Here is a Summary of the Expedition Plan
22 March 2026 Sunday - Chicago (ORD) - Kathmandu (KTM) 21:20 ORD - Connecting flight - IST - 11:10 KTM – 24 March Getting to Kathmandu The first day of your itinerary is an arrival day, which means you can book your flights to arrive at any time on that first day. We strongly recommend arriving in the morning or early afternoon of Day 1, to give yourself a few hours of breathing room. After picking up your baggage at the airport, a member of our team will be there at arrivals to meet you and transport you to our hotel. Once you arrive at the hotel and check-in, please go ahead and get settled in. Day 1 is a free day to relax and shake off the jetlag. There are no formal activities on that day. You will formally meet the team at breakfast at 8am on the morning of Day 2, our logistics day, for gear checks and guide briefings. In Kathmandu We’ve built in a day after everyone arrives in Kathmandu for our team briefing to run through gear checks, finalize any requisite permits, and repack for the expedition to come. On our logistics day, Day 2, you will formally meet your team and have a full day in Kathmandu. Your guides will host a compulsory team briefing to go over all the specifics of your expedition, including your trek and climbing schedules, weight limits for the flight to Lukla, and updated logistics Flying to Lukla With packing, last-minute shopping, and final preparations completed in Kathmandu, the team will meet early in the morning for a short ride to the airport, for our flight to Lukla. From Kathmandu, it’s about a 45minute flight time to Lukla, a mountain village that marks the start of our expedition. Given the mountainous environment, there is always a chance that the pilots will delay our flight in order to maintain our safety. If this does happen, our hotel is wonderfully close to the airport, and we can adjust our schedule easily without spending a ton of time driving back and forth. Once you have flown into Lukla, the Expedition has officially begun! Our schedule involves both moving days, trekking from village to village, as well as rest and acclimatization days in between. The slow ascent up the Khumbu Valley is important to allow your body time to acclimate and gives you a chance to explore each village we stay in. On some rest days, we’ll take a small day hike up to points of interest to give our bodies new high points which aids in our acclimatization. While each village has its own charm, the visit to Tengboche Monastery is often hailed as one of the highlights. An important cultural landmark for the Sherpa community and steeped in mountaineering history, the Tengboche Monastery is a unique place to see for yourself. Most days, we will walk between 4 and 6 hours on the trail at a moderate pace including rest breaks. There may be the occasional day or two containing longer stretches. While weather and group dynamics may change our route or itinerary slightly, our general trekking plan will closely follow the itinerary below.
CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS
EVEREST BASE CAMP, LOBUCHE AND KHUMBU GLACIER EXPEDITION
Success in the mountains depends on being flexible enough to take advantage of weather windows, group fitness, and mountain conditions throughout the climb. Our guides will be making decisions in real time in order to maximize your chance of success and take advantage of the best conditions and weather. We provide these itineraries as an aid to your planning, but please know that these itineraries can and will change. Come prepared to embrace the fluidity and joy of tuning into this very unique mountain environment. *Elevations are for each village, and the elevation change reported is the difference between villages, not the elevation change you may actually climb. Depending on your route, you may ascend and descend significantly more as the trail rolls over ridges and through valleys. Similarly, horizontal distance can change if you take side trails or detours. EBC Trail Information *Days 1 & 2 are spent in Kathmandu* EBC Daily Route Information ITINERARY DAY
START
END
ELEVATION CHANGE
DISTANCE
ACTIVITY
DAY 3
Lukla 9,337 ft (2,845m)
Phakding 8,563 ft (2,610m)
-774 ft -236m
5.1 miles 8.2 km
Fly in/Trek
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 4
Phakding 8,563 ft (2,610m)
Namche 11,286 ft (3,440m)
+2,723 ft +830m
6.8 miles 11 km
Trekking
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 5
Namche 11,286 ft (3,440m)
Namche 11,286 ft (3,440m)
0 ft 0 meters
0 miles 0 km
Rest & Optional day hike
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 6
Namche 11,286 ft (3,440m)
Tengboche 12,664 ft (3,860m)
+1,378 ft +420m
6 miles 9.7 km
Trekking
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 7
Tengboche 12,664 ft (3,860m)
Tengboche 12,664 ft (3,860m)
0 ft 0 meters
0 miles 0 km
Rest & Optional day hike
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 8
Tengboche 12,664 ft (3,860m)
Pheriche 14,340 ft (4,371m)
+1,676 ft +510m
7.4 miles 12 km
Trekking
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 9
Pheriche 14,340 ft (4,371m)
Pheriche 14,340 ft (4,371m)
0 ft 0 meters
0 miles 0 km
Rest & Optional day hike
Lodge / Teahouse
DAY 10
Pheriche 14,340 ft (4,371m)
Lobuche BC 16,000 ft (4,785m)
+1,660 ft +414m
4.5 miles 7.25 km
Trekking
Tented Camp, Lobuche Base Camp
CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS
ACCOMMODATIONS
EVEREST BASE CAMP, LOBUCHE AND KHUMBU GLACIER EXPEDITION
DAY 11
DAY 12
DAY 13
Lobuche High camp climb Lobuche BC 17,750 ft 16,000 ft (5,410 m) (4,785m) + return to LBC Lobuche BC Gorak Shep 15,700 ft 16,090 ft (4,785m) (4,904m) Everest Gorak Shep Basecamp 16,090 ft 17,500 ft (4,904m) (5,334m)
Ascent +1,750 ft +535m Descent -1,750 ft -535m
Round Trip Acclimatization Tented Camp, 2.4 miles Hike Lobuche Base Camp 3.9 km
+390 ft +120m
5.6 miles 9 km
Trekking
Tented Camp, CTSS Gorak Shep Camp
+1,410 +430m
2.7 miles 4.4 km
Trekking
Tented Camp, CTSS Everest Base Camp
Lobuche Climb Lobuche Peak is a jewel of the Himalayas and offers perhaps the best summit view in the world! Lobuche is surrounded by the tallest peaks on earth and the view from the summit peers out on the Everest/Lhotse/Nuptse massif, Makalu, Pumori, Ama Dablam, Cho Oyu, Thamserku, and many others. This is a great first Himalayan climb and a great training peak for taller mountains such as Aconcagua, Ama Dablam, and Cho Oyu. To consider an ascent of Lobuche East peak participants must be familiar with crampon and ice axe technique and have used a harness before. We will run a training refresher at Lobuche Base Camp before the ascent so if you are a little rusty, don’t worry, we will get you up to speed. Tented Camps As the team moves higher into the Khumbu Valley, there are fewer and fewer excellent teahouses to choose from. Instead of just making due, we have developed a set of tented camps. Everest Base Camp Our itinerary includes two nights and one full day in EBC proper, a treat most will never experience. There you will have the opportunity to ice climb the Khumbu Glacier. Staring up at the Khumbu Icefall and climbing it are experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime. Return To Kathmandu Once your time enjoying EBC has come to a close, there is one final treat waiting for you. The helicopter ride from EBC to Kathmandu backtracks your trekking route, giving you a chance to relive the hike while viewing the incredible peaks, valleys, waterfalls, and villages from above. Leave Kathmandu - 10 April 2026 Friday Kathmandu (KTM) - Chicago (ORD) 07:30 KTM 09:40 ORD (Next day 11 April)
CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS
EVEREST BASE CAMP, LOBUCHE AND KHUMBU GLACIER EXPEDITION
CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS
EVEREST BASE CAMP, LOBUCHE AND KHUMBU GLACIER EXPEDITION
CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS
EVEREST BASE CAMP, LOBUCHE AND KHUMBU GLACIER EXPEDITION
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