Everest & Gokyo Lakes Circuit

This was my first time walking in the Himalayas and it was a truly magical experience. The scenery was breath-taking. I am glad we chose the route taking in Gokyo and the Cho La pass which were both challenging and beautiful and made for quieter days on the trail than when we got back to the main base camp route, which was considerably busier. We had not stayed in teahouses before and they made a change from the experience in tents we had previously, but the lack of variety in food menus did mean we ate the same things many days.

An amazing and very challenging trek to Gokyo, over the Cho La Pass and on to Everest Base Camp. We were blessed with good weather for most of the time and the views were breath-taking and the arrival at EBC was very satisfying.

I had always wanted to look up at Everest from base camp and wonder what it must be like to actually stand at the summit. In October I did that and it was absolutely worth the effort. I chose this route to challenge myself and just push a little more. The trek was a steady slog with wonderful views around every corner to inspire and motivate you. The Nepali people were welcoming and the regular yak/mule trains a lively distraction. We were carefully acclimatised with some short days to rest and recover, our guides ever vigilant and encouraging. Namche was a highlight with its bustling community. The two long days were the most challenging but also the most rewarding. Setting off in the dark for the Cho La Pass was exciting. I think we were all apprehensive but it proved to be a spectacular day and the sense of achievement was immense. Similarly, arriving at base camp and seeing the Khumbu icefall and Everest visible above was a great moment and well worth the tiring journey there.

A fantastic trip of a lifetime.

Besides the spectacular peaks and fresh mountain air, the residing memory was how attentive and hard working the staff were, from guides to porters. Every need taken care of without complaint, always with a smile and humble attitude. A joy to experience and a pleasure to be part of the group. Met some lovely people and gained interesting incites into the local culture, people and mountains. Thank you Exodus and to Oz and his team. The landscape was majestic....my favourite mountains were Ama Dablam and Cholatse. The most rewarding day was crossing the Cho La pass, via the Ngozumpa glacier. Incredible. Every day was a highlight and the wake up cup of tea was a blessing !

Simply the best organised and lead overseas trip I’ve been on in the last 30 years.( Oz ) Jaite Tamang was our very humble Nepalese Expedition leader. His natural ability to connect local Nepalese people with our group gave us a fully immersive experience of Nepal. His understanding of the local environment and wildlife added an extra dimension to our adventure and his Encyclopaedic knowledge of almost everybody we met on the trip was amazing. I’ve never seen such a young man manage our porters ,assistant guides and us under some very challenging situations with good humour and high energy. OZ has an excellent understanding of British banter which always help in taxing situations. His ability to anticipate problems ahead of time and nip them in the bud allowed our adventure to flow very well. When I come to the pool again I will definitely be asking for oZ by name.

My first trip to Nepal and what a great experience. Beautiful countryside and views, had a fantastic time and now want to go back to do some of the trekking mountains. Watch out its addictive!

Amazing trip with a new adventure everyday so much happened it will take time to reflect on how amazing it was. The mountains and scenery was so impressive. Very glad we did the Gokyo Lakes trip rather then the straight Everest base camp trek as it gave us more time to appreciate the mountains and also it was a bit quieter and off the beaten track.

If you're considering going to the Everest region, I strongly recommend this trip. The Gokyo Lakes and Cho La pass were stunning, and an absolute highlight and you'd miss these on a standard EBC trek. The region is absolutely breathtaking and the people welcoming and so friendly. It's certainly not an easy trek though- don't underestimate the effects of altitude, and also the cold. Be sure of your fitness too, the Cho La pass was very physically demanding, with a certain amount of scrambling.

We started this trip at the end of October. The organisation was superb. Our leader Silas was brilliant and very helpful. He was professional, was in control and incredibly knowledgeable. This is a long trip and it is tough. By choosing this trip over the standard Base Camp trek you are giving yourself three more days trekking at more than 5,000m so don't be under any illusion that this will be any easier / the same as EBC trek. Climbing Gokyo Ri and Chola Pass are very hard. The scenery is absolutely incredible and the sense of achievement is unreal. This really is a trip of a lifetime and a huge tick off the bucket list.

What can I say, it really has been a trip of a life time!!!

This was an amazing adventure. Don't underestimate this, it is tough, but totally worth the effort.

This was an amazing adventure. Don't underestimate this, it is tough, but totally worth the effort.

Having arrived in Katmandu via Delhi we were met by our tour guide Shailesh Tamang who for the next 19 days would be our go to advisor for all things Nepalese. The first night was spent in a Katmandu restaurant getting to know the rest of our group as well as sampling some of the local food. The next morning saw us all gathered for a pre dawn return to the airport in preparation for the flight to the mountain airstrip at Lukla in a small 16 seat aircraft. The views of the mountains and valleys during the flight gave us a sample of the sights we would experience during our trek. On arrival at Lukla and our baggage given over to the porters, who with seemingly superhuman strength carried 2 or 3 bags each, and we were off on our first day of trekking in Nepal. The first day of trekking was fairly short to ease us into what would progressively become tougher days of knee jolting foot pounding trekking. Our days took on a familiar routine of 7am breakfast, trek for a couple of hours then stop for refreshments at a teahouse then move on until lunch was taken at another teahouse and then onwards again until mid afternoon to our accomodation for the night. The teahouses are clean and very basic but do provide everything needed for this type of trip. Throughout the days of trekking there are a constant stream of porters, mules and yaks moving up and down the trail with supplies which adds to the whole experience of trekking in this mountain wilderness. The scenery is constantly changing as new valleys and mountains come into view at every turn of the trail, remember to look behind you as this view is as stunning as what lies ahead. During our trek we experienced weather that allowed walking in shirt sleeves as well as hand numbing bitter cold, so a good set of warm clothing is essential. There were a couple of extra early starts to climb Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar to view sunrise over Everest which was well worth the extra effort. Our trek up and over Cho la pass was particularly tough as we had to walk through snow and when we started our descent more snow fell upon us, which for me just added to the whole experience. All in all this trip has left us with some amazing memories and a yearning to return one day.

Had a great time. Was very hard trekking but the sense of achievement is worth it. Saw lots of fantastic scenery and experienced lots of weather conditions.