Everest Cho La Pass Trek – 17 Days

If you are comparing treks in the Khumbu right now, you have probably noticed that most guides only cover Everest Base Camp on its own, or Gokyo Lakes on its own. The Everest Chola Pass Trek does something different.

It links both of those regions through a single high-altitude crossing, so you get Base Camp, Kala Patthar, Gokyo Ri, and the Gokyo Lakes in one continuous route instead of two separate trips.

This is not a casual add-on to the standard EBC trek. Crossing Cho La Pass at 5,420 m involves glacier travel, loose rock, and, in many seasons, snow and ice that call for microspikes.

We get asked constantly by trekkers at Adventure Everest Team whether this route is worth the extra effort compared to a straightforward Base Camp trek, and honestly, it depends on what you came to the Himalayas for.

If your goal is simply to stand at Everest Base Camp and watch sunrise from Kala Patthar, the standard EBC trek does that job well and asks less of you. However, if you want the fuller Khumbu experience, glacier terrain, two major viewpoints, and a proper high pass under your boots, this is the route.

We have built this 17-day Everest Chola Pass Trek package from our own experience running this exact itinerary, combined with updated 2026/27 information on permits, route conditions, and seasonal access.

The Everest Chola Pass Trek is a 14 to 17 day route through Nepal's Khumbu region that combines the classic Everest Base Camp trail with a high-altitude crossing over Cho La Pass into the Gokyo Valley.

You start with a mountain flight into Lukla, walk the standard EBC trail as far as Gorak Shep, cross the pass toward Dzongla and Thangnak, then descend into Gokyo before returning through Namche Bazaar.

Some agencies market this same route under different names, including the EBC Gokyo Chola Pass Trek or a shortened section of the longer Everest Three Passes Trek (which also adds Renjo La and Kongma La). If you have seen those terms while researching, they are describing a closely related family of itineraries rather than something entirely different.

This is not a technical climb in the mountaineering sense. You will not need a harness or formal rope training. What you do need is time, real acclimatization, and comfort walking on uneven glacial moraine and snow, since Cho La Pass sits well above where most trekking routes in Nepal ever go.

The first eight or nine days mirror the classic Everest Base Camp route almost exactly, so the difficulty there is identical. Where this trek pulls ahead in difficulty is the section from Dzongla, over Cho La Pass, to Thangnak.

That single day covers 7 to 8 hours across loose scree, glacier ice, and a steep, exposed descent on the western side of the pass.

Altitude is the bigger factor here, not raw fitness. Trekkers spend several consecutive nights above 4,700 m on this route, considerably more than on the standard EBC trail, which means your acclimatization schedule matters even more than it already does on a normal Base Camp trip.

We grade the Everest Chola Pass Trek as challenging, sitting a clear step above the standard Everest Base Camp trek.

You will walk 5 to 8 hours most days, spend multiple nights above 4,700 m, and cross a genuine high pass where the trail disappears into rock and ice for a stretch.

Prior mountaineering experience is not required, but prior multi-day trekking experience genuinely helps, since you will already know how your body responds to sustained daily hiking before you add altitude into the mix.

We have guided trekkers with no technical background across Cho La Pass successfully, and we have also turned back very fit trekkers who ignored early symptoms of altitude sickness the day before the crossing.

What actually predicts success here is consistent cardiovascular fitness built up over the two months before departure, a realistic pace on summit and pass days, and the discipline to accept a delay if your guide calls for one.

So, if you are weighing whether you are ready for this specific trek, ask yourself honestly whether you can commit to that pacing discipline, not just whether you can physically climb stairs for an hour.

This is the section most trekkers researching this route actually want answered honestly, so here it is. Crossing Cho La Pass starts early, usually well before sunrise, from Dzongla at 4,800 m.

The first stretch climbs steadily over rock and scree toward the base of the pass, and this part is straightforward walking, if slow at that altitude.

The final approach to the pass itself crosses a section of glacier, and depending on conditions and time of year, your guide may fit microspikes onto your boots for grip on the ice. This is not roped glacier travel in the technical mountaineering sense, but it is genuine glacier terrain, and loose footing here has real consequences.

