Gokyo Lakes via Cho La Pass

The place

This route threads through the upper Khumbu's glacial valleys northwest of Namche Bazaar in Nepal, climbing above the treeline into yak-pasture terrain before reaching the turquoise Gokyo Lakes beside the Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal's longest. Elevations range from roughly 3,440m at Namche to the 5,420m Cho La Pass, with a side climb to the 5,357m Gokyo Ri viewpoint offering panoramic views of Everest, Makalu, and Cho Oyu. The Cho La crossing is the trek's technical crux, a steep, often icy scramble over boulder fields and a small glacier, linking the quieter Gokyo valley to the busier Everest Base Camp corridor, and the sustained altitude demands solid acclimatization.

Day by day

1. 1
   J1 · Namche Bazaar → Dole9.00 km · +650 m
2. 2
   J2 · Dole → Machhermo6.00 km · +270 m
3. 3
   J3 · Machhermo → Gokyo7.00 km · +320 m
4. 4
   J4 · Gokyo Ri (aller-retour) puis Gokyo → Dragnag7.50 km · +600 m
5. 5
   J5 · Dragnag → col de Cho La → Dzongla9.50 km · +860 m
6. 6
   J6 · Dzongla → Lobuche4.50 km · +250 m