Khumbu region in the eastern Nepal is a home to many fascinating mountain ranges including the Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Cho-Oyu, Mount Lhotse, and Mount Ama Dablam. Among these, Island Peak is one fascinating mountain peak that is situated in the heart of the Khumbu region in the Sagarmatha National Park and has sparking attention from summiteers to scale its top at 6189 meters above sea level. A trek to the apex of the Island Peak offers you the glorious views of the snowcapped mountains that are strikingly beautiful.
As it lies in the middle of the Chhukung valley, the view of the peak from Dingboche looks prominently like an island in the middle of the sea; hence it was derived the name Island Peak in 1951 by Eric Shipton’s party. The peak later renamed as Imja Tse extends along the ridge at the south end of the Lhotse Tsar outlining an arc of precipices with Mount Nuptse, Lhotse and Lhotse Tsar towards the north, Chopolu and Makalu to the east and Ama Dablam, Baruntse and Amphu in the south.
For those seeking the thrilling adventure into the exhilarating journey beyond trekking, Island Peak climbing is quite popular. The journey to climbing the Island Peak starts with a scenic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla and then all the way to Chhukung via Phakding, Tengboche and Dingbuche on the way. Island peak climbing is usually considered as the preliminary step prior to attempting scaling other mountain peaks. The whole expedition might be arduous and painstaking at times but the stupendous views of the gigantic mountain ranges including the Lhotse (8501), Lhotse Central (8410), Lhotse Tsar (8383m), Nuptse (7879m), Makalu (8475m), Baruntse (7129m) and Ama Dablam (6812m) is such a rewarding experience.
Trip Highlights
- Scenic flight to and from Lukla
- Get a real taste of the countryside of Nepal and an insight into lives of the Himalayan people and their archetypal culture and tradition.
- Visit the Tengboche monastery.
- Get a glimpse of the stunning Khumbu icefall and the beautiful gigantic Himalayan ranges including Lhotse, Nuptse, Makalu, Ama Dablam and others.
- Scaling the top of the Peak Island at an elevation of 6189 meters.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival Day
Upon your arrival in Kathmandu, our representative will be there at the airport for your assistance. The rest of the day we leave it for you to relax and get over the jetlag. Saunter around the streets of Kathmandu for some fresh air.
Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Fly from Kathmandu to Lukla (2800m) and then trek to Phakding (2610m): 2-3 hours
Today, we take an early morning flight to Lukla after breakfast. About 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks and we land at the Tenzing Hillary airport in Lukla, our start point for the peak climbing trekking. About an hour of steady descent through the village of Lukla, we reach the Cheplung village from where the view of Mount Khumbila (a sacred and never climbed mountain) standing at a height of 18900 ft is spectacular. Follow the trails and gradually descent for another three to four hours to reach Phakding via Tharo Khosi and Ghar along the route.
Overnight at Phakding.
Day 3: Phakding to Namchhe Bazaar (3420m): 5-6 hours
As we leave Phakding village behind, we walk along the beautiful forest of pine trees with the Dudh Koshi River flowing along following the up north trails to the valley of Benkar. Captivating view of Mount Thamserku and walking across the Dudh Koshi River via the suspension bridge will lead you to the checkpoint of Chumoa to Monjo, the entry to Sagarmatha Park. Follow the trails across the small forests crossing over the bridges until you come to the convergent point of Dudh Koshi and Bhote Koshi Rivers. Continue descending and ascending trails to Namche Bazaar for about four hours via Chautari and Jorsale village.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 4: Namchhe Bazaar/Acclimatization Day
We take a halt to our further journey so as to get acclimatized towards the higher altitude for the remaining of our trekking. Explore Namchhe Bazaar, the focal center of the Khumbu region with all the modern amenities at your convenience. A visit to the Namchhe Gumba which takes about 30 minutes of walking from Namchhe Bazaar and an uphill hike to the Hotel Everest View could be the best thing you could do to help yourself with acclimatization. The vantage point offers you the outstanding outlook of the mountain ranges that includes Lhotse, Ama Dablam, Lhotse, Tawoche as well as Mount Everest. Also, you can give this day to hike to the beautiful village of Khumjung inhabited by the Sherpa community observing their traditional way of life.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 5: Namchhe Bazaar to Tengboche (3870m): 4 hours
Our journey today is a combination of smooth as well as some up-and-down trails. One can witness the splendid views of Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Ama Dablam and Mount Thamserku as we descent our way towards Dudh Koshi River. Walk along the colorful forests of rhododendron with the company of Himalayan thar, musk deer, leopards, Himalayan griffon and multicolored pheasants along the way. Continue the trails to Sansa, the junction to Everest Base Camp and Gokyo valley through the dense pine forests. Crossing a suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi River embroidered with colorful prayer flags will take you to Phunki Thenga from where you ascend uphill once again along the pine forest until you reach Tengboche.
