Overview
Lobuche East is 6,119 metres, directly across the valley from Nuptse's west face, and it is the most technical of the popular trekking peaks. Sixteen days, of which nine follow the Everest Base Camp trail — which is exactly why people book it.
The climb
From high camp at about 5,400 m, steep snow and a short glacier lead to the ridge. That ridge is the mountain: a long, corniced arête, fixed on the exposed sections, running to a snow cone at the far end.
There is a false summit on the shoulder well before the true one, and a significant number of parties stop there — either because the cornices are unsafe or because the day has run long.
Why pair it with Base Camp
The acclimatisation this climb requires happens to run past Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar. Rather than an add-on, they are the training. You get the walk everyone wants and a real summit at the end of it, in one trip.
What it costs
USD 2,400 to 4,300 — much the same as Island Peak, since the permit band, the park fees and the Lukla flights are identical. The extra comes from the second night of camping and the higher guide-to-client ratio the ridge demands.
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
- 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
- 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
- Day 7
Dingboche to Lobuche
Dingboche (4,410 m) → Thukla Pass (4,830 m) → Lobuche (4,940 m)
- Distance
- 8 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 4,410 m → 4,940 m
- Elevation
- +530 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Lobuche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- The memorials at Thukla Pass
- Day 8
Everest Base Camp and Gorak Shep
Lobuche (4,940 m) → Gorak Shep (5,164 m) → Base Camp (5,364 m) → Gorak Shep
- Distance
- 15 km
- Walking
- 8 hours
- Altitude
- 4,940 m → 5,164 m
- Elevation
- +640 m / −416 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Gorak Shep
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Most itineraries fold Base Camp in here — it is on the way, it is the acclimatisation the climb needs, and the two together are the reason people book this peak rather than Island.
- Day 9
Kala Patthar, then down to Lobuche
Gorak Shep (5,164 m) → Kala Patthar (5,545 m) → Lobuche (4,940 m)
- Distance
- 12 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 5,164 m → 4,940 m
- Elevation
- +381 m / −605 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Lobuche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Kala Patthar at dawn
- Day 10
Lobuche to high camp
Lobuche (4,940 m) → base camp (5,100 m) → high camp (5,400 m)
- Distance
- 5 km
- Walking
- 5 hours
- Altitude
- 4,940 m → 5,400 m
- Elevation
- +460 m
- Sleep
- Tented high camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Rope and crampon practice below camp
- Day 11
Summit day, and down to Pheriche
High camp (5,400 m) → Lobuche East (6,119 m) → Pheriche (4,371 m)
- Distance
- 16 km
- Walking
- 12–14 hours
- Altitude
- 5,400 m → 4,371 m
- Elevation
- +719 m / −1748 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Pheriche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Steep snow and a glacier to the ridge, then a long corniced arête with fixed rope on the exposed sections. The true summit is a snow cone at the far end of that ridge, and plenty of parties stop at the lower shoulder short of it. Nuptse fills the sky opposite.
- The summit ridge
- Nuptse's west face across the valley
- Day 12
Contingency day
Reserved
- Altitude
- 4,371 m → 4,371 m
- Sleep
- Lodge, Pheriche
- Meals
- Breakfast, lunch, dinner
- Day 13
Pheriche to Namche
Pheriche (4,371 m) → Tengboche → Namche (3,440 m)
- Distance
- 20 km
- Walking
- 7 hours
- Altitude
- 4,371 m → 3,440 m
- Elevation
- −931 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
Is Lobuche East harder than Island Peak?
What is the difference between Lobuche East and West?
Do many people reach the true summit?
Can you combine it with Everest Base Camp?
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
