Nepal: Trek the Sacred Gokyo Lakes & Beyond

Trail conditions are often rough, not the well-maintained switchbacks you may be accustomed to, and there is a good bit of up and down (often 2,000- to 3,000-foot gain or loss in elevation per day). On our crossing of the Renjo La, trail conditions may be difficult: expect to cross rocks, snow, and ice (depending on weather conditions). For the most part, you can hike at your own speed; the group will spread out along the trail during the day to cover a normal maximum of 6 to 10 miles per day (4-8 hours of hiking). There are a number of days when the walks are shorter, as well as rest days, allowing opportunities for day hikes and exploring the beautiful surroundings.

Every participant must understand that this trek is truly challenging—you should be in excellent physical condition. Even though trip members carry only a daypack (with camera, jacket, rain gear, water bottle, and other small necessities you may need during the day), we recommend you make a special effort to get in top physical shape for the trip by hiking, running, swimming, bicycling, or engaging in other forms of aerobic exercise well beyond your normal routine. Many activities get the heart and lungs into shape, but the most effective way of getting fit for hiking is to hike! Walking up and down flights of stairs is also an effective way to train for the steep ascents and descents in the Himalaya. Bending your knees as you go down stairs will help strengthen your quad muscles. At least two months prior to your trek, we urge you to go on weekend day hikes that involve long uphill and downhill walking.

For this trek, we require your doctor sign the Wilderness Travel Medical Form. Once Wilderness Travel has confirmed your place on the trip roster, no refunds beyond our standard fees will be made if your physician refuses to sign the form. It is very important that you and your physician fully agree that you are physically capable of undertaking a strenuous trek, and equally important that you undertake proper conditioning prior to the trek.

The Trip Leader has the right to disqualify any member from the trip at any time if it is medically necessary, to avoid endangering the group, or if the participant in question is physically unfit for the rigors of the trip. Refunds are not given under such circumstances.

The popular trekking seasons are fall and spring. Nepal lies at the same latitude as Florida, but altitude is the main factor governing temperatures. In the semitropical lowlands of Kathmandu (altitude 4,000 feet), daytime temperatures can be quite warm, in the 70Fs and 80Fs, with cool, misty nights. It rarely snows below 7,000 feet.

At altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet, daytime temperatures can be in the 50Fs and 60Fs for fall trips and 60Fs and 70Fs for spring trips. Nights are cool to cold, often in the 40Fs. Skies are generally clear, although the spring has more precipitation (but Nepal’s famous rhododendron forests are in full bloom in the spring). Clouds often form in the afternoons, disappearing at night to reveal brilliantly starry skies.

At altitudes over 10,000 feet, weather is unpredictable and the wind chill factor comes into play. Daytime temperatures at these heights can be in the 60s, but also as low as the 30s and 40s, especially if it is windy. Temperatures drop very quickly when the sun goes down, and evening/nighttime temperatures at high altitudes often drop to around 15°F and sometimes lower. We frequently encounter sub-zero nighttime temperatures on Khumbu treks and you should anticipate chronic cold weather. Snow is not uncommon at higher elevations, and rain is always a possibility throughout the trek.

We stay in the lovely Yak & Yeti Hotel in Kathmandu for four nights, in Sherpa lodges for 14 nights, and we camp for four nights. In recent years, many Sherpas have built lodges in their villages and the standards of these accommodations have been improving continuously. Some are simple but many would vie in character and comfort with the equivalent European alpine huts. Staying in these family-run lodges will give you a true feel for the Sherpa people and their lives. In the lodges, you’ll have a private room but only some lodges feature private bathrooms, and hot water may not be available at every lodge. We provide you with good quality sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and liners for extra comfort at all of the lodges. We also bring our own private cooking staff with us so all our lodge meals will be prepared for us by our own Wilderness Travel trained cooks.

Camping: In our four nights in the remote Nangpa La Valley region, our accommodation is in our own private mountain-style tented camps, with a full-service camping and cooking staff. Camp amenities include a dining tent with a table and chairs (with backs), meals prepared by our trained Sherpa staff, and a toilet tent. Our camp crew takes care of all camp chores, including bringing a basin of warm washing water, and tea or coffee to your tent each morning.Sleeping bags, pads, and liners are provided for all members, but you are welcome to bring your own from home if you prefer.

Our own experienced cook crew is part of the Wilderness Travel trekking staff, and all our meals at the lodges will be prepared by them. Our cooks are professionally trained and offer a good variety of hygienically prepared meals. Our drinking water is always boiled, and treated washing water is put out before every meal so you can wash your hands before eating. Meals are a blend of Nepalese and Western dishes. Breakfast is normally a light meal of porridge or granola, with hot milk, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, biscuits, or cookies. Lunches may include potatoes, eggs, curried vegetables, cheese, local-style breads, fruit, tea, or a fruit drink. Dinner is typically soup and a main course such as a noodle dish, or meat or vegetable stew, depending on what is available in local villages. Dessert on trek is usually canned or fresh fruit.

The tickets for your internal helicopter flights (Kathmandu/Lukla/Kathmandu) are issued by our local agents in Nepal and are given to you in Kathmandu with exact flight times/information. Weather, overbooking, and other factors beyond our control often result in a trekking group not being able to depart from or return to Kathmandu on the planned day. Wilderness Travel has, however, excellent contacts in both Kathmandu and Lukla to assist our groups should delays occur. If a delay occurs en route to Lukla from Kathmandu, Wilderness Travel will provide hotel rooms and breakfast in Kathmandu; lunches and dinners are at your own expense. In the event of a delay on the return from Lukla to Kathmandu, we will continue to provide food and lodging in Lukla until the group’s departure. However, the trip does officially end on the stated ending date. Regardless of flight delays, trip members remaining in Nepal beyond this date must do so at their own expense. Your invoice includes the cost of flights between Kathmandu and Lukla on the scheduled helicopter flights.

Important: There is a 15kg luggage weight limit on internal flights, so please pack accordingly.

Hiking distances on trek are normally measured in hours, not miles, since maps aren’t really accurate enough to assess how far we walk up and down winding mountain trails. On a typical trek day, wake-up is around 7:00 am. After packing up our duffels and having breakfast, we set off on the trail. We ask you not to hike ahead of the leader because trails are often not well-marked. We typically walk for three to four hours in the morning, then stop for a leisurely lunch of an hour or more (either in a lodge or picnic-style at a scenic spot on the trail).

After lunch, we walk for another three hours or so until we reach our next night’s lodging, where we can enjoy a cup of tea and a snack on arrival. On our exploration days, we occasionally have more time in the morning or afternoon near the lodge to rest or for further individual exploration. Temperatures drop quickly as the sun falls behind the peaks, and it’s easy to get chilled after exerting yourself for several hours, so have an extra layer of clothing ready.

Note that there are dangers inherent in any expedition traveling to remote wilderness regions, especially when they involve travel to high altitude. These dangers include everything from rock falls to the possibility of a serious fall, accident, or sickness without access to means of rapid evacuation, availability of medical supplies, or adequate medical attention once provided. Our Trip Leaders and support crew are experienced veterans of the Nepal Himalaya, but it takes cooperation and flexibility from each participant to ensure a successful trek.