Gokyo Trek: Off the Beaten Track in the Everest Region

The Gokyo Trek is a great alternative to the Everest Base Camp Trek. We actually like to think it’s better for 5 reasons.

1. No crowds

There’s hardly any other hikers and we love it. Trek in solitude, surrounded by a (literally) breathtaking landscape.

2. The Gokyo Lakes

Check the pictures beneath this chapter. Do we need to say more?

3. The Ngozumpa glacier

It may not be common knowledge, but the Ngozumpa glacier is the largest glacier in Nepal and the entire Himalayas for that matter. It’s best viewed from the top of Gokyo Ri, see reason number four.

4. Gokyo Ri

The view from the 5,357m high summit only knows superlatives. Four 8000m+ peaks including Mount Everest, the highest freshwater lake system in the world and the longest glacier in the Himalayas. In one word EPIC.

5. Traditional villages

The villages in the Gokyo Valley are to some extent unspoiled by tourism. The pace is slow, the views are beautiful and the people are friendly.

The stretch from Lukla and Namche Bazaar and back is shared with the EBC trek. There are lots of hikers on the trail and the villages are bustling. Namche Bazaar is considered the Sherpa capital of the Khumbu, and it is indeed the largest settlement in the Everest region. Just north of Namche, the trail branches. The path descending to the Dudh Koshi River is the route to the foot of Mount Everest. The trail that keeps ascending leads up the valley west of Everest to the village of Gokyo.

At the foot of Gokyo Ri, this small hamlet with stone houses is one of the highest permanent settlements on the planet. Gokyo at 4,790 meters above sea level is an important center in the region.The location is absolutely spectacular, wedged between the Ngozumpa glacier and Lake Dudh Pokhari. And it is the starting point for the Gokyo Ri trek and the crossing of the 5,360m high mountain pass Renjo La. An average of 7,000 pilgrims visit Gokyo Lakes annually, which is worshiped as the home of the snake god Nag Devata; on the western shore of the lake is a temple of the Hindu deities Vishnu and Shiva. The belief that birds and wildlife in this area should not be harmed has traditionally protected the fauna.

Does off the beaten path mean the trail is in a bad shape or there is no trail at all? Well, there is often some truth in that. The more often people walk on a designated trail, such as the Annapurna Circuit or the Everest Base Camp route, the more worn that trail becomes. In that sense the Gokyo Trek is a little harder. The path is rougher, especially if you do the climb up Gokyo Ri. You have to pay more attention to your footing, which is hard with such great views all around you. But it is still walking rather than climbing. The hardest part of the trek? The extreme altitudes, no doubt. The village Gokyo is already at an altitude of 4,790m, the highest place to stay on the route. The climb up the “hill” Gokyo Ri leads to an elevation of a whopping 5,357m, easily higher than any mountain in western Europe and the Lower 48 in the USA. Further in this blog we’ll give tips on how you can scale a peak this high and how to prevent altitude sickness. So, is the Gokyo Trek difficult? Not so much. Is it tough? Hell yeah!

There are several different ways to see the highlights of the Gokyo region. You can do a specific Gokyo Ri Trek or Gokyo Lake Trek, but you can also do the Everest Base Camp Trek in combination with the Three High Passes. Or you can simply make an extension of the Everest Base Camp Trek and add the Gokyo Lakes to the mix.

The Everest Region, along with most of the other trekking areas in Nepal, has four distinct seasons. Spring, summer, autumn and winter. The months from March to May, pre-monsoon, and from October to early December, post-monsoon, are the most popular for trekking to the Gokyo Valley. Every season offers its own excitement and atmosphere and in principle, you can go trekking year-round. There are good reasons why spring and autumn are considered the trekking season. Below we’ll give you a run-down of what each of the seasons are like.

Spring

Spring (March-May) is the main season and trekkers from around the globe come to the Everest region in large numbers. In springtime, the temperature is mild, the precipitation is low and the trekking conditions are great. On the trail to the high peaks it’s buzzing with excitement and anticipation to see the world’s highest peaks in all their glory. For the Gokyo Lakes trek, it gets busy up to Namche Bazaar, but therefore it’s a great time to connect with like-minded people and chat about everything adventure. After that you’ll hit the quiet trails. While temperatures in daytime along the trek are balmy, the Gokyo Valley temperature can still dip below freezing level at night and in the early morning. Check our packing list for the trek further in this blog post.

Summer

Summer season falls in the months of June, July and August. Summer is the month with the highest temperatures and in that sense it is quite pleasant. However, this is also the monsoon season, and it rains a lot. The chance of seeing the mountains around you is smaller as it is cloudy most of the time. The trail will be wet and slippery and there is an increased risk of landslides. On the flipside, it’s not very busy on the route and the sherpa villages feel more serene.

Autumn

Autumn in the Khumbu (September, October, November) is, like springtime, prime trekking season with similar trekking conditions. The big difference is that the air in spring is sometimes a little hazy due to the dust in the atmosphere. Post-monsoon the air is very clear, allowing for stunning views of the mountains.

Winter

Winter season runs from December to February. This period is the hardest time to trek in the Everest Region. With the Gokyo Ri elevations exceeding the 5000 meters mark, it gets extremely cold. Night temperatures drop to -20 degrees Celsius. Add wind and snowfall and you’ve got yourself a proper winter expedition. It really adds to the Gokyo Ri trek difficulty. Why do we still run treks in the Gokyo Valley in winter? We work with some of the best trekking companies in Nepal. Besides trekking trips they also organize climbing expeditions to some of the highest peaks in the Himalayas. Our partners can keep you safe and comfortable, even in these cold conditions. And you will probably have the entire route to yourself!

Going up extreme altitudes can be quite daunting. If it’s the first time you go trekking above 5000 meters you may question if your body is going to react well to the altitude. The main take-away from our own climbing exploits is to trust the process. At Bookatrekking.com we always build in a solid acclimatization schedule in our itineraries, allowing trekkers to get used to higher altitudes gradually. There’s no point getting nervous about it and it’s probably counterproductive as well. Keep in mind that the climb up Gokyo Ri is optional. If your body is not feeling it, you can always go back.

The vertical gain is roughly 560 meters and your highly experienced guide will make sure your walking pace is right. Think of the otherworldly views when you reach the summit! It is worth a little hardship. Lined up in front of you are Mount Everest (8848m), Lhotse (8516m), Makalu (8481m) and Cho Oyu (8201m). Below you see the stunning glacial Gokyo Lakes. In the chapter Gokyo Trek and Altitude Sickness we delve deeper in how to recognize and prevent altitude sickness.

To embark on the journey to Gokyo Ri and the Gokyo Lakes within Sagarmatha National Park, specific permits are essential:

Acquire TIMS (Trekkers Information Management System)

This particular permit holds significance for any trekker aiming to explore Nepal. Whether navigating the Annapurna Circuit or trekking to Poon Hill, TIMS is a mandatory requirement. The cost for this permit is NRS 2000 per person, equivalent to approximately 17 USD or 15 EUR.

Secure the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit

Access to Sagarmatha National Park, the habitat of Gokyo Lakes and Gokyo Ri, necessitates obtaining an entry permit. This permit incurs a fee of 30 USD plus government tax.

Obtain the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit

Issued by the local government, this permit is obligatory for all trekkers exploring the Khumbu region, encompassing Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, Dingboche, and other villages.

Your trekking provider will handle all the necessary arrangements for these permits.