Lobuche Peak News

Lobuche Peak News - Everest Glacier Climbing School on Lobuche in January, Feb, March, April, May, Oct, Nov, Dec

Lobuche Peak Video by Richard Pattison

Blog posts: Scroll down for day by day news of our climbing and trekking teams.

"Click Here" for information about our upcoming Lobuche Trekking Peak "

1 Nov - The weather is steadily improving. Today started off a bit cloudy and then it cleared off and became clear. Our Lobuche East Peak team walked to Dingboche. It was super lovely, with abundant fall colours, raging rivers, and lots of wildlife and soaring birds. The walk took up about 3 hours and then we arrived at the Himalayan Culture Home. A lovely quaint lodge in Dingboche town, with its many numerous bakeries and coffee shops. In Dingboche we are never far from a delicious piece of chocolate cake and a cappuccino! Our Lobuche team is now united, the final member was waiting patiently for man days for us to arrive. Yes we made it and are all together at last!!! Our walk-in-from-the-road member is enjoying homely comforts and acclimating in Namche today.

Caption : Team and Dingboche. Photo Wendy G.

31 Oct - Happy Halloween! Hope everyone’s having a fantastic and fun Halloween! Today we trekked to Pangboche - a mix of light to medium rain, but nothing too bad. We’re getting used to it now (though best not to tempt fate!). After breakfast in Namche, we dropped a lot of elevation through rhododendron forests to Fungki Thangka for lunch, then made the big climb to Tengboche Monastery, where monks were chanting and spinning prayer wheels for everyone’s well-being. There’s also a cozy bakery and coffee shop there - always a welcome stop! The trail continued through rhodies and hemlocks with a gentle downhill to Deboche, home to the Ani’s Gompa, one of Nepal’s oldest nunneries and the site of the Deboche Project, dedicated to preserving Sherpa women’s culture. This area is prime musk deer habitat, and we were hoping to spot one nibbling on rhododendron leaves. We crossed a suspension bridge and tackled the final gradual uphill to Pangboche, passing herds of Himalayan Tahr grazing on the grassy cliffs above the Dudh Khosi Gorge. Finally, we reached the far end of the village, where a warm dining room and a hot cup of tea at Sonam Lodge made for a perfect welcome. It was a long but rewarding day—and we’re now just 5 metres shy of 4000m, a big milestone in our acclimatization journey. Our advance member is already waiting in Dingboche, and tomorrow our Lobuche team will finally be complete.

Caption : Lunch stop at Fungki Thangka, Our Members at Sonam Lodge Pangboche. Photo Wendy.

Caption : Trekking through the stunning Khumbu Valley — breathtaking views, crisp mountain air, and unforgettable moments on the way. Photo Daniel P.

30 Oct - Namche Rest Day Today. For the sake of a bit more acclimatization, we walked up to Everest View Hotel in the rain and fog. Not much going on up there so we came back down to Hilltop Hotel for a delicious hot lunch. We headed downtown for cappuccino and chocolate cake and a few rounds of billiards and beers at the Irish Pub. It was fun walking around the streets of Namche and checking out all of the shops and souvenir tables. Later on we hiked back up to Hilltop and went a little further to see the excellent Sherpa Museum. In the evening we huddled around the toasty warm yak dung stove in Hilltop’ toasty warm dining room. Great rest day. Our advance members walked up to Dingboche to touch the snow and go on a meditation quest to the Lawudo Monastery. Our Himalayan through hiker stayed down in town and looks they will chillax in Namche for a few more days. Our Ama Dablam only team began arriving in Ktm and we checked their gear and did shopping. We met up with some returning Baruntse members for fabulous Thai food and then hit Sam’s Bar for a quick one afterward. It rained a lot today all over Nepal, but we somehow managed to make the best of it

Caption : One of many Prayer wheels and Suspension bridge. Photo Killian R.

