Everest Three High Passes Trek by Road - 20 Days

Best Seasons

The ideal time to venture out for the Everest Three High Passes Road Trek stands out to be Spring, starting from mid-March to late May, and Autumn, which begins from September and lasts till the end of November. On the other hand, as this is a road itinerary, without flying to Lukla, the monsoon season is not suggested, as due to the continuous precipitation, the route gets slippery, and also the pathway might get blocked due to frequent rainfall.

Considering the winter, it is a great idea as well, for experienced hikers, that showcases the distinct side of the Himalayas, being snow-covered. Someone whose time fits during the new year and Christmas time, willing to ace the high passes, with great challenges. However, packing essentials and gear must be done accordingly, including crampons and sleeping bags to adjust to cold altitude.

Spring is marked as the best season, where the thriving red rhododendrons bloom captivatingly in the lush green valleys. The temperature doesn't exceed 18 degrees Celsius at lower terrains, and does not fall below -10 degrees Celsius at high elevation, where you can comfortably ascend and settle in at ease. As the season comes right after the end of winter, the weather remains chill and fresh, with the soothing chirpings of the Himalayan birds and the possibility of some rare wild species, as well, making the trip interesting, which keeps you engaged.

Whereas the autumn season is the peak time in the Himalayas, where the route is filled with keen-minded hikers like you, where one interacts with adventure seekers and engages in cultural exchange, which is surely gonna be the best part. At the same time, the major festivals, Dashain and Tihar, fall between September and November, where you can get to know how the locals celebrate such festivals, and also witness the reunion of Sherpa families, where the young ones and families return to their root place from the city area, which will surely warm your heart.

As the monsoon season comes to a conclusion of the monsoon, the weather gets clear, showing the best insight of the mountains and the golden dotted terraced fields, where the hardship of locals in agriculture is shown in the farms.

Hence, the ideal seasons tend to surely be Spring and Autumn or winter as well, for a smooth and easy adventure, with captivating insights of the highlands in every stride within the Khumbu region. However, this trip is possible, any span of the year, with proper preparations and research as well.

Difficulty Level and Preparations

Considering the simple fact that this trek also includes other vantage points that exceed 5000 meters, and combines the almighty Everest Base Camp, the trek falls under a challenging Himalayan adventure in Nepal, which demands a lot of patience, stamina, and being medically fit. Trekking at such a high altitude above 4000 meters each day, covering 6 - 7 hours of hiking approximately, with a coverage of 8 to 11 km, is not an easy task, which burns your legs and even demotivates you mentally, if you haven't done prior research and set your mind accordingly. Physically, you must have a basic level of fitness or prior experience in the mountain areas; however, beginners can also smoothly undertake this journey, with proper planning and comprehensive preparation.

Nevertheless, we at Destination Himalaya Treks ensure a safe adventure, with the assistance of experienced licensed guides over 10+ years, and the guidance of the professional teams beforehand, so that you get to cover every highlighted corner, navigate via easier and safer routes, with the best arrangements of lodges as possible.

Talking about the challenging section, three major factors make this trip a bit challenging: firstly, the rapid fluctuations in climate; secondly, the frequent ascents and long hours of navigation via varied terrains and sections; and lastly, the high altitude, which increases every day.

Firstly, referring to the weather, you never know or predict the weather conditions in the Himalayas, where it can rise and take a drop, with no warning. Sometimes, even at the peak times, there might be snowfall (however, mere ones), which makes the terrains more challenging than they actually are, especially for beginners, hence, we highly suggest you bring crampons, and 1-2 winter gears as well, despite hiking in the best seasons.

On the other hand, despite being a long distance, the route changes vastly in terrain, where sometimes, you must navigate through forested trailheads, rocky sections, rugged and remote parts without any tea houses, and frequent ascents while covering the high passes, with many icy terrains, which can frustrate those who have zero experience; hence, you must be physically trained as well. While training, engage in cardiovascular exercises, such as running, short hikes, incline walks, a treadmill, weight lifting, and most importantly, squats, leg push, and stretching to build calf strength. If you are not a gym kind of person, then, instead, you can choose to opt for stairs and home exercises, and short hikes over 3000 meters, which is a great option as well.

