Lobuche East Peak Climbing
- Duration
- 19 days
- Max altitude
- 6,119 m
- Difficulty
-
Very strenuous
Difficulty scale
- Easy Short walking days on good trails below about 3,000 m. Suitable for anyone in ordinary health, including families.
- Moderate 5 to 6 hours a day with some steep sections, reaching up to about 4,000 m. A reasonable level of fitness and a few weeks of preparation walking recommended.
- Strenuous 6 to 8 hours a day, high passes or altitudes above 5,000 m, and remote stretches. Good fitness, prior trekking experience and proper acclimatisation days are essential.
- Very strenuous Long days, multiple high passes or technical sections, sustained time above 5,000 m. For experienced, well-conditioned trekkers only.
- Best season
- Autumn (Sep–Nov) · Spring (Mar–May)
- Group
- Private
- From
- $2,310.00
Overview
Lobuche East, 6,119 m, steeper and more technical than Island Peak with a summit ridge that stays interesting to the top. Combined with the Base Camp trail so the acclimatisation profile is right.
Every departure is private and led by a government-licensed Nepali guide, so the plan flexes to your party and to the mountain. Permits, park fees and local taxes are inside the price you see.
Read our Island Peak Climbing guide for how this compares as a first 6,000 m summit.
Trip highlights
- Summit at 6,119 m
- More technical than Island Peak
- Combined with Everest Base Camp
- NMA permit and climbing sherpa included
Day by day
The itinerary
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Day 1: Arrive in Kathmandu (1,400 m) 1,400 m Hotel
Arrive at any time. Our airport representative meets you, takes you to your hotel and explains the programme.
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Day 2: Preparation day in Kathmandu 1,400 m Hotel B
A rest day for jet lag. We brief you on the trip, go through the itinerary, collect your documents for the permits and hand over the trekking gear on loan.
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Day 3: Fly to Lukla (2,840 m), trek to Phakding (2,610 m) 2,840 m 3 hrs Teahouse L/D
An early flight to Lukla, a short airstrip with a drop of about 60 m from one end of the runway to the other, then about three hours and 6 km through green country with Kusum Kanguru above, to Phakding.
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Day 4: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) 3,440 m 6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
About 10 km up the Dudh Koshi through pine and cedar forest to Namche Bazaar, the old trading post of the Khumbu where Nepali and Tibetan traders still meet, with the first glimpse of Everest on the way up.
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Day 5: Acclimatisation day: hike to the Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) 3,880 m 3-4 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Up past Syangboche airstrip to the Everest View Hotel for the panorama of Everest, Lhotse, Ama Dablam and Tawache, then back via the Sherpa Culture Museum to sleep in Namche.
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Day 6: Trek to Tengboche (3,860 m) 3,860 m 5-6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
An easy contouring trail towards Everest, a descent into the Dudh Koshi at Phunki Tenga, then the long climb up the far flank to Tengboche Monastery, the spiritual centre of the Khumbu, with Ama Dablam close by.
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Day 7: Trek to Dingboche (4,410 m) 4,410 m 5 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Down through forest, across the Imja Khola and up through Pangboche (3,900 m), with Ama Dablam and Lhotse in view, then on through pastures to Dingboche, the summer valley.
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Day 8: Acclimatisation day: Nangkartshang (5,083 m) and back 5,083 m 6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
The second acclimatisation day: a steep, tiring climb of up to five hours to Nangkartshang above Dingboche, with views of Lobuche East, Taboche, Thamserku, Kangtega, Ama Dablam and, on a clear day, Makalu, then about two hours back down to sleep low.
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Day 9: Trek to Lobuche (4,910 m) 4,910 m 5 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Along the ridge above the Pheriche valley to Dughla, then up the steep moraine past the climbers' memorials and on to Lobuche.
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Day 10: Everest Base Camp (5,364 m), back to Gorak Shep (5,164 m) 5,364 m 8 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
Over meadows and moraine above the Khumbu Glacier, with Kala Patthar ahead, to Gorak Shep, then about three hours of ups and downs to Everest Base Camp and the Khumbu Icefall, and back to Gorak Shep for the night. An exhausting day at altitude.
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Day 11: Kala Patthar (5,555 m), then down to Lobuche (4,910 m) 5,555 m 6 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
An early climb to Kala Patthar for the close view of Everest and the peaks around it, back to Gorak Shep for a hot breakfast, then down the glacial valley to Lobuche to rest before the climb.
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Day 12: Climb to Lobuche High Camp (5,400 m) 5,400 m 4-5 hrs Camping B/L/D
A steepening climb above the main trail to Lobuche High Camp. In the afternoon your climbing guides run the pre-climb training: ice axe, crampons, harness, ascender, boots and rope work for going up and coming down. Previous climbing experience is not essential, but this session matters. Then rest and gear checks before the early start.