29 Oct - We got up early, had breakfast and started walking up the trail. The rain abated and it stayed mainly dry. We walked through the villages of Benkar and Monjo and entered Sagarmatha National Park. After completing a few entry formalities we stopped for lunch at Buddha Lodge in Jorsalle, along the roaring Sun Khosi River. After lunch we trekked through pretty forests and started climbing up, crossing the famous suspension bridge at the junction of the Dudh Khosi and Bhote Khosi Rivers. Then it was uphill all afternoon, walking at a slow steady pace with plenty of rest stops, until the first glimpse of Namche Bazaar, where we got to stroll through Namche’s water park with all of the lovely water powered prayer wheels, wander the streets of downtown Namche, have a quick cappuccino and a slice of apple pie, and then climb the final hill up to Hilltop Lodge where we will be staying for the next few days. Hilltop Lodge is a beautiful lodge with fabulous views down into Namche Town and looking across the valley to Kwangde Ri, the massive peak dominating the skyline over the Bhote Khosi River valley. What a tough but rewarding day. Everyone is feeling quite well. Our early trekking group walked up to Pangboche today and our Road Warrior who trekked in from the end of the road also made it to Namche today, powerd by tongba drink. All of us are looking forward to getting some well deserved rest, eating lots of pizza, chocolate cake, having molti cappuccini and maybe even a pint or two

Caption : Namche bazaar and Hotel Everest view.

Caption : Some shots from the amazing Thame trek today — such a scenic and peaceful route! Photo Nat.

Caption : Silently flowing Dudh Koshi River and the walking trail leading toward the Himalayas. Photo Nat.

Caption : Member enjoying the trail with the iconic Hillary Bridge in the background. Photo Daniel P.

28 Oct - We woke up in Namaste Lodge at Lukla after a good night’s rest and had a big breakfast, then sorted out our bags and got them loaded on yaks. It was raining but thank heavens we were well prepared with rain gear and umbrellas. We trekked down through various checkposts where we had to register for certain entry permits and then continued to walk downhill along beautiful trails through oak and pine forest, along the Sun Khosi River, crossing several times on picturesque suspension bridges. We walked through Ghat Villages with all of its carved boulders painted with white Buddhist prayers, and on to Phakding, developed lunch town. Finally we reached Zamphute town and the Sonam Guesthouse, where we dried out by the warm stove in the dining room and had a nice dinner and went to sleep in our comfortable bedrooms. A good start to the trek = our first day on the trail, albeit downhill all of the way! Our advanced trekkers had a good day of walking around in Namche, taking pictures of the new snow piling up on the bushes and trees above town….a winter wonderland!

Caption : himalayan mona. Himalayan Tahr Mountain Sheep. Photo Nat.

Caption : Prayer wheels and Lord Buddha’s painting blessing the trail to Phakding.

Caption : Dinner time at Phakding.

Caption : Hiking towards Phakding. Photo Wendy

27 Oct - We woke up at Harati Manor Inn around 6:30 a.m. and began preparing our gear for the flight to Lukla. After enjoying a hearty breakfast at 7, we organized everything into four separate groups: storage bags, carry-on items, trekking duffels, and climbing duffels. Before leaving, we took a few group photos, thanked and tipped the hotel staff, then loaded up into two vans for the ride to the Kathmandu domestic airport.

At the terminal, our local support team greeted us and helped us check in. The first helicopter group took off around noon, followed by the second group at about 3 p.m. Both flights were smooth and offered stunning mountain scenery. Throughout the afternoon, our luggage arrived on several cargo flights as the weather began turning cloudy.

We checked into Namaste Lodge, where we enjoyed a tasty lunch and dinner before turning in early to rest for the trek ahead. Meanwhile, the pre-trekking team in Namche spent the day exploring and visiting Everest View Hotel for their first glimpse of Ama Dablam. Our overland traveler, who journeyed by bus and jeep from Kathmandu to Surke Village, ended the day with a warm meal, a large mug of Tonga, and a well-earned night’s sleep.

