Island Peak Climbing

Your expedition transitions from the city to the mountains on Day 01. Depending on the season, your flight will depart from either Tribhuvan International Airport (Kathmandu) or Manthali Airport (Ramechhap). Sit on the left side of the plane for the best views of the Mahalangur Himalayan range. Most flights are diverted to Manthali to reduce air traffic congestion in Kathmandu. This needs an around 5-hour overland drive, starting around 2:00 AM from Kathmandu.

Once you arrive in Lukla, you can have a light breakfast while meeting your team of local porters. From Lukla, you’ll head toward Phakding for an overnight stay. On the way, you can observe handmade mani stones and spinning prayer wheels in the villages of Chheplung and Ghat.

The day starts with a trek inside a pine forest and Sherpa villages. You cross several suspension bridges and pass Toktok, Benkar, Monjo, and Jorsale. The trail enters Sagarmatha National Park after Monjo, where permits are checked before you continue toward the upper Khumbu region. Many trekkers stop at Jorsale for lunch because it is the last teahouse before the long climb to Namche Bazaar.

After Jorsale, the trail follows the Dudh Koshi River and reaches the famous Hillary Suspension Bridge. From the bridge, you’ll climb for about two hours to Namche Bazaar. During the ascent, you may catch your first view of Mount Everest if the weather is clear. 

Namche Bazaar is the main trading center and trekking hub of the Everest region. Almost every Everest expedition passes this town before heading toward higher elevations. You can buy snacks, gear, and other last-minute supplies here.

Today is an acclimatization day to adjust your body. The best way to acclimatize is to stay active instead of resting all day. After breakfast, you hike to the Everest View Hotel at 3,880 m. This short climb opens up clear views of Mount Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, and several other Himalayan peaks that belong to Everest range.

After returning to Namche Bazaar, you can explore the local museum, which stores the history of the Everest region and information about its wildlife and plants. You can also spend time walking around the town and learning more about Sherpa culture and religion. 

If you want a longer walk, you can continue to Khumjung Village. The village is home to the Edmund Hillary School and the Khumjung Monastery, which is known for storing what locals believe to be a Yeti scalp. Sir Edmund Hillary also established a health post in the village that still serves the local community.

Day 4 is one of the most scenic days of the trek, but don’t let the views fool you; it is more strenuous than it seems. The first two hours after leaving Namche are easy. The trail is mostly flat as it follows the hillside to Sanasa village. At Sanasa, the trail splits (one way goes to Gokyo, the other to Everest). You will choose the Everest Base Camp trail and descend to the riverside village of Phunki Thenga (3,250 m). This is the standard lunch spot.

After lunch, you cross a suspension bridge over the Imja Khola river and hike for 2 to 3 hours continuously to reach Tengboche Dawa Choling Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Everest region. If the timing is right, you may watch the monks during their daily prayers and light a butter lamp inside the monastery. The open area around Tengboche provides beautiful views of Mount Everest, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Nuptse, and Thamserku.

The morning starts with a trek through a forest of rhododendron and birch trees. Keep your camera ready, as you may spot colorful Himalayan monals (Nepal’s national bird) or musk deer on the trail. After crossing a suspension bridge over the Imja Khola, you will climb up to Pangboche. This is a traditional Sherpa village surrounded by old barley fields. It is home to the oldest monastery in the Khumbu region.

Past Pangboche, the trees completely disappear. The trail opens into a tundra-like valley covered with low-lying juniper shrubs and grazing yaks. You will stop for a warm lunch in Shomare (4,010 m) village. In the afternoon, the trail reaches a junction where the left path leads toward Pheriche, while you take the right trail into the Imja Valley. You will walk beside a stone wall built to protect crops from winter winds before entering Dingboche village (4,410 m). 

This is your second acclimatization day. To prepare your lungs for the altitude of Island Peak, you will push past the 5,000-m threshold for the very first time by hiking up Nakarsang Hill (also spelled Nangkartshang or Nagarjun Ri). 

The hike starts right from the back of the Dingboche teahouses. There are no easy, flat areas; the trail immediately points straight up the ridge. As you gain height, you will pass a series of stone chortens draped in colorful prayer flags. Depending on your group’s pacing and how you handle the altitude, your guide will lead you to a Nakarsang viewpoint plateau or a little lower.

The views from Nakarsang are the most spectacular on the entire trekking phase. You will stand face-to-face with the north wall of Ama Dablam. To the east, you can look straight down the Imja Valley toward your final destination: Island Peak. You will also see Mount Makalu (the world’s 5th highest mountain), Lhotse, Island Peak Glacier, and Cho Oyu.

The route exits the northern side of Dingboche and drops down to follow the right bank of the Imja Khola river. About halfway through the hike, you will pass Bibre (4,570 m), a seasonal settlement where local Sherpa herders bring their yaks to graze. 

