The Khumbu region boasts a range of highly organised teahouse trails that get busier every year, and for good reason. The views on the Everest Base Camp trail are simply unbeatable. The hospitality of the local Sherpas is legendary, and cultural celebrations such as October’s Mani Rimdu mask festival are life affirming.
Those who care for a quieter fortnight often divert to the string of turquoise lakes that crowns the Gokyo trek. But there are many more intimate moments to be had in the shadow of Everest. New trails are being blazed across the region with a focus on more cultural experiences. On the Indigenous People’s trail, you can learn how to play the Tamang ‘damphoo’, consult a Thami shaman, or while away the day fishing with the local Majhis before enjoying a fresh fish BBQ on a sandy bank.
There is adventure too. The ‘Three Passes Trek’ will take you on a romp into the heart of Sagarmartha National Park, and if that’s not enough you only need to follow the route into Makalu taken by Eric Shipton and Edmund Hillary via the ‘Three Cols’ route. Or pursue the old ‘short-cut’ for local Sherpas to Kathmandu by taking the Tashi Labsta pass into the Rolwaling valley to the west. The region may be famed for its sky-piercing peaks and Sherpa hospitality, but it also offers wonderful opportunities to swap mountain experiences for cultural ones.
Everest Base Camp Trek via Gokyo Lake
A trek to the Base Camp of Mount Everest, world’s highest mountain (8850 m), is high on the wishlist of many trekkers. The trail leads you alongside the foot of mighty Himalaya giants, towering high above you. The views from Kala Pattar of Mt Everest, and many other seven and eight thousand peaks are just unforgettable.
Rolwaling Alpine Trek
The Rolwaling and Gaurishankar region is of amazing beauty, with many adventurous high passes, trekking peaks and mountain – and glacier lakes. The Rolwaling Alpine Trek offers a unique combination of natural beauty and cultural experiences. It offers a big variety in both landscapes and culture, with unexplored religious sites. The trek offers amazing views of peaks like Tschobuche, Ramding and Kangnachhogu with Mt. Gaurishankar (7134m) as an impressive highlight.