Majestic Gokyo Valley Trek

By Author: chujit
Total Articles: 6
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The Gokyo Valley Trek is one of the finest routes available through Sagarmatha National Park and one that neatly sidesteps the crowded trails to Everest Base Camp while providing an immediacy and views of the iconic peak that are more than enough to sustain a basic interest in the mountain without the need to pay homage at its foothills. The rewards of Gokyo valley trek are many, including the superb scenery and wildlife of Sagarmatha National Park, the natural beauty and sublime setting of Gokyo Valley and its crystalline lakes, and the superb and virtually unparalleled panoramic views of Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu and a host of other Himalayan giants from the prospect of Gokyo Ri (5360m).

Following the typical flight to Lukla, the trek sets out on the same path as the route to Everest Base camp through historic Namche Bazaar, then veers away to follow the turbid waters of the Dudh Koshi river upstream to Ngozumpa Glacier and the natural basin amidst snow-capped peaks that are home to the beautiful Gokyo Valley and its serene series of lakes and villages. Here the Sherpas live out a traditional and largely untouched ...
... existence in their fortuitous isolation from the outside world, with large herds of hardy yaks to sustain them and profound Buddhist beliefs guiding their lives and their famed hospitality towards strangers. To wander through the mountain bastion of the Sherpas, taking in its stark beauty and the peaceful culture of its people, is to sit back and wonder if Gokyo Valley wasn't indeed the model for Shangri-La.

As superb as the Gokyo Valley trek is the option exists to extend the magic even further by journeying on over the pass of Cho La (5240m) towards Everest Base Camp, or of heading in the other direction over Renjo La (5360m) for the alternative path back to Namche and Lukla.

The Gokyo Valley Trek represents a wonderful opportunity to visit one of the region's most remote and beautiful valleys, one that allows us to take in the Sherpas living out a tranquil existence that touches something deep within us and calls to simpler and less complex times.