Gokyo Lakes Trek is a seamless alternative to Everest Base Camp, especially those seeking less crowded trails, which is just on its own still boasts many highlights and has much less foot traffic to contend with than you will find Everest regions.
The turquoise lake system of Gokyo, which is accompanied by six glacial lakes, range at altitudes of between 4,700m and 5,000m, making them some of the world’s highest freshwater lakes are the major highlights of this trekking route, as is hiking the largest glacier edgeways in the Himalayas, Ngozumpa Glacier.
Situated in the beautiful Sagarmatha National park, home to Mount Everest, Gokyo Lakes trek offers a wonderful opportunity to stand at Gokyo Ri (5,357 m), which is at the same altitudes as Everest Base Camp, has spectacular views of Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu, and different other highlands, some of the best views you will find ever.
The trek duration ranges to complete this trek will be 15-20 days depending on whether you cover Everest Base Camp or not, or if you skip the flight to Lukla or not, and so forth. The rest of the time will depend on your hiking pace, how many days you spend on acclimatization etc.
Destination: Nepal
Region: Everest region
Activity: Gokyo Lakes treks
Nature of the trek: Lodge to lodge trekking
Trek distance: 92 km/53 miles (Lukla to Lukla)
Start/Endpoint: Kathmandu
Accommodation: Hotel in Kathmandu, Lodge/Teahouse during the trek
Best season: Feb to mid-June and September to December
Activity per day: Approximately 4-6 hrs walking during the trek
Major attractions: Kathmandu, Lukla, Sagarmatha National Park, Namche Bazaar, Dol, Gokyo valley, Gokyo Lakes System, Gokyo Ri
Trekkers must reach Lukla/Phakding to enter Everest region. There are two ways of reaching there; one directly flies Lukla, and another drives to Phaplu/ Jiri and treks onwards.
Flying: The most popular way to reach Gokyo valley is to take a short yet scenic flight to Lukla and begin your journey. The easiest and most convenient way of getting Gokyo, Lukla flight saves time, energy, and extra effort than the overland tour. For example, in a single day, trekkers reach Phakding from Kathmandu using flight, but it is really impossible via overland tour.
One of the most adventurous mountain flights, Lukla flight, offers spectacular outlooks of the surrounding peaks, dissimilar landscapes, snow-clad massifs, changed vegetation, colorful hills, green valleys, terraced fields with seasonal crops and vegetables, scattered settlements, torrential rivers, and more.
Sometimes, the flights to and from Lukla can be delayed or rescheduled due to the bad weather conditions. Therefore, it is wise to keep a contingency day while planning to trek in the Everest region.
Overland: There are two different ways via overland to Everest; a Pioneer’s Route to Everest, which was taken by expeditions to Everest in the 1950s, will lengthen a round-trip trek by an additional seven days (give or take) round trip and another driving to Phaplu and walk to Phakding spending six extra days (round trip).
These routes pass beneath Lukla and include several passes (the highest being over 3,500 meters.). However, the main demerits of this route include it consuming extra time, energy, and challenges. If you have longer days in Nepal and want to explore the Everest region from the very beginning, you can choose this trek.
Nepal witnesses four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, and winter, containing three months each. Trekking in the Nepalese Himalayas, including the Gokyo valley, is ideal during spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). During these periods, the days are warmer and sunny, weather and temperature become stable even in the high Himalayas, making the trekking easier and comfortable.
In the autumn, the monsoon rain sweeps all the dust particles on the atmosphere making the landscapes crystal. Entire hills and valleys are lustrous green, and seasonal flowers bloom around the villages and hills. The major festivals of Nepal as Dashain and Tihar, fall in this season, and trekkers might get chances to celebrate them.
In spring, the entire hills up to Namche Bazaar fill with the rhododendron and other seasonal flowers. Above Namche, trekkers will be welcomed by the magnificent views of the Himalayan panorama till you reach the valley of Gokyo.
The semi-frozen crystal lakes of Gokyo melt the heart of every explorer. There is less probability of rain/waterfall during these months, making your journey more comfortable and exciting. Hiking to the high passes is also possible during this period.
In winter (December to February), trekking to Gokyo Lakes is not impossible but adventurous. If you are a winter hiker and are familiar with walking amid snow heaps, this trekking is absolutely for you. But it would help if you were careful enough that the teahouses in the high altitudes might get closed.
Trekking Gokyo Lakes in the summer month is not highly recommended as the trails get slippery and muddy due to the heavy precipitation. In addition, trekking trails might get obstructed due to landslides and floods on the river.
Despite varying the weather and temperature, the Himalayan region is never scorching, not even during summer. The maximum temperature during the day inclines up to 25°C / 77°F while during the night it extents as low as -20°C / -4°F or even lower.
