Gokyo Ri Trek with View of Mount Everest

We wake up feeling well rested from breathing the pure mountain air here in Namche Bazar. After a delicious breakfast, we begin our trek to the village of Dole. It’s an amazing day for alpine scenery. From where we trek, we can see marvelous views of some of the highest peaks in the world, including Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and several others. We pass terraced farms of the Sherpas as well as passing through their villages. Our destination is the small village of Dole. It’s a small settlement with a few houses, but where can find a nice little guest house for the night. Trekking time is 5 – 6 hours.

To reach Gokyo, you have to do some climbing and that is exactly what we are doing. We must cross the ridge in order to discover the beautiful Gokyo Valley. We are climbing today, working our way upwards. This is the land of the yeti, of which one was allegedly sighted here in 1974. Tonight, sleep well at our guest house, having spent the day seeing the incredible scenery of the eastern Himalayas. By the way, are yeti’s real? The Sherpa’s think so. And that strange cry in the middle of the night will have you wondering if the yeti stories are indeed true.

This region is home to some of the highest mountains in the world. In addition to Mt. Everest, this trek today offers magnificent views of Mt. Cho-Oyu, the 6th highest mountain in the world. Rising to an elevation of 8,188 m/26,864, its name is Tibetan for a turquoise goddess. It is a beautiful peak here on the westernmost point of the Khumbu region. Today we start to see the first of the sacred lakes of Gokyo. Here we will see three of the sacred lakes today, and our guest house in Gokyo is on the third of the sacred lakes. We reach here about noon, have lunch and then spend some time exploring around this incredible lake in the midst of the glaciers of the Gokyo region. Trekking time today is around four hours.

Gokyo Ri is a trekking peak which offers the finest view anywhere of Mt. Everest and its surrounding mountains. It’s an early morning hike as we get up to enjoy watching the sunrise over the Eastern Himalayas. Here the effulgent sun rises regally to open and govern the day. Mt. Everest comes to life in the early morning sunlight, standing forth radiantly in the bright rays. The other great peaks that surround Mt. Everest refuses to be outdone, and you will stand awe-struck by the magnificent beauty of these alpine regions. The day will be ideal for exploring additional sacred lakes that mirror the snowcapped peaks on its mirror-like surfaces. Of course, enjoy viewing the world’s largest glacier, Ngazumpa from various viewpoints. It’s a day unlike anything else as you explore the Gokyo region.

We start the return trip today, finding a different route back to Lukla. This one takes us to a place called a Mongla Hill. It’s a small place but has some good guesthouses. Today is around 7 hours of trekking, which leads us into forests of silver fir, pine, rhododendrons and even some magnolia trees. It’s a quiet day with the sounds of the birds in the trees and incredible wildflower blooming everywhere.

Trek today through small villages as we make our way to the little village of Jorsalle. It’s a long day, but with beautiful scenic views of the mountains. Trekking time is 7 – 8 hours.

We return to the region’s airport. It is another long day, taking between 7 – 8 hours to reach. The trail becomes busier as we meet up with others who have taken the route to Everest Base Camp. It’s interesting because those who trek to Everest Base Camp can’t see the summit of Mt. Everest from Base Camp. But we had the most incredible view of the giant mountain from the top of Gokyo-Ri! In the evening, we confirm our morning flight back to Kathmandu as we celebrate the end of a great trek.

Sometimes flights to Kathmandu are delayed or canceled because of bad weather at Lukla. Our experience at Himalayan Planet Adventures has taught us to be prepared, and we have built in an extra day into our schedule should such a problem arise. These are, after all, the Himalayas, and the mountain weather is always in charge. We try to book the earliest flights back to the capital city. Once we do arrive in Kathmandu, you will be taken to your hotel where you can enjoy the luxury of a hot bath and relax in comfort, knowing that you have conquered the Land of Gokyo!

It’s your day, so go and enjoy all that the Kathmandu Valley has to offer. We’ve built in the free day in case weather forces us a delay at Lukla. But normally, it’s no problem in returning on time. Enjoy seeing the UNESCO World Heritage sites, go shopping in a busy bazaar, or just relax. Whatever you feel up to doing, go for it! But in the evening, enjoy a farewell dinner with your guide, porters and staff of Himalayan Planet Adventures where you can swap stories and celebrate your incredible Gokyo Trek experience.