Gosainkunda Lake and Everest Base Camp Trek
Arrival
On arrival at 16:35 Friday, 7 April 2023 at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, once you've passed through Immigration and retrieved your luggage, please look out for your Team Mount Everest driver carrying a placard with your name who will transfer you to Hotel Buddy in Kathmandu for overnight on bed and breakfast basis.
Briefing
At around 1800 you'll be met by your guide for your pre-climb briefing to discuss tomorrow's trek. Overnight at Hotel Buddy on bed and breakfast basis.
Trek
8 April 2023: Kathmandu to Sing Gompa (3330m).
After breakfast you will be transferred by vehicle (around 6 hours drive) to Dhunche (1960m). Where you will start your trek towards Gosainkunda Lake. The trail passes through beautiful forests and traditional villages, and you will get to see stunning views of the surrounding mountains. You will overnight in Sing Gompa (3330m).
Distance: Approximately 4 - 5 hour trek. Your GPS tracks: Kathmandu to Dhunche / Dhunche to Sing Gompa.
9 April 2023: Sing Gompa to Gosainkunda Lake
After breakfast your trek will continue to Gosainkunda Lake (4380m), where you will have a short break before descending. You will over night at a tea house in Laurebina (3910m).
Distance: Approximately 8 hours trek. Your GPS track: Sing Gompa to Gosainkunda Lake.
10 April 2023: Laurebina to Kathmandu
After spending a night in Laurebina you will trek to Dhunche. This trek will take around 6 hours. You will meet the driver at Dhunche where you will be transferred back to Kathmandu (around 6 hours drive). Where you will stay at Hotel Buddy.
Distance: Approximately 6 hours trek. Your GPS track: Laurebina to Kathmandu.
11 April 2023: Kathmandu City Tour
After breakfast, you'll be met by your local guide and will be taken to Durbar (Palace) Square, one of the heritage sites, where you can view many historical and cultural monuments. Other heritage sites to be visited are the Pashupatinath Temple (a temple of Shiva, sacred to Hundus), the "Monkey Temple", Swoyambhunath, (sacred to Buddhists), and Boudhanath Shrine.
12 April 2023: Fly to Lukla (35 min) and trek to Namche Bazaar 3440m
We leave the hotel very early, before breakfast, and aim to arrive in Lukla between 0700 and 0900 (dependent on weather and flights). We have breakfast at Lukla before easing into our high latitude exertions with a gentle downhill walk to Phakding 2652m lasting around 3 hours. We will stop for lunch at Phakding.
After lunch and a short break we will continue all the way to Namche Bazaar. Please have your head torch to hand, as today is a long day and a critical part of expediting the itinerary. You will, however, already be well acclimatised for today's exertions.
Distance: 13.5km. Your GPS track: Lukla to Namche Bazaar.
13 April 2023: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche 3867m
Today we ascend to Tengboche 3900m from Namche. For the first 2 hours, the hike will be gentle while traversing the left hand side of the valley, high above the valley floor. The trail then descends down towards the river, where we stop for lunch. After lunch, we continue hiking for 2 β 3 hours up a long hill to the town of Tengboche. This is a gradual but long ascent which usually takes 5 - 6 hours.
Distance: 12.0 km / 7.5 miles. Your GPS track: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche.
14 April 2023: Tengboche to Dingboche 4358m
From Tengboche, we begin with a gentle, mostly downhill hike but soon find ourselves climbing steeply before crossing the Imja Khola River and then gradually continuing uphill towards Pangboche for lunch. (Pangboche was one of the villages most affected by the earthquakes of 2015).
After lunch, we continue our gradual uphill trek towards the Imja Valley looking towards Island Peak, before arriving into Dingboche around an hour later. Today's total trekking time will be around 5 to 6 hours.
We will do an acclimatisation excursion this evening to over 5100m then descend back to Dingboche for overnight.
Distance: 12.0 km / 7.5 miles. Your GPS track: Tengboche to Dingboche.
15 April 2023: Dingboche to Lobuche 4828m
Quitting Dingboche, the trail heads back towards the Khumbu Valley and continues on a long and slow trek across a beautiful elevated route towards Dugla, where we stop to eat lunch and rest. This stretch usually takes around 2 hours.
After lunch we ascend to the Thukla Pass where we pause at the Everest Memorial before continuing to Lobuche. The total trekking time today will be around 5 - 6 hours.
Distance: 12.0 km / 7.5 miles. Your GPS track: Dingboche to Lobuche.
16 April 2023: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp 5365m. Descend to Gorakshep 5160m
Today we hike from Lobuche to Gorakshep 5160m along a very beautiful and unique stretch of the mountain scape, crossing loose rock and glacier moraine. The frequently undulating trail rises into Gorakshep after around 3 hours where we stop for lunch. After lunch we continue hiking for another 3 hours to reach Everest Base Camp. This final section of trail is rugged and very arduous, and should not be under-estimated - especially since we're struggling with around 55% of the oxygen we're used to at sea level.
The hike back to Gorakshep takes another 2 hours, before ending your day after a total of 7 to 8 hours of hiking.
Distance: 10.0 km / 6.2 miles. Your GPS track: Lobuche to Everest Base Camp to Gorakshep.
17 April 2023: Ascend Kala Patthar 5555m. Descend to Kyajuma 3600m
After an early night in Gorakshep, we aim to wake very early and ascend Kala Patthar 5555m, to watch the sun rise over Mount Everest. This is a challenging 3 hour climb but is well worth the effort and will certainly be remembered as one of the great highlights of this expedition.
