Island Peak Climbing is one of the main climbing peaks in the Everest Region of Nepal with an impressive and highly glaciated West Face that rises from the Lhotse Glacier. It is situated in Sagarmatha National Park of the Himalayas of eastern Nepal.
The peak was named Island Peak in 1951 by Eric Shipton’s party since it appears as an island in a sea of ice when viewed from Dingboche. It is designed for energetic and physically fit trekkers with little or no experience in mountain expedition.
After a morning flight to Lukla, you’ll be introduced to your guide and porter. After having a short break in Lukla. You will start your trek with an easy walk through Chaurikharka village and descent towards Thadokoshi to Ghat (2,530m). The trail follows the bank of the Dudhkoshi River until Phakding (2,610m), where you will be staying for the night at a teahouse. You can enjoy the view and vibe of Teahouse accommodation.
After breakfast in Phakding before gearing up for the trek to Namche Bazaar, the biggest sherpa village in Nepal. Our trail takes us first over the Dudhkoshi River via a long suspension bridge, and then through a beautiful pine forest to Monjo, about two hours away. Soon thereafter, we will approach the entrance to Sagarmatha National Park for a brief permit check and then descend to Dudh Kosi River (spotting Maney stones along the way!) en route to Jorsale. We will stop for Lunch, and then it’s uphill to Namche. Our trekking path along the riverbank crossing one of the highest bridge in Khumbu Region- which is the Hillary Suspension Bridge. From Top Danda, you will see the first glimpse of Mount Everest. After one hour trek, we will overnight at Namche Bazaar – One and only gateway to Everest.
Next day is all about acclimatization. We will hike to Everest View Hotel (3880m) where you can view Mt. Everest, Mt. Lotse, Mt. Nutse, Mt. Amadablam and other mountains. This hike will help speed acclimatization for trekking to Everest Base Camp. Also, you can check out the Sherpa museum for an overview of the Sherpa culture and history of mountaineering. On Saturdays, the Hatt Bazaar is open for trading and an intimate look at the locals’ marketplace. It is part of the larger Namche Bazaar, a shopping hub filled with all manner of trekking and mountaineering clothing and gears. Namche Bazaar, is the last stop for exchanging foreign currency and withdrawing money from ATM.
After Breakfast in Namche Bazaar. Get ready towards Everest Base Camp trek. You can enjoy the breathtaking views of the Himalayas – Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Thamserku and Kwangde – are some of the highlights you don’t want to miss. A short drop takes us to the riverside, then it’s across the river upwards through the forest pass. Brace your legs for a continual uphill trek at this point, alternating between a gradual grade and some seriously steep ground! Our destination, Tengboche, is known as one of the most beautiful places in the Everest region. Its views, which include Ama Dablam, are legendary. We’ll stop in on the Tengboche monastery, which is one of the largest monasteries in Khumbu. Enjoy the guided tour of the monastery grounds, followed by chanting and prayer with the resident Buddhist monks. At this monastery, Lama will give you a blessing for successful trekking and expedition ahead.
After hot breakfast in Tengboche. Our trek will start through the rhododendron forest to Deboche followed by a bridge over the raging ‘Imja Khola’ River. We’ll pass the valley and cross last suspension bridge for Everest Base Camp Trek then we will reach to Pangboche village, the biggest settlement of Sherpas in the region. Enjoy a great opportunity to observe a typical Sherpa village and have a lunch. If you want, you can hike to the Pangboche monastery, one of the oldest in the area. After hiking to Pangboche, we will be heading towards wide valley which has a dry atmosphere and deserted mountains. Our last stop will be at Dingboche.
After having a hot breakfast, we start out trek from Dingboche to Chukkung. Total time for the trek is 2 hours and is quite easy. Chukkung is a beautiful valley nestled between mountains like Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Imja Tse etc. You can get a really good and close view of these mountains and their glaciers. The river Imja Khola runs past the Chukkung village where we will be lodging. We prepare for the climb. Overnight in a Teahouse.
