Breaking News
As of April 2006 the king has agreed to restablish parliament due to heavy protests. It appears as though the situation is settling down somewhat. It appears that a new government is being formed in Nepal and the Maoists have a cease fire for the time being. Generally, things are in a state of change and turmoil currently. However, I have not heard of any recent threats to climbers. |  |  |  |  |
Overview
There is basically one route to Kala Pataar... from the airfield in Lukla up the same trail to near the Mt Everest base camp. Spectacular views of Everest and many other beautiful Himalayan Mountains along this route. It is getting popular and booking from Kathmandu to Lukla can be an adventure. We did it on our own and saved a bundle of money over the commercial travel agencies. You can book a porter or guide in Lukla if you want... but if you have a topo and can follow trails you really dont need them. You should plan on taking at least about 8 days from Lukla to Kala Pataar to properly acclimatize. But if you feel the effects of altitude, I would recommend planning another 2 "slack days" in your schedule so that you can acclimatize even more if necessary. No point in going half way around the world and planning your schedule so tight that you cant acclimatize and make the summit.This peak is a nice trekking peak that offers spectacular views of Mt Everest and is quite near Everest Base Camp. Be sure to click the "View More Information" link above for very valuable information.
 |  |  |  |  |
Getting There
I would be glad to share info with anybody considering this trip.. just email me. My buddy and I did a month through China Tibet and Nepal on a shoestring budget and had a great time. I highly recommend Lonely Planet's guide "Trekking in Nepal " for lots of good info. Flights from Kathmandu to Lukla do get delayed and cancelled a lot so plan some slack time, but we were lucky and got out the first flight the first day we tried. We flew into Kathmandu from Gongar airfield near Lhasa, Tibet. But there are many other ways to get to Kathmandu.William Marler adds:
To get to Nepal you will have to fly from either India, Thailand or Singapore.
To get to New Delhi India try (there are many others). I will add US airlines when I have a moment
Air India
British Airways
Air France
Air Canada
Kuwait Airlines
Luftansa
KLM
Once you get to Katmandu you will have basically two options:
1 - Fly on Royal Nepal’s Twin Otter flights or Yeti Airlines to Lukla. A small air strip about ten days from Everest Base Camp ( eight from Gokyo peak allowing for acclimitization) 1 hour flight approx.
2 - Take a local bus, Mini Bus hired by you or your Sherpa provider to Jiri. This is a small village at the end of the road. From here it is about a 14-16 day trek to the Everest region.
Note: Effective May 2004, bus service has been suspended due to a recent attack on a bus to Jiri. See this site ( courtesy of Vito Corleone) for lots of good news on the uncertain situation:
Nepal News
If you have the time do the walk. For three reasons:
1 - You will have a chance to walk through one of the most lush and beautiful lowland areas in Nepal. This is an area that a lot of trekkers miss when flying to Lukla. You will also cross over two high passes with excellent views in all directions.
2 - By taking 2 weeks to arrive in the Khumbu are and having already crossed over two high passes you will be better acclimitized once you arrive in the high peaks area. You will enjoy this more as you will be huffing and puffing less.
3 - You will be following the route taken by most of the early expeditions. There is a lot of history along that path, why not soak it up. You will also have the bragging rights that you did the same route as they in years gone by.
Flying is fast and that has its advantages. But if you have ever been at Lukla after several days of no flights after bad weather you will understand this. (Trekkers fighting over seats to make their connecting flights home)
 |  |  |  |  |
Red Tape
A treking permit is required and can be bought in Kathmandu. It was a bit of a circus buying it, but that was part of the fun. If you dont care for the packed in like sardines kind of fun you can usually hire a local to do it for you for a fee.Dominik adds:
We bought our Trekking Permit at the entrance to the Sagarmatha National Park in Monjo. It took about 10 Minutes and cost 650Rs (in May 2000).
 |  |  |  |
When To Climb
March -May tend to be best...out of season you get the monsoons and that can make for a miserable trip. During the March- May time you may even possibly run across an expedition atempting Everest.William Marler adds:
Late September, October and early November are the busiest times. The reason for this is the best visibility in the mountains. The Monsoon of June, July and early August have passed and the dust from the plains of India has not made its way back into the atmosphere. It is tradeoff with the "crowds" though. February, March and April are less travelled and you still get good views but as April approches the sky can get hazy.
