Lobuche Peak Climbing

On the 1st day of your Lobuche Peak Climbing trip, you will fly to the scenic Lukla airport, situated at an elevation of 2,840 m (9,318 ft). This will be a short flight that will only last 35 minutes, but flights to Lukla can often be delayed due to bad weather. Just letting you in on the situation.

Upon reaching Lukla, we will start our trekking, setting on the path to Phakding, where we will be spending the night. After we land at the airport in Lukla, we will take a quick rest, gather our spirits, hydrate, and go through all the necessary preparations as our guide suggests.

Lukla offers a view of the Kongde and Dudhkunda peaks, while the village itself is a clash of colors as the roofs are multi-colored, mixing in perfectly with the lush green surroundings. On the way from Lukla to Phakding, we will travel through Sherpa villages and also walk by Manis Walls, a long wall with Buddhist chants encrypted all over.

Leaving the village of Lukla, we will travel towards the Pasang Lhamu Sherpa gate which is just 15 minutes from the airport. For those who do not know, she is the first woman to climb the Mt. Everest peak. After a minute or so of descending from the gate, we will reach the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality ticket counter, where your permits will be worked out.

As per the law, visitors are required to have the TIMS card, the Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality’s Local Area Permit, and the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit for the Lobuche Peak Climbing trip.

After we have successfully proceeded with the permits, we will continue our descent through the forest of Oak, Pine, and Rhododendron trees, making our way to the village of Chhepelung. From Chhepelung to Thadokoshi, the trail is pretty plain, and we will cross two suspension bridges before reaching Dudhkoshi, the highest river (elevation-wise).

We will reach Thadokoshi after approximately 2 hours of trekking; this village offers a beautiful view of the Kusum Kanguru peak (6,367 m/20,889.11 ft). Trekking this trail during the spring season means that you will get to see the Rhododendron flowers bloom. They are considered the national flowers of Nepal.

From Thadokoshi, we will ascend to Ghat, followed by a gradual descent to Phakding. On your first day of the Lobuche Peak Climbing trek, we will trek for 4 to 5 hours, covering a distance of 7.5 km. We will spend the night in a lodge at Phakding village.

Having a filling morning breakfast, we will start our trek early as we will be trekking for 5 to 6 hours. We will walk 10.5 km in total to reach the aesthetic Namche Bazaar. You might have heard about this small town since it’s a popular spot, and everyone who treks the Khumbu region stays a night here to acclimatize.

We will leave the village of Phakding, cross the DudhKoshi River, and follow the Dudhkoshi River upstream for the rest of today’s trek. Compared to day one, this day will feel a bit tougher on your legs as we will travel more and cover more distance. Also, the trail we will cover will not be as smooth as the one before.

We will be trekking through hilly forests, passing many villages and settlements along the way. Since our itinerary follows the same trail as the Everest Base Camp trek, there is no scarcity of tea houses and lodges along the way.

Passing the villages of Tok Tok and Zamfute, we will cross the Dudhkoshi River once again to reach the village of Chomoa. Continuing the trail, we will follow the Dudhkoshi River upstream and reach Monjo village.

Passing through Monjo, we reach the Sagarmatha National Park’s entry point. This is the checkpoint where all your Lobuche Peak Climbing permits are checked to ensure fair travel.

The Khumbu Valley awaits us up ahead with a broad view of the multiple surrounding peaks. As we enter the Khumbu region, we will have to cross a number of suspension bridges to reach our destination, Namche Bazaar. The last suspension bridge you will cross before getting to Namche is also the longest and the tallest; there is no other way around these bridges.

After crossing all the suspension bridges, the trail gets a bit difficult, but not in a technical sense. You just have to travel fairly steep climbs and snakeways. This section is good in a way, as it takes quite some time to trek, which helps you acclimatize better.

Just because you can trek faster does not mean that you should; that is the number one mistake trekkers make, and they fall victim to altitude sickness. A slow and steady pace is the key to trekking the Lobuche Peak Climbing route without any health issues.

After some time of trekking, you will be able to view the Taboche peak, followed by your first view of the Mt. Everest peak. Past all that, we will reach the town of Namche, which is truly a sight to hold. You will wonder how such a well-facilitated town exists in such a remote area.

You will have a couple of hours to explore the town at night, and we will stay at Namche Bazaar the next day. This will be the end of your 2nd day of the Lobuche Peak Climbing trip.

