The Sacred Lake of Solukhumbu | Eastern Nepal | 12D

This 12-day adventure gets you off the beaten track to explore lesser-known villages and the wilder places of the lower Everest region. You'll combine nights spent in local tea houses with a wilderness camping component well off the beaten path to the base of Mount Numbur, where you will witness a sacred lake much-revered by the Buddhists and Hindus - also known as the Dudh Kunda Lake.

ADVENTURE OVERVIEW

SEASON: Winter, May experience light snowfall
TEMPERATURE: Up to -10 degrees night time at higher altitudes, 0-10 degrees mid-day (Solukhumbu)
PROGRAM: Part community, part adventure
ACCOMMODATION: Clean and quiet hotel in the city, teahouse & expedition-style camping during trek
FACILITIES: No shower & Internet connectivity on trek (3 days)
ELEVATION GAIN: 3,071M ~ 4,592M
DIFFICULTY: Moderate to hard, non-technical, beginner-friendly
AVERAGE WALKING HOURS PER DAY: 7-9 hours/day
SUPPORT CREW: Sherpa guides, cooks, and porters.

DAY 1: Arrive in Kathmandu

Welcome to the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu.
First, get acquainted and immerse yourself deep through the layers of the nation’s history to help set the scene for your journey ahead.

DAY 2: Explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites

We'll visit important UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kathmandu, such as the Pashupatinath, Dubar Squares, and Swayambhunath Temple to appreciate Nepal's vibrant culture and her rich history.

Before we get to the meat of our adventure, we'll have a bit of free time to roam the streets of Thamel (backpacker's street) for some last-minute shopping! We'll end the night with a welcome dinner by our hosts and founders of The Small World Foundation.

Did you know?

Kathmandu is one of the world's oldest capitals, with 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites here? The Swayambhunath Stupa, about 2,500 years old, is the oldest site in the valley. The stupa is comprisd of two eyes, which represent wisdom and compassion, and 13 rings, for the 13 steps of ladder leading to Nirvana.

Get your cameras ready, because you'll want to capture many memories of these magnificent sites.

DAY 3: JOURNEY TO THE EAST - SALLERI, LOWER SOLUKHUMBU

Fasten your seatbelts: we'll be hopping on a Jeep for a 300km ride along some rocky terrains to Salleri, the administrative headquarter of Solokhumbu, a region that's home to Mount Everest. Being the most important town in Solukhumbu, you'll find facilities like electricity, telephones, tourist lodges, ATMs, restaurants, and the Internet!

Our journey will take around 10-12 hours, giving you ample opportunity to take in the fascinating countryside views of the Solu and Khumbu regions and even catch up on some rest! We'll arrive at The Girls Dorm late at around 7-8 PM, have a hearty dinner prepared by our expedition chef, check in to our basic rooms, and call it a night.

DAY 4-5: 2 DAYS IN A STUDENT DORM WITH 40 INSPIRING GIRL SCHOLARS FROM THE EVEREST REGION

Over the next 2 days, we'll meet and spend quality time with 40 inspiring scholarship recipients who are pursuing their higher education in Salleri. These girls live in a simple shared dormitory built by our local partner, The Small World.

Stories Through Food

There's no better way to end a long day than with delectable food!

In the noon, we'll take a short 1h hour hike to a local weekend market for some grocery shopping. In the evening, we'll cook and dine with the girls in their kitchen. This is an opportunity for everyone to exchange heartfelt stories and learn more about each other's cultures through the universal language of food.

Meet Your Expedition Chef: Takbur

*Takbur is not your everyday cook.

Throughout his career, he's been on some phenomenal high-altitude expeditions, like Everest, Cho Oyu, Kangchenjunga, Manaslu, etc. feeding expedition teams on their way up to the death zones of the 8,000m peaks.

For the next 2 days at the Girl's Dorm, you'll get a chance to enjoy meals prepared by him and his assistant - 100% organic, non-processed, healthy food right in this makeshift kitchen.

