Everest Base Camp Trek is globally acclaimed for being so close to the towering peaks of the sector. But, a particularly brief and worthwhile facet trip can take the same old Everest Base Camp tour to in no way-earlier-than-felt levels of natural glory: the lovely glacier-fed Gokyo Lakes. This complete guide explains the exact how-tos, practical insights, and magnificent returns of including the Gokyo Valley on your Mt.Everest Base Camp Trip.
The Gokyo Lakes Diversion: Adding Altitude To The Everest Base Camp Trek
The classic Everest Base Camp Trek is a linear 2-way route from Lukla to the base of Everest and back out again. The Gokyo option turns it into a staggeringly dramatic high-altitude circuit. 3 Instead of coming directly back from Gorak Shep, trekkers divert to the west after Namche Bazaar and head for the Gokyo Valley or do the Everest Base Camp Trek until connecting to this pass.
The star attraction is a chain of six holy lakes, climaxing at the gorgeous third lake where the village of Gokyo is situated. From here, the climb up to Gokyo Ri (5,357m) offers perhaps the finest vista in all of Khumbu – an incomparable 360-degree panorama that includes four eight-thousanders (Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu). Including this loop adds an extra 4 to 6 days onto the standard Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary, making for a more common 16-18 day journey.
Picking Your Poison: Pre-EBC or Post-EBCC Visit to Gokyo
There are two parts to the Gokyo lakes trek itinerary planning when combined with an Everest Base Camp Trek adventure, and this we’ll consider to influence the ease. Itinerary route/.There are two main itinerary routes to consider – both of which you will find outlined in detail in any Everest Base Camp Trek package.
From Namche Bazaar, the Gokyo-First course enters the extra serene Gokyo Valley, climbs Gokyo, Ri, and crosses Cho la skip (42m), earlier than becoming a member of the primary EBC trail at Lobuche. This direction is a tough one, commonly completed by strong trekkers because it crosses over a high-altitude skip before attaining Everest Base Camp.
The EBC-First pass attempts to observe the Everest Base Camp Trek itinerary, which leads as far as EBC and Kala Patthar, descends to Lobuche, and crosses again on Cho la, skipping earlier than it heads down into Gokyo Valley. This is a popular option for those who like to get the primary goal out of the way first. Either way is incredible, though both are challenging with good fitness and good acclimatization.
Acclimatization Benefits and Altitude Management
A major benefit of factoring the Gokyo Lakes into your EBC Trekking program is the naturally built-in acclimatization advantages it offers. These additional days in the high valleys, especially around Gokyo village (4,790m), provide a more reliable and gentle acclimatization schedule than flying straight to Gorak Shep.
The climb of Gokyo Ri, almost at the same altitude as Kala Patthar, is an excellent shorter acclimatizing hike. By following the golden rule to “climb high, sleep low”, you can rest at the Gokyo teahouses at a lower elevation (acting as sleeping high) while putting your body’s mechanism of adaptation through its paces during the day. This prolonged, gradual acclimatization is much safer and increases your likelihood of being successful on the complete extended Everest Base Camp Trek. Be sure your cost for the Everest Base Camp Trek incorporates additional days that are required for full rest.
The Challenge of the Cho La Pass (5,420m)
Crossing the Cho La Pass is the logistical (and physical!) crux of linking Gokyo Valley to the main Everest Base Camp trail. It’s an adventurous trek with grade stamina required and isn’t on the normal Everest Base Camp Trek route.
The Cho la is an honest high-mountain bypass, with rockfall to negotiate, a steep, icy ascent/descent on its Japanese side, and a brief phase of glacier commonly covered in snow to traverse. No technical mountaineering tools (ropes) are vital, but you ought to be organized to walk on snow and ice with microspikes, especially later in the season. You should be ready for a 7 to 10-hour day exposed to subzero temperatures and high winds. For this reason, a skilled guide is not an option, and the cost should be considered for your Everest Base Camp Hike.
Accommodations and Facilities in the Gokyo Valley
Whereas the main trail to Everest Base Camp is now full of ever more developed teahouses, Gokyo remains a rougher, quieter alternative. The three hamlets at the lakes (1st, 2nd, and 3rd Lakes) have fewer hotels, so they have a tendency to refill quickly in the high season.
The accommodation in the Gokyo Valley is pretty basic in comparison to Namche or Dingboche because it’s far more secluded. However, that’s all part of the allure; without all of those masses, you get a quieter, more reflective Mount Everest Base Camp Tour. Because your options are fewer, it is essential to pre-book your Everest Base Camp Trek package through a proper agency if you want to ensure a place to sleep, particularly when planning on doing The Luxury Everest Base Camp Trek, which may reserve all the best and limited rooms.
The Unbeatable Views Out To Everest From Gokyo Ri
The Gokyo Lakes are the single most stunning reason to include in your Everest Base Camp Trek Itinerary, especially for the peak view from Gokyo Ri (5,357m)! Whereas Kala Patthar is known for its up-close sighting of Everest, Gokyo Ri provides a broader, vaster view.
Up on top of Gokyo Ri, there’s nothing but a vast and spectacular spread of the Ngozumpa Glacier—Nepal’s longest. To the east, the 3-mile-long spine of the Everest-Lhotse-Nuptse massif cuts across the skyline, while to the west rides the gargantuan Cho Oyu. The view of the turquoise Gokyo Lakes below the gray glacier is a spectacle in geographical and aesthetic terms that is often cited as the best highlight of the entire Mount Everest Base Camp Trek.
Permits and Logistics
The Gokyo Lakes addition to the EBC trek will need the same permits as on the standard route – Sagarmatha National Park entry permit and local Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality tax. You don’t require any other special permits.
However, logistics require careful planning. Make sure your guide has a successful track record guiding groups up and over the Cho La Pass, and ensure you have added support by way of some extra crew to help carry, extra gear such as microspikes (if necessary for the time of year) etc., alongside a solid back-up plan if you do get stuck in snow as it can be incredibly dangerous crossing the Cho La Pass in rubbish weather. It is very important to communicate with your guide when it comes to planning for the crossing day.
Conclusion of the Gokyo-EBC Circuit
Incorporating the Gokyo Lakes into your Everest Base Camp Trek turns a great high-altitude trek into one of the most legendary circuit treks on earth. It requires an extra day, a higher level of fitness, and slightly more cost as part of the overall Everest Base Camp Trek package. But the payoffs — superior acclimatization, the serenity of less-visited Gokyo Valley, and some of the Khumbu’s finest views — are without price tags. For the more adventurous hiker looking for the ultimate EBC Trek, Cho La Pass and azure lakes are all you need to make your Mount Everest Base Camp Tour a trip of a lifetime.
