Description

Start the day by leaving Machermo and heading up towards a series of farm buildings called Pangka.

The trip up to Pangka is (even by Khumbu standards) beautiful and makes for a charming start to the day. From Pangka descend down to a river which flows from the Ngozumba Glacier, which in turn flows from the south face of Cho Oyu.

Climb steeply from the river up to the first of the 3 holy lakes which mark the end of the transition from the lower (inhabited) Gokyo valley to the deserted upper part. It’s not far from the first lake to the (larger) second and next to the second lake is the path that branches off to the Cho La Pass, which is the recommended way of exiting the Gokyo valley once you’ve been up to Gokyo village and the summit of Gokyo Ri.

Carry on easily from the second lake to the third and largest holy lake, on the eastern edge of which sits Gokyo village.

In recent years Gokyo has expanded and is now quite busy little place where you can stock up on snacks and enjoy a sociable evening in one of the various lodges dotted around the village.

Being next to a lake is thoroughly enjoyable in the usually barren high mountains so most trekkers choose to take a rest day in Gokyo before tackling Gokyo Ri the following day.

Passing a day enjoying the peace of the lake and possibly strolling around it is no chore and will pay dividends for your acclimatisation.