Renjo La, the unknown face of Everest

Departure from Italy with scheduled flight.

Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to the Hotel Malla (4*). Accommodation and rest of the day free.

Free visit of the city.

Early in the morning, transfer to the airport and boarding the flight to Lukla (about 40 minutes). Arrival in Lukla, breakfast, and visit of the Lukla monastery. Then trek to Phakding where you will spend the night. (About 3 hours, difference in altitude –230 m.)

Trek to the most important center of the Khumbu valley. The path winds along the Khumbu valley, crossing the Dudh Koshi river several times. After Monjo, where the entrance door to the Sagarmatha National Park is located, the path climbs sharply until it reaches the 3440 meters of Namche Bazaar. (About 6 hours, difference in altitude 830 m.). Overnight stay in the ultra-comfortable Sherpa Land Hotel.

Acclimatization day around Namche. With a beautiful scenic route, you rise 400 meters to reach the nearby villages of Khunde and Khumjung, at the foot of the sacred mountain Khumbi Yul Lha, protector of the Khumbu valley. You visit the monastery of Khunde and its small, but well-equipped hospital, founded in 1966 thanks to the Himalayan Trust, an institution created by Sir Edmund Hillary. In the adjacent village of Khumjung, the Himalayan Trust itself gave birth to the primary school that hosts both villages' children. Descend for the night to Namche Bazaar.

Here begins the most beautiful part of the trek, which includes two nights in a tent. With a beautiful path, very gradual, you enter the little beaten valley of Thame and Bothe Koshi. The valley, which originates from the Bothe Koshi and Lumsumna glacier, houses the centuries-old path that leads to Nangpa La and connects Tibet and Nepal. This gateway to Tibet, which passes practically at Cho Oyu's foot, is only open to Tibetans who go down to Khumbu for their businesses. After visiting the monastery of Thame, the second most important of all the Khumbu after Tengboche, accommodation in a lodge in Thame.

It starts northwards through the old part of Thame. It is the path that leads to Nangpa La and then Tibet, the valley initially wide, narrows as you get up. You reach the Marlung pastures, where there is a space for camping and a very rudimentary lodge and continue towards Lungde (4400 m.) With a more decisive uphill path. Arrival at the nice lodge in Lungde and accommodation.

The relaxing stage allows you to fully enjoy the panorama and make an ideal acclimatization. Gradually leaving the Bothe Koshi valley, with a slightly steep stretch you go up towards Renjo Lake. As you climb the panorama becomes more and more grandiose: to the south the chain that dominates the Thame valley and contains the spectacular peaks of the Tarthika (6093 m.), The Kwande (6186 m.) And many others, up to 6700 m. The chain reaches the Parchamo, known trekking peak, and the Tashi Lapcha pass, which connects the Thame valley with the Rolwaling valley. To the east towers the difficult and beautiful Kyajo Ri (6186 m.) And, slightly displaced, the equally impressive Pharilapcha (6017 m.). The field is placed on a lawn, in an extremely panoramic position at Renjo Lake.

This is the most demanding day, the one that foresees the passage of the 5434 meters of the Renjo La. The path is however very gradual and except for the last 150 meters, in which it becomes a little steep, it offers a very progressive climb it's pleasant. Beyond Renjo Lake, you enter the beautiful basin of another lake, the Relama Tsho; from here you start to climb the slopes that lead below the pass. The excellent and recent arrangement of the path allows you to make the last part of the climb with fairly limited effort. The panorama continues to be magnificent towards the Bothe Koshi valley, but it is a step, when you finally manage to make the view sweep east, that the spectacle becomes breathtaking: six hundred meters below, the Dudh Pokhari, the turquoise lake on the whose banks are the village of Gokyo, on the horizon in a sensational parade from south to north, the Tawoche Peak (6367 m.), the Cholatse (6335 m.), the Aarakam Tse (6423 m.), the Lobuche (6145 m.), until reaching Makalu (8463 m.), Everest (8848 m.) Pumori (7121 m.) and of course Cho Oyu (8201 m.). The descent to Gokyo and its turquoise lake takes approximately 3 hours. Overnight stay at the lodge.

In the early morning climb to the Gokyo Ri beautiful balcony on the mountains around, including the Cho Oyu which from here impresses for its large size. Descend and take the path that crosses the Ngozumpa glacier. In a short time, you will reach Dragnag, where you will stay overnight before crossing the Cho La pass (5420 m.).

In the early morning the ascent to Cho La begins. A beautiful glacial lake is flanked at an altitude of 5100 m. approximately and finally you reach the pass that offers a new, close view of the Khumbu valley's mountains. The fairly long descent leads to Dzonghla (4830 m.), where you will spend the night.

Descend to Dughla (4620 m.) and then go up to Lobuche (5000 m.) and then, with an almost flat course, reach Gorak Shep (5100 m.), where you will spend the night in the lodge.

Day of visit to the famous Everest base camp. Despite the small difference in altitude, the route takes place first on the Khumbu glacier's lateral moraine and then on the glacier itself with several up and down, making it rather tiring (about 3.30 hrs). On the other hand, approaching the field and above all the incredible icefall gives intense emotions. Return to the Gorak Shep and overnight stay in the lodge.

Reserve day due to bad weather (or final day for the return flight from Lukla).

In the early morning, ascent of Kalapattar, magnificent balcony on Everest, Nuptse and Pumori. You then go down to Gorak Shep and continue to Pheriche, where you spend the night in a lodge.

Descend towards Pangboche and then towards the beautiful forest that hosts Deboche. Here there is still a small, splendid female monastery that can be visited. The atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing. Overnight stay at the lodge.

Go up the short stretch of path that leads to Tengboche. Here is the most important monastery in the whole valley and here takes place in October-November the Mani Rimdu, one of the most important Buddhist festivals ever. The monastery was rebuilt in 1990 after a fire destroyed it. From Tengboche, you descend towards Dudh Koshi, and then go up in the direction of Namche Bazaar, where you spend the night.

Long stage of return to Lukla, arrival, and accommodation in the lodge.

Early in the morning we fly to Kathmandu. Arrival, transfer, and accommodation at the Malla hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Free city tour day.

Free morning to visit the city and its surroundings. In the afternoon transfer to the airport and boarding on the return flight to Italy.