After hearing from several friends who'd visited the area, we decided to make Gokyo one of our main destinations. Just one drainage west from the Khumbu glacier and Everest, it sees far fewer tourists and is stunningly beautiful. The walk up from Namche takes about three or four days, even though each day's hiking time is only about one or two hours. Gokyo sits at 15,500 feet, so a slow ascent from 12,000' in Namche is essential. Gokyo is nestled between the third Gokyo lake and the large Ngozumpa glacier, which runs out from the base Cho Oyu (26,906'). We spent four nights here, rising with the sun and spending the clear mornings exploring the area. Afternoons (always cloudy and cold) we hunkered down in the yak-poo heated dining room of our lodge, reading books and chatting with the very international crowd of fellow adventurers.
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| Gokyo, Gokyo III Dudh Pokhari, and Renjo la pass |
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| Ngozumpa glacier |
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| Cho Oyu, 26,906' / 8201m |
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| Gokyo III lake, Dudh Pokhari, and Renjo la pass |
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| Myself with Cho Oyu & the Ngozumpa glacier |
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| Gokyo IV Tonak Pokhari |
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| Cho Oyu & Gyachung Kang from Gokyo IV lake |
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| The Ngozumpa glacier |
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| Tunes by the lake in Gokyo |
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| The BEST lodge in Gokyo! All rooms are the same price everywhere, but the food here was cheap and tasty - and the proprietor made delicious hot chili sauce. |
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| Solar cooker! Only the "fancy" lodges where big tour groups stayed had these. |
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| Cho Oyu, 26,906' |
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| Gyachung Kang |
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| Gokyo |
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Cholatse, Taboche and Kangtega at sunrise.
We left Gokyo at 4:30am to climb Gokyo Ri. |
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| Sunrise behind Everest, Lhotse, Makalu and Cholatse |
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| Summit of Gokyo ri! Beautiful view of Cho Oyu & Gyachung Kang |
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| Cholatse, Taboche and Kangtega with the Ngozumpa glacier and Gokyo lakes II & III |
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| Renjo la pass at the same elevation |
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| Changtse, Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Makalu from the summit of Gokyo ri (17,575') |
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| Dragkar go |
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| Add caption |
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| Gokyo ri |
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| Cholatse |
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| Everest & Lhotse from Gokyo V Ngozumpa Tso |
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| Everest & Lhotse |
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| Gyachung Kang |
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| Very standard dining room. Get in there by 3pm or else you wont get a seat! |
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| Cholatse |
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| Crossing the Ngozumpa glacier |
