FILM · THREE_PASSES.MP4

15 days · 103mi · Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

Alpine · Mountain · Glacier · Valley

Three Passes

Hiking Nepal's tough, high-altitude, Everest-region trek.

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Location

Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

Duration

15Days

Distance

103Miles

166 Kilometers

Elevation

Total Gain:

36,749FT

Total Loss:

36,675FT

Trip Type

AlpineMountainGlacierValley

Ratings

Physical10/10

Psychological10/10

Beauty10/10

Uniqueness10/10

In October of 2014, a friend of mine from college, Susan, sent me an email.

“I’ll be in Nepal in a few weeks,” she wrote. “I couldn’t find anyone to join me. If you hadn’t already been to Nepal, I would demand that you join me.”

Three weeks later, I was in Nepal with her, hiking the famous Three Passes trek in the Khumbu Region. More of the story is to come, but you can watch the movie of our trip (above) now.

Practical Info

How to Hike Nepal’s Three Passes

Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal · 15 days · 103 miles · 36,749 ft gain

OVERVIEW

The Three Passes Trek is the ultimate tour of Nepal’s Mount Everest region, otherwise known as the Khumbu. During the trip, hikers earn fantastic views of the highest mountains in the world, climbs to three mountain passes and three peaks all with altitudes of over 5,000 meters, and a taste of authentic Nepalese culture. Depending on the peaks visited, the trek’s length is “only” about 166 kilometers (103 miles), but most of the hike is spent at altitudes above 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and the cumulative elevation gain is about 11,000 meters (36,000 feet), making this one an intensely difficult physical test.

GEAR

The tea houses along the trails make the trek unique, because the services they provide make it possible for trekkers to bring significantly less gear than they might otherwise on a trip of this length. We completed the trek without carrying a tent, sleeping bags or sleeping pads, and we carried only a minimal amount of snack food. Trekkers can eat all of their meals at tea houses (though the food is rarely great) and rely on tea houses to supply blankets. Avoiding carrying heavy gear makes a huge difference in terms of difficulty at these altitudes.

LOGISTICS

Set at least three weeks aside total for: the flights in and out of Nepal, a couple buffer days on either end of the trek in case of bad flying weather, and the trek itself. Book a normal commercial flight to Kathmandu, Nepal, then book the terrifying flight to the small mountain village of Lukla on a local Nepalese carrier. We booked ours through Yeti Airlines.

DANGERS

Acute mountain sickness from hiking at high altitudes can lead to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE), both of which are potentially fatal. The only known cures for altitude sickness are immediate descent to lower altitude or oxygen administration. To avoid altitude sickness, once above 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) hikers should avoid a net elevation gain of more than 300 meters (1,000 feet) each day, and allow for rest days to give the body time to acclimatize.

Route

Day 1

Lukla → Phakding

7.7 km · 209 m gain · 3 hours

Day 2

Phakding → Namche Bazaar

12.7 km · 1 ·116 m gain · 7 hours

Day 3

Acclimatization day, side trip → Khumjung and Khunde

12.3 km · 757 m gain · 7 hours

Day 4

Namche Bazaar → Thame

11.1 km · 707 m gain · 5 hours

Day 5

Acclimatization day, side trip → Sundhar Peak

9.3 km · 1 ·194 m gain · 7 hours

Day 6

Thame → Lundgen

11.5 km · 805 m gain · 7 hours

Day 7

Lundgen → Gokyo over Renjo La

12.5 km · 1 ·097 m gain · 7 hours

Day 8

Gokyo Ri climb

4.2 km · 659 m gain · 5.5 hours) followed by Gokyo to Thaknak (4.3 km · 202 m gain · 2 hours

Day 9

Thaknak → Dzongla over Cho La

9.5 km · 856 m gain · 6.5 hours

Day 10

Dzongla → Lobuche

6.5 km · 355 m gain · 2.5 hours) with side trip to Kala Pattar (13.4 km · 921 m gain · 8 hours

Day 11

Lobuche → Chukking over Kongma La

11.7 km · 865 m gain · 8 hours

Day 12

Chukking Ri climb

6.2 km · 829 m gain · 4.5 hours

Day 13

Chukking → Pangboche (11.3 km, 848 m descent, 4 hours) with side trip → Ama Dablam Base Camp

Day 14

Pangboche → Namche Bazaar

15.2 km · 771 m gain · 1 ·127 m descent · 6.5 hours

Day 15

Namche Bazaar → Lukla

19.8 km · 710 m gain · 1 ·232 m descent · 7 hours