Raina adds: December is a great time to trek the Khumbu. The crowds from the fall have left, and it is still not deep winter. It is statistically dry, clear and crisp.
 |  |  |  |  |
Camping
Lodging is readily available in the small villages along the trail. Local inn keepers will rent you a bunk and a breakfast for 3-5 dollars a night (1993 prices)at their "teahouse". Water is available along the routes as is beer and other essentials. Prices rise the higher up the mountain you go. You can camp also, but the tea houses are nice and give a chance to mingle with others from around the world. |  |  |  |  |
Mountain Conditions
Very good maps are available at book stores all along the streets in the Thamel district of Kathmandu. Trails are well marked trails... take your camera and more film than you think you will ever need... quite an adventure.. I highly recommend this climb... the only downside is that tourism has changed the landscape and the environment there. |  |  |  |  |
Miscellaneous Info/Current Events
See this United States State Department travel Warning dated April 7,2004.Travel Warning
Vito Corleone adds in April 2004:
Although there was certainly an escalation of violence in Nepal especially since February 2004, and the situation in the country appears to be worse than during the last years, the Everest region above Lukla is still very safe. There are no Maoists to be seen there. Been there in March/April 2004 and had no problems at all. It was business as usual, although there was a strong army presence at a few places. I met several trekkers that had to pay a forced "donation" on the way between Jiri and Lukla. Although walking in from Jiri seems to better because of several reasons (especially akklimatization), if you want to avoid encouters with Maoists, fly in to Lukla and you will have no problems at all.
The frequent "bandhs" (strikes) and blockades that became such annoying in Nepal don't take place in the Khumbu above Lukla. It is probably the safest part of the country at the moment.
However, the situation in Nepal can change quickly, and you have to check what western embassies say (not only the American) before going. Also have a look at www.yetizone.com for information on the situation in Nepal
In 2002 William Marler submits the following information:
This once peaceful kingdom has been suffering recently from bouts of violence. Several hunderd police and military have been killed by ambush in the past year. Visitors should be warned that they may be approached by bandits and taxed.
Note on Nepal.
There has been a recent cease fire and talks are set to take place the 2nd week of March 2003.
Over the past several years over 7,000 Nepalese have lost their lives to violence including locals, communist rebels, police and military. Your Guides or Sherpas will inform you on where and where not to go in Nepal. Even the school courriers that run betwwen Lukla and the school in Khundi (run by the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation) have been stopped and robbed. It is not sure how the Annapruna region is being effected. Let us all hope that this terrible situation clears itself up soon. So that locals and climbers can all enjoy this wonderful place in peace.
If you have information about this mountain that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
 |  |  |  |  |
Helping the Sherpa Community
There is nothing sadder than to see people come from around the world and trash and destroy this beautiful area and not give back. Please consider supporting the Sherpa community by making a donation to any of the following organizations:The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation- provides direction and financial support to community based humanitarian programs around the world. Currently the foundation is involved in establishing a climbing school for Sherpas as well as the Babu Chirri School Project to build schools in the Khumbu region where Babu was from. The organization is also active in promoting climbing safety and technique in Mongolia. There is very little overhead in this operation, and a very high percentage of donations go directly to benefit the projects.
Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation
PO Box 6666
Bozeman, MT USA 59715
The Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation
William Marler adds:
There are several organizations dedicated to helping the Sherpa community. Here are just two. Should you wish to contribute to this worthwhile cause contact either of the following organizations though the information below.
The Sir Edmond Hillary Foundation
222 Jarvis Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5B 2B8
(416) 941-3315
The Sir Edmond Hillary Foundation
The American Himalayan Foundation
909 Montgomery Street, suite 400
San Francisco CA 94133
Telephone (415) 288-7245
Fax (415) 434-3130
American Himilayan Foundation
External Links
- China/Tibet/ Nepal/ Kala Pataar
- Dale Stuart's Everest Base Camp trip
Woman mountaineer conquers Kala Pataar.
