Gokyo sits on the border between Nepal & Tibet, beneath the massive south face of Cho Oyu, overlooking a pristine glacial lake and with some of the biggest mountains in the world as a backdrop.
The Gokyo trail is one of the less trodden trails in the Solokhumbu, taking you through the valleys and below the highest mountain in the world. On this trek, you will experience what it must have felt like on the early expeditions of the 1940’s and 50’s due to Gokyo’s remoteness. Add to that an ascent of Gokyo Ri and crossing the Renjo La pass, making this is a truly once in a lifetime journey.
The Gokyo trek can be done anytime of the year apart from the period of June to August, as a result of the monsoon season. Peak season is in October and offers the best weather, sunny and not too cold at night. This lasts till December when the winter season starts running through February. Winter season offers pretty cold nights and moderate temperatures in the morning of around 20c at lower altitudes and can reach to -10 at higher altitudes. March to May is when spring starts and the temperatures start to rise up to 30c with clear skies and blossoming flowers. April and May are the climbing season for mountaineers who are attempting higher mountains in the region especially Everest.
In the city you will be staying in the center of the Touristic area in Kathmandu where you will just step out of your hotel and find all the hussle and bussle of Kathmandu’s Thamel. Once you reach Lukla, you will be hiking from one village to the next and spending your nights in tea houses which are family owned guest houses for trekkers passing along the way. Rooms are double or triple with beds and blankets to keep you warm. All tea houses have a main room where all hikers gather for meals, briefing, playing card games or just to chill. They are all heated with a huge fireplace in the center so you will definitely be warm. All of them have wifi available for purchase as well as electricity (at an extra cost) for those who want to charge their cameras, phones...etc. Most of them also sell snacks, energy bars, juice and water.
During the hike, you will have 3 meals, all energy based to help give you the required nutrients for hiking around 7 hours a day. Breakfast and dinner are prepared by the tea houses and lunch is taken at other guest houses along the way while hiking. Nepali mountain food is very delicious and has its own flavor, we recommend you go for the Dhal Bat which is a typical Nepalese dish and very high on energy. Try to stay away from any meat during the hike.
To reach Gokyo you don’t need to be an experienced hiker nor an olympic runner, but you do need to be fit enough to hike for 6-7 hours daily, sometimes going up stairs, sometimes slopes and sometimes just crossing bridges. It is not a super difficult hike but it’s not easy either so its’ better to be well prepared to be able to enjoy the hike more. The rewards you will get after completing each day will just keep you motivated for the next and push you towards the base camp.
Gokyo Ri stands at an altitude of 5,380m, which can be quite high for someone who hasn’t been at this altitude before. However, this trip is designed to help you acclimatise in the best way possible to avoid any altitude sickness problems. You will be gaining more altitude each day as you go higher but at a moderate speed so your body will have enough time to get accustomed to the lower oxygen levels
The scenery on this hike is breathtaking and indescribably beautiful. You will be passing along many ecosystems on this hike, this makes the hike a lot more interesting with a constant change in scenery.
$1,800
