Island Peak Climb – 14 Days

We begin the six-hour trek along the banks of the Dudh Kosi, crossing several tributaries of this majestic river many times on thrilling suspension bridges adorned with prayer flags. After entering Sagamartha National Park, the trail climbs steeply, providing you with breathtaking views. Namche Bazaar, known as the “Gateway to Everest,” is home to several quality restaurants, hotels, lodges, internet cafes, shops, and a bakery. Namche (3441m) is one of the biggest towns along the Everest trail.

We will spend a day at Namche to adjust to the high altitude. You should not miss visiting the Sherpa museum celebrating Sherpa traditional customs. Further, we will hike to the Syangboche Airport and the Everest View Hotel. From Everest View Hotel, you can see rewarding views of the Himalayas (including Everest) with a stunning sunrise and sunset over the panorama of Khumbu peaks.

After our early morning breakfast, we will begin our trek to Tengboche. On the way, we will enjoy the stunning views of Mt. Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse, and Island peak. The trail leads us up and down as it becomes challenging, but you’ll enjoy great views of the Himalayas. You may also spot wildlife on the way, such as musk deer, pheasant, and Himalayan tahr. We will further trek down to cross the Dudh Koshi River. After passing through dense alpine forests, you will reach a small settlement called Phunki Thenga. As you trek ahead from Phunki Thenga, you will eventually get to Tengboche after a steep climb through a pine forest. In Tengboche, you will see the biggest Buddhist monastery in the Khumbu Region - Tengboche Monastery. This monastery was founded in 1923, but destroyed twice - first in 1934 by an earthquake and then by a fire in the early 1990s. With the help of the Sir Edmund Hillary Fund, the monastery was restored. With spare time, you can visit the monastery and observe their prayers in the afternoon.

We continue trekking uphill to Pangboche, past many chortens, mani walls, and small villages. You can see spectacular views of the Mt. Island peak from the trails. You will be entering the Imja Valley following the Lobuche River and trek on a steeply ascending trail to Dingboche. From Dingboche, we can see the Island peak (6,812m) and Mt. Lhotse (8,516m).

After breakfast, we head east towards the Chukhung Valley, passing through the stone-walled fields of Imja Khola Valley. While walking on the rocky trail, you will get stunning views of Mt. Lhotse and Ama Dablam. Eventually, you will reach your destination, Chhukung. At Chhukung, we check into our lodge rooms and meet our guide, who will brief us about the climb and preparations.

Today is another day for acclimatization. Our Sherpa climbing guide will train you on peak climbing and teach you how to use the ice axes, climbing boots, crampons, harness, etc. Island Peak does not require prior training experiences. However, past climbing experiences will boost climber confidence and increase the chances of scaling the summit.

From Chhukung, we ascend northwards and follow this valley along the moraine from the Lhotse glacier to the east. A short hike by the river leads up to a big rock, and after a 40-minute climb, we reach Island Peak Base Camp. After setting up our tents, you will get short training on peak climbing techniques, including using gear such as ice axes, climbing boots and crampons, harnesses, and rope skills.

We start early morning to reach the Island Peak summit before noon to avoid afternoon wind. You will follow our experienced Sherpa guides. First, we will ascend to the rocky ridge before reaching the base of a glacier. Then using ropes, we continue up the glacier to the south ridge and follow this ridge to the summit. From the Island Peak top, you can see outstanding views of Lhotse (27,890 feet), Makalu (27,805 feet), Island peak (22,493 feet), and Baruntse (25,328 feet). After spending some of the best moments at the top, you will return to the base camp, then descend to Chhukung for an overnight stay.

We added this extra day to compensate for summit day if the weather was not favorable on our scheduled summit day. If summit day was successful, we will relax and enjoy staying in the Himalayas. If not, we will use this day to scale Island Peak. We will be spending the night at Chhukung.

Today, you will retrace your steps on the same rocky trail to Chhukung and then to Dingboche. You will descend to Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where the famous Tengboche monastery, the biggest monastery in the Everest region, lies.

The trail to Namche Bazaar takes us through forests teeming with wildlife like pheasants, musk deer, mountain goats, or even snow leopards. We will be trekking on the steep slopes and trails with several bends, past prayer flags hung along the way. While heading back, you can click pictures and enjoy the views of the tip of Everest and the backside of Lhotse. After finally arriving at Namche Bazaar, we will head to our lodges and rest.

Our last day on the trekking trails will be rewarding as we return to the Dudh Koshi Valley. The route is generally quite gentle back uphill to Lukla from the Kusum stream. Before rushing to Lukla, the trail heads steeply up to the west. After the first climb, the path reaches a small village, and then we take a left turn up into the trees. The trial ahead leads down to the main trail joining at the sidestream before reaching Toktok Village. From Toktok, the views will be entirely different. Eventually, you will reach the large town of Lukla, from where you will catch a flight back to Kathmandu the next day.

At the end of your trek, you will fly from Lukla to Manthali or Kathmandu, depending on the trekking season. If you are trekking in March, April, May, September, October, or November, you'll take a 20-minute flight to Manthali, followed by a subsequent 5-hour drive to Kathmandu. For treks in other months—December, January, February, June, July, or August—you'll enjoy a direct flight to Kathmandu. For those who want to avoid Lukla-Manthali-Kathmandu, there is an option to book a helicopter. However, this option entails an additional cost of approximately 950 USD each, based on a five-person sharing of the helicopter costs. We hope your journey back to Kathmandu will be relaxing, as you will feel a sense of accomplishment from climbing Island Peak. Upon arrival in Kathmandu, you will head to your respective hotels, and you can decide to spend the rest of the day however you like.