EVEREST COMBINED LHOTSE EXPEDITION

Upon your arrival at the TIA, you will need to fulfill some official procedures to obtain the Nepal Entry Visa at the Immigration counter. One of our representatives will be waiting to welcome you at the Arrivals. After meet and greet, you will be transferred to the hotel booked for you to rest. There you can freshen up and rest. 

On the second day, we will fulfill all our official procedures including necessary documentation, obtain permits, and other formalities needed for our expedition & we will start our preparation for our expedition. We will now pack our bags, do some necessary shopping, re-check everything that we need (Especially medicines and essentials). Briefings will be made about each and every aspect of the expedition and all gears and equipment, trip duration, accommodation, facilities at the base camp, and all related to the expedition. It is also an opportunity for you to communicate and introduce yourself to your fellow climbers and teammates.

Early in the morning, after an amazing breakfast, we will take a thrilling flight to Lukla Airport. The flight gives you a bird’s eye view of the valleys, rivers, hills, and gradually mountain ranges. Even though the flight is only for half an hour, it does not fail to mesmerize you now and then. As we land at Lukla Airport, which is already exciting, we start our trek to Phakding, our destination for the day. After obtaining the permit for the region, we will slowly move through the settlements on a mixed trail of dirt, stone pathways, and some rocky sections at times. This is an easy start so make sure to enjoy all the greeneries, floras, and faunas as you walk. The trail takes you over several suspension bridges and along the Dudh Koshi river. Enjoy the rest of the day at Phakding.

After Phakding, we move towards another beautiful destination, Namche Bazaar, which is the commercial point of the Khumbu region. Passing through the dense luscious forests of pine, juniper, Rhododendron, looking out for animals in the Sagarmatha National Park, climbing the stairs, enjoying the rages of rivers at some points, and mostly walking uphills are the major activities of the day’s trek. This trek will be long and tiring as we start gaining significant elevation. As we reach Namche, we rest at our hotel and enjoy our dinner. The next day, we hike up to Everest View Point (3900m) & decend back to our Hotel to acclimatize where we can also go around the village area and experience some local sherpa culture. We can also visit the Everest Photo Gallery and the Sherpa Museum while in Namche.

After a day’s rest and acclimatization at Namche, we then approach one of the most beautiful and tranquil parts of this Expedition, the Tengboche monastery. Tengboche monastery is one of the most popular monasteries among Buddhists around the world. The views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam are visible towards the north while Thamserku and Kangtega stand towards the south with striking views. We will also join in some prayer ceremonies and rest for the day.

After spending our night in Tengboche, we start our trek towards Dingboche where we will stay for the next day to acclimate ourselves. Following the path down from Tengboche towards Deboche through the forests of Rhododendrons, we cross a bridge over the raging Imja river. Then we gradually climb uphill to reach the village of Lower Pangboche where we can witness the spectacular views of Ama Dablam. We then move across the valley to reach our destination Dingboche at the start of the Imja Tse valley after an approximate walk of 5-6 hours. We spend our next day here to acclimate ourselves. We go on short hikes around the area to get some striking views of the mountain grandeur.

After acclimatizing in Dingboche, we head towards another beautiful stop, Lobuche. The journey starts with a climb to the ridge behind Periche until the tea houses at Thughla followed by a steep ascent to the terminal moraine of Khumbu Glacier. You will encounter a series of stone monuments made in the memories of climbers who couldn’t make it back home. After walking for almost 6-7 hours on rugged terrain we reach Lobuche, a small settlement of Sherpas. It is the final village with lodges on this trail to Everest. We take a  rest at Lobuche.

After Lobuche, we follow the Khumbu Glacier to reach Everest Base Camp. Enjoying the grand views of Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, and many others in the background we finally reach the base of the world’s highest mountain. We will spend quite a few days in the base camp, training, acclimatizing, and preparing for the summit. We go on short excursions, practice through the Khumbu Icefall climb, and get acquainted with crampons, ice axes, and other climbing gears. We go on rotations to prepare to climb to Camp 1.

During our stay at the base camp, we get acclimatized with the high altitude so that we can adapt to even higher camps. We also organize and participate in the prayer ceremony before the summit as we consider Mt. Everest or Mt. Chomolungma as the “Mother Goddess of the World” as per the local Tibetan Language. The prayer is done to remain safe and as permission to climb on the holy mountain. 

Besides, we also conduct some training that includes: ladder practice, walking on fixed lines, diagonal ascent and descent, traversing, duck walk, classical or flat-footing, handling Oxygen cylinders, using an Ice ax, and Crampons, using walkie talkie and following instructions while climbing and many more.

After 4-5 days of training, practicing and rotation, we will finally climb to Camp 1 to experience the true essence of the expedition. It requires crossing the Khumbu Icefall and tough crevasses. At Camp 1 at 6000 meters, we stay overnight in full-proof tents enjoying the meals cooked by our chefs. 

After staying overnight at Camp 1, we gradually ascend towards Camp 2 that is set up at 6400metres. The climb includes crossing the Western CWM, a gently rising valley that is marked by huge crevasses in the center preventing direct access to the upper part of the CWM. After reaching Camp 2 we move back to Camp I to rest overnight.

