Everest Base Camp Trek via Salleri Road

You arrive in Nepal’s capital city, Kathmandu. At Tribhuvan International airport you will meet our representative who takes you to our hotel in Thamel. The rest of the day is free to relax or wander through the busy streets of Thamel. In the evening, you are introduced to our trek guide who gives a short briefing about the Everest Base Camp trek by road and provides emergency contact details. Then we have a quiet night, at the end we sleep early to begin our adventure fresh.

We drive off early at 5:00 AM in a jeep starting out of Kathmandu to Thamdanda. The road goes along the BP Highway with beautiful views of green hills and river valleys. We stop for lunch at Ghurmi after about five hours. Then we proceed northwards into the Solu region past Salleri and Phaplu. The road turns into a rough dirt track and meanders through terraced fields, rivers and small villages. We cover a distance of almost 300 km in a span of 13-14 hours and arrive at Thamdanda, where the trekking portion of the Everest Base Camp trek by road begins. We retire and have dinner in a teahouse.

We leave the road behind and enter the trekking trail, beginning the hiking part of our Everest Base Camp trek. The day begins with a gradual ascent of two hours as Thamdanda to Paiya (2,730m). Here we rest and have our first panorama of mountains. We then move downhill with rhododendron and oak forest to Surke where there is a small village located beneath Lukla. We also walk down a wooden bridge and walk by an old Buddhist chorten. The trail ascends to Chaurikharka and thereafter joins the main trail to Everest at Chheplung. Here we may see trekkers who flew into Lukla joining the trail. We trek alongside the Dudh Koshi River, crossing a few suspension bridges, farmland and forests of pine trees. At the end of the afternoon we get to Phakding, a beautiful riverside Sherpa village. We spend overnight in comfy teahouse.

After breakfast, we follow the Dudh Koshi River through pine forests and villages like Toktok and Benkar. After three hours, we reach Monjo, the entrance gate of Sagarmatha National Park. Our permits are checked here before we continue. We cross a high suspension bridge and walk into Jorsalle, the last settlement before Namche. From here, the trail becomes more demanding. We cross the famous Tenzing Hillary Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in the area, and begin a steep uphill climb through forest. On the way, we may catch our first view of Mount Everest, peeking above the ridge if the weather is clear. By afternoon, we arrive at Namche Bazaar, the vibrant Sherpa hub of the Khumbu. We spend the evening exploring markets and cafés before resting in a comfortable lodge.

In order to acclimatize we spend another day at Namche. A favorite hike may be through a mountain forest to the Everest View Hotel at Syangboche (3,880 m). Here we get great panoramas of Everest, Ama Dablam and Lhotse and others. We will also attend the Sherpa Culture Museum and the Sagarmatha National Park Visitor Center to understand the history of Everest, the wildlife and the cultures of the Sherpa. We can also hike to Khunde and Khumjung where there is a monastery exhibiting an alleged yeti scalp as well as the Hillary School in Khunde. Having done exploring around, we will go back to Namche where we will take a rest and go shopping and have a drink at the cafe. It is an active rest day that helps us acclimatize for the Everest Base Camp trek by road.

We start the day with an easy trail to Kyangjuma and the background views of Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam. On our way, we can see Himalayan monals and tahr on grazing slopes. Following two or three hours we go down pine and rhododendron forest to Phungi Thanga riverbank. We also cross a wooden bridge over the Dudh Koshi and climb up steep switchbacks through forests pastures and alpine terrain in about two hours. The top is Tengboche which hosts a famous monastery. If we have time we enter to witness the afternoon prayers made by the monks. We have an expansive view of Kantega, Thamserku, Ama Dablam, and Mount Everest from the monastery courtyard. We sleep at Tengboche in teahouse.

We begin with a step down into a rhododendron and juniper forest. An hour later, we arrive in Deboche (3,720m), where you can often see musk deer that quietly go out to graze. We go over a bridge over the Imja Khola and ascend above mani stones and chortens. The path then climbs slowly up to Pangboche a Sherpa village containing the oldest monastery in the area. Ama Dablam rises above us in all its beautiful splendor. As we get on, trees turn to alpine scrub and the air gets thinner. We trek in the afternoon after having lunch at Dingboche. We reach the windswept village marked by stone walls which were constructed to guard the potato sites. At 4,410m we are now in the high alpine zone. We stop in Dingboche with the views of Lhotse and Island Peak.

We also have a second acclimatization day in Dingboche. We are above 4400m and hence this rest is necessary. On morning, we do a side hike, assisting our bodies to acclimatize. Going over the ridge to Nangkartshang Peak (5,100m) is a popular route. A steep path to around 5,100m gives views of Makalu, Lhotse, and Ama Dablam, and it takes 2-3 hours.