Acclimatization is very important for this trek as you will be traveling to higher elevations where oxygen is comparatively low, and your body needs to adapt to the changing conditions. We will not be trekking any further for the day, and you can spend the day in this beautiful town doing a lot of things.

One of the best things to do is to visit the Sherpa Culture Museum. As the name suggests, the site is dedicated to showcasing the culture of the Sherpa people, aka the people of the Himalayas. Inside the museum, you will find a typical Sherpa home arrangement with all the traditional tools and furniture that are tied to the Sherpa culture.

Another major attraction of the area is the Everest View Hotel, the only luxury hotel in Khumbu and the highest-located hotel in the world. Established in 1971, this hotel serves as a local viewpoint of the Sagarmatha Himalayan range.

Likewise, you can also drink a pint of Guinness at the highest Irish pub in the world. The pub is located in Namche and is named “The Irish Pub.” Now, we do not recommend any alcoholic drinks during the trekking days, but if you are sure enough that you will just be fine the next day, we are not going to stop you.

We will be returning to Namche Bazaar as we descend from Lobuche; that would be a great time to enjoy your beer, as we will not have to ascend the following day.

If you are not a fan of any of these options, you can opt for shopping or spend your day resting in tea houses and cafes. The name Namche Bazaar suggests that Namche is a market (Bazaar in Nepali), so you will find a lot of eye-catching things that you want to take home.

Buying local crafts and handmade products is a good way to support the people of this region, as tourism is their livelihood. There is no other sector in this region from which people make money.

The 4th day of your Lobuche Peak Climbing will be one of the most challenging days as you will be ascending a considerable amount of elevation. We are not talking about ascending from Namche Bazar (3440 m) to Tengboche (3870 m). During the last part of Tengboche, we will have to descend to almost 3200 meters and ascend to 3870 meters.

As we begin the ascend from Namche Bazar, the first couple of kilometers are the best part of today’s trek as we will be walking an easy trail with gorgeous views of several mountains in the backdrop. We will descend towards the valley after about 4 km of easy trekking. The descent will not be easy as the road is rocky and dusty.

After we descend about 1000 ft., we will reach a suspension bridge that will take us to the base of the hill on the other side. A checkpoint will be waiting for us as we cross the river below via the suspension bridge.

After we are past that point, the difficult part of the day awaits us. We will have to ascend all the way back to the elevation we started, plus a couple hundred more meters. The ascend is a bit more than 2 km with a trail similar to the downhill road we just traveled; plus, there are a lot of zigzags.

In total, we will trek for 5 to 6 hours before stopping for the night at Tengboche.

After a challenging trekking session on day 4, we will be trekking on an easy trail for the rest of day 5 of the Lobuche Peak Climbing trip. We will ascend a little to the forest down below for about 2 km before making our way up to Dingboche in a slightly inclined route that will surely be easy on your legs.

Starting our trek from Tengboche, we will pass the village of Deboche, which is sitting along the forest. Deboche is another stop for trekkers traveling this region, and we will spend the night there if we are unable to find proper accommodation in Tengboche.

Passing Deboche, we will make our way through Mani walls once again before reaching a suspension bridge that will take us to the other side of the valley. Following 2 hours of trekking from Tengboche, we will arrive at Pangboche village, where we will stop for a quick break.

Pangboche offers a scenic view of the Everest mountain range along with a couple of tea shops. Continuing our journey toward Dingboche, a scenic route awaits us, and we will get to walk an easy trail with different peaks shining over the hills.

After about 6 hours of trekking, we will reach our destination for the day and rest our bodies in a local tea house.

Dingboche to Chhukung is the easiest trek of this entire Lobuche Peak Climbing trip. We will be walking along the river to cover a distance of 4.5 km in about 3 hours and return to Dingboche for the night, covering a total of 9 km.

Leaving the village of Dingboche, you will walk past the outskirts of the village, where a couple of stone houses are abandoned. As you trek this dusty and rocky trail, you will be able to view the back of the Ama Dablam peak, along with a broad view of the Lhotse and Nuptse peaks further along the route.

As you continue along the trail, you will eventually reach the village of Chhukung, where only a handful of tea houses are established. This village is even smaller than Dingboche, which is already a small village.

We will be stopping at one of the tea houses for lunch and making our way back to Dingboche after a while. We will be trekking for 5 to 6 hours in total.

For the majority of the trek on your 7th day of the Lobuche Peak Climbing trip, you will be ascending via an easy trail with a slight incline. The trek gets a bit challenging as we get across the valley, past the Pheriche village, and ascend the Khumbu Glacier.