The Arhaus Children Home by The Small World Foundation

The next day, we'll hike (1 hour) to the Friends of Arhaus Children's Home. It's the first of its kind in the Everest region, offering a safe haven for orphaned, abandoned, and vulnerable children at severe risk of trafficking, forced child labor, and other serious abuses. The home provides education, security, peace, and love in a healthy living environment.

We may not have access to the Internet, so take this opportunity to go on that much-needed digital detox and live in the moment with your fellow adventurers!

At night, we'll all sing, dance, and huddle around a campfire outside the dorm with our newfound friends.

*The Small World is a not-for-profit organization supporting sustainable community projects that help to provide education & shelter for young girls and boys at risk for exploitation in the Everest Region. They currently run the Arhaus Children's Home for children (Grades 1-10) & a Girl's Dorm (Grades 11 & 12), and are our official charity partner.

DAY 6: ADVENTURE BEGINS
JEEP RIDE (45 MINS) + TREK TO KAMO DANDA (5-6H)

After bidding goodbye to everyone at the girls' dorm, we embark on the next part of our trip: the adventure! We'll trek up to Kamo Danda, with plenty of breaks in between.

There will be no teahouses on the way, but if we are lucky, we may find makeshift campsites like this built by the locals to support the workers in the region.

KAMO DANDA: OVERNIGHT IN A BEAUTIFUL LODGE (3,880M)

Built on top of a viewpoint, this lodge is the only accommodation you will find in Kamo Danda. If you are lucky, you can catch a view of Everest here, along with other majestic snow-capped peaks. While you will sleep in tents at night, food and drinks will be prepared and served in a makeshift nomadic hut, just a stone's throw away from our campsite.

Note: No shower or connection is available here.

DAY 7: TREK TO BENI, 4,030M (7-8H)

From Kamo Dada, we're going on a journey to Beni.

Remote, without tea houses or homestays (barring a few camps built by nomadic yak herders), Beni promises mountains and also, the stars.

Our hardworking crew of Sherpa guides and porters will get our campsite ready. Warning: You'll be blown away by the uninterrupted view of the billions of stars that light up the night sky.

While you will sleep in tents at night, food and drinks will be prepared and served in a makeshift nomadic hut, just a stone's throw away from our campsite. And as we move above the tree line, there are no trees in the vicinity. Thankfully, we'll have logs ready for your arrival - carried up by our porters from a lower elevation so you can enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience to start a campfire above 4,000m.

Note: We'll be staying here for the next 2 nights (before & after summit day). Toilets are available. No shower facilities, and no internet connection. Each tent will be shared by two people (e.g. male & male, female & female)

DAY 8: SUNRISE SUMMIT TO THE BASE OF MT. NUMBUR, 4,592M (5-6H) AND BACK TO BENI FOR OVERNIGHT (4H)

Dudh Kunda, or ‘milk lake', is a sacred lake situated between Mt. Numbur (6,959m) and Mt. Karyalung (6,681m). Legend has it that it’s the residence of Lord Shiva — hundreds of Hindu devotees visit the lake to take a holy dip every year to wash away their sins and grant their wishes. Given the time, we might not recommend you to actually take a dive!

Note: Depending on the season and climate, the lake is usually frozen from December to March

DAY 9: DOWNHILL TREK BACK TO TAKSINDU (9-10H)

This will be the adventure's final part (and longest) trek. After leaving our campsite, we'll return to where we started. Good news - it will be mainly a downhill trek. If you are lucky, you'll meet nomadic yak herders with their Dzos- a special cross-breed of yak and domestic cattle to survive in higher altitudes.

Note: Warm shower and internet connection will be available once we arrive at Taksindu and check in a cozy teahouse!

DAY 10-11: GOODBYE, SOLUKHUMBU

Today is a long day on the road as we say goodbyes to the mountains and head back to Kathmandu. You've been on this way before. Having a travel neck pillow may be a good idea for extra comfort!

DAY 12: BID FAREWELL

Bid farewell to the your incredible guides and hosts, as you board your flight home with the crew together. What makes this 12-day adventure truly beautiful is the realization that you've nurtured lifelong friendships with folks who are forever eager to push the boundaries of their comfort zones.

And as we'd like to say, keep seeking and embracing the daring adventure your life was meant to be.