- Kala Patar, the Khumbu and more
- Extreme Ironing World Record On Kala Pataar
Additions and Corrections
[ Post an Addition or Correction ]
|
| Scott | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | I've flown Royal Nepal a few times. They are much cheaper. The major problem with them that I've experienced is that they will cancel a flight if the flight isn't full and call it a "technical problem". It happens all the time. On the other hand, when a flight is canceled they put you in a fairly good hotel overnight. As long as you have a flexible scedule, flying RNA may be worth the savings. As far as the worst airline in the world goes, how much have you flown in Africa or through Russia? I swear that one of the planes we flew on Siberian Air was held together with duct tape. | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 6:32 pm | ||
| Bryan W | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Duct tape??? NO, we in the aviation business call that "speed tape" or "200 mph tape." It is quite common on all aircraft. Seriously!!! It is kind of scary to think of flying on non-flag carriers. I think the Russians have the worst safety record in regard to commercial aviation, but don't quote me on that. But then I hear about helicopter charters in Asia and that is a whole other story. | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 9:02 pm | ||
| Alan Sharp | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Absolutely agree with Vito and William. When I did Kala Pataar in Nov 2002 we spent 8 days getting there from Lukla and still one girl on the trip, after pushing herself to get to the top, took a serious case of AMS when she got there with the incoherent babbling, projectile vomitting and the full works, and had to be carried all the way down to Lobuche on a porter's back. Trust me, you do not want this to happen to you when it can be avoided just by taking a little extra time. | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 6:30 am | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | When I flew to Lukla Royal Nepal was the ONLY airline flying there. We got out first time we booked and were very happy. For those who have been there "recently"- are the planes that did not land successfully still just off the runway? I would welcome any runway pic additions to this page. I have also flown some rickety planes in Africa...but yet to fly Aeroflot ( the worlds reputed worst) Actually, I was moderately impressed that Royal Nepal would cancel flights for weather... hence many days backups... but that was in the eary 1990s. I welcome more current info. Anybody who does this kind of travel needs to be flexible and have a pad for uncertainties. If it was easy everybody would be doing it! Have fun and I will see you at the summit! | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 10:41 pm | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Ditto ditto ditto...it isnt a race...its a journey... a great trip... take your time and smell the rhododendrons. Staying in the teahouses will be lifetime experiences. I saw many get sick trying to do it too fast ( and by drinking too much chang on the way UP). Take your time going up... and party coming down. We had been in Tibet before coming to Nepal so had a bit of acclimatization- but for what it is worth here is how we did it: Day 1- arrive Lukla... original plan to stay in Phakding, but we were really feeling good so went on to Jorsale. Day 2-Namche Day 3- acclimitize day again at Namche...minor exploratory treks Day 4-Tengboche Day 5- set out for either Dingboche or Pheriche ( depending on how we were feeling and how high we wanted to sleep) stayed at "Island Peak View Lodge" in Dingboche. Speaking of hydration- I read my trip notes and saw that this day I drank 2 liters water, 10 teas, and 2 bowls of soup. Day 6- Chunkung side trip for some really neat scenery and a bit more acclimatization. Stayed the night again in Dingboche. Day 7-Lobuje Day 8- Summit Kala Pataar- great photos of Everest... back to Lobuje Day 9-Namche Day 10- Lukla All in all a great trip.... now that I think of it... I have already written a trip report... I will try to add it soon to this site. | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 11:33 pm | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Update: Please do not consider my above itinerary as a "roadmap" for your trip. I had spend several days in the Tibetan Plateau before coming to Nepal and had some extra days of acclimatization because of this. The main thing is listen to your body. Err on the side of climbing slower rather than faster. AMS is a real threat in the Khumbu and should not be treated lightly. Spend what time you need to to acclimatize and enjoy your trip. Namaste. | |
| Posted May 9, 2004 1:55 am | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | I have changed the overview to reflect about 8 days to get to Kala Pataar from Lukla. I have also suggested leaving about 2 days of slack in the planning schedule for additional acclimatization if necessary. Your comments are accurate and appreciated. It took me 8 days and I was already somewhat acclimatized. | |
| Posted May 10, 2004 11:44 pm | ||
| eza | Untitled Comment | |
Voted 10/10 | We went to Nepal about six years ago, but it might be worth to consider what we did: Frankfurt-Delhi by Lufthansa and Delhi-Katmandu with Indian Airlines. Not bad, if you care to make reservations with enough time. | |
| Posted May 19, 2004 9:33 am | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Added this to Annapurna site as well. Also, I just posted a link for the US State Department Travel Warning. | |
| Posted May 19, 2004 4:02 pm | ||
| vito corleone | Untitled Comment | |
Voted 10/10 | Coming from Europe, Gulf Air is also a good alternative - relatively cheap. Note that it includes usually a stop at Bahrein and Abu Dhabi (sometimes to stay there for the night) | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 4:58 am | ||
| vito corleone | Untitled Comment | |
Voted 10/10 | Although the flights run by Royal Nepal Airlines are cheaper than the ones of other airlines, try to avoid them. They are far less reliable than the other ones. In fact, they seem to be one of the worst airlines in the world. You get what you pay for... | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 5:02 am | ||
