Overview
Island Peak — Imja Tse on the maps — is 6,189 metres at the head of the Imja valley, and it is the mountain most people climb first in Nepal. Sixteen days, of which nine are the standard Khumbu acclimatisation walk and one is the climb.
It earns the reputation. The route has a real headwall, a real summit ridge and real exposure, but nothing on it demands technique you cannot be taught in an afternoon.
The climb
From base camp at 5,087 m, summit day starts between one and two in the morning. Rock and scree lead to the glacier, which is crossed roped up and, depending on the year, past a crevasse or two on ladders.
The headwall is the piece everyone remembers: a little over a hundred metres of fixed line at up to about 45 degrees, climbed on a jumar. Above it the ridge narrows to a boot-width crest with a long drop either side, and follows the snow to the top.
The view is Lhotse's south face directly above, with Nuptse, Makalu and Baruntse around it.
Who it suits
Anyone fit enough for a fourteen-hour day at altitude, with or without previous climbing. It is a poor choice for anyone who has not first walked at 5,000 metres — the acclimatisation built into these sixteen days is the minimum, not a generous allowance.
What it costs
USD 2,200 to 4,000. The NMA permit is USD 250 in spring and USD 125 in autumn, the park and municipality fees add about NPR 6,000, and the rest is the Lukla flights, the lodges, the climbing crew and the group equipment.
Day by day
The 16 days itinerary
Distances, walking times, altitudes and accommodation for every stage — stored as structured data, not written into the prose.
- Day 1
Kathmandu to Lukla, walk to Phakding
Kathmandu (1,400 m) → Lukla (2,860 m) → Phakding (2,610 m)
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 3 hours after the flight
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 2,610 m
- Elevation
- −250 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Phakding
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 2
Phakding to Namche Bazaar
Phakding (2,610 m) → Namche Bazaar (3,440 m)
- Distance
- 11 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 2,610 m → 3,440 m
- Elevation
- +830 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Namche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- The Hillary suspension bridge
- First view of Everest
- Day 3
Namche — acclimatisation day
Namche (3,440 m) → Everest View Hotel (3,880 m) → Namche
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 4 hours
- Altitude
- 3,440 m → 3,440 m
- Elevation
- +440 m / −440 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Namche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 4
Namche to Tengboche
Namche (3,440 m) → Tengboche (3,860 m)
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 3,440 m → 3,860 m
- Elevation
- +600 m / −180 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Tengboche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Tengboche monastery
- Ama Dablam from the north
- Day 5
Tengboche to Dingboche
Tengboche (3,860 m) → Dingboche (4,410 m)
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 3,860 m → 4,410 m
- Elevation
- +600 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Dingboche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 6
Dingboche — acclimatisation day
Dingboche (4,410 m) → Nangkartshang (5,083 m) → Dingboche
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 4,410 m → 4,410 m
- Elevation
- +673 m / −673 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Dingboche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
The first time above 5,000 m. How this day feels is the best early indicator of how the summit night will go.
- Day 7
Dingboche to Chhukung
Dingboche (4,410 m) → Chhukung (4,730 m)
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 3 hours
- Altitude
- 4,410 m → 4,730 m
- Elevation
- +320 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chhukung
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 8
Chhukung Ri and skills refresher
Chhukung (4,730 m) → Chhukung Ri (5,546 m) → Chhukung
- Distance
- 7 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 4,730 m → 4,730 m
- Elevation
- +816 m / −816 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chhukung
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Most operators run the rope-work session here or at base camp — fitting crampons, using a jumar on a fixed line, abseiling off. If you have never done it, this is the day it is taught.
- Chhukung Ri
- Crampon
- jumar and abseil practice
- Day 9
Chhukung to Island Peak base camp
Chhukung (4,730 m) → base camp (5,087 m)
- Distance
- 6 km
- Walking
- 4 hours
- Altitude
- 4,730 m → 5,087 m
- Elevation
- +357 m
- Sleep
- Tented camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 10
Summit day, and back to Chhukung
Base camp (5,087 m) → Island Peak (6,189 m) → Chhukung (4,730 m)
- Distance
- 14 km
- Walking
- 14–16 hours
- Altitude
- 5,087 m → 4,730 m
- Elevation
- +1102 m / −1459 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chhukung
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Away between one and two in the morning. Rock and scree to the glacier, then roped across it to the headwall — a little over a hundred metres of fixed line at up to about 45 degrees — and a narrow, exposed snow ridge to the top. Lhotse, Nuptse and Makalu are the view. It is a very long day.
- The headwall
- The summit ridge
- Lhotse's south face at dawn
- Day 11
Contingency day
Reserved at Chhukung
- Walking
- —
- Altitude
- 4,730 m → 4,730 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Chhukung
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Weather, or a second attempt. Groups that do not build one in are the ones that come home without the summit.
- Day 12
Chhukung to Tengboche
Chhukung (4,730 m) → Pangboche → Tengboche (3,860 m)
- Distance
- 18 km
- Walking
- 6 hours
- Altitude
- 4,730 m → 3,860 m
- Elevation
- −870 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Tengboche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 13
Tengboche to Namche
Tengboche (3,860 m) → Namche (3,440 m)
- Distance
- 10 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 3,860 m → 3,440 m
- Elevation
- −420 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Namche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 14
Namche to Lukla
Namche (3,440 m) → Lukla (2,860 m)
- Distance
- 19 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 3,440 m → 2,860 m
- Elevation
- −580 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Lukla
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 15
Lukla to Kathmandu
Lukla (2,860 m) → Kathmandu (1,400 m)
- Walking
- 35 minutes by air
- Altitude
- 2,860 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Day 16
Contingency day in Kathmandu
Reserved for a delayed Lukla flight
- Altitude
- 1,400 m → 1,400 m
- Meals
- Breakfast
Route map
Where the trail goes
Route line, start and end points, and every overnight stop. Locations are shared entities — the same record powers the destination and itinerary pages.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need climbing experience?
How hard is it, really?
What does the permit cost?
How does it compare with Mera Peak?
When should you go?
About the author
Tom Eriksen
Gear editor & photographer
Tom tests trekking equipment the only way that produces honest answers: by carrying it for weeks at a time above 4,000 metres. He shoots most of the photography on this site and writes the gear reviews, comparison tables and packing lists.
Writes about: Trekking gear · Photography · Packing and weight