Now, looking at the brighter side, our road itinerary follows a gradual pace, with 300-400 meters, without ascending beyond 500 meters, with 3 major acclimatisation days, which lets you adapt to the rising high elevation, avoiding the risk of altitude sickness. Along with that, the adventure begins with a comfortable 4WD Jeep drive, without a hectic Lukla flight, from Kathmandu to Salleri, which avoids the possibility of flight delay, which usually happens during peak times, due to traffic congestion, and ensures your trip starts on time, where you can comfortably rest and stop by, enjoying the surroundings.

Besides, the lodges and tea houses in the Everest region are top-notch, being well facilitated, with all the required amenities, and many settlements in between, due to which, the trip becomes comfortable, easy access to the modern world in terms of communication, and safe as well. Considering all the factors, even though this trek is challenging, with proper planning and comprehensive planning, it can be successfully attained by even beginners; however, just make sure to stay hydrated and indulge in nutritious foods, and carry gear considering all seasonal variations.

How to Get to the Starting Point of the Everest Three High Passes without the Lukla Flight?

To get to the starting point of this trek to Everest Base Camp and the Everest Three High Passes by Road, the only possible route is either following the classical route of Jiri (ancient trailhead), which takes approximately a week, to reach Phakding - the standard route to EBC. Or proceeding the Salleri route, which is relatively shorter, only demanding approx. 2 days of walking trail, however requires 2 days of jeep transportation to reach Paiya Thamdanda via Salleri, either route shows the distinct view of the landscapes, and surely avoids the Lukla Flight, the most dangerous flight runway in the world. 

Whereas, our trekking package includes the 4WD private jeep vehicle transportation, to reach the starting point from the roadway to the Everest region - Salleri, for 2 2-day drive to attain Thamdanda, from where the actual walking trail gets started that leads you to Phakding. After the trek is completed, you will return from the private jeep drive as well, from Thamdanda itself, passing through Salleri. This itinerary is crafted for those who want to avoid the flight; that is why the comfortable accessibility is only by private jeep. Keeping this in mind, the package is customised. If you want to return from Lukla Flight to Kathmandu, then you can incur an additional cost of USD 400 per head, as well, for the flight from Lukla to Kathmandu. 

Meal Options and Accommodations

Throughout the trek, the comfort accommodations will be provided,  considering facilities, hygiene, and privacy as the first major factor; hence, every lodge required throughout the trip is included in our package. While you can find better amenities, with separate bedding configuration or private ones, in major settlements such as Thame, Gokyo, Phakding, Lukla, Namche, Dingboche, and other stopping points, with modern facilities that include wifi, charging, laundries, however, you need to pay extra for such extra facilities in the upper section, and lower regions too.

Every lodge and tea house up there has great facilities, with comfortable beds, shared washrooms, well-washed pillows, bed sheets, blankets, and a heated dining room; hence, your comfort won't be compromised. The attached restrooms are rarely found, so please do not expect them. until and unless it's a luxury trip, which costs you thousands of dollars; meanwhile, if you want one, it can be managed as well, with added cost. At Kathmandu, before starting or after the trek, if you haven't sorted out rooms yet, then we provide 2 nights' stay at our standard hotel Bihani, with breakfast, as a complimentary without any additional cost, just for your comfort and to not exceed your estimated budget.

Regarding the meals, three standard meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner will be provided with a seasonal fruit and a cup of tea or coffee, where the menu will be given to you, and you can select your preferences and order the food accordingly, being freshly made by locals. Also, as already mentioned, being one of the famous routes, a wide variety of options from western to local ones, as per your dietary preferences, like vegan, non-veg or vegetarian, are available, just ensure to have fulfilling meals that fit your taste palette, and do not miss out trying local Sherpa foods at the same time.

Drinking Water Facilities and Communication Accessibility

Throughout the trekking route, you will find wide options in beverages as well, from hot drinks such as coffee, tea, and any kind of soup, to cold beverages like fruit juice, energy drinks, Coke, Fanta, etc. Whereas, for the drinking water, hot drinking water is heated at the dining area, 24 hours is available, which helps you to stay warm, which is straight out of the tap water (coming from the mountains). If you are not comfortable with tap water, then you can use a water purification tablet to purify the water, which will be provided by us, or use bottled water, which is available in every tea house, costing approximately. 0.8 to 2 USD per bottle.

Whereas, for the communication, each lodge has a telephone service which costs, depending on the hourly basis, at the same time, wifi is available 24 hours, where you must pay USD 2-5 (at higher point only), to get the password. Meanwhile, for the trail, consider buying a SIM Card that only costs approximately. USD 0.50 in Kathmandu, where you can buy easily, providing a passport and also connecting data, with a datapack of 5 GB, which lasts for a week, and can be bought for straight 3 weeks (21 days), accordingly.

