Gokyo, (4790m) on the beautiful blue green waters of Dudh Pokhari lake and surrounded by stunning mountains boasts one of the loveliest settings on the trail. It’s worth spending an extra day just to take in the views.
The view of Everest and surrounding peaks from Gokyo Ri (5357m), the viewpoint above town, is a highlight of any trip in the region and a must do unless you are also doing Renjo Pass (5360) which has similar views.
Not wanting to waste a beautiful day, when we arrived I decided to see if we could make it up Gokyo Ri before the clouds descended. The views of Everest and surrounding mountains are east of the viewpoint and therefore better lit in the afternoon.
Some attempt a sunset climb, which rewards with stunning light but requires a descent in the dark and risks clouds descending in the afternoon, obscuring the view completely.
The nearly 600 meter climb zig zags up a very large hill and is honestly a pretty boring climb except for the sensational views.
As you climb the peaks begin to emerge, including views of Everest starting about half way up.
On a beautiful day the views from the top are amazing, the best we’ve seen yet. At 1:30PM there were some trekkers but actually very few compared to the passes. We made it to the top in 2.5 hours and down in just over an hour for a total of 4 hours including time at the top.
Easy Morning Walk
The following day we were in need of a rest day before tackling the last pass, Renjo Pass. After a week at 5,000+ meters the altitude has put a lot of stress on our bodies, and instead of adjusting to the altitude in some ways it’s getting worse. Some handle it better than others, but I’m still having digestive difficulties and not always sleeping properly with episodes of sleep apnea. Last night was the worst of the trip so far, waking frequently gasping for breath.
For an easy morning walk we decided to head down the valley towards Namche to the next lake, Tuajung Tsho. If possible, this second lake is a prettier blue green than the one in Gokyo.
In the morning, the views of the mountain peaks Cholastse and Tabuche are into the sun. They would be better lit in the afternoon. Cho Oyu, to the west of the lakes, however, is lovely in the morning despite clouds clinging to the peak.
High clouds continued to pass through most of the day. At mid-morning the sky was nearly completely covered in a thin haze that soon dissipated leaving the afternoon clearer and beautiful late evening sun on the clouds above Cho Oyu.
October 17, 2018
For links to all the posts in this series see the 3 Passes Trek page.