A complete guide to the Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri

Posted by we ramblers on March 12th, 2019

A complete guide to the Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri

A challenging trek, a demanding trek, a trek that is arduous and demands high levels of fitness... Do you have it in you to take up a trek that is defined by such adjectives?

If it’s a yes… we will tell you everything that you need to know about the Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes, Gokyo Ri.

The Gokyo Lake Trek is a combination of the Khumbu region trek, a classic with a trip to the magnificent Gokyo village. The Everest Base Camp Trek remains the most popular trek of Nepal (and the tricky one too!) but there are few who know about the Gokyo Ri or the Gokyo Lakes that are barely a few kilometers from the EBC and thus the Everest Base Camp Trek with Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri came into picture.

With the Gokyo Ri Trek you can explore the pristine and immaculate Gokyo region and then get back to the Everest Base Camp Trek through the Cho La Pass that takes you to the foot of Mt.Everest, the tallest mountain of the world at 8848m.

Statistics of the trek

ü  Duration of the Trek: 15 days

ü  Difficulty levels of the Trek: Level 2 or Moderate

ü  Highest altitude: Kala Patthar view point at 5643 m

ü  Best time: March to May or October to November

ü  Permits required: Trekkers’ Information Management System Card (TIMS), Sagarmatha National Park Permit

ü  Transports available to reach the starting point of trek: Flight or bus

ü  Accommodations available: Teahouses (cheap), eco-lodge (priced moderately), guesthouses (expensive)

The Major attractions of the trek

Some of the major attractions of the Gokyo Lake trek include the following:

• Get up close and personal with four of the highest mountains of the world when you climb the Gokyo Ri at 5357 meters. These include Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu and Lhotse.
• Spend time at the shores of the Gokyo Lake and be awe struck with its turquoise blue waters.
• Enjoy the best view of Mt. Everest from the Kala Patthar at a height of 5545 meters.
• Visit the longest glacier in Nepal, the Ngozumpa glacier and hike along it.
• Visit Gokyo Ri at 5357 meters that promises some of the best views of the Everest region. It is in close competition with the Kala Patthar.
• Enjoy the sunrise and the sunset from the highest peaks of the world and make it a lifetime memory.
• The Everest Base Camp at 5380 meters is a victorious attraction in itself.

The best time to visit

The Gokyo Ri Trek is possible all around the year, however, some of the best times are the month of March to May which is spring and September to November. The springtime is a wonderful time to do the trek since the flowers are in full bloom and the fall is a great time since the skies are clear and there are no rains or other disturbances.

Apart from the Gokyo Ri Trek, there are other alternatives as well. These include the standard Everest Base Camp Trek minus the Gokyo valley. The Everest Base Camp-three passes trek is another option; the three mountain passes covered are Cho La Pass, Renjo La Pass, and the Kong Ma La pass, all of these are above 5000 meters. For those of you who are running short on time but wish to trek the Everest region, the Everest Panorama Trek is an ideal option. It is an all-inclusive 7-day trek.