Trek High Points
During the trek, we ascended to some significant high points.These could be minor summits, passes or glaciers. A little information about the 5 significant high points attained on the trek is given below.
Gokyo Ri
Elevation 17,445 feet
25 October 1988
Gokyo Ri, (17,445 ft. above sea level), is a peak in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. It is located on the west side of the Ngozumpa glacier, the largest in Nepal, and is about a 2 hour climb from the village of Gokyo that lies at its foot.
There are tremendous views from the summit of Gokyo Ri, with 5 of the world’s 14 8,000 meter peaks visible on a clear day (Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kangchenjunga, and Cho Oyu) including 4 of the top 5.
Cho La Pass
Elevation 17,625 feet
28 October 1988
The Cho La Pass is a high pass (17,625 feet) that lies at the head of the Chola Khola between the villages of Dzonghla to the east and Dragnag to the west. The Chola Khola and the Cho La Pass provide a connection between the main north south valleys of the Ngozumba Glagier (Gokyo) valley on the west side to the Khumbu Glacier (Everest) valley on the east side.
The Cho La Pass is one of the popular and challenging trekking trails in Khumbu Everest region, especially when weather conditions are not ideal. The pass is steep, can be physically demanding and may require crampons on top of a slippery glacier. The edge of the glacier is unstable.
Kala Pattar
Elevation 18,426 feet
31 October 1988
Kala Pattar, meaning 'black rock' in Nepali and Hindi, is a notable landmark located on the south ridge of Pumori in the Nepalese Himalayas. Kala Pattar is very popular with trekkers in the region of Mount Everest, since it provides the most accessible point to view Mt. Everest from base camp to peak (due to the structure of Everest, the peak cannot be seen from the base camp). "The views of Everest, Nuptse Nup II and Changtse are spectacular and there are glimpses of the northern flank and summit of Lhotse.
The ascent of Kala Pattar begins at Gorakshep (16,9472 ft.), the original base camp for Mt. Everest, making its way up a series of steep switchbacks before levelling off somewhat as it traverses to the eastern side of the mountain. The trail then becomes steep once again until it reaches the wind-swept summit ridge. From there, a five to ten minute scramble over boulders takes one to the top after a climb of between 1.5 and 2 hours.
Kala Pattar has 2 summits of similar elevation. The less visited summit a couple of hundred meters to the north provides views of Everest’s south Col not visible from the main summit.
Khumbu Icefall
Elevation 17,233 feet
1 November 1988
The Khumbu Icefall is an icefall at the head of the Khumbu Glacier and the foot of Everest’s Western Cwm. The icefall is located on the slopes of Mount Everest not far above Base Camp and southwest of the summit. The main section of the icefall is regarded as one of the most dangerous stages of the South Col route to Everest's summit, with many climbers and Sherpas losing their lives on this part of the ascent.
The icefall moves at such speed that large crevasses open with little warning. The large towers of ice or seracs found at the icefall have been known to collapse suddenly. Huge blocks of ice tumble down the glacier from time to time; they range in size from cars to large houses. It is estimated that the glacier advances 3 to 4 feet every day. Most climbers try to cross the icefall during the very early morning, before sunrise, when it has partially frozen during the night and is less susceptible to moving.
The aim of the trek’s excursion to the icefall was to reach a point on the Khumbu Glacier, just below the base of the icefall, and before the ice starts to become steep and dangerous.
Chukkung
Elevation 15,546 feet
3 November 1988
Chukkung is a small village at the head of the Imja Khola valley at an altitude of 15,546 ft. Chukkung lies on the southern slopes of Lhotse and Nuptse close to the confluence of the Lho, Nup and Imja Glaciers Glacier. It is close to the base of Imja Tse (Island Peak), a popular trekking peak, which has made Chukkung popular with both trekkers and climbers to the area.
A rocky peak (Chukhung Ri), similar to Kala Pattar, rises above the village of Chukhung to 18,209 ft. It takes three hours or less to reach the summit from Chukhung and it requires no technical climbing. The summit has views of Island Peak, Ama Dablam, Makalu, and the Lhotse face, but was not on the itinerary for this trek.
