Everest Three High Pass Trek 20 Days

How journey starts?

As soon as you land in Kathmandu, you will get the first taste of Nepali lifestyle and tradition. After a day of trek preparation and exploration of the capital, we head for a flight to Lukla from where our trek begins to Phakding. The days ahead will take us through the Sherpa villages of Namche, Dingboche, and Chhukung.

We then cross the first Kongma La Pass and head to Everest Base Camp. We then move ahead and cross the second Chola Pass and hike to Gokyo village. After traversing the final Renjo La Pass, we return to Lukla.

What to Expect?

Expect only thrill and unique adventure in our Everest Three high pass Trek. During your stay in Kathmandu, you will encounter the mystical combination of Hindu and Buddhist culture in the same place. You will explore the narrow streets and beautiful UNESCO landmarks of Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath.

As your journey starts, you will land on the thrilling airstrip on your domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. From here, you will traverse several traditional Sherpa villages including Namche Bazaar, Dingboche, and Lobuche. You will live the life of Sherpas and experience their warm hospitality.

As you move on, you will gain altitude every day, and days will come when you reach each Pass one by one. Each Pass you cross will offer incredible views of towering mountains. You will see the morning sun illuminating the highest Everest and surrounding mountains in a divine manner.

You will also set foot at the renowned Everest Base Camp where you will observe the preparation of adventurous climbers embarking to climb Everest. From Kala Patthar, you will feel Everest face to face and achieve a sense of accomplishment. You will also get the opportunity to see Nuptse, Lobuche, Ama Dablam, Pumori, and Khumbu Glacier.

When you reach Gokyo, you will see the blue lake and the four 8,000m peaks of Cho Oyu, Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu. The beautiful scenery created by countless groups of high peaks will naturally support you here.

It’s a comprehensive trekking tour where you will have everything: religious and cultural voyage, enthralling mountain views, and glacial lakes, electrifying adventure of reaching the high Passes, and encounter with the rare species.

Best Time

The most popular period for trekking through the Everest Three Passes is September to November (the Autumn period after the wet season) and March to May (Spring period after the cold winter). during these periods, there is the greatest chance for a clear sky and warm temperature with unobstructed route and view.

June to August can bring heavy rain and December to February can bring a lot of snow often making crossing the high Passes impossible. And it may be difficult to find accommodation. Most guesthouses above 4,000 m above sea level close for the winter.

Elevation and distance

Our 20-day Everest Three High Pass Trek takes you through the most anticipated Everest base camp merging with the three High Passes of the Everest region. The Everest Base Camp is elevated at an altitude of 5364 m above sea level. The three Passes that you cross are Kongma La Pass erected at a height of 5535m above sea level, Chola Pass at 5360 m altitude, and Renjo La Pass at 5361 m.

On your 20-day journey, you will cover a total distance of 148 km, and each day you will walk approximately 11.5 km. However, some days you may only cover 6 km, and some days even 30 km. It depends on the altitude, terrain, and planned itinerary.

Maximum/Minimum walk per day

In our 20-day itinerary, you will trek for 17 days traversing through numerous villages and mountain passes. For the most part of the trek, you will walk for 5 to 7 hours each day. But on day 9 when you trek from Dingboche to Chhukung, you will only walk for 2 hours which is the minimum walk of the entire trek.

Whereas, on days 10 and 11, you will walk for 8 to 9 hours which is the maximum walk of the whole journey. On day 10, you will cross the Kongma La Pass and on day 11, you will trek to the Everest Base Camp and return to Gorakshep.

Difficulty and Acclimatization

Everest Three High Pass Trek is one of the most difficult treks in the Himalayas not for technical reasons but for the height. All three passes that you climb are above 5000m above sea level. Therefore, the biggest threat is not injuries but the low oxygen content in the air and its temperature.

This can lead to altitude sickness so we have planned a rest day at Namche, and another acclimatization day at Dingboche with only 2 2-hour walk the next day. This planned itinerary can help your body adjust to high altitudes and its atmosphere.

Also please remember, that this trail has many rocks, crevasses, zigzags, and slippery paths that require extreme caution. You have to walk through thick layers of snow and sometimes you may have to make use of crampons. Please follow the instructions of your guide and never leave the group.