Another option is to walk and go to the Chukhung Valley and arrive at Chukhung (4,730m) where Lhotse south face and Island peak can be viewed. Whichever method we use, we adhere to the principle of climbing high and sleeping low to acclimatize safely.

After lunch, we spend time in Dingboche teahouses, talking to other trekkers and taking advantage of the scenery of the mountains. This is an important day that acclimatizes our spirits in our Everest Base Camp trek by road.

We leave Dingboche making a gentle ascent above the Pheriche valley. The path crosses yak pastures and the village of Dusa. After a stay of two hours, we arrive at Thokla (4,620m), and pause to catch our breath before the ascending stretch. We now ascend switchbacks to Thokla Pass (4,830m), passing through villages that are now inhabited only during the summer months. The pass is marked by prayer flags and stone shrines to climbers who died on Everest. We pause and reflect before moving on. The trail ascends over the pass and then flattens out as it generously follows the moraine of the Khumbu Glacier. Pumori and Lingtren loom above us like mountains. A steep path through up-thrust rock brings you to Lobuche, a small place with basic lodges. The air is thin at 4,910m and the landscape bare. We rest here and prepare for the big day ahead.

Today is one of the most significant days of the road Everest Base Camp trek. We continue to trek along the Khumbu Glacier past rocky moraines with great views of mountains. In three hours we arrive to Gorakshep, a tiny settlement of lodges at 5,140m. We dump our cumbersome bags, and have tea. We hike to Everest Base Camp with light packages. The path cuts through glacial debris and icy ridges then widens to the foot of the Khumbu Icefall. Soon we reach Everest Base Camp (5,364m) surrounded by towers of ice and high mountains. There might be colored expedition tents in case it is a climbing season. The summit of Everest is not visible from Base Camp, but the feeling of achievement is immense. The sense of accomplishment is unforgettable. There are photos and time to take it in before we get back to Gorakshep for the night.

We wake up with the dawn in order to climb to Kala Patthar. In the headlamps, we climb up very steep track, taking roughly two hours. The vantage point provides the closest panoramic view of Mount Everest, along with the Lhotse, Nuptse, and Pumori which is at 5,545m. The dawn above the Khumbu Glacier is truly unforgettable. We then take photos and spend silent time followed by a descent to Gorakshep where we have breakfast. Here we commence to descend. We head back through Lobuche and Thokla Pass with the thicker air which comes with the descent. In place of Dingboche we trek up the valley to Pheriche which is a wide village on a battered plain. Here we spend the night, thankful at least that the air is warmer and that we can breathe with more ease.

We have breakfast and move out of Pheriche. The route will be directed to Pangboche where we have one last chance to absorb the attractive view of Ama Dablam. Taking another foray through forests of rhododendron and juniper, we thread through Deboche, and then ascend a short distance back to Tengboche. After spending few minutes in the monastery we start the long descent towards the Dudh Kosi River at Phungi Thanga. The forest grows denser and heavier as we descend. Using the river, we then make the last uphill walk to Namche Bazaar. Later in the afternoon, we get to Namche where we can rest and have a hot bath or we may pay a visit to a bakery.

We start the day by a steep descent out of Namche. The trail goes very steep down to the suspension bridge over the Dudh Koshi. We cross the bridge and run back the way we came. Leaving Sagarmatha National Park we check out at Monjo. The path goes down the valley, by Benkar, Phakding and Toktok. Walking is easy at the lower altitude and we arrive at the Chheplung in the afternoon. After a little we arrive at Chaurikharka, where we stop over-night. If we feel energetic, we can take a 20-minute walk up to Lukla and see the airstrip. Otherwise we spend time at the teahouse at Chaurikharka.

After breakfast, we descend to Surke where we cross a small stream. Here we can say after this the last elevation begins which we ascend by forest path to Paiya (Chutok, 2,800m). We hesitate to take a backward look and take stock, and realize how far we have come since Day 3. The path next descends continuously through woods and fields. At noon we arrive at Thamdanda, the road-head. Here our trekking part of Everest Base Camp trek by road also officially concludes. We have dinner with our guide and team.

We drive back to Kathmandu, the early start takes us a long way back. The initial hours run on a steep off-road path through villages and hills passing through Kharikhola and Salleri. When we are in the main road, the trip becomes easier. We pass by mid-blue green landscapes with river, terraced land and mountains far away. It is a full day’s drive of about 12–13 hours and we reach Kathmandu early in the evening. We check in at our hotel and spend a restful night out in the city.

After our final breakfast/last minute shopping, we experience a final morning in Kathmandu. We transfer to Tribhuvan International Airport in a private vehicle. You leave Nepal with warm farewells and lifelong memories of trekking the Everest