Overview
Chukkung Ri is a rocky peak, similar to Kala Pataar above the village of Chukkung in the Everest (Khumbu) Region of Nepal. It lies to the North of Chukkung and takes approximately 3-4 hours of lung busting effort. It is often used as an acclimatisation trip by people going on to climb Imja Tse, especially if they haven’t been up to Everest Base Camp and Kala Pataar. The peak, small by Himalayan standards, doesn’t require any technical expertise, just stamina. However I believe it should be on many more people’s list who trek to Everest Base Camp, giving fantastic views of Imja Tse, Ama Dablam, Makalu, and of Nuptse you won’t get anywhere else.
Getting There
There are two ways to get into the Kumbhu Region, the short and the long. The long way involves taking a bus to Jiri from Kathmandu and walking for 7 days to Lukla then a further 7 days to Chukkung. The short way involves flying to Lukla then trekking for 7 days. In recent years it has been “safer” to avoid the Jiri route because of Maoist activity and the expense of getting back your kidnapped porters!
Red Tape
No permits are required other than a National Park permit of a couple of dollars payable at Jorsale en-route.
When To Climb
The Himalayas has two well known climbing windows; April-May, and October-November. However I have also trekked in this region in January and February when slippery trails and fewer lodges open are the only problems.
Camping
Camping is permitted along the way although with the cheap lodges every few miles offering rooms at $1 or so per night I don’t see the point
Mountain Conditions
There is no real way of finding out about the condition of the mountain prior to travelling to the region. As mentioned above, provided you stick to the two main time windows you should be ok.
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