A Different Way To Everest Base Camp: Three High Passes

A trek to Everest Base Camp is an experience with no equal, whichever approach you take to the legendary campsite. The most popular route, followed by thousands every year, goes from Lukla to the colourful Sherpa village

"Renjo La" © 2009 linznix, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license

A trek to Everest Base Camp is an experience with no equal, whichever approach you take to the legendary campsite. The most popular route, followed by thousands every year, goes from Lukla to the colourful Sherpa village of Namche Bazaar, with a pause to acclimatise before continuing to Dingboche, Lobuche, and then to Base Camp itself. This classic route, with its sublime views and ambient tea houses, is a favourite with our trekkers for good reason; but for those who want something a little different, Mountain Kingdoms also offers a variety of other approaches, and those in search of a challenge might be interested in our ‘Three High Passes’ route.

Who is the ‘Three High Passes’ trek for? It is likely to appeal to those interested in trekking to view Everest Base Camp via a more ‘off the beaten track’ approach than usual, or for those who might have made the classic trek before and are now seeking to tackle a tougher challenge. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to see the mountains around Everest as few other visitors to the region do, thanks to the spectacular vistas high passes that can be viewed from the trek’s high passes.

The three high passes in question are Kongma La, Cho La, and Renjo La, which reach breathtaking heights, really making trekkers feel on top of the world. In addition, our route includes the summits of Gokyo Ri and Kala Pattar – where there are fantastic views of Everest and Everest Base Camp. It is a strenuous trek, even by the region’s standards, but the rewards are immediately apparent – without the bustle of fellow travellers that accompanies the classic trek, the scenery is all the more enchanting.