| Scott | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | I've flown Royal Nepal a few times. They are much cheaper. The major problem with them that I've experienced is that they will cancel a flight if the flight isn't full and call it a "technical problem". It happens all the time. On the other hand, when a flight is canceled they put you in a fairly good hotel overnight. As long as you have a flexible scedule, flying RNA may be worth the savings. As far as the worst airline in the world goes, how much have you flown in Africa or through Russia? I swear that one of the planes we flew on Siberian Air was held together with duct tape. | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 6:32 pm | ||
| Bryan W | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Duct tape??? NO, we in the aviation business call that "speed tape" or "200 mph tape." It is quite common on all aircraft. Seriously!!! It is kind of scary to think of flying on non-flag carriers. I think the Russians have the worst safety record in regard to commercial aviation, but don't quote me on that. But then I hear about helicopter charters in Asia and that is a whole other story. | |
| Posted Apr 19, 2004 9:02 pm | ||
| vito corleone | Untitled Comment | |
Voted 10/10 | I would say that five days from Lukla to Kala Pataar is not enough if you haven't properly acclimatized before. Altitude sickness definitely has to be a concern in the Khumbu, and only in spring 2004 a british tourist died because of that there. Spending at least two nights in Namche Bazaar (3450 meters) for acclimatization is necessary. Think about another acclimatization day later on (in Dingpoche or Pheriche). About 9 or 10 days from Lukla to Kala Pataar should be o.k. for most people, but you never know before. So take your time, be flexible with your itinerary and allow for rest days to acclimatize. The more time you spend acclimatizing, the better you will feel higher up. AMS can easily ruin your trip, and I saw some very sick people there that went up too fast. | |
| Posted Apr 20, 2004 5:30 am | ||
| Alan Sharp | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Absolutely agree with Vito and William. When I did Kala Pataar in Nov 2002 we spent 8 days getting there from Lukla and still one girl on the trip, after pushing herself to get to the top, took a serious case of AMS when she got there with the incoherent babbling, projectile vomitting and the full works, and had to be carried all the way down to Lobuche on a porter's back. Trust me, you do not want this to happen to you when it can be avoided just by taking a little extra time. | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 6:30 am | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | When I flew to Lukla Royal Nepal was the ONLY airline flying there. We got out first time we booked and were very happy. For those who have been there "recently"- are the planes that did not land successfully still just off the runway? I would welcome any runway pic additions to this page. I have also flown some rickety planes in Africa...but yet to fly Aeroflot ( the worlds reputed worst) Actually, I was moderately impressed that Royal Nepal would cancel flights for weather... hence many days backups... but that was in the eary 1990s. I welcome more current info. Anybody who does this kind of travel needs to be flexible and have a pad for uncertainties. If it was easy everybody would be doing it! Have fun and I will see you at the summit! | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 10:41 pm | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Ditto ditto ditto...it isnt a race...its a journey... a great trip... take your time and smell the rhododendrons. Staying in the teahouses will be lifetime experiences. I saw many get sick trying to do it too fast ( and by drinking too much chang on the way UP). Take your time going up... and party coming down. We had been in Tibet before coming to Nepal so had a bit of acclimatization- but for what it is worth here is how we did it: Day 1- arrive Lukla... original plan to stay in Phakding, but we were really feeling good so went on to Jorsale. Day 2-Namche Day 3- acclimitize day again at Namche...minor exploratory treks Day 4-Tengboche Day 5- set out for either Dingboche or Pheriche ( depending on how we were feeling and how high we wanted to sleep) stayed at "Island Peak View Lodge" in Dingboche. Speaking of hydration- I read my trip notes and saw that this day I drank 2 liters water, 10 teas, and 2 bowls of soup. Day 6- Chunkung side trip for some really neat scenery and a bit more acclimatization. Stayed the night again in Dingboche. Day 7-Lobuje Day 8- Summit Kala Pataar- great photos of Everest... back to Lobuje Day 9-Namche Day 10- Lukla All in all a great trip.... now that I think of it... I have already written a trip report... I will try to add it soon to this site. | |
| Posted Apr 21, 2004 11:33 pm | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | Update: Please do not consider my above itinerary as a "roadmap" for your trip. I had spend several days in the Tibetan Plateau before coming to Nepal and had some extra days of acclimatization because of this. The main thing is listen to your body. Err on the side of climbing slower rather than faster. AMS is a real threat in the Khumbu and should not be treated lightly. Spend what time you need to to acclimatize and enjoy your trip. Namaste. | |
| Posted May 9, 2004 1:55 am | ||
| kilimanjaro1 | Untitled Comment | |
Hasn't voted | I have changed the overview to reflect about 8 days to get to Kala Pataar from Lukla. I have also suggested leaving about 2 days of slack in the planning schedule for additional acclimatization if necessary. Your comments are accurate and appreciated. It took me 8 days and I was already somewhat acclimatized. | |
| Posted May 10, 2004 11:44 pm | ||
| vito corleone | Untitled Comment | |
Voted 10/10 | At the moment it is not possible to take the bus to Jiri. There are no busses going to the east of Nepal from Kathmandu because maoists shot at a public bus and killed several people, including civilists. After that, all the bus services were suspended. Nobody knows when the busses will be going again. If you really want to go to Jiri dispite of the worsening security situation (probably not a good idea) you have to hire a car. http://www.nepalnews.com.np/archive/2004/may/arc_may04_16.htm#6 Still, there are no problems with maoists above Lukla. | |
| Posted May 19, 2004 5:08 am | ||
|