Even though we are ascending on a slightly inclined route, we must be careful not to overdo it and rush our way towards the destination. Continuing the trek, you will see a little settlement on the other side of the river, that is the village of Thukla.

We will trek along the river and take a little break at Thukla before pushing ourselves for the final part of the day seven trek. This last part is the hardest climb of the day, as we have to ascend a zigzag road to reach Thukla Pass and ultimately reach Khumbu glacier after a kilometer of steep trekking.

After all that, we will have covered a total distance of 7.9 kilometers in about 6 hours of trekking.

Lobuche to Lobuche Base Camp is going to be an easy route, as we will not have to travel a great distance, nor do we have to ascend a great height. We will reach the base camp after 6 to 7 hours of trekking.

The day has finally come, and we will be climbing Lobuche Peak on the 9th day of the Lobche Peak climbing trip. Our guides and Sherpas will brief you on how to use all the climbing equipment and the safety precautions required to climb the peak.

Climbing any mountain is not an easy feat to achieve. We will be making our way through thick snow-covered trails that are steep, but there are fixed rope lines for a safe climb. After the steep part of the climb ends, our Sherpas will install our own rope lines to get you through the final part of the climb.

From the summit of Lobuche Peak, you will see a grand view of the whole Khumbu region along with the surrounding Himalayas, which is just an unforgettable view. We will shortly descend from the peak after celebrating a successful climb. This whole climb and descent will take about 7 to 8 hours.

If everything goes well and the weather steers clear, this will be a leisure day that you will spend in Lobuche Base camp. There is not much to do in Lobuche Base Camp. You can contact your loved ones and talk about how exciting and adventurous the trek went. You might as well explore the Lobuche Base camp region while you have some time to spare.

The other best thing to do is relax your tired body, visit the local tea shops, and talk with the locals or other trekkers who are there for the night. Or you can choose to go further down to Pangboche.

Trekking back to Lobuche and crossing the village of Pheriche, we will reach the village of Pangboche via Dingboche. Home to the 300-year-old Pangboche monastery, the village is a cultural site that offers a stunning view of the Himalayas as well.

The Pangboche monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in the Khumbu region and hence receives a number of visitors all year round. The site consists of several buildings that serve as prayer halls, accommodations for the monks, and extra spaces for other religious activities.

The monastery is also popular for having the scalp of a Yeti, a popular mythic creature of the Himalayas. They also had a Yeti hand on display but it was stolen at some point, never to be seen again.

These buildings are full of amazing wood carvings and are an example of Nepalese architecture influenced by Tibetan culture. The monks living there perform the morning prayers every day, while the local people and visitors can join in on the ceremony.

Located in the Imja Khole valley, Pangboche serves as the base camp for Mt. Ama Dablam. Climbers that are set to reach the summit of Ama Dablamd must rest at this village. We will trek for 5 to 6 hours to reach this amazing village.

Spending the night at the tea houses in Pangboche, you will experience true Sherpa hospitality with a range of local dishes to try. Even though these establishments seem old and rusty from the outside, we assure you that your bed will be as comfortable as any.

As we descend back to Namche Bazaar, we will get to see some mountain goats or Himalayan Pheasants if we are lucky. We will pass the temple gate of Tengboche, where a beautiful view awaits us.

As we climb down from Tengboche, the trail is steeply declining, so make sure that you use your trekking poles and trek at a slow and steady pace. Descending swiftly can cause accidents as the trail is full of small rocks that are loose. Keeping your cool is the key to trekking these amazing trails.

We will eventually reach Namche Bazaar, following a 6-hour trek, where we will spend the night. This is the perfect place to celebrate this trip, as you can get yourself a few pints at the highest Irish pub in the world

Downhill trekking is relatively easier than uphill; however, while descending, you are putting more pressure on your knees, which can be inconvenient after a while. We will be covering 17.7 kilometers in total, which should take us about 6 hours.

After an hour of descending from Namche, we will get to our first resting point. This is the last point from where you will be able to see Mt. Everest. Moving on from the point, we will descend through stone steps, pass a couple of suspension bridges, and take in some of the last scenic views of the Lobuche Peak Climbing trek.

After spending the last night of the trek at Lukla, we will have one last Himalayan breakfast before making our way to the airport. After a 35-minute flight, we will reach the bustling city of Kathmandu.