The Khumbu Valley is accessed by a short internal flight from Kathmandu to the airstrip at Lukla, from where a couple of days trekking leads to the famous village of Namche Bazar half way up the valley. From here, trekkers and climbers head out in all directions to visit the mumerous valleys and striking summits of the region. For a taste of the area and scenery, here are a few of our photo galleries to take a look at: Climbing in Nepal - gallery 1, gallery 2 , gallery 3 (to see what our guides get up to on there own holidays to the region - take a look here: AMA DABLAM, PHARILAPCHE).

Climbing Season There are two main climbing seasons in Nepal, either side of the summer monsoon. They typically run from mid April - late May and mid September - late November. Spring is snowier with warmer temperatures, but the weather becomes increasingly less stable as the summer monsoon approaches. Autumn sees less snow lying on cols and passes, the weather is generally more stable, but with much lower temperatures as winter arrives.

Possible Itineraries The region boasts a huge range of possible objectives accessible in a 3 week trip from the UK, including:

• Gyoko-Thame Trek - traversing high cols and visiting stunning viewpoints in the region.
• Khumbu Classics - Pokalde (5806m), Lobuje East (6119m) and Island Peak (6189m).
• Parchamo (6273m) - a fine, infrequently climbed summit at the head of the Thame Valley.
• Kwangde (6186m) - a technically challenging, multiday alpine style ascent.

For these and other itineraries, contact us to discuss your ambitions in more detail - as fitness and experience requirements vary widely and are specific to each trip.

Food and Accommodation  Kathmandu has a wide variety of good quality hotels and eateries to chose from. Once in the Khumbu region, we stay at tea lodges rather than camping whenever possible – reserving tents for the high mountain camps. These will be stocked with expedition quality tents, stoves and food - but nevertheless are cold places at night, so expedition quality sleeping bags and sleeping mats will be neccesary.

Travel  Full travel details are provided with your joining instructions. You may buy your own flight to Kathmandu independently, or use our recommended ATOL booking agent (who will have seats reserved on the same flight for us). Internal flights are arranged by our local agent in Kathmandu and are paid for on the spot.

Fitness  To climb successfully at high altitudes you need good cardiovascular fitness and plenty of stamina (see fitness levels 2-4) so we advise you to prepare well in advance with regular training and big days out in the UK hills.

Experience  You need previous alpine climbing experience and a proven track record of acclimatisation at altitude (eg in the Alps or on a trekking trip) in order to climb succesfully in this region.

Safety Awareness and Altitude Warning High altitude mountaineering has certain risks that can never be eliminated, but they can be minimised by good acclimatisation and appropriate safety decisions made by your guide – even if this means forsaking the summit. Nevertheless, dangers such as rock fall, icefall and altitude illness are not always predictable. If you are unsure about any of the hazards involved, we are happy to explain them to you.

Equipment  All communal safety equipment (ropes etc) is provided by us.  You are expected to come equiped with personal clothing and climbing kit, sleeping equipment, a rucsac and mountain boots. Local equipment hire including boots is also available, but the quality of hire equipment in Nepal is very variable, so we advise you to arrive fully kitted out for the trip.