As you approach Chhukung, Island Peak (Imja Tse) comes into view. It looks like a small island of ice surrounded by dark rock walls, which is how it got its name. You will arrive at Chhukung by lunchtime. This small settlement has a few teahouses mainly used by climbers and is located beneath the 3,000 m south face of Mount Lhotse.

Today is your transition from teahouse trekking to a high-altitude mountaineering expedition. The trail leaves Chhukung village and climbs a rocky lateral moraine of the Imja Glacier. As you hike the high moraine ridge, you can look down upon the blue waters of Imja Tsho. This is a big glacial meltwater lake situated behind an icy dam of moraine walls.

After a while, you’ll drop off the ridge into a flat, sandy, dried-up riverbed. This area is fully open to the wind, but it has a stable surface that reduces the pressure on your legs. You will arrive at Base Camp by early afternoon. The site is a busy tent city situated at the base of the south side of Island Peak. Your cooking crew will have your yellow sleeping tents, dining tent, and kitchen setup fully prepared for the night.

Today is the main goal of the expedition. The climb starts at around 2:00 AM, so you can reach the summit before afternoon winds develop. As you climb above 5,700 m, the thin air slows your progress with every step.

Near the upper areas, you reach the glacier where you wear crampon harnesses and use an ice axe. Fixed ropes help you cross the glacier and climb the snow below the summit. Depending on the route, you may also cross a ladder placed over a crevasse before continuing upward. The final climb to the summit takes about 1 to 2 hours from the base of the headwall.

Standing on the 6,189 m summit, you are greeted with a panorama of Lhotse, Makalu, Ama Dablam, Baruntse, and Nuptse mountains. The summit is small, so climbers spend only a short time there before descending.

You return by the same route with the support of fixed ropes. After crossing the glacier, you stop at Base Camp to collect your equipment. The journey then continues down to Chhukung, where you rest after completing one of the most popular climbing peaks of Nepal.

If you successfully reached the summit on Day 09 and descended safely to Chhukung, this extra day becomes a well-deserved rest and celebration day. You can sleep in late without a midnight alarm. Enjoy a hot breakfast and spend the day relaxing your muscles. Your guide will use this time to organize the return of your rented technical gear (boots, crampons, harnesses) to the Chhukung rental shops.

If ferocious winds, snowfall, or a minor health delay forced your team to abort the summit push on Day 09, Day 10 becomes your second official summit attempt day. Your timeline resets completely. You will wake up at midnight at Base Camp, prepare your climbing gear in the freezing cold, and start the same 10–14-hour summit climb as described in Day 09. 

Having this extra day means a single bad weather cycle does not automatically end your expedition. It gives the mountain time to clear up and provides a second opportunity for a successful summit.

With the climbing phase officially wrapped up, you will start your long journey back toward Sherpa village. Because you are heading down, you will easily hit a comfortable speed and arrive at Dingboche (4,410 m) within an hour or two for a quick tea break.

From Dingboche, you will cross Shomare and then trek through rhododendron and pine forests for 2-3 hours. You will cross the suspension bridge over the Imja Khola River below Pangboche and then finally enter Tengboche after a short uphill climb.

The morning kicks off with a sharp 1-hour drop from the Tengboche ridge to the riverside village of Phunki Thenga, where you’ll stop for a morning tea break. After crossing the suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi river, you will climb up the opposite side of the canyon to reach the trail junction at Sanasa. 

Once you pass Sanasa, the hard work is over. You can enjoy an easy, effortless walk while looking back at your final views of Everest, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam. By lunchtime or early afternoon, you will reach Namche. It is famous for its Irish Pubs and bakeries. After over a week of strict trekking food, a wood-fired pizza, a chocolate brownie, or a craft beer will taste incredible. Enjoy the celebration, but don’t overindulge, as you still have a long 6-hour hike down to Lukla tomorrow.

Today, you follow the same trail back to Lukla and complete your final trekking day in the Everest region. The route passes Monjo where you exit Sagarmatha National Park, and your trekking and climbing permits are checked before leaving the protected area. 

After Monjo, the trail crosses Phakding, Ghat, and Chheplung before reaching Lukla. You spend the night in Lukla and celebrate the successful completion of your Island Peak climbing adventure. This is also the time to say goodbye to your porters. If you are happy with their support, a tip is a thoughtful way to thank them for their hard work throughout the journey.

Your Island Peak adventure comes to an end today with an early morning flight from Lukla. Flights normally operate between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM because the weather is fair and visibility is better in the morning. The short flight gives you one last view of the Himalayan peaks before returning to lower elevations.

After landing, you continue to your hotel with wonderful memories of your successful 14-day Island Peak Climbing journey.