Standing at the top, at 5,420 m, you get a narrow, dramatic view down into the Gokyo Valley on one side and back toward Ama Dablam and the Khumbu peaks on the other. Most groups spend only a few minutes at the summit itself, since wind at that elevation tends to be sharp and constant.

The descent toward Thangnak is, in our experience, the harder half of the day. The western side drops steeply over loose rock and ice, and tired legs after the climb up make careful footing more important than speed here.

The full crossing, from Dzongla to Thangnak, typically takes 7 to 8 hours including rest stops, and we build the entire day around an early start specifically so you are off the pass before afternoon weather has a chance to move in.

Since this trek includes both viewpoints, trekkers researching this route often ask if climbing both is actually worth the effort. Short answer: yes, and here is why.

Kala Patthar (5,644 m) is the closest point from which you can see Everest's actual summit, since the peak itself is hidden from Base Camp by the surrounding ridgelines.

Gokyo Ri (5,357 m), on the other hand, gives you a wider panoramic sweep that includes Everest, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Lhotse together in one frame, along with a clear view down onto the Ngozumpa Glacier and the Gokyo Lakes below.

If you genuinely had to pick only one, Kala Patthar wins for the single best Everest close-up. But Gokyo Ri wins for overall panorama and for the fact that far fewer trekkers make it there compared to the crowds at Kala Patthar during peak season. Doing this combined route means you never have to choose.

Pricing for this itinerary through Adventure Everest Team runs at USD 1495 per person, depending on group size, season, and exact service level.

International agencies booking the same combined route often charge considerably more for identical services, since a larger share of that cost goes toward overseas marketing rather than your actual trek.

Our packages include a licensed guide with Cho La-specific experience, both required permits, teahouse accommodation, breakfast and dinner throughout the trek, and your Lukla flights.

Always confirm with us about what is included before booking, since departure taxes, personal gear, tipping, and additional porter charges typically sit outside the quoted package price!

Group size affects your per-person cost directly, since fixed expenses like permits and guide fees get shared among more people.

Seasonality matters too, with autumn and spring departures usually sitting at the higher end of the typical range because demand for guides and teahouse rooms peaks in those windows.

Hiring a private guide instead of joining a group, upgrading to better lodges in Namche and Tengboche, or adding a personal porter for the Cho La section will also raise your total cost.

A personal porter is worth genuine consideration on this specific route, since carrying a full pack over loose scree and glacier ice adds real fatigue on an already demanding day.

Start training at least two months before departure if you can. Focus on cardiovascular endurance, leg strength, and time spent walking on uneven or hilly terrain rather than gym machines alone.

Stair climbing with a loaded backpack is one of the closest things to actual trail conditions you can practice at home!

Beyond general fitness, spend some training time on balance and ankle stability specifically, since the terrain crossing Cho La Pass is considerably less even than most of the standard EBC trail.

We recommend a full medical check-up before booking, particularly if you have any pre-existing heart, lung, or blood pressure condition. So, before booking your Everest Chola Pass Trek, get that check-up done early rather than as an afterthought.

Acute Mountain Sickness, commonly called AMS, is your body's reaction to reduced oxygen availability at elevation.

According to Wilderness Medical Society clinical guidelines, symptoms typically appear within several hours to three days after ascent above roughly 2,500 m, and include headache, nausea, fatigue, and loss of appetite.

This route carries a genuinely higher AMS risk profile than a standard EBC trek, simply because you spend more consecutive nights above 4,700 m, including the nights at Dzongla, Thangnak, and Gokyo, on top of the standard high points near Base Camp.

If left unmanaged, AMS can progress to High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE) or High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), both of which can become life-threatening without prompt treatment.

Our itinerary includes dedicated acclimatization days at Namche Bazaar and before the pass crossing, following the widely recommended climb high, sleep low approach.

Additionally, we deliberately schedule the Cho La crossing for a day when your body has already had multiple nights to adjust above 4,300 m, rather than pushing straight into the pass from a lower elevation.