Notwithstanding the cold nights, however, the days are consistently stunning, mornings in particular. And, as always, the landscape is absolutely mind-blowing. Almost every day offers something stunning and notable, even at the lower elevations.
The lush greenery, rushing rivers, and quaint rickety bridges are captivating contrast to the stark, sterile high elevation mountainscapes.
Along the trekking route of Gokyo Lakes Trek, the accommodations are generally comfortable and quite good considering the inconveniences, remoteness and there is a variety of budget to high-quality lodges depending upon what you are searching for; however, such lodges make their money off of the food you order more so than the room you take. So try eating in the same lodge where you are spending overnight.
Some lodges/teahouses offer hot showers and charge your electronics for free, but some charge a minimum amount for them. So it is an ideal option to bring your own jacks with you, and travel solar panels are also perfect if you get enough sun to charge things along the way. The rooms are mostly tidy, neat, and clean; they offer you a bed, a mattress, a pillow, a quilt for sleeping; however, we suggest you carry your own sleeping bag for even safe travels.
For food, breakfast and dinner are mostly taken to the same teahouse where you spend overnight, and lunch is served on the way. The teahouses are scattered in every hour’s (or less) trek distances. Please choose one of them and order lunch items according to their menus.
Dal Bhat, a set of (rice, lentils, curry, pickles), noodles, pasta, momos, Thukpa (Tibetan soup)m egg warps, Sherpa Stew, Momos, Tibetan Bread, Chapatti, macaroni and cheese, and roasted potatoes and cheese are some of the most popular food items available during your Gokyo Lakes Trek.
Carrying nutritious food items such as bars, chocolates, electrolyte packets, a jar of peanut butter are beneficial while walking. In case you are hungry and teahouses are inaccessible, you can get them to reenergize your body. Do not forget to carry at least 3-4 liter water every day.
Option I: Gokyo Lakes Trek
Day 1: Fly Kathmandu to Lukla (2,800m/9,184ft) and Trek to Phakding (2,652m/8,700ft)
Day 2: Trek Phakding to Namche Bazar (3,440m/11,283ft)
Day 3: Acclimatization Day in Namche bazaar – Hike to Everest View Hotel
Day 4: Trek Namche Bazaar to Dole (4,200m/ 13,780ft)
Day 5: Trek Dole to Machhermo (4,470m/ 14,663ft)
Day 6: Trek Machhermo to Gokyo (4,800m/15,744ft)
Day 7: Gokyo Valley: Acclimatization Day –4th and 5th Gokyo Lakes Hike
Day 8: Hike Gokyo Ri (5,357m/17,570ft) and trek back to Dole
Day 9: Dole to Namche Bazaar
Day 10: Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Day 11: Fly Lukla to Kathmandu
Option II: Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Lakes Trek
Day 1: Fly from Kathmandu (1,350m/4,429ft) to Lukla (2,860 m/9,383ft) and trek to Phakding (2,652 m/8,700 ft)
Day 2: Phakding to Namche Bazar (3,440m/11,283ft)
Day 3: Namche Bazaar: Acclimatization Day
Day 4: Namche Bazaar to Tengboche (3,860 m/12,660ft)
Day 5: Tengboche to Dengboche (4,410 m/14,464ft)
Day 6: Dengboche: Acclimatization day - Side trip to Nangkartshang Hill (4,900m/ 16,076ft)
Day 7: Dingboche to Lobuche (4,910 m/16,105ft)
Day 8: Lobuche Gorakshep (5,181 m/16,994ft) to Everest Base Camp (5,364m/17,594ft) and back to Gorakshep
Day 9: Gorakshep to Kalapatthar (5,643m/18,514ft) to Dzongla
Day 10: Dzongla to Thangnak (4,750 m/15,580ft) via Cho La (5420 m/17,780 ft)
Day 11: Thangnak to Gokyo Valley (4,800 m/15,744ft)
Day 12: Rest day in Gokyo; Hike to Gokyo Ri (5360m/17586ft)
Day 13: Gokyo to Dole (4,200m/ 13,780ft)
Day 14: Dole to Namche Bazaar
Day 15: Namche Bazaar to Lukla
Day 16: Fly back to Kathmandu
If you choose only the Gokyo Lakes Trek, it completes within 13 days (including arrival and departure dates); but if you want to adjoin it with Everest Base Camp or other optional hikes can be longer too.
The trek passes vial well-trodden path all the way through this can be rocky and uneven in several parts. It is not hasty where there is no rock climbing or mountaineering gear and practice required. It is a walk all the way, although some of the hills and ridges can be steep.
Choosing Gokyo Lakes trek via Everest Base Camp, one needs to be careful enough as the Cho La pass can be slippery, and some simple pull-on boot spikes (no crampons) can be a handy thing to have in your pack if the weather is bad.
