Classic Treks in Nepal | Everest Base Camp Gokyo Valley Trek

EBC and Gokyo Valley Classic Treks in Nepal.

The EBC and Gokyo Valley are classic treks in Nepal. When people have asked me which of the Best classic treks they should do during their trip to Nepal. I have often floundered, as each offers something unique that might appeal to some people more than others. After this last trip though I will definitively say that a trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp including Gokyo is the best trek in Nepal. The Lukla section of the trail lets you see firsthand the villages of the middle hills. It has cultural components that are lacking in the heavily travelled Khumbu region. And it also provides some scenery that is not all dominated by huge snow-capped mountains. Though you see some of that too. Although combining Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Valley makes it the most comprehensive trek in Nepal.

Ama Dablam- The Jewel of the Khumbu:-
So what makes this trek so great? Let’s start with the scenery. Sure Annapurna has it in spades as well, but the mountains of the Khumbu are just on another level. Mountains like Ama Dablam and Nuptse are some of the most beautiful on the planet. Combine this with beautiful valleys, rivers, lakes and otherworldly terrain created by the many glaciers in the region. Obviously, it makes for a stunning natural landscape. Add on top of this already beautiful landscape the Buddhist monuments, villages, and people. The animals of the local and you have one of the most photogenic regions on the planet.

The hospitality of Local People:-
So let’s talk about the people for a moment, because they are most definitely another component that makes this trek so outstanding. Maybe it is because they have had some of the longest consistent contact with foreigners. But the people understand customer service like a few others in Nepal and how to make it work for them. Aside from being outright friendly for the most part of the area. So, they also run the best guest houses in Nepal offering more than just accommodation and food. And includes advice, help to get guides and porters, assistance booking and getting on flights, tips on where to see things, and wake-up “calls”, etc.

It’s not just that they are willing to provide these extra things. As a result, they often go out of their way to make your experience better, and that really stands out. There were two lodges that I stayed at that really stood out and I’ll mention them multiple times, because of it and recommend them to anyone travelling to the region. The Khumbu resort in Lukla and the Namaste Lodge in Gokyo is not only some of the better lodges. Especially, since it has the best food and took extra time and energy to really treat their guests well.

Everest Base Camp:-
Then there is the fact that you are walking in the footsteps of so many legends. If you are taking the time to walk up here most people have read of at least some of the great expeditions to attempt the mountain. You know the names of people like Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, and Reinhold Messner, among others. You’ve read the tragedies of books like John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air? It really helps you to visit the places where these events take place and just brings everything to life. From base camp, you can see the infamous Khumbu icefall and vaguely make out where the ascent rises up the western cwm. All of this makes this trek so much more than another walk in the mountains; it’s a full experience that really makes you grateful that you got to see it.

Sun Rises Over Mt. Everest as Seen From Gokyo Ri:-
You also have spectacular viewing points on this trek in Kala Patar and Gokyo Ri. Climbing both of these peaks in the early pre-dawn hours was an awesome experience. Especially, the views that I was rewarded with are the best I’ve had in the Himalayas. Gokyo Ri especially is just a stunning location combining the numerous nearby mountains with the Ngozumpa glacier and the third Gokyo lake is just amazing. I was extremely lucky and not only got a clear day at the top. But a fresh dusting of snow on everything just to make it look that much better. As the sun came up over Mt. Everest in the east and I watched the sun reflect off all the new-fallen snow in the mountains. Thus, I counted myself among the luckiest people on the planet.

This is not to say that the crag of Kala Patar does not have its own charm. It puts you front and centre to give you the best view there is of the highest peak on the planet, Mt. Everest. While Everest deserves its fame and one quickly realizes that it is not the most aesthetically pleasing mountain in the region. That said it is Everest and it’s a bit of an experience being at over 18,000′ and still seeing something tower over you like that.