Welcome at the airport and transfer to your hotel. An introduction to your trekking program then the rest of the day at your leisure to enjoy the sights, sounds, and culture of Kathmandu.

A magical scenic flight takes us to Lukla in the morning, and from there we begin our trek with a hike to the day’s first destination, Phakding.

Our day starts by following the Dudh Koshi River and crossing over the Edmund Hillary suspension bridge, then heading towards Sagarmatha National Park and the checkpoint at Monjo. The path ascends markedly until it eventually leads us into Namche Bazaar, the regional capital of the Sherpa district.

A rest day to allow the body to acclimate to the high altitude conditions. Namche is perfect for the situation, as there’s plenty to do in the scenic town including paying a visit to Khunde Hospital, the local medical facility set up through Edmund Hillary’s charitable work in the area, taking in the panoramas from Everest View Hotel, calling in on the Sherpa Cultural Museum, or hiking up to Khumjung Valley and its monastery, complete with the display of its legendary Yeti sca

With plenty of rest from the previous day, our bodies are fully prepared for the next stretch towards Thugla, where we pass numerous cairns and monuments dedicated to the many Sherpas and climbers who have perished on Everest’s slopes.  Further along on the trail through the barren terrain, we come to Khumbu glacier at the foot of the famous mountain and marvel at the terrible beauty and chaos of the inexorable mass of ice. The day finishes up with our arrival at the jumble of buildings that make up the remote human outpost of Lobuche.

Everest may not be within our reach but Kala Patthar is on hand to give added meaning to the visit via unmatched views of the entire Khumbu basin and a sense of accomplishment in scaling the peak. After returning for breakfast and retrieving our trekking gear we hit the trail once more for the pronounced descent to Lobuche.

Today we scale the highest of the three passes in the Everest region, Kogma La, with its outstanding views of the Himalayas and nearby Khumbu Glacier. From there it’s a steady descent to Chhukung village, the last outpost of civilization before we head out on our expedition. Chhukung is where we’ll meet up for the first time with our climbing guide.

Our path to the top of Island Peak takes us to the left of the sharp incline and on across a rock-strewn slope that funnels us further upwards to the ridgeline and the long traverse towards the peak. We rope up for the summit glacier and head across this final obstacle towards our ultimate goal; the ridge leading to the top of Island Peak. Once at the top, we can pause to celebrate the moment and take in the breathtaking views of Everest, Lhotse, and the surrounding Himalayan amphitheater of formidable peaks before turning to the task of our return journey to the base of the mountain and on to Dingboche.

Weather in the Himalayas can be unpredictable, so prudence demands that we set aside an additional day to maximize your chances of making a successful climb.

On our final day, easing back to Lukla along the Dudhi Koshi and its suspension bridges. Once at Lukla we can finally throw off our backpacks, take a refreshing shower, and sit down to relax and savor the heady accomplishment of making it to the foot of Everest and the summit of Island Peak.