bank. After a couple of hours walk, we will reach Shigati. Overnight at camp

We start today’s walk following the path through number of small farm villages and terraced fields, interspersed with a small patch of cool forest then gradually climbing and crossing many small streams. We will then reach Dolangsa, a small village on the bottom of the Tinsang-La pass with a primary school yard for camping. People living in this village belong to Sherpa tribe and there is a small monastery just above the village. Overnight at camp

Early morning we start our trek with a steep climb passing by the monastery and beyond through prickly-leaved oak woods and rhododendron forest coming to a clearing with a small settlement of cattle herders. After two hours of steady walk, from here our walk continues further for another 2 hours to Tinsang La. We notice there is a remarkable change in the vegetations, as the walk gains altitude every hour or so, until we reach the top ridge of Tingsang-La. Here, we will have excellent views from the Pass looking over towards Mt. Gaurishanker and onwards the Tashi Lapcha. After strenuous climb, on the grassy meadow that leads us to our overnight camp. From the camp site we can overlook grand views of the surrounding landscapes and snow capped peaks. An early morning view from the campsite is well worth.

After an early morning view of the superb scenery, our journey continues with an hour and half descent to the village of Ruphtang which is situated on a small hill top amongst the terraced fields. After a brief stop in the village, the trek follows on the downhill slope path to a small stream. From here after nearly two hours of gradual climb we will reach to our overnight camp just a few minutes away from the Bigu Gomba. From the camp we can see large stupas for a nunnery, each stupa which houses about 30 nuns and the nuns are mostly Sherpa women. Here we will have free time for a visit to Bigu Gompa, a fine and interesting monastery set among juniper on a terraced hillside. The building which houses a
nunnery was built around 1933.

From here, our trek leads to a long descent through the terraced fields towards Sangwa khola, which later joins the Tamba khola, we will continue for two hours walk, after which we will encounter a warmer climate. The path then gradually climbs after crossing the bridge, and path winds up leading through Lading and continues to Chilangka after 2-3 hours of walks for the overnight camp high above the river. It is a quiet and lovely spot with splendid views across the terraced hillside, and down to Bhote Koshi.

After Chilangka, our route heads east above the Sangwa khola, crossing several tributary streams, the path leads to gradual walk with few ups and downs in between and then coming to Chautara, a well decorated with religious paintings. Chautara are interesting structures and are found along trails through out Nepal. Trek from here leads to the winding trail towards the corner of the Gyalsung Danda (ridge) above the river, and then leading downhill towards Bulung for our overnight stop in this widely spread village, Camp is made is nearby the school yard of this village Bulung.

Our trek from Bulung village leads North East along the trail above the Tama Koshi through the village of Yarsa and Warang. Walking along the seldom used path at first, but after an hour of good trekking, the trail becomes something of a highway, on this broad winding road with excellent views of Mt. Gaurishanker. We will traverse through intensively terraced farm fields and we then skirt past the village of Orang. As we come through a few small ridges, our route leads to a steep downhill path to the junction of the Gongar Khola and Tama Koshi, and the small settlement of Gongar where we will set up camp on a wide valley floor and take a much deserved break after 6 hours of walking.

Leaving Gongar, the trail continues along the west bank of the Tama Koshi, which narrows into a gorge, then reaches Chetchet and its beautiful waterfall. Having descended to almost the same height as our starting point after an hour or more walk, the climate here is once again hot and slightly humid. Shortly afterwards we cross the Tama Koshi river and make a steep climb for an hour to the village of Simigaon. After we finish the steep portion of the walk, we will have a gentle trek up to the village of Simigaon, where the overnight camp are beside a Gompa 20 minutes above the main village with more fabulous views of Mt. Gaurishanker.

From Simigaon, our route leads towards North East. Beginning the walk on a gradual uphill slope, we pass through the thick rhododendron and magnolia forests, and the pastures with numerous clearing that are used for summer grazing. In this area, the change from lush Tama Koshi to the mountain side of Rolwaling Valley is very apparent. Depending upon the season, if the monsoon flood has washed much of the trail away, (which is not a rarity during the monsoon season), we either take the high path that climbs steeply towards the ridge of the Sambur Danda, crossing the Daldung la at 3,976m., as this is a safer alternative. Our walk continues contouring above the hill side and then descending to the river
passing more huts in an area called Gyalche. After reaching the valley floor we cross a small wooden bridge to our camp at Dovan, a small unlikely clearing in the dense forest of the steep valley side.

Today, crossing the Rolwaling khola we take a path that leads through the jungles on the Northern side. The walk heads to a gradual climb, and then comes to a clearing along little settlements of Nyimare, Ramding. We continue on through the farm fields and reach Beding for the overnight stop after a productive walking day with hours or more. We reach in time to visit Beding village. It is the principal Sherpa village in the Rolwaling area, and is situated in a narrow gorge enlivened somewhat by its wellpositioned Gompa, which comprises about thirty six houses. There is a Hillary school in Beding.

From Beding, onwards you can feel the increasing altitude and the cold chill from the surrounding high mountains. Our trek today will be a short walk of three hours or more along the Rolwaling River, going at it in an easy manner at this high altitude. The terrain has very impressive scenery of the surrounding high landscapes, and the snow capped peaks. The walk continues slowly in order to acclimatize, just before Na the valley opens out into classic, glaciated in U-shape. We reach our overnight camp at Na, which is a scattered village and a temporary settlement of the villagers of Beding and beyond. It is a summer yersa (grazing pasture), and potatoes are grown. There is a roughly built Monastery here. Our
camp is made on this grassy field with time to relax and marvel the surrounding beauty. Ahead, up the valley beyond Na, the majestic summit of Chobutse 6,689m rises above the Tsho Rolpa at the confluence of the Ripimo Shar and Trakarding glaciers.