Drink at least 3 to 4 liters of water daily, report any headache or dizziness to your guide immediately, and never push through worsening symptoms just to keep to schedule, especially on pass-crossing day when turning back partway becomes considerably harder.

Medical guidelines are consistent on this point: the most effective treatment for worsening altitude illness is descent, combined with supplemental oxygen if it is available.

Comprehensive travel insurance covering high-altitude trekking up to at least 6,000 m and helicopter evacuation is essential on this route specifically, since Cho La Pass sits in terrain where a ground evacuation can take considerably longer than it would near the main EBC trail.

Late September through November and March through May remain the two strongest windows for crossing Cho La Pass safely. Both seasons bring more stable weather and clearer visibility on the pass itself, which matters considerably more here than on a trek that never goes above 5,200 m.

Winter, from December through February, is technically possible, but conditions on Cho La Pass become considerably harsher. Snow accumulation increases the avalanche risk on certain sections, and several agencies reduce or pause Cho La departures during the coldest weeks of January. If you are set on a winter date, talk to your agency directly about current pass conditions before booking.

Monsoon season, from June through August, is not recommended for this specific route. Beyond the usual monsoon issues of flight delays and leeches lower down, cloud cover on the pass itself removes almost all visibility, and wet rock on the descent toward Thangnak becomes genuinely dangerous. We generally decline to run Cho La departures during peak monsoon weeks.

You need the same two permits used across the entire Khumbu region: the Sagarmatha National Park Entry Permit and the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality Permit. Both currently cost NPR 3,000 each for foreign nationals, bringing your total to around NPR 6,000, or roughly USD 45.

The national park permit funds conservation work across Sagarmatha National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site established in 1976. You can collect it from the Nepal Tourism Board office in Kathmandu or directly at the entry gate in Monjo.

The municipality permit funds local infrastructure and waste management throughout the Khumbu, and you can pick it up in Lukla or at the same Monjo checkpoint.

A TIMS card is not required for this route. The Khumbu region moved away from the standard TIMS system some years ago, and the rural municipality permit now covers that function instead.

Adventure Everest Team processes both permits before you arrive in the mountains, so you only need a copy of your passport and two passport-sized photos to get started, and we handle the paperwork from there.

Yes, and honestly, we would say this even if it were not a requirement. In April 2023, Nepal's tourism authorities began requiring foreign trekkers in most national parks and conservation areas to travel with a licensed guide through a registered agency.

Enforcement specifics have varied by season across different parts of the Khumbu since then, but on a route that includes glacier crossing and sustained time above 4,700 m, a professional guide is not optional in any practical sense.

Cho La Pass is where a guide's value becomes obvious rather than theoretical. Route finding across the glacier changes from week to week as snow cover shifts, and a guide who has crossed the pass recently knows which line is currently safe and which crevasse areas to avoid.

Every Adventure Everest Team package on this route includes a government-licensed guide with specific, recent experience on Cho La Pass, not just general Khumbu experience.

The flight from Kathmandu to Lukla takes around 30 to 35 minutes and offers genuinely dramatic Himalayan views once you clear the Kathmandu valley rim.

Weather in the mountains changes quickly, so flights can occasionally be delayed a few hours or, in rarer cases, pushed to the following morning.

Landing at Tenzing-Hillary Airport is an experience in itself, since the runway sits on a steep incline with hillsides closing in on both sides as the plane touches down.

We build a buffer day into every itinerary specifically for this reason, since even a short weather delay can otherwise throw off your entire schedule, and on a trek with a fixed pass-crossing window, losing a buffer day matters more than it would on a simpler route.

During peak autumn and spring weeks, we reroute Lukla flights through Manthali or Ramechhap airport, roughly a 4 to 5 hour drive from Kathmandu, to reduce morning congestion at Tribhuvan International Airport.

Teahouse lodging covers the entire trek, with twin-sharing rooms standard above Namche Bazaar.

Facilities are simple lower down the trail and progressively more basic the higher you climb, and this pattern holds through Dzongla and Thangnak as well, where rooms are genuinely basic and unheated.