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Day 13: Summit Lobuche East (6,119 m), down to Pheriche (4,240 m) 6,119 m 10-12 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
A very early start, weather permitting. Four to six hours to the summit for a view of Everest, Lhotse, Nuptse, Ama Dablam, Tawache, Cholatse and Pumori, then the long descent to High Camp and on down to Pheriche, ten to twelve hours in all.
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Day 14: Reserve day 4,240 m Teahouse B/L/D
Held in case bad weather or slow acclimatisation means the summit has to move back a day. If the summit went as planned, it becomes a rest day in Pheriche or an easier start on the walk out.
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Day 15: Trek to Namche Bazaar (3,440 m) 3,440 m 7 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
An easier trail along the Imja Khola, a gradual climb to Tengboche, down to Phunki Tenga, a steady climb to Kyangjuma and an easy walk round to Namche.
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Day 16: Trek to Lukla (2,840 m) 2,840 m 7 hrs Teahouse B/L/D
About 18 km along the Dudh Koshi back to the airstrip at Lukla.
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Day 17: Fly back to Kathmandu (1,400 m) 1,400 m Hotel B
The scenic 30-minute flight back to Kathmandu, weather permitting, and a transfer to your hotel.
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Day 18: Free day in Kathmandu 1,400 m Hotel B
A day to rest or explore. It also covers a delayed Lukla flight.
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Day 19: Departure 1,400 m B
About three hours before your flight, our representative takes you to the airport.
Altitude profile
The climb, day by day
Comfort tiers
Choose your level of comfort
| Amenity | Standardfrom $2,770.00 | Comfortfrom $3,268.60 | Luxuryfrom $4,016.50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathmandu hotel | 3★ | 4★ | 5★ |
| Trail accommodation | Standard teahouse | Best lodge in each village | Premium lodge where the route has one |
| Porter support | Shared porter | Private porter, lighter load | Extra porter, carry almost nothing |
| Transfers | Shared | Private | Private, throughout |
What's included
Included
- Included: Four nights with breakfast at a three-star hotel in Kathmandu
- Included: The best available twin-sharing lodges on the trek, and tents at Lobuche High Camp
- Included: Full board with tea or coffee (breakfast, lunch and dinner) on the trek and the climb
- Included: Seasonal fruit on the trek
- Included: Boiled drinking water on the climb
- Included: All ground transport by private vehicle, including airport transfers
- Included: Round-trip flights between Kathmandu and Lukla, with departure taxes
- Included: All required permits: Sagarmatha National Park, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality and the Lobuche East climbing permit
- Included: An English-speaking trekking guide and an experienced climbing guide for Lobuche, with their food, accommodation, salary and insurance
- Included: Porters, one for every two trekkers, with their food, accommodation, salary, equipment and insurance
- Included: Duffel bag, down jacket and sleeping bag for the trek
- Included: T-shirt, trekking map and trip certificate
- Included: First aid kit
- Included: Group climbing equipment: rope, ice screws, snow bars and so on
- Included: All administrative expenses and government taxes
Not included
- Not included: Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
- Not included: Travel insurance covering climbing to 6,200 m and helicopter evacuation
- Not included: International airfare
- Not included: Nepal entry visa
- Not included: Drinks, including water, soft drinks and alcohol, and snacks and other personal expenses
- Not included: Hot showers on the trek, except in Lukla, Phakding and Namche
- Not included: Personal trekking and climbing equipment: mountaineering boots, harness, crampons, ice axe, helmet and ascender (available to rent in Kathmandu)
- Not included: Tips for trekking staff and drivers
Your team
Led by a licensed guide
Every route is led by a government-licensed guide from our team. Licences are on record with us before departure, and you'll meet your guide once your trip is confirmed.
Guide language(s): English, Nepali
Group-size pricing
Walk together, pay less
Every trip is private, so the guide, permits and transfers cost the same however many walk. Sharing them is why the per-person price falls: arithmetic, not a sale.
| Group size | per person | You save each |
|---|---|---|
| 1 traveller | $2,770.00 | base rate |
| 2 to 3 travellers | $2,310.00 | $460.00 |
| 4 to 6 travellers | $2,170.00 | $600.00 |
| 7 or more | $2,035.00 | $735.00 |
Per person, including permits, park fees and taxes. Nothing is added at checkout.
Weather
What to expect, month by month
- Autumn (Sep–Nov)The most reliable trekking season: clear air, stable weather and cold nights, right after the monsoon clears.
- Spring (Mar–May)Warmer than autumn, with rhododendron forests in flower and slightly hazier mountain views as the season goes on.
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What travellers say
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