Everest Three High Passes Trek Permit Requirements 

Even though it is an Everest Three Passes Trek by road, the requirements of the permits and their costing remain the same, which must be obtained to get accessibility to the trailhead, and the restricted area of Sagarmatha National Park. Two permits are required for this trek, firstly, the obvious and most important one, the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit, and secondly, the Pasang Khumbu Municipality Permit and other local ones, if accessing some monasteries which demand a certain amount of entrance fees; however, other than these two, locals are not necessary for entering the gompas, if you are not considering visiting them.

Nonetheless, after your booking is made, we at Destination Himalaya Treks and Expedition arrange all the permits required, which are included in our package. The following necessary permits include:

• Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit costs approximately. NPR 3000 per head, 
• Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Entrance Permit costs NPR 2500 per person

Things to Consider for a Successful and Safe Everest Three High Passes Road Trek

Before opting for or throughout the trek to the Everest Three High Passes Trek by Road for 20 days, we highly suggest you follow some of the major tips or some essentials to consider for a hassle-free Himalayan adventure within the Khumbu region.

• Travel Insurance: We highly suggest opting for a good travel insurance policy for a high elevation adventure like Everest Base Camp (EBC), as the medical assistance is difficult to get quickly, for the severe conditions, whereas the only option is the helicopter evacuation, hence, grab the policy that includes helicopter rescue over 3000 meters. On the other hand, along with that, being in the mountain areas, no matter how well prepared you are, certain risks are always circulating, hence, make sure your policy includes minor injuries coverage, theft, trip cancellation or delays, as well, to avoid mental frustration and have secured health assistance with a budget, as it costs thousands of dollars.
• Money Exchange: Make sure to withdraw your cash in Kathmandu, or exchange your cash to Nepali currency (NPR), however, if you have USD (US Dollars), then you are good to go as well, as the debit, credit card or fone pay, doesn't work at tea houses (many of them), it is always best to carry cash estimating personal expenses, for bevergaes, laundry, tips, chargings, buying suvuniers, en route.
• Follow preventive guidelines: Throughout the journey, stay focused on acclimatising properly, do not go beyond the planned itinerary, and avoid consuming alcohol, over 4000 meters, and do not consume caffeine, as well. If you feel any discomfort, inform the guide immediately, and do what's best for you, whereas, for safety purposes, check your pulse rate at every stopping point via oximeter.

Packing Essentials and Gears Check List

During this trip there are several things to be prepared for, whereas the first and foremost requirement remains the essential packing list, which must be considered as listed below:

• Thermal Wear - must-have essential clothing for cold temperatures (2 pairs)
• 6-7 Moisture Wicking T-shirts (Dry Fit t-shirts) 
• 4-5 Lightweight Hiking Shorts and Pants
• 3-4 Joggers and Trousers to wear at tea houses
• Underwear - at least 10
• Sports bras - 5/6 and crampons - for females
• Handwears and headwears like insulated gloves, brimmed/woollen caps, scarf (light ones)
• Down Jackets or Puffer Jacket
• Sleeping Bag (will be provided by us)
• Waterproof jackets - must be essential for all seasons
• Raincoat and rain cover for backpack - compulsory
• Duffle Bag - 20-25 kgs and a light day backpack - 35 to 40 litres
• Hiking shoes, and if it's winter, consider crampons as well
• Equipments like trekking poles (adjustable ones), torch light, head light with extra batteries, chargers, powerbank, and reusable water bottles
• Sunscreen and sunglasses with anti-UV protection
• First Aid Kits: Oximeter and water purification tablet
• Travel documents like trekking permits, passport-sized photos, passport, travel insurance (if you have one)

Booking Procedure

If you are looking forward to booking our Everest Three High Passes Trek by road package, then you just have to pay 10% of the total trip cost to book your trip with us and secure your seat. Booking before 2/3 months helps us arrange the best logistics possible, along the route. If you have further queries, feel free to WhatsApp or call us at +977 9851016814 or email us at [email protected] anytime. Being affiliated with NMA (Nepal Mountaineering Association) and TAAN (Trekkers Association Agency of Nepal), your trip is surely safe with us, where we assure safety and comfort, as our first priority. In the meantime, the itineraries, the package, as well as the budget can be surely customised as per your choice. Feel free to connect with us.