Overnight at Tengboche.
Day 6: Tengboche to Dingboche (4360m): 4-5 hours
Wake up early morning and pay a visit to the Tengboche monastery with the mountains covered in thick snow and hues. Thereupon, continue descending through the lush forests of conifers and rhododendrons. Capture the enthralling scenic views of the mountain peaks as you pace against the trails down to the Imja Valley and Lobuche River and continue an uphill hike to Dingboche. Relish the arable fields of barley and buckwheat shielded with stone walls with a purpose to ward off the storm and animals.
Overnight at Dingboche.
Day 7: Dingboche to Chhukung (4730m)
Chhukung valley is a good spot for acclimatization on the way to Island Peak. We start tracking our trails all the way from Dingboche along the Imja valley through the stone-walled fields towards the Chhukung valley which is surrounded by mountains and moraines of glaciers from all around.
Overnight at Chhukung.
Day 8: Chhukung to Island Peak Base Camp (4970m): 3-4 hours
Today, we set up our journey towards Island Peak Base Camp following the steep paths all the way up towards the south ridge and then to the east of the valley and then navigate towards the southern border away from the Lhotse glacier. Keep following the trails all along that leads you to a place called Big Rock. Continue the trails towards the glacier moraines of the Mount Lhotse until you come upon a wide valley which basically is the southwest region of the Island Peak.
Overnight at Island Peak Base Camp.
Day 9: Pre-Climb Training on Island Peak Base Camp
Today, we rest at the base camp for the purpose of pre-climb training even though this is not a compulsion. We will give detailed information on different techniques required for peak climbing and also acknowledge you on using the climbing gears and equipments including ropes, boots, axe ice, crampons etc in an appropriate way.
Day 10: Island Peak Base Camp to Summit and back to Base Camp (6981m): 8-10 hours
Generally, the afternoons are windy and might cause obstruction upon reaching the summit, so it is recommended that we start our trip early in the morning. Follow the edge along the glacier of the passing upon several rocky steps to climb. Since there are many icy slopes and ravines, roping up for the glacier is needed, which will be done by our guides. Keep on ascending gradually until you reach the summit of the Island Peak. Descend back retracing the trails to Base Camp following the sandy paths of the steep hills that eventually take you to grassland and then rocky strewn paths.
Overnight at Base Camp.
Day 11: Base Camp to Tengboche: 5-6 hours
Trekking back to Tengboche will be relatively easier we will take the descending trails towards a lower altitude. Take a gradual descent through the beautiful valley of Khumbu region along the shrubs of junipers and the beautiful forests covered in rhododendron. Before and after crossing the Imja Khola, you will come across many Mani walls and stone inscriptions until you reach Pangboche. Visit the oldest Pangboche Gompa and then continue walking downwards all along the alpine field. Thereupon, you take a gradual ascent towards your stop for the night, Tengboche.
Overnight at Tengboche.
Day 12: Tengboche to Namchhe Bazaar: 4 hours
Today, we retrace our trails back to Namchhe Bazaar descending through the rhododendron forests crossing over the Dudh Koshi river at Phunki Tenga. From there, follow the trails outlined high towards the valley to Sansa from where the path is divided towards Namchhe and Khumjung. Follow the trails to Namchhe Bazaar, your stop for the night. Explore the busy hub of Namchhe Bazaar before you call it a night.
Overnight at Namchhe Bazaar.
Day 13: Namchhe Bazaar to Lukla: 7 hours
We are almost at the end of our trip, and today our trails will be mostly be flat and leveled with a combination of small ups and downs. Leaving behind the beautiful bazaar of Namchhe, we take the descending trail through the rocky landscape until we come across the Dudh Koshi River and its tributaries from where our trekking trail becomes more level and easy. Continue walking the trails through the rhododendron and pine forests across the traditional Sherpa villages which eventually will lead you to Chheplung from where it is a 45 minutes of uphill walk to reach Lukla. However, there might be an impact along our journey because of the downhill slopes and the continuous trekking.
Overnight at Lukla.
Day 14: Lukla to Kathmandu
Usually, the flights are scheduled for the mornings as the afternoons can be very windy due to which there is a high chance of the flight getting delayed or canceled due to bad weather conditions. Once again, 45 minutes of a scenic flight amongst the high mountain peaks before you take off at Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu from where you will be escorted back to your hotel by our representatives. Explore the day sightseeing and exploring the capital city.
Overnight at Kathmandu.
Day 15: Departure Day
Enjoy your last day before we leave off for the airport for your final departure.