Trekking in Nepal >> Everest Region Trekking >> Everest Christmas Trekking

Summary
Taking us into the heart of the Khumbu region at a quiet time of year, this 15-day lodge trek takes us to the stunning Gokyo Ri with its sensational panoramic views of Everest, Cho Oyu and Makalu.

Trip description
Christmas is an ideal time to explore the Khumbu region. It is crisp and cold in December, so we use some of the many comfortable Sherpa lodges for our accommodation on route. At this time of year, we will come across few other trekkers. With only yak caravans to navigate on the trails, it feels like we have the whole region to ourselves.

We commence our trek with a spectacular flight to the mountain strip of Lukla. From here we head up the Dudh Khosi, crossing the river at various points before we arrive at Phakding where we stay the first night. We then make our way up to the capital of the region -Namche Bazaar via the small settlement of Monjo. Here we acclimatise for a day, enjoying the many creature comforts on offer before heading off into the big mountains.

For the next three days, we follow the course of the Dudh Kosi, winding our way up through small Sherpa settlements towards Gokyo and its beautiful turquoise lakes. As the trails lead us higher and higher, we get glimpses of Ama Dablam, Everest, Lhotse and Cho Oyu towering in the distance.

We stay in our comfortable lodge in Gokyo for two nights, and are spoilt for choice with magnificent views in all directions. There is an opportunity to climb Gokyo Ri, a vantage point which provides a magnificent 360 degree panorama of the Khumbu peaks - Cho Oyu to the north at the head of the valley, Everest and Makalu to the east and Thamserku to the south. There is also a spectacular trail which follows the course of the Ngozumpa glacier, the longest glacier in Nepal, towards Cho Oyu basecamp.

On the return leg of our journey, we cross to the other side of the Dudh Kosi River, descending a dramatic trail to the village of Phortse. The next day, we head east into the Imja Khola valley which eventually leads up to Everest Base Camp. We climb steeply until we arrive in the village of Tengboche where we have an opportunity to walk around the most famous Buddhist monastery in Nepal. This was destroyed by fire in 1989, but thanks to the Edmund Hillary Trust and the determination of the locals, it was rebuilt in all its former glory a few years later.

We stay the night in Tengboche, and with an early morning start, we head down the Imja Khola until it joins the Dudh Khosi. Here we cross a bridge and then head back up to Namche Bazaar. From here it is a day's walk back to the Lukla airstrip, where we will catch our return flight to Kathmandu.

This trek takes us into the wilderness of the Khumbu region to a vantage point which many consider to be the most accessible and spectacular in Nepal. Flying into Lukla enables us to experience the interest and fascination of a trek to the foot of the highest mountains in the world within a relatively short space of time.