Today is a rest day at Na Gaon for acclimatization and local exploration.

After a pleasant time at Na, our actual adventure begins from here onwards. The morning walk begins as we cross the river to the south bank and then follow a shallow stream to a crossing point near Yersa at Sangma, the last place of the cattle herders. After the wooden bridge which we use to climb up on moraines, we negotiate our path steeply above the main stream until finally we reach the terminal moraine, near behind is the dammed of Tsho Rolpa. The lake sometime known as Cho Pokhari, we will make our campsite on sandy level ground to the south side of the Tsho Rolpa at Kabuk after 4-5 hours of scenic hard walk. From the camp splendid views of the surrounding peaks can be seen including Tsoboje
at 6,689m.and Dragker-Go at 6,793m.

From camp, the path goes over the moraine above north side from the lake, continuing right along the moraine, occasionally passing rocks overhangs. The walk follows high slopes above the glacier to avoid the lower section, but further up we have to trek along the centre on the hard rocky glacier to our camp below the Drolambau ice-fall. Steady walk leads us to the lowest point of the icefall and then climbing to the easiest point to gain the Drolambau glacier. Around this section there is some danger of falling rock. The middle moraine provides a route up the glacier. We then stop overnight after finding a suitable campsite where the glacier flattens out. Here we will be surrounded by superb high mountain scenery in this wild and impressive place.

Today is the main high light of this adventure journey, which starting well before sunrise following the glacier again for an hour and half. We will reach a spur which gives an easy access to our route on the upper glacier. It is here that we will fix ropes, and make steps and ledge for the porters. Although the terrain is not very difficult, it is just a precaution that we must employ in this kind of mountain landscapes. After everything is set for the final climb, a further 3-4 hours climb amidst wild and mind boggling scenery leads us to the top of the pass at our highest point of this trek at Tashi Laptsa pass,
where there are Buddhist prayer flags and cairns. This will be our longest day of trek and it’s important to keep up a good pace to ensure we reach our camp on the other side of the pass well before dark. From the pass, along with the magnificent view of the surrounding snow capped peaks, our walk follows downhill for another 3-4 hours towards Ngole and further near past the glacial pond of Parchemuchetsho and just before Tengpo for the overnight camp at around 4,900m.

After a long hard day, the walk from here will be enjoyable most of the way to Namche and beyond. From the camp below the Khumbu side of the pass, our path follows eastwards over snow slopes. The trail from here is well marked and continues its long descent down the upper reaches of the Thame Khola to Tengpo, with excellent views of Mt.Ama Dablam, Mt.Makalu, and Lumding Himal above the Thame Khola. After an hour or more arriving at dozen or so Shepard’s huts that makes this place Tengpo with wide pasture field. Another two hours of gradual descend will bring us to our end of our walk for today at Thame Village and our first hint of trekkers civilisation since Beding. There is a very old and
interesting Monastery at the upper end of the village. At Thame, the old trade route over the Nangpa-la into Tibet branches north, following the Bhote Koshi, which incidentally is the 2-3 river so named on this
trek.

Today is a pleasant walk down to Namche, which is an affluent rich Sherpa town and an important trading centre with a weekly Saturday markets. Fresh food products are brought up from lower villages to barter or sell. Walk leads east from the camp with a short downhill to the bridge over Bhote Koshi river, from the bridge 20 minutes climb to reach the gradual descend and passing through number of villages, mani, prayer walls and pass into the pine woods on this gentle winding path, after 3-4 hours of pleasant walk, Namche Bazaar comes into view from the top ridge where the trail splits into various directions. The north from the mani stupa leads towards Khunde and Khumjung. Our route heads downhill with a view of Namche down below with colored roofed houses. After a 45 minutes descend reaching Namche for the overnight camp.

Last day of this great trek will be filled with easy downhill walk to Lukla. The walk will be on the busy path full of trekkers, locals, porters and pack animals, and reaches back again to the river bed, the gentle trail follows the river downstream passing through many farm fields and villages then coming at the entrance of Sagarmatha National Park in Monjo village. After Phakding another 3 hours of good walk leads you to Lukla. On reaching Lukla, we will prepare for the last day great dinner and a party with the fellow Sherpa crew, porters and trekking members. Overnight at camp

The flight time to Kathmandu, are usually scheduled for the morning due to the wind in the afternoon. It is always possible that the flight time can be delayed due to bad weather and other reason beyond our control. As we get hold of the boarding pass depending upon our flight time we make our way to the terminal for security check. This scenic flight from Lukla takes about 45 minutes to Kathmandu, and offers a panoramic view of the snow capped peaks can be seen from window of the plane. Arriving to Kathmandu domestic terminal, one of our office staff will be waiting to receive and escort you back to
the hotel.

Today is a free day in Kathmandu! Please let our staff know if you would like to go join another activity such as Rafting, Bungee jump, Paragliding and tour around Kathmandu Valley.

Today keep in mind your international flight time; so make sure to keep your confirmed air ticket, departure tax (in local currency), and your passport handy. Our staff will take you to the airport for your final departure from our amazing country, Nepal.