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Mera and Island Peak Day 11 - Hongku Valley to Amphu Labsta Base Camp

Hiking Trail

Hard
3.01 mi
1,187 ft
A final steady day before the big crossing of the Amphu Labsta tomorrow.

This is a stunning day of trekking past beautiful mountain lakes and beneath some of the Khumbu's wildest mountains.

Start the day by soaking in the sun as it swings around to the south and warms your camp. Once you get underway with the hike, head north-east past the final few small Hongku lakes to reach the end of the huge one which fills the northern end of the valley. Pass to the left of this and then climb the steep moraine which exits the Hongku valley and climbs north-west, heading directly for the Amphu Labsta.

At the top of the moraine you reach another huge lake with staggering views to the Amphu Labsta and a beautiful cirque of mountains which are subsidiary peaks of Ama Dablam. This lake is part of the Panch Pokhari (Five Lakes) which are a pilgrimage site for followers of Shiva. Cross underneath the toe of the lake and then follow the right hand side of it to a flat spot set back from the lake, almost directly under the Amphu Labsta.

The campsites around here are utterly beautiful and each one you find seems to look better than the last one. Eventually you'll have to plump for one and set up the tents!

The crossing of the Amphu Labsta col which you will tackle tomorrow is one of the most serious days on the whole expedition and arguably features the most difficult mountaineering, so get a good night's rest in preparation for a big day.
Written by Charlie Boscoe
Created By
Strava Routes

Route and Elevation

2 mi
17,200 ft17,400 ft17,600 ft17,800 ft18,000 ft0.0 mi0.5 mi1.0 mi1.5 mi2.0 mi2.5 mi3.0 mi