Today is acclimatization day. We will be climbing Chhukung Ri which helps to adjust to the high altitude. Chhukung Ri is a peak located directly above the Chhukung village. The climb to Chhukung Ri involves some easy scrambling near the summit. From the top, we can look directly across the valley for a fantastic view of Ama Dablam and Amphu Labsa peaks. We descend back to Chhukung for overnight.
Next day, we are quite close to Island Peak. The trek to Island Peak Base Camp is on a fairly steep trail. First, we climb south then turn east to the main line of the valley. We then walk on a winding path below the southern flank of the moraine from the Lhotse Glacier. Next, we continue walking on a pleasant trail along a streamside. The route to the Amphu Labtsa lies to the southeast. A crisscross route through the Imja and Lhotse glacier moraines leads to a wide valley flanking the side of Island Peak. Overnight at Island Peak Base Camp.
We wake up early today at around 12 to 1 am and have our breakfast before beginning our climb. It is important we reach the summit before noon because in the afternoon the strong winds in the highlands might become a barrier for a successful summit. The trail moves up beyond the base camp for several hundred meters before striking off the steep hillside. Initially sandy, the path soon turns to grass before becoming boulder strewn. As we climb up the hill, we will see that the slope narrows and the trail enters a steep rock channel. We climb the rock gully. This is not difficult, but there are several short rock steps to climb before we emerge on the right side of the gully. The route then follows a ridgeline, which leads to an exhilarating and exposed traverse onto the snout of the summit glacier. The guides will fix a rope when required. A steep snow slope leads us onto the summit ridge. Both fixed rope and man rope will be used during the climb for safety. We use fix rope after successfully climbing on rock. The length of the rope will usually be of 350m. However, the length depends on the time of the season and the crevasses
There are two newly formed crevasses which are approximately 3 and 4 meters long. We will be using ladders to cross them. After enjoying the summit views, and taking pictures, we descend all the way to Island Peak Base Camp where some of our crew is waiting for us. We celebrate on our successful Island Peak climb.
After breakfast, we will start our trek. Following the same route back through the wide valley of Khumbu Khola, we pass through the beautiful Sherpa villages Orsho and Shomare. We can also take a different trail to visit the Gompa in Upper Pangboche, which is believed to be the oldest in the Khumbu region or take the regular trail to reach Pangboche. Pangboche is a scenic village surrounded by Everest to its north, Ama Dablam, Thamserku, and Kangtaiga to the east, the Kongde range to the south and the Imja Tse River flowing through the wide fertile valley. Overnight at Pangboche.
First, we will have a hot breakfast. We will start our trek from Pangboche. We will retrace our steps down to the Imja Khola and up through the forest to Tengboche. If interested, we can also visit nuns at the Tengboche monastery. After lunch at Tengboche, we will continue through the hillside blanketed by rhododendron and juniper trees. After crossing the bridge over the Dudh Koshi River, our trail follows the Dudh Koshi gorge descending rapidly through the pine forests before reaching Sansa. We keep a lookout for wildlife such as mountain goats, snow leopards, colorful pheasants, etc., while passing through the forest. After passing stupas, we will reach Namche Bazaar. Overnight at Namche Bazaar.
After breakfast, we will trek towards the Hillary Suspension Bridge and then pass through several local villages. In the evening, we will celebrate the victory of completing the trek. Last night to experience a teahouse in Mountains with your entire trek team.
After early breakfast in Lukla, we will take a 30-minute flight back to Kathmandu from Lukla. This ends the trekking part of the journey. One last you can revel in the different sights of the landscapes while on the flight. After landing in the Kathmandu airport, you will be directly transferred to the Hotel where you will stay overnight. One of the Mount Mania representatives will invite you to attend a farewell dinner with a cultural show. Enjoy the fullest.