Can a beginner join this trek?

The Everest Three High Pass trek is one of the most challenging treks in Nepal which needs you to cross three major Passes in the Everest region. Overcoming them is a challenge and demanding hike so you need to be in good shape, and possess the best physical fitness with good health and a strong mindset.

Therefore, having prior high-altitude trekking experience is an advantage for this trek. But if you have a strong passion for conquering heights and seeing Everest, then you can participate in this trek even if you are new at trekking.

Make sure, when you choose this trekking, you should prepare yourself for long hikes and demanding approaches.

Preparation and training

Being a demanding trek, you should prepare yourself for long day hikes and high-altitude treks at least 2 months before joining this trip. We recommend you join a gym or follow some training regime on your own. You can take walks in the park, run up and down along the steep stairs, or go hiking in nearby mountains.

You can also practice swimming, cycling, and some leg exercises to build up your leg muscles and increase endurance. In the initial stage of training, set aside 40 minutes first then gradually increase the duration of your training period to 1 hour, then 1.5 hours, and so on.

Alternate routes

The advantage of the Everest Three High Passes trek is it can be done in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. Our itinerary is planned according to the counterclockwise direction due to properly distributed acclimatization. But if you wish for more adventure and a less crowded trail, you can traverse the clockwise direction in the order Renjo La, Cho La, and Kongma La.

Following this route, you will face steep climbs and gain height much faster. In this route, you will trek up to Namche, from here, you will then hike to Thame, Lungden cross Reno La, and hike to Gokyo.

Then you will cross Chola Pass and hike to Gorakshep and Everest Base Camp. Then you will climb the Kongma La Pass and return to Namche.

Altitude Sickness

Altitude sickness is a major threat in this trek as you will be reaching a height of more than 5000 m most days of the trek. In addition, the climate in the Everest region is windy and cold, which can lead to developing symptoms of altitude sickness. Such as nausea, headache, cough, difficulty in breathing, loss of appetite, and sleep.

If these symptoms occur, please consult your for prompt attention and treatment. The best possible treatment and preventive measure is to drink plenty of fluids, make good use of rest days, and gain altitude slowly walking at a gradual pace.

Transportation, Meals and Drink

As your credible trek and tour agency, we strive to provide you with all the benefits of the trekking package. We will manage all your transportation, accommodation, and meals during the entire trekking journey.

We will pick you up from the international airport in a private vehicle and lodge you in a comfortable 3-star standard hotel. We will provide you free delicious breakfasts in the city and during the trek, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided with a hot cup of tea or coffee and seasonal fresh fruits.

We will also arrange a domestic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. In case of departure from Ramechhap Airport, we will drive you to Ramechhap in a private vehicle and arrange a flight to Lukla.

During the trek, you will dine in the lodge along the route. Breakfast includes toast, Tibetan bread, omelets, pancakes, porridge, and muesli (all made with powdered milk). For lunch and dinner, you will eat various soups (including garlic soup), momo dumplings, fried chow mien noodles, potato pancakes, baked potatoes, fried rice, and the ubiquitous dal bhat – rice, vegetables, and lentil sauce.

Communication, Gadgets charging, and Internet/wifi

 On the Everest Three High Passes route, the NCELL and NTC network has coverage in almost all villages except for high altitude Passes. They provide numerous options for data packages that you can activate easily.

The lodges have internet via WIFI for which they can charge an extra cost of USD 2 to USD 3. The speed however depends on the number of people connected at a given time, the altitude, and the climate.

You can also charge your mobile, camera, laptop, and other electrical devices easily as the villages have 24 24-hour supply of electricity. Please keep in mind, at a lower altitude, you may use these services free of cost but as the altitude increases, you may have to pay additional price for the services.

Permits

We need the Sagarmatha National Park entrance fee and Khumbu –Pasang Lamu village municipality fee for this trek. Both of these permits can be obtained at the trailhead at Lukla. We will obtain these permits on your behalf, please carry these permits and keep them in a safe place as these permits will be checked multiple times along the way.