After climbing up to Camp 2 (6400m) experiencing the technicalities of the expedition through the crevasses, ladders, and fixed ropes, we return back to the base camp and rest there for a few days. Our team will conduct rotations and short hikes to the surrounding areas to keep your enthusiasm boosted.

After resting at the base camp for a few days, we will then climb up to Camp II using the climbing techniques and rest overnight. During our stay at Camp II, we will hike up to the West Shoulder as well. Staying at a higher altitude for a few days will help us acclimatize, hence keeping altitude sickness at the side.

After several days’ preparation, we will then approach Camp IIIat 7200metres and rest for 1 hour. As we reach Camp III, we will slowly descend to Camp II to rest overnight but for those climbers climbing withut O2 will be staying in Camp III & will move to Camp IV the next day. These continuous rotations are held to make your ascent to the Summit easier. These also help to refine your skills with mountaineering gears and equipment.

It is necessary to provide our body with some rest after continuous climbing and mountaineering. So, after an overnight’s rest at Camp II, we will descend to the Base Camp, at a much lower altitude. These ascents and descents are a way of acclimatizing ourselves in the Himalayas and training to climb up to Camp IV and above the Death Zone. We will rest overnight at the Base Camp.

We allocate few days of complete rest before actually heading to the summit. For this, we may either descend back to Namche to rest at a cozy lodge or fly back to Kathmandu  (For those who can afford it). While at rest, our expedition leaders and the team will evaluate the weather conditions and decide when to go for a final summit push. When everything looks favorable, we will prepare to trek back to the Base Camp. Those who choose to rest in Kathmandu can take Heli or can stay in Base Camp. During these resting period, our teams and climbing sherpas will be setting up higher camps at Camp IV for the summit push.

So, our body has been acclimatized, we have been on multiple rotations up to Camp III, climbed on rocks and ice, the weather looks favorable, and is the perfect time for the Summit Push. so, we head back to the Base Camp and prepare ourselves for the victory we will be achieving in the next few days.

As we will have already been to Camp II earlier, it will be easier for us to reach there this time. Crossing the Khumbu Glacier and tough crevasses, passing Camp I at 5943 meters, we will finally reach Camp II. The climb includes crossing the Western CWM, a gently rising valley that is marked by huge crevasses in the center preventing direct access to the upper part of the CWM.  We will rest overnight and enjoy the delicious hot meal prepared by our experienced cooks. Make sure to stay warm and stick with the team.

After resting overnight at Camp II, we will then ascend towards Camp III at 7162metres. Walking on the trail of ice, snow, and rocks, following the fixed ropes set up by our fellow Sherpa Climbers, we reach Camp III. We will use Oxygen Cylinders from here on. We request everyone to remain careful and stick with the team as well as communicate often. We will spend our night in Camp III in a warm tented Camp. High Food will be provided for meals.

After Camp III, we ascend to Camp IV at 8000m. This is also the divergent point for climbers of Lhotse and Everest. The area above this is called the Death Zone and requires extreme caution and carefulness. We will keep ourselves warm and safe. A day’s rest at Camp IV is only applicable if there is bad weather before the summit Day. We will monitor the weather conditions before summiting Everest. If the weather condition is worst and the members need more Oxygen bottles then the company will manage the emergency oxygen bottles for use subjected to a charge ($800 per bottle)

This is the day when we will triumph in our expedition by stepping on top of the world. After spending some great time at the peak, we slowly descend down to Camp 4. From Camp 4 the climbers who have signed up for Lhotse Expedition will stay while the others will descend to the lower camps or wait at Camp 4.

From Camp 4, we will ascend to the summit of Lhotse at 8513m and enjoy the stunning scenery. After photoshoots and some quality time, we then descend to Camp 2 to rest overnight. 

From Camp II, we will descend back to the Base Camp and as responsible travelers, we will clean up all the trash around the camp. We will then prepare to trek back to Pheriche.

For those who love trekking, we can trek back to Pheriche exploring the surrounding areas. And for those who have time constraints or want to reach Kathmandu sooner, you can directly take a Heli Flight back to Kathmandu at a nominal additional cost. 

From Pheriche, we trek back to Namche, the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu Region.

We retrace the same trail back to Lukla from Namche. Going down through the dense forests, crossing several suspension bridges, and traversing through beautiful settlements will lead us to Lukla.

From Lukla, we will take a flight back to Kathmandu viewing all those mountain vistas, packed villages, green forests from a bird’s eye perspective. We will then transfer you to the hotel for you to rest and relax. We will see you in the evening for a farewell dinner at a typical Nepali Restaurant with cultural shows.

With gratitude and best wishes, we will have to bid you farewell for your flight back home. We hope to see you soon in the next season for a brand new adventure. 

Traveling in the Himalayas may not be certain and as perfect as planned. This is why we must allocate some buffer days to cope up with consequences due to bad weather or any other unforeseeable circumstances. This is also to help you schedule your return flight in a flexible manner to avoid the risk of missing a flight.