Gokyo Lake trek begins at the mountain airstrip at Lukla a one hour flight from Kathmandu. Gokyo is located in the valley immediately west of the Everest (Khumbu valley) and is far less developed and crowded than its better-known neighbor to the east. In fact, Gokyo valley only has one traditional permanent settlement, the rest being summer pastures now catering to the passing trekkers. A trek to Gokyo Ri is the surprising jewel of the Khumbu for many. The view of the North Face of Everest is more extensive and the whole airy panorama captivating. Our destination is the high altitude lakes of Gokyo at over 4200 meters. Less frequented than the EBC route the trek provides some tremendous high altitude trekking and a visit to the second largest glacier in the World. From the top of Gokyo Ri, there are some spectacular mountain views including Everest. We return to Lukla and our flight back to Kathmandu.

Planning:

Being a lodge trek, the planning is easy. The difficulty is deciding how much time to spend in awe of Cho Oy, and whether to add Gokyo to the Base Camp trek or the Classic Everest walk-in route. The trek adds conveniently on to the Everest Base Camp trek by crossing the Cho La pass between Dughla and Gokyo, taking up to 3 weeks. Then there is the conundrum: return to Namche via Dole and Khumjung or cross the Renjo La.

Itinerary and Routes:

The basic trek to Gokyo can sometimes be done in as little as 12 – 12 days, but this pushing it to the limits for acclimatization. Taking two weeks or more allows time to hike up towards Cho Oyu beyond Gokyo. Coming from Jiri, and at least 8 – 10 days before Lukla.