Dzongla and Thangnak have the smallest, most limited teahouse options on the entire route, since both sit in remote spots that exist almost entirely to serve trekkers crossing the pass.

Do not expect the comfort level of Namche or Tengboche here! Rooms are cold, bathrooms are shared, and hot showers are rare or unavailable.

Gokyo offers a noticeable step back up in comfort, with slightly better lodges set along the lakeshore and some hot shower options for a small extra charge.

Room heating is not standard anywhere on this trail beyond a shared stove in the dining hall, so evenings are best spent layered up in the common area rather than expecting warmth in your bedroom.

Dal Bhat remains the most reliable meal throughout the Khumbu, and most teahouses offer unlimited refills of rice, lentils, and vegetable curry. Trekking guides often joke about Dal Bhat power, 24 hour, and after a long pass-crossing day, you will genuinely understand why.

Breakfast typically includes porridge, eggs, or Tibetan bread, while noodle soup, momo, and thukpa cover most other meals.

Menu options narrow and prices climb the higher you go, since fresh ingredients become harder to transport, and this effect is sharper at Dzongla and Thangnak than almost anywhere else on standard Khumbu routes.

Meat is best to be avoided above Namche Bazaar, since refrigeration becomes unreliable at altitude and freshness cannot be reliably guaranteed that high up.

And Garlic soup is worth ordering once you cross 4,000 m. It is a trail staple across the Everest region, and many trekkers find it genuinely helps settle mild altitude headaches, even without strong clinical evidence behind the claim.

Packing for this route needs slightly more attention than a standard EBC trek, since you will be walking on snow and ice at Cho La Pass regardless of season. Below is what genuinely earns a place in your duffel bag.

• Microspikes or lightweight crampons, since the glacier section near Cho La Pass regularly requires added grip, even in autumn and spring.
• Layered clothing: base layer, fleece or light down mid-layer, and a waterproof outer shell for cold mornings above Dingboche.
• A warm sleeping bag rated for sub-zero temperatures, since Dzongla and Gorak Shep are consistently the coldest stops on the entire route.
• Sturdy, broken-in trekking boots with ankle support, ideally already tested on uneven or rocky terrain before you arrive in Nepal.
• Trekking poles, which genuinely help with steadier footing on the moraine sections near Gorak Shep and on the Cho La descent.
• UV-rated sunglasses or glacier glasses, since snow glare on the pass can cause real eye strain without proper protection.
• A headlamp with spare batteries, high-altitude rated sunscreen, and a reusable water bottle with purification tablets.
• Cash in Nepali rupees, since ATMs become unreliable past Namche Bazaar and stop working entirely beyond that point.
• A basic first aid kit, including altitude sickness medication discussed in advance with your doctor.

WiFi is available at most teahouses through Everest Link cards, purchased by the hour or by data volume.

Coverage becomes genuinely unreliable at Dzongla and Thangnak specifically, since both are smaller, more remote settlements than the main EBC route stops, so plan on limited or no connectivity for at least two days around the pass crossing.

An NTC SIM card, purchased in Kathmandu before you fly out, generally gives more consistent mobile data through the lower half of the trail. Coverage drops sharply past Dingboche, and around the Cho La crossing itself, do not expect any signal at all.

Device charging is available in most teahouses for a small fee, since solar panels and small hydropower systems power the electricity supply the higher you go.

A power bank is worth carrying anyway, particularly for the days around Dzongla and Thangnak where charging options are more limited than elsewhere on the trail.

Tourism income is central to daily life throughout the Khumbu, and choosing locally owned teahouses while hiring Nepali guides and porters puts that income directly into Sherpa communities rather than routing it elsewhere.

This matters even more in smaller settlements like Dzongla and Thangnak, which depend almost entirely on trekking traffic for their income.

Ask permission before photographing people, remove your shoes before entering monasteries, and always pass mani walls and prayer wheels on your left, following local custom.

Also, avoid single-use plastics wherever the trail allows it, and carry a reusable bottle with purification tablets instead of buying bottled water at every stop.