Trekking poles are advantageous. They are crucial, especially for those who have problems with their knees. Higher up, the open slopes and moraine may give you added comfort with a pole, but again the trekking route is quite easy to follow.
Lightweight trekking shoes having high ankle and good gripping are highly recommended for the Gokyo Lakes Trek to protect you against possibly going over on an ankle; however heavy boots will be hot and heavy and cumbersome.
This Gokyo Lake trek is a moderately difficult journey that passes through several hills and villages, river gorges, and valleys in the scheme of long-distance, high-altitude mountain treks. Choosing three passes trek certainly has harder days, but trekking only Gokyo valley is not a big issue.
In total, trekkers will cover approximately 92 km (53 miles) during their journey to Gokyo (Lukla-Gokyo-Lukla), which demands over 15 days to be completed, including the acclimatization days. On average, trekkers need to walk six to eight kilometers every day, spending 5-6 hours.
For a successful trekking experience, a trekker and trekking route is not enough. Trekking absolutely is a group work that accompanies the collaboration among the trekkers (clients), guides, porters, trekking agencies, hotel/guest house members, and many others.
Among all, guides and porters play vital roles in making your journey successful. From the airport arrival, your guide co-operates in every nitty-gritty. They only navigate the route and provide you the information on the whole trek, safety measures, arrange your food and accommodations, make sure your permits and all the flight tickets, and process immediately in case of emergencies.
However, the Gokyo Lakes trek can be accomplished solo, where trekkers can organize their entire trip independently. Walking solo will be problematic if any issue appears.
Your porter helps you to carry your duffle bags making your hiking comfortable. So, you need not carry a heavy backpack for the entire trip.
The comfortableness of the entire trek depends upon how and what you pack while trekking. Basically, trekkers need to pack the gears and clothing that you keep warm, dry, protected from sun/snow/rainfall, able to move comfortably in the mountains and protect you even in the cold of the nights.
Here is a list of the gears and equipment that you basically need to cover while packing for Gokyo Lakes Trek.
Bags: A duffle or rucksack bag for a porter to carry and a day pack to be carried by you
Shell: Waterproofs from top to bottom to keep of breeze/wind/rain/snowfall
Sleeping: Warm sleeping bag (4 seasons) that should cover up to -20 degrees Celsius
Base Layer: Thin Layers to wick away any sweat and to wear for chill mornings/evenings
Layers: Shirts, T-shirts, jumpers, shirts, trousers, jackets, hats, gloves, wind-cheaters
Footwear: Comfortable boots with good gripping and ankle support
Drink: Water bottles should be hard plastic, not throwaway bottles
Sun Care: Sunglasses, sunhat, sunblock cream
Medication: First aid kit, regular medicines (if you take any)
Trekking: Trekking poles, trekking map, compass
Snacks: Dry food, peanuts, energy bars, chocolates
Personal: Camera, books, music
Sound physical fitness is required to complete your journey to Gokyo Lakes. Therefore, we recommend you be involved in a good physical fitness program at least a month before the actual trek that helps you build up sound stamina.
You will walk passing several ascends and descends with a backpack, so it is ideal for getting out into the hills as often a. In addition, you can. You will be carrying around five kilos in your day pack (the rest of the weight will be carried by your porter), so this is a good weight to work with.
Any cardiovascular activity is recommended; exercise groups like body pump, Pilates, and aerobic are all excellent preparation for a trek like this, particularly those which slog on core strength, balance, and steadiness.
Due to the atmospheric pressure, the oxygen level in the high elevations declines in a declining way. As a result, Trekkers walking above 3000m above sea level might feel headache, cough, dizziness, vomiting, upset stomach, loss of appetite, unconsciousness, and several others. This condition is called Acute Mountain Sickness.
Trekkers will reach an elevation of 5,357m/17,575ft during their trek. If they cannot adapt to the surrounding atmosphere, they will face the challenges caused by elevation.
An ideal option to escape Acute Mountain Sickness is to acclimatize to the surrounding atmosphere. Therefore, during the trek, you need to schedule sufficient acclimatization days in different altitudes. Also, drinking plenty of water, avoiding alcoholic drinks, smoking help to be safe from elevation-related problems.
The best trek for those who want to escape the busier trails in the Everest region but still gain stunning views of the Everest Himalayan panorama. The trekking goes via small Sherpa settlements, river valleys, deep forests, beautiful waterfalls, yak pasture lands before finally ascending to the pristine lakes of Gokyo.
Adventurers can adjoin this trip with Everest Base Camp passing one of the high passes Cho La. Kala Patthar, Everest Base Camp are other must-see places in the Everest region. Join Holy Mountain Treks for your incredible journey to Gokyo Lakes.
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