SHERPA FAMILIES AND HOMES

Much has been written, and read, about the Sherpa people. This trek is culturally fascinating as we take a historic route that winds slowly through the heart of the Sherpa homeland, visiting both Solu and Khumbu. Our 17 day trek passes through beautiful forests, rugged gorges and friendly, traditional Sherpa villages to reach Tengboche Monastery for breathtaking views of Mt. Everest, the Lhotse-Nuptse massif and Ama Dablam. While most Everest treks fly into Lukla bypassing Solu, we'll enjoy a less visited area - some of the loveliest countryside in Nepal. The changing terrain and lifestyle add a unique dimension to the experience.

Itinerary:

Day 01-08 Kathmandu to Phaplu by scheduled flight, meet Sherpa Team and trek to first camp. We visit Thupten Choling, a Buddhist monastery headed by an incarnate Lama and continue to Trakshindu monastery. We descend to the Dudh Kosi river and trek up the rugged Dudh Kosi gorge, visiting Sherpa villages and families along the way till we reach Phakding - the beginnings of Khumbu.

We climb a steep hill to Namche Bazaar (11,270'), the main Sherpa trading center, with views of Everest and other stunning snow-peaks looming right above us, and spend an extra acclimatization day here.
Day 09-14 We continue up to beautiful Tengboche Monastery, and up the Khumbu valley to the Khumbu's oldest gomba in Pangboche. Spectacular views of Thamserku (21,674'), Ama Dablam (22,494') and Everest itself (29,028'). We spend extra days at Tengboche and Pangboche. We return to Lukla via Phortse and Namche, taking a different trail that gives us another perspective of Tengboche monastery with Ama Dablam as the backdrop.
Day 15 Lukla to Kathmandu by scheduled flight.