On returning to Gorakshep, we have breakfast and then continue the descent all the way to Kyajuma.
Distance: 18.0 km / 11.2 miles. Your GPS track: Kala Pattar to Kyajuma.
18 April 2023: Descend to Lukla Airport
Today we continue the descent from Khyangjuma. This day is very long, requiring some 7 to 9 hours' hiking. On reaching Namche Bazaar we enjoy the delights at the Namche Bakery or play a few rounds of pool at CafΓ© Danfe. We will carry on the descent to Lukla where we will spend the night.
Distance: 22.0 km / 13.7 miles. Your GPS track: Kayjuma to Lukla Airport.
19 April 2023: Return Flight to Kathmandu 1300m (35 minutes)
This morning we have just a 10 minute stroll back to Lukla Airport for your flight to Kathmandu, where you will be returning to Hotel Buddy for the day to freshen up and relax.
This afternoon, we'll visit an authentic Nepalese restaurant for lunch and some traditional Nepali songs and dance.
20 April 2023: Rest day in Kathmandu
Today you will be able to rest at Hotel Buddy before your departure later in the evening.
Departure
A driver will collect you from your hotel around 3 hours before your departing flight and transfer you to Tribhuvan International Airport (KTM), ensuring that you arrive there at least 2 hours before your flight departs at 20:20 Thursday 20 April 2023. Please let us know if you'd like to be collected earlier.
Prices per person
| No. in group π | Solo | 2 π§ | 3 π§ | 4 π§ | 5+ π§ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Day Pre-Acclimatisation | $980 | $850 | $820 | $790 | $770 |
| 10 Day Trek | $2,720 | $2,660 | $2,600 | $2,540 | $2,480 |
| Additional day on trek | $240 | $230 | $220 | $210 | $200 |
| Rafting | $270 | $180 | $150 | $135 | $126 |
| City tour* | $180 | $90 | $60 | $45 | $36 |
| Extra night, Hotel Buddy | $60 | $30 | $40 | $30 | $40 |
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Current COVID-Related Entry Requirements for Nepal
Contrary to previous travel advisories issued by the Nepalese governments that required a visa to be obtained in advance, the following are the current requirements as at 13th December 2021:
1. Passengers arriving into Nepal should have completed an Arrivals form prior to entry and should download and print the resulting summary PDF, for presentation on arrival.
2. On arrival, passengers are required to provide evidence of having completed a full course of vaccination against COVID-19 at least 14 days prior to entry to Nepal. The vaccination certificate should feature a QR code that links to a verification page on the website of the issuing government laboratory.
3. Passengers must present a valid negative PCR test result for a test taken not more than 72 hours prior to leaving your home airport en route to Nepal.
4. Passengers must be willing to have their temperature taken on arrival and may (though this appears to be very unlikely at present) be asked to take a rapid antigen test. A positive result will require quarantine.
Sadly, those unable or unwilling to be vaccinated are required to be quarantined for 10 days on arrival, which of course effectively precludes their visiting Nepal at this time.
5. Prior to leaving Nepal, most travellers (including US residents from 6th December 2021) are required to obtain another negative PCR test. Testing is possible until 8pm in the evening, and from 6am in the morning, and may be conducted at the climber's hotel. The cost is USD 25 per person.
6. Within 24 hours of departing from Nepal, travellers should complete a Departures form and print out the result PDF for presentation on boarding their flight.
If you want to make a significant, positive contribution towards cleaning up Kilimanjaro and help us return its ecology to a pristine wilderness environment, please make use of the following payment facility:
Following Frank John's sad passing away in March 2022, some former climbers have requested the opportunity to contribute towards helping Frank's surviving wife, Clara, cover the costs for the family.
Several years ago, Team Kilimanjaro were approached by representatives of the Maasai community that live close to the Lake Natron region of northern Tanzania, with a request to assist villagers in obtaining clean water.
It is estimated that since the turn of the previous century, the world has lost more than 99% of its rhino population, and that today, only 29,000 of these majestic creatures survive.
Wilderness first aid is the knowledge and ability to effectively address injuries, illnesses, or emergencies outside of modern facilities, out in the wild. Skills include knowing how to dress a wound, treat a burn or bite, or set an injured limb. These are important skills that can save your life or the lives of other outdoor enthusiasts. Learn more and be better prepared for your next hiking or backpacking adventure.
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Many people spend a lot of time and money training and equipping themselves for a Kilimanjaro climb, only to fail in their objective of reaching the summit. Failure is avoidable and we really want trekkers to understand how to prevent it.
As from March 2021, PCR testing (or rather, sample-taking) is now available at Seronera and Ndutu airstrips in the Serengeti. This facility has been implemented to prevent clients having to either curtail their safaris or dissect their safaris with a journey to Arusha or, more recently, Karatu (FAME Hospital), mid-safari - so as to satisfy the "less than 72 hours old" validity rule that most airlines are required to enforce.
Arusha Pedal Series club aims to organise a group ride three times a week - on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and Saturdays. All keen cyclists are welcome to join.
We read widely divergent estimates of deaths on Kilimanjaro, but how dangerous is it really? In this post we share our own experience of the dangers.
First of all - you can definitely still climb Kilimanjaro during COVID-19! There is absolutely no impediment within Tanzania. Issues only potentially arise with your own country's rules.
Although there is no requirement to have a PCR test for COVID in order to enter Tanzania, many climbers are nonetheless required by their airline to show evidence of a negative COVID test before boarding the flight home.