Caption: There she is. AmaDablam. Photo Nat and Peter

Caption : Lukla. Photo Daniel P.

Caption : Video by Wendy

Caption : Heli ride and Lukla. Photo Wendy.

Namche Bazaar. Team member with Lukla dog. Photo Peter and Wendy

Caption : Departure from the hotel for the domestic airport. Teams are hiring and Purchasing climbing equipment at the ktm trekking shop.

26 Oct - It turned out to be quite an eventful and productive day, with many moving parts finally coming together. One of our teammates departed from the hotel at 4 a.m. to catch his bus toward the Khumbu trailhead — he opted for the overland route instead of flying. The rest of us enjoyed a hearty breakfast at the hotel just as another member arrived from the airport. We checked over his gear and then headed out to shop for high-altitude clothing, mountaineering boots, and a few snack supplies, also taking care of money exchange along the way.

The two climbers who had arrived a day earlier woke up soon after, and we repeated the gear checks and shopping rounds for them as well. Lunch was a relaxing break in a peaceful garden café. A few team members, still adjusting to the time zone, decided to rest afterward with a short nap.

Later in the afternoon, we reviewed the weather forecast — a strong storm is predicted to move in on the 28th. To stay ahead of it, we made the call to fly out on the 27th instead. It wasn’t an easy change, but avoiding possible delays at Lukla is worth the adjustment. The team handled the sudden shift with impressive flexibility and a positive attitude — a true mountaineer’s mindset.

That evening, we gathered for a wonderful dinner at the cozy Ying Yang restaurant. Over drinks and delicious food, we went through final expedition details and shared plenty of laughs in our private dining room. A few late-arriving members joined us mid-meal, having just wrapped up some last-minute gear shopping at a shop that kindly stayed open for them.

After dinner, we picked up a few remaining essentials, packed up our duffels, and turned in early — tomorrow will be a big day.

Meanwhile, our early-start trekking members have already reached Namche Bazaar after climbing the steep Namche Hill. They’re relaxing in their lodges — well done, team!

Caption : Members having dinner at Kathmandu restaurant. Lobuche + AmaDablam Ready to fly Lukla.

25 Oct - Ama Dablam News and Lobuche News: Late last night some members arrived from Singapore. Early this morning one of our members went to the airport to catch the helicopter to Lukla, which involved a fair bit of sitting around and waiting in the ktm airport. Later on this morning a few of us enjoyed breakfast together and afterward we checked some more member’s gear and went shopping to rent/hire their high altitude down gear, mitts, boots, and sleeping bags. Some more members arrived mid morning. They had lunch and then went to bed after the long flight. This afternoon one of our members dropped off their duffle bags / hold-alls here in the hotel, because their plan is to take a bus and jeep up to the starting point of the trek, using the new road system, rather than fly to Lukla. We all met for dinner at 630 pm this evening and enjoyed the delicious food and excellent service at the Roadhouse, including amazing pastries for desert and complete with Irish coffee. Finally we went out to the pub to see someone about a dog, and shared stories and lively discussion. Now it’s off to bed for a comfortable night’s sleep. Btw several of our members are already in the Khumbu and getting a head start on their acclimatization. They have been sending us their photos and videos. Looks like they are having a grand time of it!

Caption : Enjoyed the delicious food and excellent service at the Roadhouse.

Caption : We checked some more member’s gear and went shopping to rent/hire their high altitude down gear, mitts, boots, and sleeping bags.

24 Oct Ama Dablam and Lobuche News: Yesterday a few members arrived, we checked their gear, did shopping for the few missing bits and pieces and they flew to Lukla this morning on the first flight. Incredible weather. Today more members arrived and we had a look at their gear and they went to the Ktm hire shop and hired/rented the high altitude warm clothing, big mitts and big boots. They changed money and got cash out of the cash machine. We ate a few meals together especially yummy pizza, and then went out to a local Pub to enjoy our team camaraderie and stay hydrated