Lukla to EBC and Gokyo via Cho La?

The trek up to Gokyo and Gokyo really are lovely. I think most people doing the whole circuit start by going towards Gokyo and then cross the Cho La to get over to th EBC side. This I believe is the better direction over Cho La. If you start out on the Gokyo side, be very careful with your acclimatization -- altitude gains are quick on that side making for short days hiking as you go up the Gokyo Valley from Namche -- but its important not to push on for greater distance b/c its easy to gain altitude too fast and end up with bad altitude sickness. Jamie McGuinness' Trekking in the Everest Region is a great book for trekking the area and his website project-himalaya.com has good altitude info as well.

Heading up from Namche you can stay at Tsangboche, Kumjung or Khunde first night out of Namche. Then you can stay at mon la or continue down to one of the guesthouses at phortse tenga (but its colder down there). Then there are plenty of guest houses en route up. I am not sure I am remembering all the names of the towns but there are Machermo, Dole, (somewhere along the route a solo guesthouse by itself or two, but I dont recall where), two guesthouses just before the last stretch to Gokyo then alot of guesthouses at the Gokyo third lake. From there, there is a place just before Cho La to spend the night to position yourself for crossing the pass.

I didnt cross Cho la myself but the trail and guesthouses to Gokyo are good. Gokyo resort and Cho Oyu resort at Gokyo are both excellent.

rourkem, Im doin the same trip but Im strarting in Jiri. All info I have recieved about Cho La pass has been positive (unless u count the alltitude discomfort) and unless the weather is bad at that time of year your going u shouldnt have any issues.

Hi rourkem

I just did the Chola last month crossing over from the Gokyo side to the Everest Base Camp side. Honestely crossing the Cho La was the toughest part of 2 week ordeal, but was worth every ache in the body. The ascent is pretty steep starting at 4,700 meters at Thangnak (where you spend the night before attempting on Cho la, and has 2 well built lodges) to 5,330 on the top of Chola so thats 600m of ascent. The conditions at the time of the ascent is very critical as bad weather can make it virtually impossible to climb it. Under ideal conditions the ascent from Thangnak on the Gokyo side involves a steep snow covered wall. The climb is difficult but not treacherous as the snow is pretty soft and you can kick steps into the snow to help you climb. The descent from the pass on to Dzonglha on the Everest side involves crossing a icy glacier which can be at sometimes very slippery. So you must watch out on this side as even a small slip can prove disastrous. The lodges (there are only 2) in Dzonglha are pretty basic and most people I trekked with decided to pass Dzonglha and camp out in Lobuche instead which is a little more well built to cater to the tourists. So what ever you decide to do it will be a pretty hard day and one of the most memorable days as well. If you are intrested you can check out my pictures from my website at

http://harsha.ganjam.googlepages.com/home<BR><BR>Have fun and trek responsibly and safely.

I tried and failed to cross the Cho La a few weeks ago in April because of a snow storm...visibility was terrible, I couldn't find the route down to Dzonglha and there were some crevaces too...water in water bottle also froze Might be an idea to hire a guide for that section take a guide in case the weather turns. It's also very hard work and a very long day at altitude, harder than any other part of the trek to Gokyo/EBC. Having trekked up to Gokyo from Lukla via Machermo, Dole etc, decided to head down to Phortse on the other side of valley via Thame - was bloody gorgeous!

If you have time, it's definitely worth going up to Gokyo so you can trek up Gokyo Ri - views are awesome. When I was there, mornings were clear, but afternoons were cloudy and often snowy.

Trail is easy to find all the way to Gokyo/EBC, easy to do on your own without guide or porter. Guest houses fairly good up Gokyo valley, but don't expect showers or even running water as you get higher up. On Khumbu valley, I thought facilities were worse than Gokyo valley as altitude increased, but don't let that put you off as you get used to it very quickly. I found local people to be very helpful. Food got very boring.

It's all hard work, but you get fitter as you go, and at the end of the day, it's only walking. Can be very cold at night as you go up.

Snow conditions are obviously very varaible.We did it in early December 2005 and thew ascent from the Gokyo side eas completely free of snow/ice, Glacier descent on far side, in very good weather was very straightforward. In any adverse snow/weather conditions a guide would be desirable in finding the descent route as it is not entirely straightforward. Well worth it.

Weather and snow conditions for crossing the ChoLa pass tend to be much more stable in October (even more so in November) compared with April or May. I trecked in the region for eight weeks (in from Jiri, Goyko/ChoLa/Everest BC, out to Hile in East Nepal) in Oct/Nov 2000, and we did not even have a single clouded day, let alone rain or snow. So weather-wise, I do not think you should have any problems and I do not think you need a guide!
One thing only about this ice-cap on ChoLa: Especially in sunlight, it is VERY slippery - and even only slipping slightly on these, um, maybe 100, 150metres basically means that you're dead.
Now, I did not want to lug around crampons for eight weeks only for this little stretch, but I met people who did and after crossing it, I did understand them. Myself, I've never been more thankful for my sharply-pointed walking stick than on this little glacier! Two would have been even better - but really, this was the one and only frightening thing about ChoLa and over the years, I've never heard any reports of accidents up there. It surely is physically demanding but also incredible rewarding!!!
To sum it up: Do not worry too much, take one or two walking-sticks, do the pass and enjoy!

It is definitely wise to have a Guide for the ChoLa, at least. The amount of snow cover and/or bare ice, as well as weather conditions can change this pass from a tough walk to a technical glacier crossing. Conditions can change dramatically and quickly. Don't take chances. I, personally prefer to cross the pass from east to west - starting from the Everest side and also find acclimatizing ascending the from Tengboche to Periche and onward a much better option that the ascent of the Gokyo route through Dole and Machermo. Statistics show that more people get into trouble on the route to Gokyo. Elevation gain is more gradual going the other way. The long ramp that rises to the glacier on east side of the pass and the route onto the ice, I find it easier to climb from the Dzongla side and descend the braided loose rock trail to Tragnak. It's steeper on this side.
Good, clear weather is a must - don't take chances.